Reminder: Finger Lakes Trail Hike Sat. May 25, Cortland County, all welcome

Just a reminder note about this Saturday’s upcoming Wally Wood hike. The weather reports seem promising for a great hiking day!

Wally Wood Spring Hike: Date: 25 May 2013

Leaders: Alex and Michele Gonzalez. gonzalez@cortland.edu (607) 844-8912

Title of Hike: Rainbow Hike – FLT Map M19 – Cortland County

Hike Description: The Rainbow Hike (thus named because the route follows trails of five blaze colors, yellow, green, white, orange, and blue) is 9.4 miles. The hike will take in the following trails: Lithuanian Loop, Irish Loop, FLT, Dabes Diversion, Kuzia Cutoff, and a portion of Cortright/O’Dell Road (scenic dirt road). No car shuttling will be necessary. The hike will also honor Joe Dabes’s contributions to the FLTC, since the first and last few miles of the hike will be on land that Joe owns, while the rest of the hike will be on trails that Joe maintains. The hike will take us past Foxfire Lean-to twice, providing shelter (maybe for lunch) if the weather should turn out to be rainy. This will be a dog-friendly hike (only for well-behaved LEASHED dogs), but hikers who may be nervous around dogs can join part of a separate group that will be hiking dogless and that will start either earlier or later than the main group. Because this hike will involve a good many trail junctions, the leaders will be gathering up the hikers for a head count a little more often than is usual on FLTC hikes. We prefer to err on the side of caution.

Meet: Babcock Hollow Rd. parking area, which is also the trailhead for the Lithuanian Loop, Map M19, at 10:00 a.m.

Directions to Meeting Point: From Dryden’s four-corners: Take NY Rte. 392 to Owego Hill Rd. Turn right at this three-way. Go to the end of the paved portion of this road at a four-way stop sign. Turn left onto Babcock Hollow Rd. and continue until you start seeing a pair of long ponds on the right. The large gravel parking area is on the right. From I-81: At the main Cortland exit for NY Rte. 13, turn right off the ramp and follow NY Rte. 13 through Cortland. When Rte. 13 becomes Tompkins St., look for NY Rte. 215 (also called Owego Street) on the left. Turn left at this three-way junction. Follow Rte. 215 all the way to Virgil. Proceed straight through at Virgil’s four-corners and follow NY Rte. 392 for less than a mile until you see Owego Hill Rd. on your left. Take it and follow it until its paved portion ends at a four-way junction. Turn left and follow Babcock Hollow Rd. until you start seeing a pair of long ponds on the right. The large gravel parking area is on the right.

Bringing a light headnet is encouraged, just in case black flies linger or deer flies make an early appearance.

We hope to see you out there on Saturday!
Alex Gonzalez

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A presentation on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru – May 25 in Naples NY

Click here for all the details:
http://www.packpaddleski.com/index.php?page=misc&name=troytalk

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Help with Volunteer Trail Work on Ontario Pathways – Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays

Join an Ontario Pathways trail crew one day or many – all work is appreciated. Sign up with the crew chief to get emailed the work locations or check the web site. Most work crews begin at 9AM.
One Saturday per month (trail projects):  rmiddlebrook@rochester.rr.com
Wednesdays (weekly maintenance): dougdan@rochester.rr.com
Thursdays (heavier maintenance): twilbur@rochester.rr.com

Trail work tasks include such things as adding top soil, installing signs, trimming brush, installing drainage, clearing trees, pouring concrete, and resurfacing the trail surface. All tools are supplied – you supply the labor.

Ontario Pathways Trail is included in this Footprint Press guidebook.

Take Your Bike – Finger Lakes

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FL Land Trust aims to create greenbelt on southern half of Skaneateles Lake

Auburn Citizen, link to original post

The Finger Lakes Land Trust launched an effort to create a greenbelt of undeveloped lands that will ultimately extend around the southern half of Skaneateles Lake, ensuring the integrity of the area’s scenic landscapes and also helping to maintain Skaneateles’ and the city of Syracuse’s drinking water supply.

