'' I t's hard to get excited

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1 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " January-February 2003 Winter Edition Vol. 43, Nos. 1 & 2 '' I t's hard to get excited about working on a trail that's already built and looks great!" This was heard during a recent discussion about getting people involved with the Cayuga Trails Club (CTC) and.. : the Finger Lakes Trail Confer- ~ ence (FLTC). The early mem- 4: X k:tse ~ D CC m"l t ~hers of the CTC were scouting, President's Message by Suzanne Cohen Shh', ff ff'j ~flagging, and clearing a foot- - path that would reach all the way across New York State-what an exciting goal that must have been! Completing the North Country National Scenic Trail (over 4,000 miles) is a similarly challenging and exciting goal. Maybe it's time for the CTC to come up with a new dream for our club-something to work toward. What are some ideas? What would spark the passion of the larger community and make it want to help? One idea is to work toward acquiring protection for every inch of the trails we maintain with conservation easements or by purchasing land. This is not to suggest that people aren't working hard just to preserve and improve upon what has already been done. During my past three years as president, I have been truly amazed by the individual and collective contributions that our members have made. And, let's not forget getting out there to enjoy the fruits of everyone's laboreducating and bringing people closer to nature and to each other during sponsored outings. Some may ask how we can think about doing more when we are having trouble finding new people to take leadership positions. I am just wondering if the club needs a new approach, a new goal to attract some attention. Some brainstorming to this effect was done at the FLTC-sponsored Club Leaders Summit, which I attended along with five other CTC board members on November 2 at Highland Forest. Someone asked if our members are conscious of the fact that the trail they hike on and maintain in the local area is part of an 800-mile-long statewide Finger Lakes Trail System. I was proud that I could answer yes in regard to CTC members. About 25 percent of CTC members are also members of the FL TC and over the next few months I hope the Executive Board will be discussing ways to increase this percentage. We need to support the umbrella organization that provides many important tangible benefits, but also keeps us connected to the ''big picture." At this club leaders meeting, I accepted a framed FLT patch, recognizing the CTC's 40 years of FLTC membership. I'll be sure to bring this to the Annual Meeting for all to see. Many of you are aware that I will not be seeking reelection as president this year. I look forward to serving on the board in other roles, continuing friendships that I have developed through the club, and working toward a new dream that we can create together. Club leaders, including CTC President Suzanne Cohen (front row left), attended the FLTC Club Leaders Summit on November 2, Reproduced with permission offinger Lakes Trail News.

2 Trails Report by Tom Gudeman Trails Chairman N ear.the end of October, we had our last official trail mamtenance work session for the season. And a success it was. Fourteen of us gathered on Logan Road in Schuyler County to make improvements to the tree bridge on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) that crosses the creek near there. Many events took place simultaneously. Several brave souls donned their rubber boots and climbed into the creek to move rocks and stones against the bank and around the roots of our tree to help protect against further erosion during floods. Some wet feet did ensue. Some worked on creating a handrail for the bridge from 2" x 4" supports and long branches from the area. A family team created a set of steps at the far end to help with the otherwise 30" step up. The humps along the walking surface were shaved off using our new chainsaw. Signage was improved. Blazes were repainted over a considerable distance along the trail. A lot was accomplished, along with merriment and good-natured humor. The tree bridge is now very easy to cross. A small group even followed Kurt Seitz (who is back from New Hampshire) to Rieman Woods to clear and blaze a new section of FLT that Kurt had flagged only a few days before. Thanks, Kurt, for taking the lead on this. The reroute in that area is an improvement over the former route, going through woods up on the hill rather than paralleling the road downhill only to climb steeply back up passing close to someone's house. Thanks to everyone who helped. I am also announcing that I am no longer going to be the trails chairman. I feel that much was accomplished this past season with many thanks to all the volunteers who helped out. I enjoyed each of the outings. But I am devoting myself to working on my own house projects for the foreseeable future and will not have time to orchestrate a monthly trail work party. I do plan to be available for technical assistance and to help with one of the bigger singleperson projects. Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the early spring edition is February 15, Send to nyhiker@localnetcom or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY \,. '..::::~. Some of the 14 CTC volunteers for the October trail work crew. Photo by Marsha Zgola. Report on Special October Hike + Date-October 20, Location-Mount Pleasant, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County + leader-peter Harriott 0 n October 20th, Peter Harriott led a short loop hike on M0tmt Pleasant near Ithaca before the annual membership meeting and dish-to-pass supper in Ellis Hollow. Eleven members and four guests participated. The group started where the gas pipeline crosses Mount Pleasant Road about two miles from Turkey Hill Road. After a short walk along the pipeline right-of-way, the group went north into the woods on an unmarked trail that led to an old (70 years?) lean-to in need of repairs. Hikers then headed along an abandoned road to Pine Woods Road (also abandoned) and uphill to the pipeline to take another trail through the woods to the top of the hill. Hikers were lucky to arrive at Cornell's Hoffman Challenge Course just when a group of students were climbing polls and across cables stretched between polls and trees. Hikers then went along the same pipeline route to the starting point. The hike was about two miles long round-trip. Cayuga Trails Winter 2003

3 Cornell Plantations Natural Areas Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #4 72 January 12, 2003 (Sunday) + Location-Cornell University natural areas on and near campus, Ithaca + Meeting Place - Cornell Plantations headquarters, One Plantations Road, Ithaca + Meeting Time-1 :00 p.m. Tom Reimers will lead this 3- to 5-mile-long hike through several natural areas on and near the Cornell University campus. Depending on the weather and snow cover, these areas will include Gymnosperm Slope, Beebe Lake, Mundy Wildflower Garden, Slim Jim Woods, Fall Creek Plateau, McGowan Woods, and the East Ithaca Recreation Way. Four of these places have magnificent old growth forests with huge, wonderful trees. We'll try to identify trees, berries, and wildflowers in winter. For a preview of the areas we plan to visit on this hike, Tom recommends getting a copy of A Field Guide to Cornell's Natural Areas On and Near Campus by Nancy L. Ostman and F. Robert Wesley. It is for sale at the Cornell Plantations Gift Shop. Call Tom at 607/ or him at nyhiker@localnet.com for more information. Be sure to dress for the weather! Beam Hill in Dryden Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #473 February 9, 2003 (Sunday) + Location- Beam Hill, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County + Meeting Place-400 Beam Hill Road, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County + Meeting Time-1:00 p.m. B earn Hill, near Hammond Hill State Forest, ~s ho~e to some of the county's best snow and ski conditions, as well as CTCer Lois Chaplin. If there's going to be snow in February in Tompkins County, it will be on Beam Hill! If you are a beginner skier and interested in an afternoon of skiing with some basic instruction, guidance, and support, you are invited to join Lois at 400 Beam Hill Road. This is your chance to try out those new skis, or the ones you've been tumbling off of in frustration when you end up with a group of skiers more advanced than you are. Nobody gets left behind at this event! We'll have a loop through the backyard and around the pond for you to practice some simple kick and glide techniques. Learn to fall in a supporting atmosphere! Test out your clothing to see how well it keeps you warm and repels moisture! Another trail will be set up for those a tad more adventuresome taking you on a short loop through the woods where there's a little vertical variety. For those who get chilled, the hot water kettle will be on the kitchen stove; hot chocolate, other warming drinks, and snacks will be available. Bring your own ski equipment, water bottle, extra mittens, questions, and a change of dry clothing. For safety reasons, dogs are not invited. If you 're a more experienced skier and would like to lend a helping hand, please join us. To get to Beam Hill Road, turn onto Irish Settlement Road from NY Route 13 just south of the village of Dryden. Travel three miles and turn left. (You've gone a half mile too far if you get to Hammond Hill Road.) Number 400 is the third house on the left, one-half mile up the road. Call 607/ with questions or to confirm. Cayuga Trails Winter 2003

4 sµec\a\ Highland Forest Cayuta Gulf Loop Trail January 26, 2003 (Sunday) + Location-Highland Forest, Onondaga County + Meeting Places-Cornell University "O" lot for Ithaca-area residents (comer of NY Route 366 and Caldwell Road) or the Tops Market parking lot in Cortland (remote comer nearest to NY Route 281) for shuttle to the park ($1.00 entrance fee) + Meeting Time- 9 a.m. in Ithaca, 9:30 a.m. in Cortland L et's visit the excellent cross-country ski trails at Highland Forest, an Onondaga County park with about 13 miles of dedicated ski routes. Club members Jennifer Wilson and Suzanne Cohen will lead ski tours geared for beginner or more advanced level skiers or whoever shows up, basically. The park has short, easy trails for novices, more challenging ones for intermediates, and a few really steep slopes for experts (who want to take a turn on their own, because the leaders won't be up for that). The park features a swell warming hut with hot beverages for sale. The leaders strongly encourage skiers to dress in layers and bring a daypack for storing extra clothing, fluids, and snacks. No snow makes this into a hike and/or a horse-drawn sleigh ride (there's a charge), but please bring your skis just in case. For more information, contact Jennifer at 607/ or wilsonj@cortland.edu or Suzanne at 607/ or sac29@cornell.edu. February 23, 2003 (Sunday) + Location-West side of Connecticut Hill, Schuyler County + Meeting Place- Abandoned store at intersection of NY Route 79 and County Road 6 in Mecklenburg + Meeting Time- 12:00 noon C ayuga Trails Club members Marsha Zgola and Jennifer Wilson will jointly lead a special hike of the Cayuta Gulf Loop Trail, a rugged route that is especially beautiful under snow in the wintertime. The hike actually combines the main Finger Lakes Trail with the Cayuta Gulf Trail, the Swan Hill Trail, and the Van Lone Hill Trail for a 5.5-mile loop beginning and ending about 400 feet southeast of Schuyler County Route 6. While walking alongside scenic gorges, up hills covered with hardwoods and through pine plantations, the observant visitor is likely to see wildlife, or at least an interesting array of footprint stories written in the frost. Bear, foxes, and many other creatures have been spotted here. Participants are advised to bring fluids and plenty of snacks for this outing and to wear or stow in a daypack appropriate footwear and clothing for the hike and season. Snowshoes and poles are advisable if the route is expected to be icy. From Mecklenburg, participants will carpool the approximately six miles south along Route 6 to reach the trailhead beyond Cayutaville. For more information, contact Marsha at or mmz2@cornell.edu or Jennifer at 607/ or wilsonj@cortland.edu. Adopt-A-Highway 2002 Wrap-up by Phil Dankert E xcept for April when it was rainy- fortunately, or unfortunately, I was out of town and unable to attend but by all reports John Andersson (thanks!) filled in a?mira~l~-~he ~002 CTC highway cle~ups were ac~omplished ~der either sunny or partly overcast skies. Membership participation m these cleanups was m general q,mte good rangmg from 5 to a high of 13 in November. This could very well be the largest number ever to participate! For whatever reason (less litter, more volunteers, etc.) we are now finishing in one hour or less. I wantto express my deep appreciation to everyone who took the time to help out. Some of you were driving approximately 20 miles, one way. This is real dedication. It was also great to have the participation of new -CTC members. See you all in April 2003 when we start again. Cayuga Trails Winter 2003

5 You're Invited/ Cayuga Trails Club Annual Meeting & Luncheon Sunday, January 19, 2003, 12-4pm Turback's Restaurant, 2nd floor 919 Elmira Road (Route 13) Ithaca, New York (just south of the intersection with Rte 327) Social hour with cash bar and hors d'oeuvres at 12:00 p.m. Lunch at 1 :00 p.m. Agenda Annual Committee Reports Election of Officers for 2003 HI, l'm OSCAll lllown! () scar A war d s f or D. 1stmgu1s.. h e d Service. to c TC Plus... a presentation by Dave Forness HI, l'm OSCAR OJMY Dave is Supervising forester for the Cortland District of the Department of Conservation's (DEC) Region 7. He will discuss ways that the DEC and Cayuga Trails Club have partnered in the past and ideas for future collaboration. Dave has received extensive training on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAG) and can discuss current and future implications of these guidelines for the DEC and trails in general. He will also provide an update on the Draft Recreation Plan and the Adopt A-Natural Resource program. He's hoping to leave a lot of time for questions and discussions, so come prepared with your own topics! Lunch will include: Salad of Mixed Greens Viniagrette; choice of Honey-Roasted Plainville Turkey Dinner, Local 3 Cheese Tortellini, Grilled Sirloin Beef; Assorted Breads; Coffee, Tea and something sweet! Return form and make check payable to Cayuga Trails Club, c/o Treasurer, P.O. Box 754, Ithaca, NY Reservation deadline j anuary 12th Your name(s) Number of $12.00 = $ Support Your Club. Please Attend the Annual Meeting

6 Snowshoeing Clinic January 18, 2003 (Saturday) + Location-F.R. Newman Arboretum, Cornell University, Ithaca + Meeting Place-F.R. Newman Arboretum, Forest Home Drive; Flat Rock area + Meeting Time-9:00 a.m. Pablo Snyder, store manager at the new Eastern Mountain Sports at Threshold Plaza in Ithaca, will conduct a special snowshoeing clinic on behalf of the Cayuga Trails Club. The clinic, at Cornell's F.R. Newman Arboretum, is for beginners who don't have their own snowshoes but would like to learn to explore the woodlands in this unique and increasingly popular way. Pablo's company will loan the snowshoes to participants who are encouraged to wear sturdy, waterproof footwear (hiking boots are perfect), and warm clothing. Bring drinking water and snacks. Novices with snowshoes may bring their own. Many snowshoers use ski or trekking poles, so bring these, too, if you have them. The distance covered will probably be insignificant, but there will be plenty of exercise as snowshoeing is a rather vigorous activity. The arboretum site provides a varied terrain for participants to try their paces. The group's size will be limited, in keeping with EMS's "leave no trace" philosophy, and prior enrollment in the clinic is required. Call Pablo at 607/ For more information, contact Jennifer Wilson at 607/ or wilsonj@cortland.edu. From NY Route 366, tum onto Caldwell Road, proceed past Plantations Road to Forest Home Drive, and turn right. Look for the second parking area across from the locked gate to the arboretum. Please note that parking beside the building on the other side of Forest Home Drive is for arboretum staff only. Welcome to New Members Martha Blake Ithaca, NY Larry and Marilyn Bush Trumansburg, NY The Law Family Ithaca, NY Paul Marciniak Port Byron, NY Louise Raimondo Ithaca, NY Peter Rothbart and Linda Uhll Ithaca, NY Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #471 + Date-December 8, Location-Mulholland Wildflower Preserve, Ithaca + Leader-John Rogers A n amazing variety of hemlock-lined steep-sided gorge formations intersect the west bank of Six Mile Creek Starting from the parking lot of the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve, nine hikers enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon discovery of some of the less-traveled trails, including a section of the South Hill Recreation Way. The sun brought out warm, rich, enchanting light to the treetops and distant hillsides near the hike's completion. Though the morning dawned gray and threatening, all present were glad we opted to enrich our weekend with a good ramble in excellent company. Happ).? New YeaP! Cayuga Trails Winter 2003

