Just when you thought you had seen the last of us, here we are again, leading our favorite hiking group, on a great level trail in our new home area.

We’re meeting at the west end of the Ontario Pathways trail, In the parking lot on Ontario St., and split into our usual 3 hiking groups.  Then, each group will pool into 1 or 2 cars, to their starting point, and hike back to the meeting area.  Climbers will go to CR 47, a distance of 5.8 miles.  Tourists will go to Freshour Rd., distance 4.3 miles.  Naturalists to CR 10, 1.5 miles.

As an added bonus, this time, there are loads of raspberry bushes alongside many parts of the OP trail, and there should be lots of ripe berries, begging to be picked.  You can fill your berry baskets to take home, or simply enjoy a healthy trailside snack on your hike.

If you prefer to ride your bike today, the flat OP trail is a great place to do it.  Ride east on the trail till 5 PM and head back.  A round trip from the Ontario St. lot to Depot Rd. will be about 15 miles.

If you’d like to earn some freebies, doing your favorite activity, leave a little early and pick up an OP passport book at Wegman’s.  You will encounter several rubbing spots on this trail. The Wegman family is rewarding you for your healthy lifestyle, so that you will live longer and buy more of their good food.

And, we mustn’t forget our post hike social.  The New Covenant Baptist Church is located on the south side of CR 46, where the trail crosses this road, just east of CR 10.  The members of this church are very friendly to hikers.  There is a picnic table under a shelter (in case of rain).  We will bring a folding table and you could bring one too, as well as chairs and, of course, your delicious dish to pass (start baking, Char) and drink.

Tim Wilbur, OP president, is being sent this hike description and hopefully, we will have the pleasure of Tim and some other OP members accepting our invitation of joining us for this one.  This hike will be more fulfilling if you visit the good OP web site, www.ontariopathways.org, before the hike.  You can print a map of the trail to take with you, which you should find quite helpful.

Directions from Springwater:

North on NY 15A
R on US 20A
At the T, where US 20A joins NY 64, turn L
Go R on Fisher Hill Rd.
L on CR 32
At 5 & 20, go straight.  Becomes Bristol St.
L on Main St.
R on Ontario St, to Parking lot on L side.

If you want to go to Wegman’s before the hike:

Follow above directions. When you get to 5 & 20, turn R.  Wegmans is on the R side.

From Wegman’s, R on 5 & 20
L on CR 10, just past Aldi on L
Go straight across first rotary, 3/4 around on second.  This will put you west on CR 4, which becomes Ontario St.  Go to parking lot on R