The project was launched with the recent donation of a conservation easement on 31 acres of mature woodland overlooking the lake by landowners John and Robin Hinchcliff. The Land Trust has also successfully negotiated a contract to purchase 200 adjacent acres from Bill and Leonard Burns. Both properties are located in the town of Spafford.

The Hinchcliff conservation easement ensures that a steep, forested hillside overlooking Skaneateles Lake will remain undeveloped. The property includes frontage on Randall Gulf Creek – a significant tributary to the Lake. Conservation easements are legal agreements that limit future development while allowing land to remain in private ownership, and on the tax rolls.

“This land has been returning to woodlands for almost a century,” says easement donor John Hinchcliff. “It’s been untouched for my entire lifetime, and much further back. He adds that “we admire the Land Trust’s long-range vision to build an emerald necklace around the lake. It would be a spectacular recreational resource and a great way to protect the area’s pristine woodlands and waters.”

The proposed acquisition from the Burns family consists of hillside forests and meadows that extend for more than a mile, overlooking Skaneateles Lake’s eastern

Take A Hike – Finger Lakes NY

shore. The property features scenic views of the Lake and includes several rugged gorges, and half of Randall’s Gulf – a large ravine that extends to the lakeshore. The acquisition also includes a 4,000 foot corridor that links the larger parcel to the nearby Ripley Hill Nature Preserve, which is owned by the Central New York Land Trust. The property is located near the Land Trust’s 130-acre High Vista Nature Preserve.

Once acquired, the Land Trust intends to develop a network of hiking trails on the land along with a parking area, scenic overlook, and on-site interpretation of the land’s natural and agricultural history. A $1 million fundraising goal has been set for the project to cover the cost of acquisition, as well as site improvements, and long-term management.

Take Your Bike – Finger Lakes

The Land Trust has completed five other projects within the proposed greenbelt, which extends from the mouth of Bear Swamp Creek on the west side of the lake to the Staghorn Cliffs on the east side. The area is widely recognized for its spectacular scenery and much of it is also recognized by the National Audubon Society as one of New York’s Important Bird Areas. In its relatively undeveloped state, the greenbelt also plays a vital role in helping to maintain water quality within

200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY

Skaneateles Lake. Recreational resources include the extensive multi-use trails for Bear Swamp State Forest, popular Carpenter’s Falls and undeveloped shoreline that is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

“The steep slopes cradling the lake and Grout Brook are critically important to the lake’s ecosystem,” says retired SUNY-ESF lake scientist and Land Trust board member Bob Werner. “Add to that the idea of an emerald necklace wrapping around the south end and you have the beginnings of a vision for the future of this wonderful area.”

To hike, bike, or explore waterfalls mentioned here, pick up guidebooks from Footprint Press.

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First Talks and Treks Series: “Birds Everywhere” in Dryden, May 5

Finger Lakes Land Trust will host “Birds Everywhere” at 8 a.m. on May 5 at the Roy H. Park Preserve in Dryden.

The event is being held as a kick off to the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Talks and Treks, a series of guided walks, led by volunteer naturalists, to the region’s natural areas that help educate youth and adults about the natural and cultural history of the Finger Lakes. This event’s guest speaker is Mark Chao.

Take A Hike – Finger Lakes NY

Events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 607-275-9487 or visit www.fllt.org.

Guidebooks at footprintpress.com.

Birding in Central & Western NY

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Ontario Pathways Flint Bridge Scheduled for Summer Completion

Sometimes its one step forward, two steps back. That’s how the folks at  Ontario Pathways must have felt when they worked long and hard to get the bridge completed over Routes 5 & 20, finally connecting major segments of their trail. Then, before long a truck crashed & took the bridge out. Not to be set back for long, the OP volunteers again attacked the problem.  A few more hurdles remain, but they think that by the end of June the New Flint Bridge will be completed, once again uniting Stanly to Phelps on the Ontario Pathways Trail.