7 Report on Executive Board Meeting The Executive Board of the Cayuga Trails Club met for a regular meeting on December 3, 2002, in the _ Scott Heyman Conference Room, Old Jail, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, New York. Board members present were John Andersson, Suzanne Cohen, Jim Connors, Sigrid Connors, Phil Dankert, Tom Gudeman, Betty Lewis, Barb Morley, Tom Reimers, David Schwartz, V arya Siegel, Kurt Seitz, Jack Van Derzee, and Jennifer Wilson. The following is a swnrnary of some items reported and actions taken as recorded by Secretary Sigrid Connors. President Cohen called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Treasurer Van Derzee reported a checking account balance of $1, and a savings account balance of $5, He also reported that income from dues is breaking records and that the club is taking in lots of money from sale of the new guidebook. Cost of printing the newsletter is over budget because we have more members than we anticipated. Walk, Look, and Learn Hikes: Jennifer Wilson reported that Peter Harriott led a hike with 15 people before the dish-to-pass supper on October 20, Betty Lewis led a hike with Phil Dankert; 13 hikers participated. The special Abbott Loop hike on November 17 did not go as planned because of an ice storm. Jennifer is working on putting together a few ski outings. Guidebook: Betty Lewis said that more than 700 guidebooks have been sold so far. Eastern Mountain Sports and Eureka Tent Factory also will be selling the books. Wildware is stiii the major seller (over 300 so far). Membership: Suzanne Cohen reported that the club has four new members. That brings the number of members to about 250! Social: The CTC General Membership Meeting was held at the Ellis Hollow Community Center on October 20 with 36 in attendance. Trails: Tom Gudeman reported that one final productive work session was held at the end of October at the Logan Creek area in Schuyler County. Fourteen volunteers improved the footbridge on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). A reroute of the FLT was also done west of Porter Hill Road by Kurt Seitz and crew. The FLT from Logan Road to Satterly Hill Road was re-blazed and old signs were replaced. Tom announced that he will not be continuing as trails chairman next year due to other pressing needs; he plans to stay involved, however. Adopt-A-Highway Program: Phil Dankert reported that the final cleanup of NY Route 366 for 2002 was done on November 9 with 13 members working. The cleanups all year were quite successful. The next cleanup is planned for April Old Business: The CTC annual meeting will be on Sunday, January 19, 2003, at Turback's Restaurant in Ithaca at noon. John Andersson presented the Creative Catering menu selections. In order to reduce the cost of the meal, it was agreed that including two hors d'oeuvres and no dessert was the best option. Tom Reimers made a motion to subsidize the dinner so that members would pay $ The motion was passed unanimously. Suzanne will revise the announcements about the meeting and membership renewal. The quest speaker for the event will be one of the foresters from Region 7 of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The Executive Board approved purchase of a 2' x 6' banner at a cost of $ The banner would be used at CTC hikes and other events. There was much discussion about what to include on the banner and what colors to use. Suzanne Cohen will follow up on the initial designs, taking the discussion into consideration. She will present four draft versions at the next meeting. Suzanne reported that six CTC members attended the Club Leaders Summit organized by the Finger Lakes Trail Conference (FLTC). The meeting of FLTC officials and leaders from FLT-sponsoring clubs was held on November 2, 2002, in Highland Forest Park. The purpose was to share ideas about how to manage clubs, attract new people, and mentor existing people. Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #470 + Date - November 10, Location- Sierra Club section of the Finger Lakes Trail + Leader-Betty Lewis M iserable rain began, but 12 hikers joined me for the hike from Harford Road through the forest and along the deep gully down to NY Route 79. At the Harford Road trailhead the wind had died, and there was no rain. Seconds before we were to head off on the trail, an SUV sped around the curve and downhill toward us, flipping over a couple times and landing bottom up in the ditch a few yards away. Children and driver tumbled out of the vehicle unhurt except for one minor cut CTCers to the rescue. Phil Dankert set up the flares at the hilltop curve and the gentleman in a hazard-yellow jacket slowed down the uphill drivers. And then the emergency vehicles arrived. Oh yes, the hike? It was great! Cayuga Trails Winter 2003

8 Mark Your Calendars Sunday, January Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #472. Cornell Plantations Natural Areas. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Cornell Plantations headquarters,. One Plantations Road, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com). Details on page 3. Saturday, January Snowshoeing Clinic for CTC members offered by Eastern Mountain Sports. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Cornell's F.R. Newman Arboretum, Forest Home Drive, Ithaca. Details on page 6. Contact Jennifer Wilson (607 / , wilsonj@cortland.edu) for more information. Pre-enrollment is required-call Pablo Snyder at 607 / Sunday, January Cayuga Trails Club Annual Meeting and brunch buffet. Turback's Restaurant, Ithaca. See page 5 for information and reservation form. Sunday, January Special ski/hike in Highland Forest, Onondaga County. Meet at Cornell University "O" lot for Ithaca-area residents (corner of NY Route 366 and Caldwell Road) or the Tops Market parking lot in Cortland (remote corner nearest to NY Route 281). Jennifer Wilson ( , wilsonj@cortland.edu) and Suzanne Cohen (607 / , sac29@cornell.edu), leaders. Details on page 4. Tuesday, February Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Sunday, February 9... Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #473. Ski Beam Hill in Town of Dryden. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at 400 Beam Hill Road. Lois Chaplin, leader (607 / ). Details on page 3. Saturday, February Deadline for submitting materials for the early spring issue of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 2. Sunday, February Special hike (snowshoe?) of the Cayuta Gulf Loop Trail. Meet at 12:00 noon at the abandoned store at the intersection of NY Route 79 and County Road 6 in Mecklenburg. Marsha Zgola (607/ , mmz2@cornell.edu) and Jennifer Wilson (607/ , wilsonj@cortland.edu), leaders. Details on pag~. Cayuga Trails Club, Inc. P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, NY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY PERMIT 0 NO. 94 ; '

9 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " March-April 2003 Early Spring Edition Vol. 43, Nos. 3 & 4 Busy Spring Coming Up! Your Help is Needed. by Tom Reimers Trails Chairman M ost of you know that this winter has been very damaging to power lines, trees, shrubs... and, yes, trails. I have seen for myself and heard several reports about major obstructions on the Finger Lakes Trail and Cayuga Trail caused by fallen tree limbs and whole trees that are down. For example, on the Abbott Loop just west of Michigan Hollow Road, it looks like a "cluster" of five or six pine trees came down in unison across the trail under the weight of ice and snow. What this means is that a lot of trail reconstruction will be needed this spring from volunteers of the Cayuga Trails Club. The club is responsible for maintenance of about 75 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail System and the 8.5-milelong Cayuga Trail. Most of these miles are "adopted" for maintenance by members and non-members of the club. However, there are a few sections that are not adopted (yet?). Furthermore, some of the winter damage may be too extensive for one or two individuals to clear. Trail adopters have been asked to inspect their trail miles and do what they can to clear trail safely. They have also been asked to let the club know about maintenance jobs that are unsafe or too large. That's where the rest of our members come in. Trail maintenance is great exercise and fun, especially when working with a group. Your first opportunity to help this year in an organized trail work session will be on Saturday, April 12. Your help will be greatly needed and appreciated. This work session, to be followed by others monthly until about September, will begin by meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell. This is across NY Route 13 (Elmira Road) from K-Mart Plaza. You will be assigned to an experienced work-session leader and sent off for a wonderful day of outdoor activity maintaining trail. Please bring hand saws, chainsaws, loppers, gloves, drinking water, and lunch. The club can provide tools and some safety gear to volunteers who have none. Please join me and others. There's a lot of work to be done. Contact me at 607/ or nyhiker@localnet.com if you would like more information. Thank you. Abbott Loop west of Michigan Hollow Road, Danby State Forest. Finger Lakes Trail east of Bald Hill Road, Danby State Forest. Cayuga Trail off Forest Home Drive, Cornell Plantations. Photos by Tom Reimers.

10 Presidents' Messages by Co-presidents Phil Dankert and Jennifer Wilson Phil: As Jennifer and I begin our term as copresidents of the Cayuga Trails Club, I thought I would lead off by giving a brief background of myself for those members who do not know me. I first became a member of the Executive Board in 1993 and have served as member-at-large (2 years), vice-president (1 year), and chairman of the Adopt-a Highway Program from 1999 until just recently. I have relinquished this job to Jim Connors. Although I have always enjoyed hiking- from many years ago when I climbed such mountains in New England as Washington, Lafayette, and Katahdin- this interest "resurfaced" in the spring of 1992 when I signed up for the series of hikes on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) across Tompkins County. This series was co-organized by the CTC and the Tompkins County Healthy Heart Program. It was on the first hike that I met Tom Reimers. This was followed by a similar series of FLT hikes in 1993 across j ennifer: I think we can't say enough about what Suzanne has done and continues to do for the Cayuga Trails Club. fu 2003, Phil and I are al ', ways glad to hear from our _.,; members on matters of inter-,, est to them, their concerns, etc. This year, there will be four ears instead of only two to listen to your thoughts and suggestions about how to make this a better club, serving more people with excellent hiking and social opportunities as well as improved trails and the opportunity to advocate for our precious and peaceful foot trails. Hiking clubs were new for me when I joined in 1997, although I was a relatively experienced hiker. Twas soon recruited to organize Walk, Look, and Learn hikes in Cortland County and in 1994 across Schuyler County. fu the interest of brevity I will just add that on June 21, 1998, I became the 79th person to complete the Finger Lakes Trail, 560 miles from the Catskills to Allegany State Park. It is stating the obvious to note that any organization can accomplish its objectives only if its members become involved. One large task before us when the snow melts is trail work. The snow and ice storms of January caused havoc. Large branches and even trees are lying across more than one section of the FLT our club maintains. To clear this debris, volunteer trail adopters will need help. Please see Tom's trails report on page 1. I am interested in re-establishing the Advocacy Committee. Its purpose would be to keep the CTC membership current on legislation relating to, among other issues, environmental matters as they impact hiking. Jennifer and I have large shoes to fill. I want to thank publicly Suzanne Cohen for the tremendous job she has done these past few years as our president. The hours that she spent doing this job so capably are probably not measurable. Fortunately, she will still be taking on important tasks as a continuing member of the Executive Board. I had gone on many hikes before, but knew little about planning outings for groups of people with many different hiking interests and levels of outdoor experience. I quickly learned that folks are all there to have fun, and a really mixed bag of walkers can all find ways to enjoy the experience, with some people closely examining a rare piece of flora while others are training to climb a mountain. It's a rewarding experience watching somebody who is timid or downright fearful of the ~oods evolve into a different person who knows how to read a map, can recognize and discuss the plants and animal signs, and would like to lead a hike themselves. I know from personal experience that the satisfaction that comes from becoming self sufficient as a hiker or a trail maintainer spills over into other facets of one's life. For that reason, I'ni always hoping for more new members and for greater participation from the ones we already have. Phil and I have made a pledge to do our best for the club this year, and we hope you'll find ways to enrich the club, too. Happy trails from both of us. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

11 2003 Oscar Awards Tom Reimers and Tom Gudeman bring the Oscars home for 2003! The Oscars, small porcelain squirrels, reward CTC members who have provided distinguished service to the club in the past year. The winners get to keep them for a year, and then choose recipients for the next year. Suzanne Cohen, a winner in 2002, honored Tom Reimers with Oscar Gray by saying,"tom is our newsletter editor, and I attribute much of our membership recruitment and retention to this newsletter. People love reading it and it is an essential communication tool... Many of the photos... are his own. Tom volunteers to lead hikes, including... the annual Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail and a Walk, Look, and Learn Hike in the Cornell Plantations Natural Areas in winter. Last year Tom helped organize the National Trails Day event... with the Finger Lakes Land Trust on the new Lick Brook loop trail. And he also generously invited CTC members for a guided hike on his own private property in Danby followed by refreshments. Tom spearheaded the effort to install a memorial bench in honor of Laura McGuire and did all of the work to obtain permissions for this." Suzanne pointed out that Tom worked with the Town of Danby and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation related to the Danby State Forest and, in particular, a new snowmobile trail that crosses the Finger Lakes Trail. Tom maintains three sections of the Finger Lakes Trail and about half of the Cayuga Trail. He regularly attends trail maintenance sessions. She said, "I think he could get a separate award just for the amount of paint blazing that he does!" She also said by John Andersson that Tom provides invaluable help; with a very short deadline, he helped proofread the new edition of the Guide to Trails of the Finger Lakes Region. He provides important connections to related groups as he is also on the Board of Manager of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, the Board of Directors of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, and the Advisory Committee for the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. Suzanne concluded by saying, "As I mentioned at the beginning, I have often asked Tom for advice on club matters. His knowledge has been invaluable to me as president and to those with whom he has shared it during club events. Thank you for your ongoing patience and willingness to serve. Tom received Oscar Gray in 1991, and the time for him to be back with you is long overdue." Jack Van Derzee, who was recognized in 2002, decided to award Oscar Brown to Tom Gudeman. Jack reported that Tom was the very active trails chairman in He took on this very necessary job with little hesitation, spent a lot of time on it, and applied his experience very well. Highlights of his work include the repair of two footbridges on the Finger Lakes Trail, one in the nick of time as upon inspection everyone declared it was nearly ready to topple into the creek! Tom successfully organized work weekends when trail work was accomplished, including laying up beautiful stone work for the bridge footings. Oscar Brown travels with Baby Oscar, who came into being when both Oscars spent a year together when C liff and Doris Abbott each received one. Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #472 Date: January 12, 2003 location: Cornell Plantations Arboretum and Natural Areas leader: Tom Reimers Cold temperatures, strong winds, icy paths, and the usual Ithaca winter clouds didn't stop eight CTC members and one guest from enjoying a stroll along footpaths and roads of Cornell Plantations. Deep snow prevented the group from visiting Gymnosperm Slope, Fall Creek Valley, Slim Jim Woods, and McGowan Woods- natural areas originally planned for visits by the leader. Instead, hikers walked around Beebe Lake and through the Mundy Wildflower Garden, the F.R. Newman Arboretum, Arboretum Meadows, and Arboretum Woods. Tom also took the group for a brief visit to the Muenscher Poisonous Plants Garden by the College ofveterinary Medicine. Although the vegetation was covered with snow, Tom recommended that the hikers return in the spring and summer to see what surprises this garden has. The sun came out from behind the clouds twice! Briefly. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

12 Anything Goes Hike Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #474 March 9, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Danby section of the Finger Lakes Trail from Layen Road to Comfort Road, Town of Danby, Tompkins County Meeting Place: Park & Ride lot at comer of NY Route 96B and Gunderman Road in Danby Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. This 3. 6-mile hike will take advantage of some beautiful winter views available on the Finger Lakes Trail. Hikers will be ah le to gaze across fulet Valley toward Connecticut Hill, Spencer, and Newfield Hills. The level of this hike will be moderate with a few ravine crossings. Plan on 3 hours, which includes the time to shuttle cars at the beginning and end. Due to the unpredictability of March weather, this will be an "anything goes" hike. Snowshoes will be required if conditions are still snowy at this time. If there's no snow make sure to wear your hiking boots, with shoes to change into afterward, because we may be in for a muddy time. Then again, it could be sunny and 50 degrees outside. Who knows?! Just come prepared for the conditions of the day, and bring drinking water and snacks, too. If you have any questions, please contact hike leader Suzanne Cohen at 607 / or sac29@cornell.edu for more information. Do You Want to be Unlisted? The next issue of this newsletter will include a complete membership list like it did last year. If you would rather not be included on this list, please inform Suzanne Cohen at 607/ or sac29@cornell.edu. If you indicated this on your membership or renewal form, your request has already been noted. Thank you. Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #475 April 26, 2003 (Saturday) Location: The Cayuga Trail, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County Meeting Place: Liddell Laboratory at the top of the winding section of Freese Road in Varna Meeting Time: 1:00 p.m. A pril 22 marks the 33rd anniversary ofearthday. To celebrate this very important event, the Cayuga Trails Club will sponsor the 12th annual Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail on April 26. This 5-mile loop hike will go through the Cornell Plantations natural areas. Tom Reimers will lead the hike from Liddell Laboratory beginning at 1 :00 p.m. The Cayuga Trails Club started building the Cayuga Trail in 1964; it has been expanded several times in its history. The most recent expansion was done in 2000 after a short section of trail along Fall Creek was washed out during heavy spring rains. The section was replaced hy a very scenic reroute following both sides of a gorge entering Fall Creek. The Cayuga Trail takes hikers along the high banks and water's edge of Fall Creek, through hardwood forests, pine plantations, and interesting areas of lush fems and hawthorns. This hike annually features early spring wildflowers, birds, railroad history and lore, magnificent vistas, interesting geological features, and the beauty of very wild sections of Fall Creek and Cornell's natural areas. The Cayuga Trail is considered one of the most beautiful foot trails on university property. Wear sturdy footwear and bring rain gear and drinking water. Call Tom at 607/ ( nyhiker@localnet.com) if you have any questions. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

