Truth and Fiction

Today we finished this hike for this year. We did the middle third of the Conservation Trail, a branch of the Finger Lakes Trail system. We'd previously done the southern third, and next year we'll finish the north end where it connects with the Bruce Trail in Ontario. This year's section was 57.6 miles. This is true. (Larry did 25.2)

There were beginning signs of autumn. Well it is September. Also true.

Folsomdale, New York, was established in 1823, and there was a covered bridge there across Cayuga Creek (not the same Cayuga Creek as in Tompkins County). It was replaced in 1927 with a boring concrete bridge. Interesingly enough, the village was originally called Scottsville. This house looks like it was one of the first buildings in the area, perhaps an inn.

Here's where the fiction comes in. We crossed Schoellkopf Road. The last name of the "stranger who comes to town" in the most recent of the Dead Mule Swamp books (DMS Singer) is Schoellkopf. I "stole" the name from the stadium at Cornell University which is Schoellkopf Field. My guess is that most of the people of that name in New York are related.

This hike is one big progressive dinner. Sort of fiction. We ate five days of trail food, but last night brother Steve and Karen fed us wonderfully, and tonight Larry and Pam put out a spread of fresh vegetables and fruits, with baked salmon.

We played a card game (I like that Marie's family plays games, because not many other people in my life like games), and then we Zoomed with Anja.

Pam and Larry always seem happy to have me around.

Tomorrow, we continue to migrate eastward.

Conservation Trail. 6.5 miles, corner of Bear and Bailey Roads to Getman Road.

See Plenty of Brothers

Plenty of Brothers

Tonight, Marie's brother Steve, and wife Karen, "saved" us. We could not get a campsite for this night, so we are at their house. It's a little farther than we'd like, but it was available with great hospitality! What I really should have pictured was the wonderful dinner. Steve made ribs, and Karen fixed a yummy vegetable casserole.

We have one more hiking day, but we did a longer one today so that tomorrow will be shorter. The trail through Hunters Creek Park was really nice. Some road walks, some places the trail was hard to find, but mostly pretty good. Nice field edges. This one was even mowed.

Some of the woods was open and inviting.

One nice find was some Jerusalem Artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus. Common, but I haven't got the ID of all these tall, wild sunflowers nailed down.

Larry had a wardrobe malfunction! But he held it together with a piece of wire he found on the road until he got to his car where he had a spare pair of shoes.

Conservation Trail, Warner Hill Rd to Bear at Bailey Rd. 9.5 miles.

The weather was perfect, but I'm beat.

See Larry's Here

Larry's Here!

Today's treat is that Marie's brother, Larry, has joined us for the rest of the hike.

We had quite a few miles of off road trail, and they were in pretty good shape. We are definitely happy about that. While we ate our snack, we watched several mother spiders hurrying around carrying egg cases.

There were a couple of nice vistas, usually at road corners.

We found this really large and old maple tree. The top was still alive.

Best find of the day for me was this plant gone to seed. I've almost certainly seen the plant before, but never the seed pods. It's Canadian Woodnettle, Laportea canadensis. It is one of the stinging nettles, although the strength of the stinging hairs varies a lot from plant to plant.

We spent the evening playing Quiddler. It's a very different game with more than 2 people, so this was fun.

Now I have to go get in the sleeping bag. It's actually quite chilly.

Conservation Trail, Vermont Hill Rd to Wagner Hill Rd. 9.0 miles.

See True Blue Gumby II

Bushwhacking Day

Well, the day began with this nice view from the top of a ridge that overlooks Gears Gulf. I haven't figured out the "gulf" term yet. I've encountered it in western NY a few times. It seems to be a deep, narrow valley. Makes sense, but I think of a gulf as a body of water.

After that, things went downhill. Literally and otherwise. There was a Conservation Trail register box, which seemed a good start.

I really didn't expect this hike to be the kind of challenge that today presented. We lost the blazes numerous times and made it through to the road with the aid of Avenza, but the going was not easy or timely. The trail hasn't been walked much this year, and we were mostly doing what I call "bushwhacking with blazes," except a lot of times there weren't even blazes. Hooray for Avenza which allows you to follow where you are in real time on a map.

We were so tired when we got to the car that we just came "home" and took a nap. We hadn't even eaten lunch. But we saw some pretty things on the way. No hike in New York is complete without a little red eft. I know I've probably shown you a dozen or so, but I never get tired of them.

I caught the Canada Mayflower, Maianthemum canadense, with its berries.

After we had descended 700 feet (with one extra down and up to cross the "gulf") we crossed Cazenovia Creek (not the one by Cazenovia, NY) and started climbing again.

At the hardware store where we used a rest room, look at the company that sells plumbing fittings!

Perfect for me!

We climbed 500 feet back up to the top of Vermont Hill, and we are ready to take on tomorrow. There's a surprise coming, too!

Conservation Trail, 7.8 miles. Matteson Corners Rd to Vermont Hill Rd.

See Plant Day & a Bug Bonus

What Happens When You Wear Long Pants

Of course, for you serious people, I'll tell you I'm joking. But, you know that since I wore long pants the 3.6 miles of real trail were in nice shape- no weeds, berry bushes, etc.

Lots of beautiful fall wildflowers. This is goldenrod and Joe Pye weed.

I do get to show you a perfect example of one of my biggest pet peeves. The trail forks, and the blaze is right in the middle between the two!

There was one other little piece of off-road trail, and the long pants were a good thing there. The blazes disappeared and we followed flagging tape that turned out to be not the trail. Stumbling through a field of bindweed and asters was better with long pants.

Finally, we were headed down the road, literally down, to Cattaraugus Creek.

And when we crossed the creek (on a road bridge) we were done for the day.

We did 9.4 miles (about 4 in the woods and 5.4 on trail), and we were both pretty tired. Another hilly day, but I think not as much elevation change as yesterday.

Conservation Trail, 9.4 miles, Felton Hill Rd to Cattaraugus Creek.

See On the Conservation Trail