Take Your Bike – Finger Lakes

That’s good news. If you haven’t hiked or biked Ontario Pathways you’re missing a community gem. The 20-mile long rail trail forms a big V with one leg connecting Canandaigua to Stanley and the other leg connecting Stanley to Phelps. You can find a map and all the details in “Take Your Bike – Family Rides in New York’s Finger Lakes Region.”

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Consider Joining a Cayuga Lake Dragon Boat or Paddleboard Team for July Fest – Learn More May 11 at Cass Park in Ithaca

by Dan Veaner , Lansing Star, link to original post

Ithaca Dragon Boat Club and Paddle-N-More announced a partnership Monday to get more people paddling.    The partnership is centering on the 8th annual Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival this July, with the three joining forces to build more dragon boat, outrigger canoe and paddleboard teams.

“The mission of both our organizations is youth development and healthy living, so it seemed natural for us to participate and collaborate,” said Ithaca Y CEO Frank Towner.  “We have approximately 4400 members at the YMCA.  It was natural for us to come together and reach more people, utilize the Y for meetings and efforts of the Dragon Boat Club.  Then we met with Paddle-N-More to introduce more paddling sports to the community.”

The Ithaca Dragon Boat Club has two boats for practicing on Cayuga Lake.  Teams from the club have raced in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Princeton, and Montreal.  Co-founder of Finger Lakes International Dragonboat Festival and the Ithaca Dragon Boat Club Amy Kuo Somchanhmavong says members hope to compete in Rome at the World Cup Crew Championship in 2014.  She says the stand up paddleboard competition makes the Ithaca festival unique.

Right now the focus is on this summer’s festival.  All three entities plan to participate at an open house on May 11th, 1pm to 4pm at the Cass Park dock where they will meet with people interested in paddling, and get to try out stand up paddleboarding.

“We want to reach more people and form more teams,” Towner said.  “That is our biggest effort.  Last year we had 30.  We’d like to double that.”

Paddle-N-Moreis based in Lansing’s Myers Park, offering kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard rentals and instruction.

New York Senator Mike Nozzolio sent a letter to be read at the press conference.
“The Finger Lakes International Dragonboat Festival is a unique and wonderful event that brings people together across generations and backgrounds,” Nozzolio said.  “Teams win by individual strength, they win by working together.  This festival exemplifies the values of cooperation and diversity.”

“Anyone can do this, so it’s a simple plan to get everybody as involved as they can,” Towner said.

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Take A Hike Guidebook (+ others) on SALE

Take A Hike – Rochester 3rd edition

Spring is coming – eventually. Be prepared when that warm, sunny day arrives by purchasing guidebooks now so you can hit the trail and enjoy the burst of spring. The latest (3rd) edition of “Take A Hike – Family Walks in the Rochester NY Area” is ON SALE for only $16.95 (retail $19.95).

Also ON SALE for $12:
-Bruce Trail – An Adventure Along the Niagara Escarpment
-Take Your Bike – Family Rides in the Finger Lakes & Genesee Valley Region.

Take Your Bike – Genesee Valley

Stock up – no matter how many guidebooks you purchase at www.footprintpress.com, the shipping for the entire order is only $3.50.  We have guidebooks for hiking, biking, paddling, exploring waterfalls, and more – lots of fun spring adventures to enjoy across New York State.

Bruce Trail hiking narrative

 

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Free Paddle Sunday Afternoons on Sugar Creek in Branchport NY

source: Finger Lakes Times

In early March, The Finger Lakes Museum received a grant from the Outdoor Foundation to provide canoeing and kayaking opportunities for local youth and families. The program is free. There will be 20 boats available for use at the Sugar Creek bridge and boat launch in Branchport from 3 to 6 p.m. on 10 consecutive Sunday afternoons beginning April 21. Paddles and life jackets will be available. Participants are also welcome to bring fishing rods (and licenses), nets, and picnic meals. Instruction is available upon request.

Take A Paddle – Finger Lakes

Sugar Creek is a pristine tributary of Keuka Lake that showcases wetlands, a bird sanctuary and an array of aquatic wildlife. This 2013 program is part of a new local outreach initiative in Yates County as well as a wider educational campaign for the entire Finger Lakes area. It is being carried out with the assistance of museum volunteers and in collaboration with Doug Reagan’s Canoe and Kayak Livery. Those interested in learning more can contact Museum Education Director Mike Sullivan at 694-6922 or msullivan@fingerlakesmuseum.org.