13 Report on Special Snowshoeing Clinic Date: January 18, 2003 Location: F.R. Newman Arboretum, Cornell University, Ithaca Leaders: Eric Kindig of EMS store in Ithaca and Jennifer Wilson D espite the brilliant sunshine, the temperature hovered around zero during what may have been the club's first official snowshoeing clinic. Eric loaned his store's rentable snowshoes to participants and led 15 tough outdoors folks on the wild moonscape that is Cornell's arboretum in the wintertime. The group experienced the unique ability of snowshoes to wander well off the beaten trail and indeed up some rather steep pitches. The plentiful wide-open spaces provided the opportunity for individuals to attempt to run on snowshoes. The snow walkers traveled as far as the sledding hill and a scenic overlook of a pond before heading back to the creek-side parking at Forest Home Drive. A small, hardy threesome continued the hike, crossing Fall Creek to explore a short loop encompassing part of the clubmaintained Cayuga Trail. Hopefully as the result of this clinic, more members will be interested in extending the seasons of hiking by donning this fun footgear. - - Eric Kindig from the EMS store describes the various styles of snowshoes during the CTC snowshoeing clinic. Photo by Tom Reimers. Special April Hike Finger Lakes Trail in and near Shindagin Hollow April 19, 2003 (Saturday) Location: Finger Lakes Trail from NY Route 96B to Old Seventy-Six Road, Towns of Danby and Caroline, Tompkins County Meeting Place: East Hill Plaza, comer of Pine Tree Road and Ellis Hollow Road, Ithaca Meeting Time: 9:30 a.m. J ack Van Derzee will lead this hike of about 11 miles. Bring trail lunch and drinking water. Because of winter damage to the Finger Lakes Trail, be prepared for less than pristine conditions. This will be a joint hike with the Triple Cities Hiking Club out of the Binghamton area. This hike will pass through private land and Shindagin Hollow State Forest, where the Shindagin Leanto is located. For more information contact Jack Van Derzee at 607/ or vanderze@ithaca.edu Hikes Across the Genesee River Valley J ack Van Derzee will lead a series of informal hikes across the Genesee River valley on the Finger Lakes Trail. All hikes will begin at 10:30 a.m. For additional information call Jack at 607/ or him at vanderze@ithaca.edu. Finger Lakes Trail maps indicated below can be ordered from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference Service Center by mail at 6111 Visitor Center Road, Mt. Morris, NY 14510, by telephone at 585/ , or online from the FLT Web site at lakes. net/trailsystem. May 11 Access point 6 on FLT map M-9 to access point 1 on map M-9. Meet at Slader Creek Road (County Road 13C) at 10: miles. June 1 Access point 5 on FLT map M-8 to access point 2 on map M-8. Meet at Delude Road at 10: miles. August 10 Access point 2 on FLT map M-8 to Pennycook Road on map M-7. Meet at Pennycook Road at 10: miles. September 21 Pennycook Road on FLT map M-7 to access point 5 on map M-6. Meet at Camp Road at 10: miles. October 19 Contact Jack to find out what the hike will be. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

14 2003 Annual Meeting and Luncheon by Suzanne Cohen Fifty-one Cayuga Trails Club members enjoyed a social hour and luncheon at Turback's Restaurant during the club's 2003 annual meeting held on Sunday, January 19. It was a cold but sunny day, and the large windows of Turback's second floor provided a bright and pleasant atmosphere for the event. Great service and delicious food contributed to a good time had by all. The business meeting was convened after lunch and began with reports by the treasurer, committee chairpersons, and president, recounting accomplishments of Next was the moment that everyone was waiting for: the announcement by the nominating committee of the candidates for the 2003 Executive Board. Members unanimously elected Phil Dankert and Jennifer Wilson to be the club's co-presidents along with Dave Schwartz as vice-president, Sigrid Connors as secretary, Jack Van Derzee as treasurer, and Joan Jedele as member-at-large. The business meeting concluded with the presentation of the annual Oscar Awards to Tom Gudernan and Tom Reimers (see article on page 3). This year's guest speaker, Dave Forness, was then introduced. Dave is supervising forester for the Cortland District of the NYS Department of Conservation's (DEC) Region 7, and his presentation revealed the challenges of managing land in nine counties with limited staff and limited funding. The DEC's limited resources make relationships with Adopt-A-Natural Resource participants (such as Cayuga Trails Club members working on trails on DEC land) essential. He thanked the club for being a partner with the DEC, citing the recent building of the stone wall at the footbridge in Shindagin Hollow, which prevented the bridge from having to be closed, as a perfect example of the positive benefits to all. Another responsibility that is made difficult by limited resources is law enforcement on DEC lands. Dave asked CTC members to help with enforcement efforts by reporting illegal activity, such as ATV use, to the DEC office. Make note of time and location and send the information to the Region 7 office (contact details at end of article). IfDEC staff can detect a pattern of when illegal activity is occurring, they will be able to make more efficient use of their enforcement resources. Dave also spoke about the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines, which the DEC is currently required to follow. There is a difficult balance between providing accessible trails and keeping the natural look and feel for outdoor recreation areas. The DEC must follow the guidelines for any new trails that are built, which have trail heads at major intersections. From the presentation, it was clear that there are a number of circumstances which could result in exceptions to the guidelines. In response to a question, Dave told the group that the Region 7 recreation plan for state forests is still not finalized, but this is expected to happen soon. The group thanked Dave for his informative presentation and for driving all the way from Syracuse on the Sunday of a holiday weekend to be with us. Dave asked that his contact information be made available in this newsletter in case people have other questions or information to report, so here it is: David Forness, Supervising Forester, 1285 Fisher Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045, , extention 224, dmfornes@gw.dec.state. ny. us. We can also contact John Clancy, DEC Senior Forester, at extention 258 orjmclancy@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Thanks go to John Andersson, Marsha Zgola, Jack Van Derzee, and Suzanne Cohen for their help in arranging the meeting details. Suzanne Cohen, Betty Hansen, Jack Van Derzee, and David Schwartz at Turback's Restaurant for the 2003 annual meeting. Photo by Tom Reimers. Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the late spring edition is April 15, Send to nyhiker@loca/netcom or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

15 Black Bear Etiquette Welcome to New Members H ikers and campers should know what the proper etiquette is concerning bears. Here are a few suggestions from Lou Berchielli, black bear specialist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. When hiking in an area known to be frequented by black bears, watch for signs of bears like tracks, droppings, and claw marks on trees. If you are carrying food, never leave the food or garbage where a bear might find it. Don't burn or bury garbage. Never put food in your tent. If hiking in a group, monitor your pace so that everyone stays together. If you are fortunate enough to actually see a black bear, enjoy the experience. It is very uncommon to be able to see a wild bear. Never try to approach or follow a bear and certainly never try to feed a bear. Wild bears generally have a natural fear of people. They usually run away when they see a human. But, if the bear doesn't leave soon or actually approaches you, don't panic and don't make sudden movements. If you are in a group, stay together, keep any children close to you, and slowly back away. If the bear is on or close to your trail and you cannot return the way you came, try to bypass the bear by making a detour around the bear. It is extremely rare for a bear to hurt a person here in New York State and most of those few incidents were primarily caused by inappropriate human behavior like taking food from a bear or trying to pick up or touch a bear. However, if attacked by a black bear you should aggressively fight back with your hands, a stick, a rock, or any available weapon. Being in bear country gives the hiker the additional pleasures of looking for bear signs, of knowing that bears exist in the area, and perhaps someday the pleasure of actually seeing a bear in the wild. Fran Chernow Cortland, NY Kathy Fairand Freeville, NY Carol Janik Cortland, NY Report on Special January Ski/Hike Date: January 26, 2003 Location: Highland Forest, Onondaga County Leaders: Jennifer Wilson and Suzanne Cohen T he snow was there for this splendid day of crosscountry skiing. The no-shows were the skiers, whether because of the date (Superbowl Sunday) or the fact that there's been no shortage of snow this winter with good skiing to be found almost everywhere. For several hours four skiers sampled whatever trails struck their fancy while gazing at the beauty of an overcast winter landscape. Two skiers tried the 7-plus miler that circles the park perimeter. Hoping for the opportunity to train some novice skiers, Suzanne settled for giving some pointers to Jennifer. The small party then enjoyed refreshments in the park's warming hut before hitting the ski trails again or the road, very satisfied. ~ ~ ~ Marguerite (Peg) Rumsey Marguerite (Peg) Rumsey, 82, of Van Etten, NY, died January 31, Peg was a long-time member of the Cayuga Trails Club. She served as a nurse in the Army during World War II and was employed as a nurse at Cornell University, having retired there. Peg was an avid hiker and birder. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

16 Volunteer Wish List Help put mailing labels on the newsletter, 6 times per year. Contact Suzanne Cohen, 607/ , sac29@cornell.edu. Take labeled newsletters to the bulk mail office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. only), 6 times per year. Contact Suzanne Cohen, 607 / , sac29@cornell.edu. Organize one outing (hike, canoe, ski, etc.). Contact Clifford Blizard, 315/ , deep _landscape@hotmail. com. Check that CTC brochures are stocked at particular locations. Contact Suzanne Cohen, 607/ , CTC 2003 Executive Board Co-presidents Jennifer Wilson Phil Dankert Vice President David Schwartz Secretary Sigrid Connors Treasurer Jack Van Derzee Walk, Look, & Learn Hikes. Clifford Blizard Finance John Rogers Guide Book Vacant Membership Suzanne Cohen Social John Andersson Trails Tom Reimers Newsletter Tom Reimers Archives/Historian Barbara Morley Publicity David Schwartz Adopt-a-Highway Jim Connors Members-at-large Jim Connors Joan Jedele 2002 WLL Hikes Wrap-up by Jennifer Wilson As Walk, Look, and Learn Hikes chair in 2002, I'm presenting a summary of hikes and other outings conducted last year. The WLL Hikes committee and others organized and led a total of 23 hikes. This surprised me; we had 19 hikes in 2001, and that was a considerable expansion from only one each month in Increasing to 23 hikes allowed us to continue our emphasis on educational hikes while adding some variety including longer and faster hikes, more social hikes, and special hikes. I'd like to thank in particular Dave Schwartz, who dreamed up a series of summer weekday hikes on little-known paths. Altogether, we had 302 hikers go on those hikes. Regretfully, that wasn't as many as in 2001, about 356. However, that is easily explained with the year's quirky weather patterns. In 2002, a Beam Hill ski outing was canceled for lack of snow, the Catskill hike was canceled by an unexpected May snowstorm, and rain, heat, and ice storms seemed to scare off many. Still, at least one hiker would invariably show up no matter how bad the weather, and then an alternate hike was usually planned. So I think all in all, 2002 was a good year for outings in terms of participation by members and non-members. I have felt that having a strong outing program is important to the overall vitality of the club because it is an attraction to new members. I frequently find that people whose names I see signed up for the hikes can subsequently be found listed in the club newsletter as new members. The membership chair may then use the sign-up sheet to contact guests to see if they want to join. Also, brochures are distributed at the walks b y the hike leaders so non-members can learn more about the club and decide on their own whether to join. I'm grateful to the many volunteers who were willing to plan and lead hikes and distribute the sign-up sheets and turn them in. Most are members but a few are just generous with their time and knowledge. The list is getting longer, but I'd like to thank everyone who helped with this program: John Andersson, Clifford Blizard, Lois Chaplin, Suzanne Cohen, Betsy Darlington, Peter Harriott, Betty Lewis, Cris Mc Conkey, Tom Reimers, John Rogers, Dave Schwartz, Jack Van Derzee, and Marsha Zgola. I hope I've forgotten no one. Thank you all! Here's to many happy outings and new friendships in 2003! Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

17 Goodbye, Mom M y mother Genevieve Anderson lived with me for a few months in 1997 while my dad was in the Groton nursing home. They retired from farming near Breakabeen, Schoharie County, in 1978 and headed south to Florida to enjoy the good life. Despite easy access to fishing, swimming, and crabbing, they found the summers too hot and too far from their children and returned in 1980 to build a small house on ten acres of woods in the hills above Middleburgh and Schoharie, adjacent to a state forest. There they enjoyed cutting their own firewood, watching wildlife, gardening, and reading. The Long Path North passed in front of their house and Mom would watch the hikers. She herself would walk up to five miles a day along the dirt roads and the LPN. When Mom was with me, she participated in trail activities. She loved to pick up trash and "treasures" along the roads so she looked forward to cleaning the CTC's adopted highway, and in July she helped on a work day, trimming branches and painting blazes on the Finger Lakes Trail on Connecticut Hill. Dad died in September, and Mom moved back onto the hill to split more wood and take more walks. I sent her a trail worker patch and certificate given by Tom Reimers, then CTC trails chairman. She wrote back, "Dear John and all the members of the Cayuga Trails Club. Thank you all for my certificate of appreciation and my beautiful Finger Lakes Trail patch. It is beautiful and I shall wear it with great pride. When I found it at the by John Andersson 2002 Trail Statistics by Betty Hansen Trails Committee bottom of the big envelope, it brought tears of happiness and I shall wear it with pride. Thank you all again, and I hope that I'll be able to join you all again to keep the highway clean, Love and regards to all. Genevieve K. Anderson" She wore that patch proudly on a pink knit hat. I used this quote in an article on Mom in the March April 1998 issue of Cayuga Trails. Mom continued to live alone, split wood, observe nature, and take walks. In October 2002 she moved to my sister's house in Schenectady for the winter. On January 26, 2003, she couldn't walk very well so my sister brought her to the hospital, hoping her pacemaker needed adjustment. Unfortunately, no adjustment could be made because the problem was a large tumor on her liver. My two sisters, brother, and I spent the last few days with her, and she died peacefully shortly after noon on February 6. Before she died, we talked about her days with me and her extreme pleasure helping with the trail work. I found that 1997 letter as I was looking for her Health Care Proxy on January 27, and cried. We had some beautiful times together, and she supplied me with some good story material concerning a worn out broom and twist ties. I will treasure those memories as long as I live, and remember her as I "keep the highway clean." I think she'd like me to share these feelings with other folks who appreciate the quiet ways. She was 84 last September. A total of 1,025 hours were spent on trail-related activities in Seven hundred and forty-seven hours were devoted to trail maintenance, 196 were for travel to and from maintenance projects, and 82 hours were on office work. There were six work sessions led by Trails Chairman Tom Gudeman. At these sessions, 34 members and 3 guests spent 226 hours rerouting, trimming, and blazing trail, and repairing or improving bridges. Thank you to Joe Dabes, Jennifer Wilson, Suzanne Cohen, Phil Davis, Dave Schwartz, Jonathon Bernstein, Marsha Zgola, Jack Van Derzee, Elsie Burns, Kathie Moh, Betty Hansen, Robin Schmidt, Louise Robbins, Roger Segelken, Gary Mallow, Michael Nussbaum, Ed Hart, Tom Reimers, Alice Hogan, Jim Quillan, Nancy Emerson, Roy Luft, Dave and Alex Dines, Noah Jewell, Barb and Galen Morley, John Chamberlain, Carol Mallison, June Meyer, Lincoln Brown, Kurt Seitz, Joan Jedele, Phil Dankert, Andy Boehm, and Peter Harriot. Alex Lee, with help from other Boy Scouts, spent over 50 hours repairing and moving a footbridge for his Eagle Scout project. Thirty-six trail adopters spent 471 hours maintaining trail. Special thanks to these individuals who spent more than 20 hours maintaining trail: Cris McConkey, 21.5 hours; Tom Reimers, 86 hours; Kurt Seitz, 50 hours; Steve Nicholson, 28 hours. Thank you everyone! Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

18 Trail Sections Available for Adoption T he Cayuga Trails Club is responsible for maintenance of about 75 miles of the 800-mile-long Finger Lakes Trail System. Three of"our" sections of Finger Lakes Trail are available for adoption. Franklin Street in Watkins Glen to Excelsior Glen (0.6 mile of trail and 1.4 miles on road) Cayutaville Road to Rumsey Hill Road west (0.7 mile of trail and 1.1 miles on road) Comfort Road north to Bald Hill Road (0.4 mile of trail and 1.4 miles on road) Adopters are asked to provide routine maintenance three times per year (spring, summer, and fall). Please contact Betty Hansen at 607/ or bsh2@cornell. edu if you would like more information on adopting these sections for maintenance. Adopters receive a copy of the Field Maintenance Manual for the Finger Lakes Trail, signs, trail markers, and instructions on trail blazing. Paint and other supplies are reimbursed by the club. There was a rather concrete example last year that the trails don't maintain themselves. A 0.1-mile section fell through the cracks and was without an adopter for 4 or 5 years. Needless to say it was completely overgrown and the blazes were virtually non-existent. Tom Reimers spent many hours clearing and blazing this small section. First Highway Cleanup of 2003 by.jim Connors T he first Adopt-a-Highway cleanup for 2003 will be held on April 26. Volunteers are always needed for these cleanups which occur four times a year between April and November. What a nice way to give back a little something to our environment. At this first cleanup we will be picking up the litter remnants left over from the thawed winter's snow. So please join us-rain or shine-at Cornell's "O" parking lot at the comer of NY Route 366 and Caldwell Road shortly before 10:00 a.m. so that administrative matters (i.e., paperwork and safety briefing) can be taken care of. We should be finished picking up our club's adopted 2-mile route by noon. Contact Jim Connors at 607 / or jconnors@twcny.rr.com if you have any questions. After the highway cleanup join other club members and guests on the 12th annual Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail which begins at 1 :00 p.m. See details on page 4. Cayuga Trails The Finger Lakes Trail Conference announces THE CORTLAND COUNTY HIKE SERIES Here is your opportunity to hike 60 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail with a guide. At the end of the series, there will be a picnic and those who complete all of the hikes will be recognized. The 2003 dates are: April 26 MaylO June7 July 12 August 9 September 13 October 11 For more information send a self addressed stamped envelope to Finger Lakes Trail Conference Hike 6111 Visitor Center Rd. Mt. Morris, NY or collier@eznet.net Early Spring 2003

19 Report on Executive Board Meeting T he Executive Board of the Cayuga Trails Club met for a regular meeting on February 4, 2003, in the Scott Heyman Conference Room, Old Jail, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, New Yark. Board members present were Suzanne Cohen, Jim Connors, Phil Dankert, Joan Jedele, Barb Morley, John Rogers, David Schwartz, Jack Van Derzee, and Jennifer Wilson. The following is a summary of some items reported and actions taken as recorded by substitute secretary Jim Connors. Co-president Phil Dankert called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Treasurer Van Derzee reported that the club had a checking account balance of $1, and a savings account balance of $6, Walk, Look, and Learn ffikes: Jennifer Wilson reported that Jack Van Derzee plans to co-lead a hike with Triple Cities Hiking Club in Shindagin Hollow. Dave Schwartz volunteered to do monthly evening hikes in May, June, July, and August. Dave also plans to lead a summer solstice hike on either June 20, 21, or 22 which will be a 20-mile hike from lower Robert Treman State Park to Gulf Road. Jack will be doing another series of hikes this year. Membership: Suzanne Cohen reported that many members had not yet renewed their memberships. Reminders will be mailed out. Non-renewing members receive the next newsletter but then are dropped from the mailing list Trails: Phil Dankert reported that Tom Reimers has agreed to take over as trails chairman. Phil expressed the hope that we could find an apprentice to work with Tom to assist in this job. Publicity: Dave Schwartz discussed putting photos on the club's Web site. He needs to spend some quality time to finish the Web site revision. Bylaws and standard practices will be posted on the site as well as hikes and other activities. Adopt-a-Highway Program: Jim Connors said the first litter cleanup of NY Route 366 for this year will be on April 26 at 10:00 a.m. Old Business: Fifty members attended the annual meeting on January 19, 2003, at Turback's Restaurant. Three versions of a club banner were reviewed. One design was selected. Specific fonts and colors will be seen on a proof brought to the next meeting. New Business: Jack Van Derzee distributed the proposed 2003 budget, last year's month-to-month income and expenses, and historical data going back to Most expenditures for last year were within budget. Discussion and some changes were made to the proposed budget. A motion was made and seconded to approve the 2003 budget as amended. The motion was approved unanimously. Suzanne Cohen reported that a new committee needs to be formed to discuss steps for publication of the next edition of Guide to Trails of the Finger Lakes Region. New formats and production methods need to be considered by the committee. 'ere Executive Board members. Seated (l-j David Schwartz. Jack Van Derzee, Joan Jedele, Jennifer Wilson. Standing (l-r): Jim Connors, Suzanne Cohen, Barb Morley, Phil Dankert, John Rogers. Not shown: John Andersson, Clifford Blizard, Sigrid Connors, Tom Reimers. Photo by Jennifer Wilson. Cayuga Trails Early Spring 2003

20 Mark Your Calendars Sunday, March Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #474. Danby section of the Finger Lakes Trail from Layen Road to Comfort Road. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Park & Ride lot, corner of NY Route 96B and Gunderman Road. Suzanne Cohen, leader (607/ , sac29@cornell.edu). Details on page 4. Tuesday, April Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Saturday, April Trail work session. Your help is needed. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell, across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com). Details on page 1. Tuesday, April Deadline for submitting materials for the late spring issue of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 6. Saturday, April Special hike on the Finger Lakes Trail in and near Shindagin Hollow. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at East Hill Plaza. Jack Van Derzee, leader (607/ , vanderze@ithaca.edu). Details on page 5. Saturday, April Adopt-a-Highway Program spring cleanup of NY Route 366. Meet just before 10:00 a.m. in Cornell' s " O" parking lot at the intersection of Route 366 and Caldwell Road. Jim Connors, leader (607 / , jconnors@twcny.rr.com). Saturday, April Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #475. Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Liddell Laboratory on Freese Road in Varna. Tom Reimers,.leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com). Details on page 4. Saturday, May Trail work session. Details later. Cayuga Trails Club P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, N Y NON-PROFIT O RGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PA ID ITHACA, NY PERMIT NO. 94

21 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " May-June 2003 Late Spring Edition Vol. 43, Nos. 5 & 6 First Work Session: 11 Miles of Trail Cleared! I t was a beautiful, sunny, and very successful day on April 12 when 27 CTC members and 3 non-members met at the Ithaca Shopping"Plaza with chainsaws, bow saws, loppers, and high spirits for a day of trail clearing. Six trail projects had been planned for the day including four on the main Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) and two on the Abbott Loop, a part of the FLT System. I worked with Jonathan Bernstein and Roger, Sam, and Peter Slothower clearing a section of the Abbott Loop west of Michigan Hollow Road in Danby State Forest. Jonathan operated the club's new chainsaw which was needed in many places. Ed Hart, who led a work crew in Texas Hollow State Forest to clear the FLT there, told me later in an message, "We had a wonderful time. An excellent group: Al [Wruck], Jennifer [Wilson], and Marsha [Zgola]. Beside doing the best clearing all the way from Texas Hollow Road to Steam Mill Road, we also enjoyed working together." Joe Dabes reported that he and his crew had cleared the FLT in Danby State Forest from Fisher Settlement Road to the Abbott Loop and from South Danby Road eastward until his chainsaw ran out of its second filling of gas and oil just ahead of a huge blow down of 200 to 300 red pines that toppled in domino fashion, right across the trail! Needless to say, the trail has been rerouted around the fallen trees. Doris Abbott reported that Cliff Abbott and the crew they led cleared all the fallen trees on the FLT from Bald Hill Road up to the Pinnacles and back down to Bald Hill Road in Danby State Forest. Cliff said there were lots down through the pines, but not many on the ridge. Donna and Bill Bergmark led a crew on the FLT from Blackman Hill Road to Level Green Road in Potato Hill State Forest. Donna said, "Our Blaclanan Hill-Level Green section is vastly improved. Andy [Boehm] did a great job with the chainsaw." Greg Wooster and crew began the work session by diverting a wayward stream back under a footbridge on the by Tom Reimers Trails Chairman FLT near West Jersey Hill Road in Danby. They then cleared with a chainsaw from there northward. Approximately 11 miles of trail were cleared of fallen trees and tree limbs on April 12. That's incredible! And that's over and above the many miles that have been cleared this spring by the individuals who have adopted sections of the Finger Lakes Trail for maintenance. I thank the trail adopters and April 12 volunteers for all their wonderful work. The next two club-wide work sessions are scheduled for Saturday, May 17, and Saturday, June 28. Volunteers should meet for both of these sessions at 9:30 a.m. at the Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell. That's across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza in Ithaca. I hope to see a large crowd of volunteers as there's still lots of work to be done. Thank you. f ~ ~.).,# _.,... t_w S11owshoers and hikers enjoyed a cold day on the Danby section of the Finger Lakes Trail on March 9. Some oftlze trail damage is evident behind the group. See the hike report on page 9. \

22 Co-President's Message Any hiker who has read the classic fantasy trilogy Lord of the Rings by... J.R.R. Tolkien, or who \. ~ has paid close attention during '5 the recent movies based on the books, knows the author was a f:1 gear-nut: elvish cloaks that pro-... ~tj/~. ' vided instant warmth and com- ~~~';;,..;~~~~;t! fort and rendered the wearer inr...,, ~,~:~~~.. =-l.. ~ - ~.;.. 1;..,.~.. k... ~:~~\~..,~~J--,.i.,{'.'"i~.j:~j VlSlble agarnst a forest back ~t\:.a...,.,._..., ---"\ '.-...~, e.r.1. drop; wayfarer's bread that satisfied the most raging hunger, always tasted fresh and delicious and, when by necessity rationed into small nibbles, could keep a traveler going for days on end. Then, of course, those Hobbits, creatures nonexistent outside of Tolkien' s incredible imagination, never bothered with shoes or boots when they hit the trail They had hair on the bottoms of their feet and never suffered blisters or the many less-mentionable woes of the shodden trekkers. I recall being fascinated by the charmed brooches and daggers and other accoutrements that eased the perilous journey oftolkien' s human and fantastic fellowship. From the comfort of my bed, where I read the books for days at a time, barely shifting myself from the trilogy's pages from dawn until the wee hours, I imagined those exciting journeys. I didn't connect them with hiking, or with any adventure I might experience, because I didn't hike. There was nowhere near this teenager' s barren, concrete suburban environs in upstate New York to walk. Actually, there was, but I didn't know my way to get there. Or, once there I might get lost. There hadn't been someone to show me the way. Flash forward about 15 years. I'm midway along a nine-mile hike to Panther Gorge in the Adirondacks. I'm lugging an oversize daypack with no back support that I have rigged for a weekend in the wilderness. My back is Co-presidents Jennifer Wilson Phil Dankert Vice President David Schwartz Secretary Sigrid Connors Treasurer Jack Van Derzee Walk, Look, & Learn Hikes. Clifford Blizard Finance John Rogers Guide Book Sigrid Connors Membership Suzanne Cohen by Co-president Jennifer Wilson CTC 2003 Executive Board paying already. Annoyingly, the loosely attached sleeping bag keeps batting my behind. The cheap, camouflaged poncho has given up already on keeping me from the steady drizzle, and clings uncomfortably. My feet make squishing noises in my new backpacking boots as I follow rivulets of the stream that has taken over the footpath. They'll stay wet all weekend. I recall that moment because I felt so darn happy, a working stiff who was carefree for the first time in years, perhaps. Suddenly I felt like a hobo with my belongings on a stick over my shoulder, all responsibilities forgotten, just living moment to moment. The feeling remained even later at the lean-to, when my buddy informed me that an unprepared hiker was caught in a summer blizzard and perished right there. I'm now convinced this was what Tolkien was trying to get at. Being out in the elements was tough in his day, but adventure beckoned. He might be pretty pleased with all the gear there is today: special fabrics and designs that make getting outside more pleasant even with unexpected changes in the elements and hikers' food almost fit for a fancy restaurant. The fuzzy feet haven't been duplicated yet, however. I try to push the envelope a little when I explore the outdoors, and so I tell myself that I owe it to myself and others to be prepared with the right foot and clothing gear, map and compass, enough water, food, and some emergency supplies. I try not to be too reliant on others anymore, as I never know when I may need to rely on myself, or when I can help a hiking buddy find our way back to the right trail. I encourage my fellow club members to gear up and map up and explore the outdoors 12 months of the year and virtually all hours of the day. With the hours, days, months, and years comes constant, heart-stoppingly beautiful change. Adventure beckons. Our club is here to help show you the way. Social John Andersson Trails Tom Reimers Newsletter Tom Reimers Archives/Historian Barbara Morley Publicity David Schwartz Adopt-a-Highway Jim Connors Members-at-Large Jim Connors Joan Jedele Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

23 - ~--~ Texas Hollow Wetland Orchids in Lime Hollow Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #476 May 18, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Texas Hollow, Schuyler CoWlty Meeting Place: Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell, across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca, or where Finger Lakes Trail crosses Texas Hollow Road southeast of Bennetts burg Meeting Time: 12:15 p.m. in Ithaca to carpool or 1:00 p.m. at Texas Hollow Road This hike will center around the beautiful Texas Hollow Wildlife Refuge now protected as the Texas Hollow State Forest. It is a prime example of a post-glacial thru-valley between Bennettsburg and Odessa, which are connected by the Texas Hollow Road (see page 42 of the 9th edition of Guide to Trails of the Finger Lakes Region). We will begin on Texas Hollow Road and head to the orange-blazed wetlands trail and over a couple small hills, one with a good view of the large pond. The total distance is about 2 miles. The "Hollow" is a mile wide and six miles long. It has precipitous over-steepened sides 500 feet high and no constricted section. According to 0.D. von Engeln in The Finger Lakes Region, Its Origin and Nature, the sides and bottom were produced by glacial ice erosion. The natural history and geologic features of the area will be emphasized on this hike. Contact leader Ed Hart at or 607/ for more information. Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #477 June 15, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Lime Hollow Nature Center, Cortland County Meeting Place: Parking lot behind the old First National Bank of Dryden, located off the crossroads of NY Routes 13 and 38 (turn south on 38 to access the parking area) Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. A North American orchid hunting we will go, tentatively at the Lime Hollow Nature Center. Once again, Jennifer Wilson will lead intrepid naturalists on a search for the rare and elusive orchid species found in some abundance in the area, including three different varieties of ladyslipper orchids. A few years ago, there was hardly a trace of the flora to be found. This year, your fearless leader hopes to scout the area to find some blooming beauties in advance. Regardless of what turns up, Lime Hollow is a wonderful place to explore with miles of wellgroomed hiking trails. The nine-year-old nature center is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide year-round environmental education and recreation opportunities through utilization and protection of the natural and cultural attributes of the Lime Hollow area. Participants may gather and shuttle at 1 :00 p.m. from Dryden or meet in the Lime Hollow parking lot about 20 minutes later. The center is at 3091 Gracie Road, a left turn off NY Route 13 about 5--6 miles from Dryden. Look for the green Tunison Lab sign on your right shortly before the turn. The center is off the left-hand side of Gracie Road. Contact Jennifer for more details at wilsonj@cortland.edu or 607/ Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the summer edition is June 15, Send to nyhiker@localnet.com or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