This grant opportunity supports pioneering projects like this and initiatives aiming to connect young Americans with their waterways through recreational paddling. The Finger Lakes Museum was one of 25 organizations selected by Outdoor Nation and the Outdoor Industry Association Paddle Advisory Council from a pool of 150 applicants based on its likelihood to increasing paddling participation.

The Paddle Nation Project grants were made possible by support and funding from the Outdoor Industry Association Paddle Advisory Council, a coalition of top paddlesport manufacturers, retailers and stakeholders; a $30,000 contribution from Nielsen Expositions’ Outdoor Retailer, the outdoor industry tradeshow held twice each year; and many individuals, manufacturers and retailers in the paddlesport community.

“Recreational paddling is one of the most accessible and impactful ways to introduce young Americans to the outdoors,” said Lili Colby, sales and marketing director for MTI Adventurewear and chair of the Paddle Council. “Though so many of the applications were inspiring, we believe the winning projects will creatively and effectively involve young people in all types of paddling, including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and rafting.”

“We’re deeply committed to connecting more individuals with the natural world,” says Mike Sullivan, Educator Director at The Finger Lakes Museum and writer of the winning grant. “Here in the Finger Lakes, and specifically right here on Keuka Lake, we’re blessed with stunning beauty in our own backyards as well as incredible opportunities like this to simply be out in it.”

“Small grant programs like this one activate a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts,” said Chris Fanning, executive director of the Outdoor Foundation, the organization that runs Outdoor Nation. “By providing equipment, training, mentoring and educational resources, these projects will make paddlesports accessible to many youth who may not have the opportunity otherwise to get on the water.”

Outdoor Nation is committed to increasing and expanding youth participation in outdoor recreation through education, engagement and action in order to cultivate a healthier, more active generation. In 2012, Outdoor Nation awarded more than $250,000 to young adults for projects that reconnect young people to the outdoors. For more information on Outdoor Nation grants programs, visit outdoornation .org/grants.

Take A Paddle – Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks

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Supported 13-mile Hike on Auburn Trail in Victor June 1 (register by May 28)

Saturday, June 1st will be the Victor Hiking Trails annual National Trails Day hike. This year we will be hiking the entire length of the Auburn Trail, a distance of over 13 miles.

The day will begin in Farmington at the Mertensia Park, located at the south end of Mertensia Road, near County Road 41. Drive down to the lower parking area. We will have a continental breakfast of coffee, pastries, fruit and juice ready at 8:30 a.m. at the lodge. After some quick introductions and instructions at 9:00 a.m., we will head west on the Auburn Trail.
When we reach Brace Road we will make a small detour over to Victor Municipal Park to check out the new lodge. Water and snacks will be available. Then we will pick up the Trolley Trail, cross Maple Avenue, and connect back up with the Auburn Trail at Rawson Road.
Next stop will be Fishers Fire Station on Main Street Fishers where we will have a pizza lunch. Anyone pressed for time will be able to get a ride back to the start of the hike. Or you can plan ahead and leave a vehicle in the parking lot.
After lunch we will continue on the Auburn Trail to Powder Mills Park, checking the recently improved trail. Plans call for more signs and a plaza at the corner of Railroad Mills and Woolston Roads with shelter, benches and a bike rack. Some work will be
done this year and some next year. There is also a plan for a mural on the Thruway over-pass. Watch for more news about the community paint project.
Transportation will be available at Powder Mills Park to get the drivers back to Mertensia Park. Again, there is parking available for those that want to have a vehicle at the end of the hike. Or any other location along the route.
Everyone who completes the entire hike will be rewarded with a free year of membership to VHT.

Because we need to plan for the food and transportation, we ask that you register by May 28th by calling 585-234-8226 and letting us know if you will be joining us for breakfast and/or lunch and if you will need a ride back to the start.

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