24 CTC Member Becomes FLT End-to-Ender #142 by Danny W. Scott H i! I'm a veterinary dermatologist. (That's right. I Whatever County Series."A fantastic invention! I highly am a skin doctor for animals!) I work and teach at recommend them. Anyhoo, I also knew Tom Reimers at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell Uni- the veterinary college (an endocrinologist and Finger versity in Ithaca, New York (31 years worth!). My Lakes Trail legend). I asked Tom if it would be possible to jobdoesn'texactlypreparemeforoutdooractivities,other get my hands on some of those beautiful hike-acrossthan by all the telephone calls, pages, faxes, s, letters, county patches and award them to my scouts. I must pause and all forms ofbrain-picking frequently making me want here and say "thanks Tom" and "thanks Finger Lakes Trail to get away from it all. Conference." Because of your enthusi- Over the years, most of my getaway astic willingness to participate and help, moments have involved walking to the you really made a lot of great kids happy. top of mountains and chillin' with the During three days (May 27-29) in views, the feelings, and the spirit. Yeah, 1995, the Venture Crew backpacked and I dig the sights, sounds, smells, and across Schuyler County on the Finger pain (it's a guy thing, I guess) along the Lakes Trail. After a gorgeous first day way. I've had the great fortune to have (16 miles), the second day was marked huffed and puffed, usually in the com- by whipping winds and horizontal rainpany of my wife Kris, to the top of sev- fall. (This as we passed the sign for eral of the highest peaks: Whitney (Cali-.if Jolly Road!) Gotta have a sense of fomia), Washington (New Hampshire), a /! humor in this business. That evening Mansfield (Vermont), Marcy (New! (18-mile day), we arrived at a Finger York), Jacques Cartier (Quebec), Scafell Lakes National Forest lean-to, only to Pike (England), Carrauntuohill (Ireland), find it was occupied by three jerks with and Fuji (Japan). My most significant their coolers, beer, boom boxes, and outdoor accomplishment was becoming litter (chiefly cigarette butts and beer an Adirondack 46' er, which took me 18 Danny and Kristin Scott. Danny finished his end- cans). Pouring rain and hurricane winds, years. Couldn't really label me a peak- to-end hike of the Finger Lakes Trail last June. but these three charming individuals bagger, eh? Photo by Marsha Zgola. wouldn't make room in the lean-to. I My hiking experiences away from the peaks had wanted to pound them, but that wouldn't have been a good basically been limited to completing the John Muir Trail example for the Scouts. (211 miles, Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney in California) In 1996 we tackled Steuben County and crossed in four with Kris when we were much younger. My initial long day hikes. Cortlandffioga was next in We did sojourns on the Finger Lakes Trail were as a Hiking Merit it in one day hike, and a two-day backpack Great fun in Badge counselor and Assistant Scoutmaster in charge of this county hike: wading across Gridley Creek (bridge Venture for Boy Scout Troop 2 in Ithaca. The thought of out), taking Virgil Mountain in the fog, being accombecoming a Finger Lakes Trail end-to-end hiker never panied by a herd of bovines for a long stretch near Solon even crossed my mind early on. However, one day I turned Hill, and being given some very cold, lovely water by the around and realized, you know, I've walked about 400 preacher's kids in Blodgett Mills. miles of this trail. I may as well go for it! Like my "stroll" The Genesee Valley Finger Lakes Trail was our treat throughtheadirondack46,myfingerlakestrailend-to- for 1998: two two-day backpacks (different weekends). end would not be measured in days, weeks, or months, but Good times had by all; especially cool was camping next years (nine to be exact). to the cemetery in Swain in a thunderstorm! My last My first organized, premeditated Finger Lakes Trail ex- county hike with the Scouts was Chenango in cursions began in September of 1993 when as a rookie Walking the Stewart Road Finger Lakes Trail re-route and merit badge counselor I led a series of hikes (usually about surveying the tornado damage was very humbling. Kris 10 miles a day) across Tompkins County. We finished the and I joined the "Hike Across" series for Cattaraugus county in May of During this period, I became fa- County in The "Western Wall" can't hold a candle miliar with the Finger Lakes Trail "Hikes Across Continued on page 8 Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

25 Abbott, Doris & Cliff Andersson, John & Luanne Barcelo, Lucy Bavis, Eugene Bente, Mary Bergmark, William & Donna Bernstein, Jonathan Beyer, Ann Blake, Gail A. & Jennifer Dotson Blake, Martha Blizard, Clifford Brennan, Kathy & Joe Dabes Brooks, Laurie Brow n, Irene Brown, Warren Brown, Lincoln & June Meyer Budke, Harriet Burnett, Carol & Dave Burns, Elsie U. Bush, Larry & Marilyn Buttel, Linda Carruth, Bradford Catterall, Sara & Simon Chamberlain, John & Barbara Morley Chandler, Adam and Sarah Chaplin, Lois Chernow, Fran Clauson, Margery Cohen, Suzanne and Phil Davis Cole, Jon Coleman, Jim & Ellen Connors, Sigrid & Jim Canta, Claire Dankert, Philip Darrow, Frank & Catherine deboer, Tob & Joan Demo, Bill & Sarah DeRemer, Florence Destefano, Anthony and M arilyn Dick, Richard & Delores Dineen, Doreen Donovan, Joseph Durant, Katherine Emerson, Nancy Engle, Michael Engman, Herb Fair, Bill & Jay Zitter Fairand, Kathy Feuer, Carl Firebaugh, John & Francille Flinn, Kathryn Frank, Linda & Len Cohen Gaeta, Paul & V icky Gillespie, Virginia Greene, Sandra E. Grossman, Rick, Joan & Jesse Gudeman, Tom Gyrisco, Valerie Habel, Robert & Wilma Cayuga Trails Club Membership List Tear out and save these pages. Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

26 Hansen, Betty Harriott, Peter & Mary Lou Hart, Edward Hess, George & Susan Holmes, Nancy Howard, Maureen Hullar, Ted & Joan Ingraham, Tony Janik, Carol Johnson, Karl and Julie Johnston, Roxanna Kalka, Paul Kazarinoff, Michael Kilgore, C.J. Klepack, Bill & Carol Kammel, Aziz & Camille Doucet Kooperman, David & Denise Law Family Lee, Gundy LeMoine, Nadine Leso, Laura, Angela Burchfield, Niko and Erika Feldman Leszyk, Mary Levine, Gilbert & llma Lewis, Betty Little, George Loomis, Linda Maginnity, Kate & Ken Daile Mallison, Carol Mallison, Nathan Mallow, Gary Manzella, Fran Spadafora & Fred Marciniak, Paul Marisa, Rich & Tracy Marks, Lawrence & Cornelia Marusak, Ron Mattice, Linda D. Maxwell, Eileen & Max Mcconkey, Cris Merrill, Susan Mills, Harold Moh, Kathie Monkman, Paul and Holly Morrison, Mary Morse, Barbara Mower, Robert G. Muenster~ Anna Marie Nelson, Patti Novak, Dani & Haya Nussbaum, Michael & Barbara Nuzzo, Victoria Ostrowski, Helen Peech, Margie Petryszak, Ben Pratt, Paul Proulx, Chris Quillan, Jim Raimondo, Louise Reimers, Tom Rezelman, John Robbins, Louise E. Rueckheim, Jack & Joan Jedele Ruppert, David Salina, Karen Schmidt, Ellen, Oskar & Robin Schurman, Dave & Jean Schwartz, David I. Scott, Danny & Kristin Scott, Deana Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

27 Segelken, H. Roger Seitz, Kurt Sidote, Edward Siegel, Varya Sjamaar, Reyer Smith, Calvin D. Spollen, Marie Spry-Campbell, Robin Stoscheck, Claudia & John Rogers Straight, Clara Teeter, Denise Thayer, Ree Turner, Lowell Uhll, Linda & Peter Rothbart Underwood, Matthew and Nancy Updike, Donna Van Allen, Judith & Benjamin Nichols Vandam, Nick and Lucy Gagliardo Van Derzee, Jack Van Etten, Janet Wilkin, Brigitte & Harvey Wilson, Jennifer Wilson, Don Wadzinski, Richard & Claudia Wooster, Greg and Pamela Williams Wruck, Al Zgola, Marsha All area codes are 607 unless indicated otherwise. * Indicates charter members. Please report corrections to Suzanne Cohen, Membership Committee chairperson, at 607/ or sac29@cornell.edu Get A Friend To Join! Membership Application and Order Form I (We) wish to join the Cayuga Trails Club. Name(s) Date Address.; Phone ~ Zip Dues: Individual membership ($12.00) $ Family membership ($15.00) $ Contributing membership ($25.00+) $ Arm patch ($2.00) $ Total $ Make check payable to Cayuga Trails Club. Mail application and payment to Cayuga Trails Club, c/o Membership, P.O. Box 754, Ithaca, NY I am willing to volunteer for: 0 Trail work 0 Newsletter 0 Leading hikes 0 Membership 0 Publicity 0 Social events 0 Clerical work 0 Environmental issues 0 Web site Special outdoor interests: 0 Hiking 0 Canoeing 0 XC-skiing 0 Snowshoeing 0 Other Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

28 End-to-Ender (continued from page 4J to the "Eastern Wall" (Catskills, etc.) which Kris and I pecked away at from I finished (#142) at Big Pond in June 2002 at 88 degrees and about 100 percent humidity. Oh, couldn't resist: Balsam Lake Mountain was just a little side trip and there's a great view from the fire tower. Over the years, I have done some of the other "pieces and parts" of the Finger Lakes Trail system: Queen Catherine Marsh Trail (alone, while Kris was recovering from knee surgery), the Interloken Trail (with Boy Scouts, naturally!), and the Onondaga Trail (21.1 miles in one day on a Venture hike). I have so many extremely varied memories along the Finger Lakes Trail: lean-tos, tents, cooking, purifying water, hot spots, blisters, sprained ankles, barbed wire cuts, cow pies, snow up to my crotch, wading across creeks, gorgeous weather, rotten weather, noise and chaos, stillness and real peace. Some of the best were watching the new kids hit their own personal physical and mental wall, and find the inner stuff to break on through to the other side. Then comes the day they leave you in the dust! But they would always be waiting up around the bend every so often just to make sure the "old guy" was doing okay. My days on the Finger Lakes Trail are not done yet. Kris still CTC Finger Lakes Trail End-to-Enders Cliff Abbott Doris Abbott John Andersson Joe Dabes (3 times) Philip Dankert Anthony Destefano Joseph Donovan Paul Gaeta Vicky Gaeta Edward Hart Betty Lewis Linda Mattice Ben Petryszak Danny Scott Kurt Seitz Edward Sidote Jack Van Derzee Jennifer Wilson has about 100 miles to do; I would like to walk the Letchworth """"' branch; and Kris and I maintain the section from Fisher Settlement Road to the Abbott Loop in Danby State Forest. Our son Travis designed and supervised the construction of the footbridge across the tributary of Miller Creek as his Eagle project in Scouts. End-to-end was cool. However, the end was not as cool as the means. And the means would never have been as cool if they hadn't been strung out over nine years of starts and stops, community interaction, and opportunities to savor where we had been and to anticipate where we would go. Peace and good hiking. This article was reproduced with permission from Finger Lakes Trail News. Moonlight Canoeing Anybody? Dave Burnett welcomes Cayuga Trails Club members to join his moonlight canoe outings. You can contact Dave at 607/ for more information about the outings. Dryden Lake Friday, May 16, 5:30 p.m. Meet at the pavilion in the picnic area south side of the outlet for a dish-to-share (or not) picnic supper...then canoeing on your own (no leader). Bring your own craft and equipment. Don't forget a flashlight! If you don't want to paddle on the lake, try hiking on the Dryden Lake Park Trail. This trail is the old Lehigh Valley Railroad bed and has a connection to the Finger Lakes Trail. Cayuta Lake (a.k.a. Little Lake): Friday, June 13, 5:30-ish (rain date, Saturday, June 14). Meet near the parking lot at the north end of the lake for a dish-to-share (or not) picnic supper... then canoeing on your own (no leader). Bring your own craft and equipment, including a flashlight. There are no picnic tables so bring your own lawn or camp chairs. To get there take NY Route 228 south from Mecklenburg or north from Odessa. Tum east on Cayutaville Road, go a short distance, and turn right (south) to the parking area. ~!!*!_~ tf Ai Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

29 Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hikes Date: February 9, 2003 WLL Hike #473 Location: Beam Hill in Town of Dryden, Tompkins County Leader: Lois Chaplin 0 ver 20 people showed up for an event promoted to bring beginner cross-country skiers together for a friendly outing on Beam Hill one day in February. Snow conditions were close to perfect and the snowy-blowy weather of the morning gave way to a delightful winter's day in the afternoon. Skiers had a chance to ski loops around the pond and the barn, getting comfortable with their equipment. Others took advantage of the trails through the woods and had a chance to try their luck at some moderate elevation change. Snacks and socializing capped off the day. Date: March 9, 2003 WLL Hike #474 Location: Danby section of the Finger Lakes Trail, Tompkins County Leader: Suzanne Cohen T en Cayuga Trails Club members enjoyed spectacular views during this 3.5-mile-long hike on a cold, partly sunny winter day. After some initial confusion (the hardest part of any hike always seems to be the car shuttle before taking the first step!), we set off at a brisk pace and quickly warmed up. Three of us wore snowshoes, but a frozen layer on top of the snow made hiking in boots possible for the rest of the group. The end of this hike illustrated the trail cleanup challenge as we scrambled around blown over hawthorns. Meeting Ed Hart walking toward us, finding an oak tree over 15 feet in circumference, discovering the blue glove-which the hike leader had lost the day before while checking out the trail-and savoring candy supplied by Marsha Z. were all added bonuses! Cayuga Trails Welcome to New Members George Little Newfield, NY Nathan Mallison Ithaca, NY Paul and Holly Monkman Ithaca, NY Al Wruck Montour Falls, NY ''Grand Re-opening" of the Finger Lakes Trail {after a devastating winter) Special National Trails Day Event June 7, 2003 (Saturday) Location: Abbott Loop, Danby State Forest Meeting Place: Park and Ride lot at corner of NY Route 96B and Gunderman Road in Danby Meeting Time: 1:00 p.m. C elebrate National Trails Da7 on the F_i~ger Lakes Trail System with a special recogrutj.on of the many trail adopters who maintain "our" 75 miles of the FLT, and then take a hike on the beautiful Abbott Loop. With more than 2,000 events hosted by trail clubs, conservation organizations, agencies, and businesses, NTD is considered America's largest celebration of the outdoors. Current trail adopters (see list in the late fall 2002 edition of Cayuga Trails) will be given FLT trail worker patches to thank them for their hard work and dedication. They have been especially busy this spring after a devastating winter. All of our miles of the FLT should be cleared of fallen trees and tree limbs by the end of May, thus a "grand re-opening" cer~mony. After the brief presentations and ceremony, enjoy 8.4 miles of spectacular hiking on the Abbott Loop. Late Spring 2003

30 Report on March Spontaneous Hike Second Annual Evening Hike Series Date: March 30, 2003 Location: Abbott Loop, Danby State Forest, Tompkins County Leaders: Jennifer Wilson and Marsha Zgola 0 n a snowy morning more closely resembling January than the end of March, four hikers braved the eastern section of the Abbott Loop. Proceeding on the trail clockwise from Michigan Hollow Road opposite from Diane's Crossing, the trekkers encountered trees with their white blazes obliterated by snowfall as well as the rather frequent blowdowns serving as a reminder of the early January ice storm. In some cases, it seemed the blazed trees were probably also the ones sprawled across our paths, because we just couldn't find those blazes. Nevertheless, we persisted, sharing our collective navigational skills to keep to the white-covered path and continue the hike. When we reached the end of the main Finger Lakes Trail and started on the Abbott Loop, the orange blazing from then on was much easier to spot. The newly fallen snow and refrozen ground kept us out of the wet and so it turned out to be a rather comfortable hike, and certainly a lovely one. The trees seemed quietly to gather to themselves cottony, downy comforters against the extended winter season. With the exception of a lone, defensive robin, all fauna seemed to be in hiding. Then we reached Michigan Hollow Road, and curtailed our hike to reach the car with a couple miles of road walk instead. A small but pleasant start for the club's first spontaneous hike! Second Highway Cleanup of 2003 by Jim Connors The second Adopt-a-Highway cleanup for"2003 will be held on Saturday, June 14. We will meetrain or shine- at Cornell' s "O" parking lot at the corner of NY Route 366 and Caldwell Road shortly before 10:00 a.m. We should be finished cleaning up our club's adopted two-mile route by noon. If you have any questions please contact Jim Connors at 607/ or jconnors@twcny.rr. com. Garbage bags will be provided. D ue to popular demand, Dave Schwartz will be coordinating a new series of evening hikes this year. They're a great way to relax after work and get a chance to hike with friends a bit more often. Generally, the hikes will be 4-6 miles long, often done in one 2-3 hour stretch to ensure they end before dark. We will be exploring local trails mainly to avoid excessive driving, though there might be occasional ''park-in-two-places" versions. Because of timing issues, we ask that people show up promptly. Bring water- it can still be quite hot out some days- and possibly a snack. You should also bring appropriate clothing like hiking boots and rain gear. Given enough interest, some of the hikes may turn into "hikeeat" adventures, too. Note that the hikes are moderate in terms of speed and difficulty (about 2.5 mph and occasional difficult climbs). The hikes will be the second Wednesday of each month, starting with May 14. The first two are listed below. There might be others in between those days that will be announced on the new Contact Dave at 607/ or dis@cs.cornell.edu for additional information. Evening hike #1 Taughannock Falls State Park May 14, 2003 (Wednesday) Meeting Place: Taughannock Falls State Park, main parking area west side of NY Route 89 Meeting Time: 6:00 p.m. sharp Evening hike #2 Robert H. Treman State Park June 11, 2003 (Wednesday) Meeting Place: Upper parking lot off NY Route 327, Robert H. Treman State Park Meeting Time: 6:00 p.m. sharp Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

31 Report on Executive Board Meeting T he Executive Board of the Cayuga Trails Club met for a regular meeting on April 1, 2003, in the Scott Heyman Conference Room, Old Jail, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, New York. Board members present were John Andersson, Clifford Blizard, Suzanne Cohen, Jim Connors, Sigrid Connors, Phil Dankert, Joan Jedele, Barb Morley, Tom Reimers, John Rogers, David Schwartz, Jack Van Derzee, and Jennifer Wilson. The following is a summary of some items considered and actions taken as recorded by secretary Sigrid Connors. Co-president Jennifer Wilson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Treasurer Jack Van Derzee reported a checking account balance of $1, and a savings account balance of $6, Walk, Look, and Learn Hikes: Clifford Blizard reported that an organized hike was led in March by Suzanne Cohen and one spontaneous hike was held with Jennifer Wilson and Marsha Zgola leading hikers on half of the Abbott Loop on March 30 (east of Michigan Hollow Road). Jack Van Derzee noted that a joint hike with the Triple Cities Club would be held on April 19 in the Shindagin Hollow area. Tom Reimers will lead the 12th annual Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail on April 26. Finance: John Rogers reviewed the club's finances and gave high praise to treasurer Jack Van Derzee. John reported that financial statements are well organized and complete and that they indicate a healthy structure, healthy reserves, and modest cash funds. Guidebook: A committee consisting of Suzanne Cohen, Sigrid Connors, and Tom Reimers volunteered to serve on the guidebook committee with Sigrid as chair. Suzanne suggested that non-board members could be sought to participate as needed. The conunittee is charged with redesigning the guidebook in an electronic format and developing processes to print in smaller batches and in a timely manner. Social: John Andersson suggested having another summer picnic. Last year the picnic was held at Robert H. Treman State Park and the year before it was at Buttermilk Falls State Park. Taughannock Falls Park was suggested for our 2003 picnic. Trails: Tom Reimers reported that Phil Davis and Betty Hansen will continue to serve on this committee. Due to serious winter damage to trails, trail adopters were asked to do the best they could to clear debris and to let the committee know what help is needed. Tom noted that 15 reports had been received so far, and only 4 adopters requested assistance. He also reported that several non-members had contacted him and volunteered to work on trails. Lastly, over 15 years ago the club bought three gas-powered brush trimmers. They are heavy, noisy, and polluting. One is missing, '(me works well, and one is in need of significant repair. Tom proposed that the club purchase one new trimmer costing about $ A motion was made, seconded, and passed to authorize Tom to purchase a new trimmer at a reasonable cost. Publicity: Dave Schwartz noted that the Eastern Mountain Sports store in Ithaca is holding a "Meet the Club" day on April 12 from noon to 4:00 p.m. April 25 and 26 are EMS Club Days; CTC members are eligible for a 20% discount on merchandise. Old Business: John Andersson distributed the revised proofs for a club banner. All agreed to the green print on cream with the letters leaning "east into the wind." It was resolved unanimously to purchase the banner for about $ Barb Morley proposed establishing a voluntary Internet reporting list of trail conditions and activities, potentially through Yahoo.com. It would be a forum for CTC members to discuss last minute club hikes, spontaneous hikes, hike and ski reports, and trail conditions. Jack Van Derzee volunteered to fulfill the role of moderator and Barb offered to set up the site. After discussion it was decided to restrict the group only to members. A motion to set up the Internet site was approved. New Business: Phil Dankert and Jack Van Derzee attended a public meeting at the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI). The PRI wants to expand its services to see how it can help the CTC and how the CTC can help it. A reception hall will be available in the new Museum of the Earth that will hold up to 70 people. The possibility of holding the CTC annual meeting there was discussed with a tour given after the meal rather than having a guest speaker. The annual meeting of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference (FLTC) will be from May 2-4 at the HoliMont Ski Resort in Ellicottville, NY. The FLTC Fall Campout will be at Hickory Hollow Campground near Bath, NY. Suzanne Cohen and Phil Davis asked people to donate to the CTC in honor of their wedding last year. More than $ were received. They suggested that the club donate the money to the Tompkins County Public Library to purchase books on hiking, trail maintenance, conservation, and other similar topics. A plate would be placed in the books noting that the contribution was from the CTC. A motion to donate the money to the library was passed unanimously. Cayuga Trails Late Spring 2003

32 Mark Your Calendars Wednesday, May Evening hike #1. Taughannock Falls State Park. Meet at 6:00 p.m. at the park's main parking area west of NY Route 89. Dave Schwartz, leader (607/ , Details on page 10. Friday, May Moonlight canoeing on Dryden Lake. Meet at 5:30 p.m. at the pavilion in the picnic area south side of the outlet. Dave Burnett, leader (607/ ). Details on page 8. Saturday, May Trail work session. Your help is needed. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell, across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , Details on page 1. Sunday, May Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #476. Texas Hollow wetland. Meet at 12:15 p.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell in Ithaca or 1 :00 p.m. where Finger Lakes Trail crosses Texas Hollow Road southeast of Bennettsburg, Schuyler County. Ed Hart, leader (607/ or edsultra@att.net. Details on page 3. Tuesday, June Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Saturday, June Special National Trails Day event: "Grand Re-opening" of the Finger Lakes Trail and hike on the Abbott Loop. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at the Park and Ride lot at the corner of Gunderman Road and NY Route 96B in Danby, Tompkins County. See page 9 for details. Contact Tom Reimers (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com) for more information. Wednesday, June Evening hike #2. Robert H. Treman State Park. Meet at 6:00 p.m. in the upper parking lot off NY Route 327. Dave Schwartz, leader (607/ , dis@cs.cornell.edu). Details on page 10. Friday, June Moonlight canoeing on Cayuta Lake. Meet at 5 :30 p.m. near the parking lot at the north end of the lake. Dave Burnett, leader (607/539-79!_7). Details on page 8. Saturday, June Adopt-a-Highway Program cleanup of NY Route 366. Meet just before 10:00 a.m. in Cornell's "O" parking lot at the intersection of Route 366 and Caldwell Road. Jim Connors, leader (607 / , jconnors@twcny.rr.com). Sunday, June Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #477. Wild o rchid hunting at Lime Hollow Nature Center. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. in parking lot behind the old First National Bank of Dryden, located off the crossroads of NY Routes 13 and 38 in Dryden. Jennifer Wilson, leader (607/ , wilsonj@cortland.edu). Details on page 3. Sunday, June Deadline for submitting materials for the summer edition of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 3. Saturday, June Trail work session. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at It haca Shopping Plaz a n ear T aco Bell, across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com). Details on page 1. Cayuga Trails Club, Inc. P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, NY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, N Y PERMIT NO. 94

33 July-August 2003 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " Summer Edition National Trails Day 2003 Vol. 43, Nos. 7 & 8 Trail work, celebration, and hiking! by Suzanne Cohen, Jennifer Wilson, and Tom Reimers S aturday, June 7th, was another cloudy and rainy day, but that didn't keep 22 Cayuga Trails Club members and five volunteers from the. Ithaca Eastern Mountain Sports store from participating in t National Trails Day activities. On Saturday morning, volunteers " from the EMS store and Cayuga Trails Club spent three hours building ~ a new puncheon footbridge on the Finger Lakes Trail along Lick Brook gorge. A bridge built several years ago had rotted badly and was dismantled in March. New bridge-building materials were carried in about one-quarter mile from Town Line Road to the work site. Remnants of the old bridge were carried out and taken to the Tompkins County Recycling and Solid Waste Center. Lumber and other materials were ordered by Greg Wooster, who was the main architect and project foreman. Thanks, Greg! Tom Reimers took pictures and Phil Dankert did some chainsawing of a few downed trees that blocked the trail. EMS granted $ to the club to cover costs of all materials and power tools needed to build the bridge. In the afternoon, members gathered near Diane's Crossing on the Finger Lakes Trail in Danby State Forest for a trail "Grand Re-opening" ceremony celebrating the clearing of the 80 miles of Finger Lakes Trail National Trails Day volunteers from EMS and CTC '.... building a footbridge on the Finger Lakes Trail. Photo System that the club mamtams, a difficult task thts year because of the by Tom Reimers ~. _ massive winter dam- 0 - _. Hiking CailJ. - - ~. ~ age to trees across many sections of the trail. The celebration honored trail _ I Uga 71 raj/5 C adopters and ()ther trail work volunteers. Co-president Phil Dankert called, ~- 1 a d M specialattentiontocliffanddorisabbott, whohavebeenmaintainingthe Trail wo:1k ore Abbott Loop since they created the trail beginning in the late 1980s. c; ii~.. Social E~t Co-presidentJenniferWilsonthankedCTCTrailsChainnanTomReimers '"<....,,. J Foot Tr; u~de for coordinating the work of many volunteers in trail cleanup projects and Fou~o"r,,:: 62 ITHAcA,, ~ kk for tackling a great deal of trail work himself. Those attending were re-. '1?--::s -- warded with National Trails Day T-shirts from the EMS store and other CTC Co-presidents Jennifer Wilson and Phil Dankert at the National Trails Day event 011 the Abbott Loop trail. Photo by Marsh Zgola. goodies from the American Hiking Society, as well as food donations from Greenstar, Tops, and Wegmans. After Phil Dankert and Jennifer Wilson cut the ribbon marking the reopening of the trail, 11 people hiked the complete Abbott Loop, while a few chose to hike to Thatcher's Pinnacles and then return. All hikers were greeted at the Pinnacles by club member Phil Davis who had been working since morning to clear brush that had grown up and was blocking the spectacular view of the Cayuga Inlet valley. National Trails Day is sponsored by the American Hiking Society and this year's theme was ''Healthy Trails, Healthy People." More information is available at

34 As I sit at my desk starting to write this column, it is nice to see the sun for more than one day at a time. It certainly has been one of the wetter springs in recent memory. A friend recently suggested to me that perhaps we should alter the work week-work on Saturday and Sunday and have Monday and Tuesday off. Several Sundays ago I finally planted my marigolds in spite of a light drizzle. I did not want to leave them in the boxes that they came in forever. On May 14 I had the honor -=... of presenting, on behalf of the Cayuga Trails Club, a check in the amount of $ to Janet Steiner, director of Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL), and Suzanne Smith Jablonski, executive director of the TCPL ' Foundation. This money was given to the CTC in honor of ' the marriage of two of our members (they wish to remain anonymous) in Recently Jennifer Wilson and I received a letter from Ms. Jablonski, part of which I quote below. "This is a wonderful way to Co-President's Message by Phil Dankert ness program." Since 1993 it has grown to nearly a million participants at 3,000 events nationwide. Under rainy skies approximately 20 hardy CTC members showed up for the "Grand Re-opening" of the Finger Lakes Trail. I want to thank Co-president Jennifer Wilson, Suzanne Cohen, and Tom Reimers for the effort they put into organizing this event. One did not have to go a great distance along many sections of the Finger Lakes Trail to observe the havoc created by the snowfalls of last winter. "Our" inain trails, _.,... loops, and spur are now opened thanks to the dedicated trail adopters and other volunteers who spent a part of two Sathonor the marriage of two of s s. h J, bl k ' J s d C"'C p d P~ h 1 uzanne nut a ans 1, anet Leiner, an, ' res1 ent 1 your members as this gift helps Dankert at the Tompkins County Library. the more than 600,000 annual visitors read, learn, and explore. This honor makes a difference-to the little girl who discovers new worlds through books, to the family sharing precious quality time... and to countless others who navigate our sea of resources. At the library, knowledge and information are available and accessible to all, thanks to your generosity." On Saturday, June 7, we celebrated National Trails Day, the American Hiking Society's "signature trail aware- urdays working very hard to make this possible. Of course, I do not believe this would have been the complete success that it was if not for the great effort of one individual. Not only did he plan and coordinate these work parties, he also contacted the trail adopters to inquire as to whether they needed help (someone to do chainsawing, etc.). In addition he has spent countless hours on the trail doing maintenance. Thank you very much, Tom. As the weather improves I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the many hiking opportunities that presently exist. We have been, in the last year, increasing the number of organized hikes (see especially the "Mark Your Calendar" section of the newsletter). We have quite a few more coming up this year. We want to continue holding a wide variety of hikes in addition to other outdoor activities. In this vein we encourage members to lead an event. National Survey: Trails Important to Home Buyers I n a survey of2,000 recent home buyers, co-sponsore~ by the National A~sociatio? _ofrea~tors and the National Ass_ociation of Home Builders, trails came in second out of 18 important community amemhes. This was true across all regions and demographics. The only amenity that ranked higher was highway access. Sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds ranked next in importance after trails. Ranking much lower were ball fields, golf courses, and tennis courses. from Greenspace, New York Parks and Conservation Association Cayuga Trails Summer 2003

35 Virgil Highlands & Old Homesteads Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #478 July 13, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Kennedy State Forest in Virgil, Cortland County Meeting Place: Dryden Village parking lot behind the First National Bank of Dryden (which is on Main Street). This parking area is just southwest of the stoplight at the intersection of NY Routes 13, 38, and 392 in downtown Dryden. Or meet at the intersection of Hauck (Hill) Road and Bleck Road in the town of Virgil. Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. at Dryden Village parking lot or 1 :20 p.m. at the intersection of Hauck Hill Road and Bleck Road This will be a hike of about 5 miles on the Dabes Diversion Loop of the Finger Lakes Trail in the town of Virgil. This loop trail was finished less than two years ago, thanks to a day's work by a crew of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference. Portions of the main FLT will also be traversed during this hike. We'll go slowly, pointing out the local flora, including tamarack plantations, and we'll visit several old homestead foundations. We'll do several short side explorations off this loop, including a portion on the Kuzia Cutoff, where there are giant rock piles. We '11 experience a wonderful view to the south at "Rockpile Junction," where the main FLT and the Dabes Diversion Loop meet. Here will be the site of a new lean-to to be constructed August of this year by a Finger Lakes Trail Conference work crew. Contact leader Java Joe Dabes at kabjnd@msn.com or 607/ for more information on this hike. See page 7 for more upcoming ~..,,,9 ~ ~ ~ Flora of Cornell Plantations Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #479 August 10, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Cornell Plantations, Ithaca Meeting Place: Forest Home Drive near the Test Gardens Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. Bob Wesley, a noted field biologist with Cornell University's Natural Areas Program, will lead this outing among the Cornell Plantation's native and non-native flora. The approximately two- to threehour wild plant walk will probably only cover a mile or so, but Bob's identification and discussion will offer participants greater insights into some amazing and beautiful examples of common and unusual natural vegetation. For more information contact Bob at 607/ CTC 2003 Executive Board Co-presidents Phil Dankert Jennifer Wilson Vice President David Schwartz Secretary Sigrid Connors Treasurer Jack Van Derzee Walk, Look, & Learn Hikes... Clifford Blizard Finance John Rogers Guide Book Sigrid Connors Membership Suzanne Cohen Social John Andersson Trails Tom Reimers Newsletter Tom Reimers Archives/Historian Barbara Morley Publicity David Schwartz Adopt-a-Highway Jim Connors Members-at-Large... Joan Jedele Jim Connors Cayuga Trails Summer 2003

36 Welcome to New Members Susann Argetsinger Burdett, NY Stephen Maybee & Loretta Heimbuch Trumansburg, NY Alejandro Purgue Newfield, NY Lonnie Brogdon Dryden, NY Noah Hamm and Erin Shafto Berkshire, NY Michael, Margaret, and Brenhin Keller Ithaca, NY Eric Kratochvil Ithaca, NY Iva Lesky Ithaca, NY Adam & Maureen Mozeleski Brooktondale, NY Fran 0 'Rourke Ithaca, NY James C. Osborne Cayuta, NY Daniel Peck Ithaca, NY Steve Preheim Ithaca, NY Shelagh Smith Ithaca, NY Daniel Trembley & Sharon Andrus Freeville, NY Jamie L.Vanucchi Ithaca, NY Roxanne Van Wormer Alpine, NY Jennifer & Bennett Wilson Ithaca NY Cayuga Trails Summer 2003

37 Editor's Correction In the late spring 2003 edition of Cayuga Trails, two names were mistakenly omitted from the list of Cayuga Trails Club members who have hiked the entire Finger Lakes Trail. Below is the corrected list. CTC Finger Lakes Trail End-to-Enders Cliff Abbott Doris Abbott John Andersson Joe Dabes (3 times) Philip Dankert Anthony Destefano Marilyn Destefano Joseph Donovan Paul Gaeta Vicky Gaeta Edward Hart Betty Lewis Linda Mattice Ben Petryszak Danny Scott Kurt Seitz Edward Sidote Nick Vandam Jack Van Derzee Jennifer Wilson Adopt-A-Highway Report by Jim Connors We had our first 2003 litter cleanup of NY Route 366 on April 26. Eleven people came despite a spritzing rain. I would like to thank Phil Dankert who stepped in for me to organize the cleanup. Our second cleanup was on Flag Day, June 14. The sky was overcast, but that did not deter the five folks who came. We received "Thank Yous!" from a local homeowner and a passing motorist for our efforts to clean up our two-mile stretch of 366. Our third cleanup for the 2003 season will be held on Saturday, August 23. Please join in this wonderful community service activity. We will meet at Cornell "O" parking lot at the corner of Route 366 and Caldwell Road shortly before 10:00 a.m. We should be finished cleaning up our adopted section before noon. If you have any questions please contact Jim Connors by phone at 607/ or by atjconnors@twcny.rr.com. Cayuga Trails Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #475 Date: April 26, 2003 Location: The Cayuga Trail Leader: Tom Reimers A ttendance for the annual Earth Day Hike on the Cayuga Trail is always unpredictable. More than 30 hikers and as few as three have participated in past years. Weather is a very important factor affecting attendance. Despite this year's weather, the 12th annual Earth Day Hike was enjoyed by seven CTC members and four guests. The weather was threatening-it rained before the hike and the fog came in afterwards. Temperature was in the forties, so we had the Cayuga Trail to ourselves for the afternoon. Starting from Freese Road, the group passed the high banks area along Fall Creek and then descended to the creek's edge before heading up a side gorge. Some early wildflowers including trillium, coltsfoot, hepatica, and cutleafed toothwort were blooming. After crossing Fall Creek on the NY Route 13 bridge near Lower Creek Road in the Town of Dryden, the hike followed an abandoned railroad bed for a ways past "Big Bird's House." Hikers crossed Monkey Run Road south and eventually came to NY Route 366 in downtown Varna. A mile-long road walk along 366 and up Freese Road took hikers back to their cars. It was a great hike on a beautiful trail on an iffy day! Thanks to the 11 participants! Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the early fall edition is August 15, Send to nyhiker@localnetcom or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY Summer 2003

38 Cayuga Trails Club Picnic - July 30 C ome to the third annual CTC picnic on the evening of Wednesday, July 30, at Taughannock Falls State Park! We have reserved the shelter on the north area, so come rain or shine and enjoy a wonderful summer evening on Cayuga Lake with fellow club members. Bring a friend or two to enjoy grilling, sharing food, and taking a hike. We expect to eat about 6:00 p.m. and walk around after that. But feel free to arrive as early as you like. The club will provide charcoal, plates, cups, and plasticware. Bring your own drinks, something to grill, and a dish to share. Since you may need to pay the entrance fee to park, hook up with other members and share a ride and the fee. Questions? Call John Andersson, CTC social chair, at 607 / or jlandersson@odyssey.net. Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #476 Date: May 18, 2003 Location: Finger Lakes Trail and adjacent orangeblazed trail surrounding wetlands and ponds in Texas Hollow State Forest, Schuyler County Leader: Ed Hart E ight CTC members and four guests showed up for this hike which began with a brief discuss.ion of the unique geology of Texas Hollow. As descnbed by 0. D. von Engeln in his book The Finger Lakes Region: Its Origin and Nature, Texas Hollow is a steep valley, a mile wide and six miles long formed by ice lobes from both Cayuga and Seneca lakes reaming out a rocky trough long before the last glacier, which when it came along, had a pathway to follow. A few intrepid climbers followed the steep trail upward all the way to Newtown Road. All hikers converged at the junction of the lower trail and the state forest wetlands and explored orange-blazed trails surrounding the ancient glacier-created ponds. Cornelia Marks and Tom Reimers helped greatly in the identification of native plants, wildflowers, and beautiful old trees. The weather was sunny and warm. Trails Report by Tom Reimers Trails Chairman I t was an incredible spring for trail maintenance! Many thanks to many volunteers. Now that 80 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail System and the Cayuga Trail that the club maintains have been cleared of winter damage, it's time to work on other projects. But first, I'd like to give a very sincere thank you to the trail adopters and trail work-session volunteers for their tremendous effort getting trails back into shape before the main hiking season began. I was extremely impressed with everyone's effort. Let's hope that next spring' s cleanup won't be as challenging as it was in the spring of By the time you read this article, I hope we will have rerouted a section of the Finger Lakes Trail in Shindagin Hollow State Forest. About a half mile of the trail currently is on an "abandoned" road that is used illegally by ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles. Of course, the new route will have been approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, one of our trail partners on public lands. The next two trail work sessions will be on Saturday, July 19, at 9:30 a.m., and Sunday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m. As usual, volunteers should meet for both of these sessions at the Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell. One of the July projects will be repairing a collapsed footbridge across a small creek on the Abbott Loop. I'm collecting suggestions for ways to repair the bridge. Take a look. It is located approximately three-quarters of a mile west of the southern trail crossing of Michigan Hollow Road. If you have a plan for repairing the bridge, please let me know at nyhiker@localnet.com or 607 / Cayuga Trails Summer 2003

39 Next Evening Hikes D ave Schwartz is continuing to lead the evening hiking series with two more scheduled hikes. Because of timing issues, he asks that people show up promptly. Bring drinking water because it can still be quite hot some days and possibly a snack. You should also bring appropriate clothing like hiking boots and rain gear. Given enough interest, some of the evening hikes may tum into "hike-and-eat" adventures, too. For more information, please contact Dave Schwartz (607/ , dis@cs.cornell.edu). Evening hike #3 Lick Brook to Buttermilk Falls State Park Date: July 23, 2003 (Wednesday) Meeting Place: Cornell Crescent Lot ("C Lot") behind the stadium Meeting Time: 5: 15 p.m. sharp Hike #3 \\ill be a bit more challenging in terms of effort and parking, as we will park in two places to hike the spur trail that connects Buttermilk to the Finger Lakes Trail at Lick Brook. \Ye will meet at Cornell's Clot, which is off Campus Road, across from the hockey rink and just behind the stadium. If you simply can't get out of work on time, contact Dave for a way to still make the hike. This bike's difficulty is moderate: open fields, some climbs, and some muddy spots. A map for the C parking lot can be found on,..-- the \Yeb at /Ml-7-l 9?132,307. Evening hike #4 Six Mile Creek Date: August 6, 2003 (Wednesday) Meeting Place: Mulholland Wildflower Preserve parking lot off Giles Street near the bridge over the creek Meeting Time: 6:00 p.rn. sharp Hikers will see wildflowers, small lakes, dams, and the Ithaca city reservoir. We'll hike three miles out and take different trails on the three miles back to the beginning. This hike involves some short steep climbs and precipitous parts in places, so the overall level of difficulty is about moderate. Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #477 Date: June 15, 2003 Location: Lime Hollow Nature Center, Cortland County Leader: Jennifer Wilson Twelve members and one guest ventured along the Lime Hollow Nature Center trails with hike leader Jennifer Wilson looking for native orchids. Although sunshine and balmy weather were abundant on that day, along with many other kinds of flora, not one single orchid showed its lovely petals or ladyslipper pouch. Several varieties of ladyslipper as well as other types of orchids have been spied by naturalists before in remote locations at Lime Hollow. The group instead used the walk as an opportunity to play amateur botanist and, consulting a wildflower field guide, attempted to identify many flower species spotted along the trail. These included a past-bloom hepatica, Virginia waterleaf, flax, columbine, and a really large brown gooey slime mold. Hikers explored beautiful, seldom-traveled side trails and later ventured to the edge of Chicago Bog, a fairly recent land acquisition by the nature center. One unusual sight was a pair of green herons (egrets?) that took turns circling the bog and landing in a dead tree, and participants shared binoculars to get a closer look at the birds. All in all, a Sunday afternoon well spent! Report on Evening Hike #1 Date: May 14, 2003 Location: Taughannock Falls State Park Leader: David Schwartz I had 10 CTC members join me on what turned out to be a beautiful evening near Trumansburg. Everyone was quite good about showing up before 6:00 p.m., except for the leader, who was delayed at a meeting. We were all rewarded with terrific views of the gorge as we made our way around its rim. Feeling a bit adventurous, we explored some of the side trails, which you can find near the Falls Overlook, across the road. Though the trails are poorly marked, there are many interesting things to see. In a future hike, we ' 11 explore the rest of these trails. Cayuga Trails Summer 2003

40 Mark Your Calendars Sunday, July Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #478. Virgil Highlands & Old Homesteads. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Dryden Village parking lot or 1 :20 p.m. at intersection of Hauck Road and Bleck Road. Details on page 3. Joe Dabes, leader (607 / , kabjnd@msn.com). Saturday, July Trail work session. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell, across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607 / , nyhiker@localnet.com). Wednesday, July Evening Hike #3. Lick Brook to Buttermilk Falls State Park. Meet in the Cornell "C" parking lot behind the stadium at 5: 15 p.m. sharp. Details on page 7. Dave Schwartz, leader (607/ , dis@cs.cornell.edu). Wednesday, July Third annual Cayuga Trails Club picnic at Taughannock Falls State Park. Details on page 6. Contact John Andersson if you have questions (607 / , jlandersson@odyssey.net). Tuesday, August Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Wednesday, August Evening Hike #4. Six Mile Creek. Meet at 6:00 p.m. sharp in parking lot off Giles Street near the bridge over the creek in Ithaca. Details on page 7. Dave Schwartz, leader (607/ , dis@cs.cornell.edu). Sunday, August Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #479. Flora of Cornell Plantations. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. on Forest Home Drive near the Test Gardens, Ithaca. Details on page 3. Bob Wesley, leader (607/ ). Friday, August Deadline for submitting materials for the summer edition of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 5. Sunday, August Trail work session. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell, across NY-Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com). Saturday, August Adopt-a-Highway Program cleanup of NY Route 366. Meet just before 10:00 a.m. in Cornell' s "O" parking lot at the intersection of Route 366 and Caldwell Road. Details on page 5. Jim Connors, leader (607 / , jconnors@tvvcny. rr. corn). Cayuga Trails Club, Inc. P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, NY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY PERMIT NO. 94

41 September-October 2003 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " Early Fall Edition Vol. 43, Nos. 9 & 10 All Members and Guests Invited! Cayuga Trails Club General Membership Meeting And Dish-to-pass Supper Sunday, October 19, 2003 A 11 members and guests of the Cayuga Trails Club are invited for socializing at a dish-to-pass supper on Sunday, October 19, Meet at the Ellis Hollow Community Center, Genung Road, in the Town of Dryden at 4:30 p.rn., and plan to eat about 5:00. Bring your table service, a dish to share (main item, salad, or dessert), and a few slides of a travel or hiking experience. The club will provide a little wine and coffee. If weather permits, we may enjoy sitting outside for a while, so bring a lawn chair. The only real item of business is election of the nominating committee that will select the slate of 2004 club officers. Think about members you'd like to see as officers next year (perhaps yourself!) and mention it to the committee's members. Come and enjoy talking to other hikers! Contact John Andersson at 607/ or jlandersson@odyssey.net for more information. Special October Hike Leads to Dinner Walk up an appetite before the General Membership Meeting and dish-to-pass supper on October 19 with Peter Harriott. Meet him at the East Hill Plaza in Ithaca at 2:00 p.m. (Ellis Hollow Road and Pine Tree Road intersection) for a loop walk through the Finger Lakes Land Trust's Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve. Bum some calories and get rosy red cheeks before meeting and eating! The location of the membership meeting and dish-to-pass supper is less than a mile from the nature preserve. Contact Peter at 607/ if you would like more information. Two Trail Sections Available for Adoption The Cayuga Trails Club is responsible for maintenance of about 80 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail System. Two sections of the main Finger Lakes Trail we maintain are available for "adoption." Both are in Danby State Forest. Bald Hill Road to Michigan Hollow Road (1.4 miles). This includes the Chestnut Lean-to. Michigan Hollow Road to east junction with Abbott Loop (1.5 miles). Adopters are asked to provide routine maintenance three times per year (spring, summer, and fall). Adopters receive a copy of the Field Maintenance Manual for the Finger Lakes Trail, signs, trail markers, and instructions on trail blazing. Paint and other supplies are reimbursed by the club. Please contact Betty Hansen at 607 / or bsh2@cornell.edu if you would like more information on adopting these sections for maintenance.

42 Co-President's Message was walking past the chaparral a few weeks ago when I looked down and saw a small, blue-throated lizard scuttle off the dusty road. The tanoak, coast live oak, and eucalyptus trees didn't provide much shelter from the blasting sunshine or the temperatures rising quickly into the 90s that late June morning. Fortunately, I soon was walking into the deep shade of conifers standing well over 100 feet tall with high hedges of fems at their feet. Settler's lettuce grew nearby with its peculiar, fleshy, and edible circular disk as the shade gave way once more to sunshine, banks of blue dix, and a view of the ocean just beyond the fields dotted with poppies. Make that California poppies, and fllli readers have probably already guessed that I was certainly not in upstate New York when I saw these things. Those conifers at the edge of Muir Woods were California redwoods and the breathtaking observations of ocean and bay and City of San Francisco were made from atop Mount Tamalpais. In one amazing 10-rnile hike, I'd savored the distant big city silhouette, then walked into ravines with old growth redwoods wider than I am tall, and had also seen ocean and western desert com- -...:-...:: fortably rubbing shoulders. The day's walk was worth almost three rolls of film, and I carefully conferred about plant identification with my Uncle George, who looked up everything he didn't recognize in his field guide. I must admit I tend to rush by the trailside flowers at my local stomping grounds somewhere between Central New York and the Southern Tier. After all, how could the natural scenery of the Finger Lakes Region compare with that of California? Very well, actually. Back home again, I noticed the late-blooming flowers were nevertheless having a great year, bursting with color. My home state's Indian paintbrush is a different plant altogether from what's found in California, but no less colorful in red, orange, and yellow. by Jennifer Wilson The roadside splash of blue from our chicory plants is similar to the western coast's blue dix. The green layered upon green in our forests' is unmatched in California, especially in a wet year! And I could go on for a long time about the wealth of beautiful ravines and gorges in this area, most of them explored by so few. Our fickle and fey weather is like an unsatisfied artist, constantly touching up every glen and meadow with washes of new tints from the palette: now the angry green and gray tones of the approaching storm, now the subtle sun-tinged hues of early morning, and now the brilliant splashes of violet and crimson sunset. And New York's change of seasons is like a vain woman, draping herself in a new array almost before the previous one can be admired. This musing all brings to mind a local hike I went on a few years ago-a Finger Lakes Trail Conference one, I think-where we were joined by some Californians who had spotted the foray advertized on the Internet. At every turn along the pathway, these visitors expressed enchantment at our state's natural beauty and wonders.. I personally felt a sense of reawakened interest in the exquisite perfection of nature during a recent educational hike led for our c lub by Cornell Plantations botanist Robert Wesley. In the woods, the plants and animals that we all too often rush by appear to follow a perfect plan that is only revealed to humans through careful observation and study. Whether or not we can understand each gently waving flower stern, we know intuitively that it is beautiful. We shouldn't ever become jaded about the wilderness, though it's just a short stroll away. Just slow down. Take along a field guide and a camera. Tomorrow, let's walk out into our woodlands and re-discover the ability to feel our own sense of wonder at New York's natural bounty. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

43 The Great Pumpkin Bash Ill Fall Campout, Finger Lakes Trail Conference Hickory Hill Campground, Bath, NY i~l[i October 3-5, L T h~ annual ~all Campo~t of the Finger.La~es Trail Confer~nce (FLT9 is returning to peaceful Hickory Htll Campmg Resort, JUSt off the marn Fmger Lakes Trad (FLT) with its own spur uphill to the FLT, for three days of hiking in fall colors with many stunning views. Members of the Cayuga Trails Club are welcome to attend! Several hikes will be offered each day, ranging in length from 5 to 12 miles, all hilly to some degree, of course. Evening slide programs will be provided by local outdoor authors Rich and Sue Freeman, sharing their adventures with us on the 184-mile Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath Friday night, and along the 460-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain on Saturday. Camping is available for participants at a discount, plus there are many motels and B&Bs in the area. Meals will be provided by Hickory Hill in its warm activity building at very low cost. Registration for the weekend is $6.00 for FLTC members, $8.00 for non-members. For a copy of the registration form and detailed hike information, go to or call our office Monday or Thursday at 585/ FLTC members will receive a mailing during August. I have often wished I had some guidance on trails or equipment, some company for a hike or paddle, or a technical advisor for an outdoor recreation project, but I'm not always sure to whom I should tum. Discussions with the trails club executive board and members made it obvious that I'm not the only one with this problem, so the board decided to inaugurate the CayugaTrailsClub@yahoo groups.com listserv in an attempt to address some of these issues. The list is open only to CTC members, and is an un-moderated forum for discussing interests and issues related to outdoor recreation. There is also space for your contributions to other areas of the club's Web site at including your digital photographs of outdoor activities, Web site recommendations, member surveys, and more... Yahoo by Barb Morley By this time, trails club members who provided addresses on their membership forms should have received an invitation to join this listserv. Each member must create a Yahoo account if you don't already have one, but may choose to have messages delivered to your primary account if you have another. Do you have a question, suggestion, or an idea you want to try out on som eone? Send it to the group and see who responds! If you'd like to follow the discussions of your outdoorenthusiast colleagues but don't have much to say right now, that's fine too! Just lurk and learn! Either way, we hope this will help members to get out more often, to enjoy the company of friends in the outdoors, and to learn more about many aspects of outdoor recreation in the Finger Lakes Region and beyond. If you have any questions or problems using the Yahoo service, please contact Barb Morley at blm2@cornell.edu. Early Announcement for Annual Meeting S ave this date: Sunday, January 25, 2004! This is the tentative date for the annual meeting of the Cayuga Trails Club where we gather to enjoy a good meal, share the reports of the past year, and elect officers for the next year. Plan to attend and have a good time! Look for details in December and January. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

44 Fillmore Glen State Park Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #480 September 14, 2003 (Sunday) location: Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, NY Meeting Place and Time: Details about meeting time and place and length of hike will be posted on the CTC listserve (see page 3), or you can call Varya at 607/ or Chris at 607/ You can also send to F illmore Glen State Park is an oasis of cool, dense woods crowding into a long, narrow gorge. Its hiking trails offer spectacular views, unique geological formations, including five waterfalls, and a botanically rich glen. CTC 2003 Executive Board Co-presidents Phil Dankert Jennifer Wilson Vice President David Schwartz Secretary Sigrid Connors Treasurer Jack Van Derzee Walk, Look, & Learn Hikes... Clifford Blizard Finance John Rogers Guide Book Sigrid Connors Membership Suzanne Cohen Social John Andersson Trails Tom Reimers Newsletter Tom Reimers Archives/Historian Barbara Morley Publicity David Schwartz Adopt-a-Highway Jim Connors Members-at-Large... Joan Jedele Jim Connors Autumn in 11 The Arnot 11 Walk, Look, and learn Hike #481 October 12, 2001 (Sunday) location: Arnot Forest, Schuyler and Tompkins counties Meeting Place: Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across NY Roue 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. T om Reimers will lead this fall hike in the beautiful Arnot Teaching and Research Forest. "The Arnot" is located in the hilly, forested Southern Tier region of New York State. The Arnot is ovvned by Cornell University and managed by the Department of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is the largest actively managed forest owned by Cornell. In addition to 2,400 acres of mature forest, the Arnot includes some 100 acres of open land (grass and goldenrod), 1,345 acres of old fields, saplings, brush, and pole timber, 170 acres of softwood plantations, 40 acres of sugarbush, 20 acres of field campus, 10 ponds, and Banfield Creek. More than 400 species of vascular plants and 135 species of birds, in addition to numerous amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, inhabit the Arnot. Approximately 100 contiguous acres of grassland are maintained to provide habitats for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. There are no hiking trails in the Arnot. However, old used and unused roads are great for hiking. They pass by one of the best autumn views in the area. We will visit several interesting historical features such as a U.S. Soil and Water Conservation erosion study site, an old chestnut plot, and a long-abandoned fireplace and picnic area deep in the woods. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

45 November Special Hike: The Interlaken Trail Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #478 November 16, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Finger Lakes National Forest, Schuyler and Seneca counties Meeting Place: U.S.D.A. Forest Service parking area at southern end oflnterloken Trail off Burnt Hill Road, before Wyckoff Road and at North County Trail head. Meeting Time: 10:00 a.m. C lub members Marsha Zgola and Jennifer Wilson :-Vill ~ead a special hike along the Interloken Trail m Fmger Lakes National Forest. This approximately 12-mile hike features dense forest, open meadows, and rolling farmland, and passes by several ponds, campsites, and a lean-to. The trail is an official spur of the 800-mile-long Finger Lakes Trail System and also encompasses a short segment of the multi-state North Country National Scenic Trail. The terrain is easy and will be hiked in a slightly downward direction. Given the time of year and the miles hiked, this outing will not be for the faint-hearted, however. Please dress for the time of year. Layering of warm but breathable garments is advisable. Bring sufficient drinking water and a sandwich or high energy snacks. We will leave most cars at the trail' s southern end and shuttle together to begin at the north end on Parmenter Road. For those who are unsure about finding the trail head or who want to carpool, meet Jennifer at 9:20 a.m. at the Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across New York Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza. For more information, contact Marsha at 607 / or mmz2@cornell.edu or Jennifer at 607 / orwilsonj@cortland.edu. Date: July 13, 2003 Location: Dabes Diversion Loop in Virgil State Forest, Cortland County Leader: Java Joe Dabes T wenty CTC members and ten guests enjoyed this 4.5-mile hike on a gorgeous summer day. This was a large crowd, and it was advantageous that I (Java Joe) have a large bellowing voice so that the hikers could hear descriptions at the many stops. As we started in James Kennedy State Forest surrounded by large tamaracks, maples, black cherries, and other hardwoods, it was hard to believe that in the 1930s virtually all of this forest was fields and pastures. Then came the Great Depression with the federal government buying the land, which it ceded to the state of New York. Indeed in 1900 less than _ 10 percent of New York State was forested, today it is. -_ over 60 percent forested as abandoned farms revert to: native hardwoods. We passed a berm that most of the hikers thought was an old road. Not so, it was the edge of a plowed field bordering steeper pasture land that was not plowed. More than a hundred years of plowing the hilltop field piled the dirt at the top of the lower steeper pasture land, creating a flat area with a sharp drop-off. A large foundation near the former Kells Road showed signs of :.-,.,_ two basements and a crawl space (farm houses were ofteno.'. added on to as the family grew, or a new family moved inf One of the hikers discovered a very large (30-inch _. diameter, at least 20 feet deep) well at the edge of th~house foundation. Fortunately, it was mostly covered by a very large flat rock, so no one fell into it. Final Highway Cleanup of 2003 by Jim Connors 0 ur fourth and final Adopt-a-Highway cleanup for 2003 will be held on October 18. This will be our last opportunity to groom our two-mile stretch of highway before the winter snows come. So please meet- rain or shine- at Cornell's "O" parking lot at the comer ofny Route 366 and Caldwell Road shortly before 10:00 a.m. We should be finished with the cleanup by noon. Contact Jim Connors at 607 / or if you would like more information. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

46 Hiking the Catskills FLT in Four Days: Lessons Learned Editor's Note: Author Jim Connors is on the Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board and is working toward hiking all 560 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail. by Jim Connors able. Please, however, do not confuse "easily passable" with.. easy to Jim Connors at the end o.fhis Catskfl/s hikes. Photo by hike." Another concern is that I am Marie lnglee. On day two I saw no bears, but I saw what the bears went over to see: the mountains. I have a new found respect for mountains, especially Balsam Lake Mountain. Hiking up its west slope, starting from Adler Lake, is an arduous 6.7-mile rolling uphill climb to over 3,500 feet. Once you are at the top, an extra one-quarter mile or so hike to the very top will get you to the fire tower which is climbable up to the lookout subfloor. The very steep eastern descent is only about 1 mile. Next time hikcolor blind, as 3 percent of all men are, to red and green. Some of these trails are marked with red discs. "Could I see them?" I worried. Thankfully most of the red discs had white letters which stood out boldly, and the trail path itself was easy to see. The thing to remember is to study the trail maps in advance and know clearly what color the trail markers are and when they transition to other colors. It is also good to remember the name of the area you are hiking to, as there are many signs giving direction. What I learned about road hiking is that it pays to scope out where the hills are. The biggest road stretch, which was on my day one, is from Wild Meadow Road (a.k.a. Black Bear Road) to the Denning trail head. Hiking from west to east takes you down some steep bills. The hike W hile studying what I had left to finish hiking all of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), the Catskills maps stood out as one big piece of trail that my feet have not touched. The Catskills have a mystique about them. Hikers have told stories about long road hikes, big reservoirs, bears, and mountains. Deciding to find out for myself, I made plans to hike them in four days over the July 4th weekend. I would like to share what I learned. For those who have yet to hike the Catskills, hopefully these lessons learned will help in your planning. For those of you who have hiked them, well, it may bring back fond memories. Believe it or not, my biggest concern was not the difficulty of hiking the mountains. It was being able to follow the trails. With the heavy spring snows causing tree damage I heard the trails were difficult to travel. I am happy to report the trails are clear and easily passfrom the Claryville Genera1 Store up to the trail head is a long gradual uphill. Sneakers and sunscreen were in order. Once you get to the trail head, it is a short hike into the woods to the eastern terminus of the FLT. I was expecting a big neon sign that sa,id, "You made it to the end of the FLT!" Instead, I was greeted only by a signpost that advised that the trail name has changed. Once you are at this point it is worth hiking to the Denning bivouac area. Walking over the long log traversing the Neversink River and then soaking your feet in the chilly water is worth it. One other shorter road stretch is on Campbell Brook Road. It is all steeply downhill when hiking from east to west. I ended my Catskills hike here, and it was a joy to "coast" downhill. ing this from the east to west would be my choice. The hike from Adler Lake westward to Holiday and Berry Brook Road on day three officially took over as the most difficult hike I had ever done. This is not due only to elevations such as Touch-Me-Not Mountain, Cabot Mountain, Beech Hill, and Mary Smith Hill, but also to the humidity which spiked to the maximum from a heavy rain the evening before. I was truly humbled by the five Hs, that is hazy, hot, humid, and high hills. It was so difficult getting enough oxygen with every breath during the steep climbs that I had to stop :frequently and slow my pace considerably. It is very important to keep hydrated. Plenty of water and Gator-Aid got me through this hike. My final day hiking the Catskills was much lower in humidity. I had regained my stamina and was ready to take Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

47 on the day. Hiking westward from Holiday and Berry Brook Road to the intersection of Campbell Brook and Campbell Mountain Roads took me over Brock and Campbell Mountains. Hiking was rigorous but the lower humidity made it more manageable. On this hike I lost the trail almost immediately because I misread the directions on the back of the map. That's what I get for trying to decipher the map directions backwards. I sure would be the first in line to purchase a set of maps with reverse directions printed on them. My hiking mentor Jack Van Derzee once told me not to let the maps fool you--follow the trail. So that's what I did, and I eventually fow1d the trail. I had helpers on my hike across the Catskills and give my thanks to them all. Ed Sidote gave me great advice on road conditions. Jack Van Derzee hiked with me on days one and two, and kept me company while camping out. I am also thankful that he does not snore! Local trail angels Jirri Wheeler and Marie Inglee took time from their July 4th weekend to car-shuttle me. Jim Wheeler confirmed what I had assumed about this area: that many roads end up being called Beaver Kill Road at one end or another. The Americorp group, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, local trail maintainers, and others have worked hard to clear these not-so-easy-to-access trails. In closing, the best thing I learned is that it would be more fun hiking the Catskills in a little bit cooler weather and to take a couple of more days to hike them. I look forward to hiking this area again. Report on Evening Hike #4 Date: August 6, 2003 Location: Six Mile Creek, Ithaca Leader: David Schwartz D espite the poor forecast, the v.:eathe~ w~s clear, albeit a bit muggy, so the five mtrep1d hikers set out after a discussion with a park ranger about leash laws and areas in which not to trespass. The group meandered the various trails, leading to the falls. There wasn't much interest in viewing the nude men sunbathing and swimming, but the falls were quite beautiful because of all the recent rain. While heading back, one hiker (who shall remain nameless) had a fall, so we took the "highway" back to the start. The hike leader dressed the hiker's wound (scraped elbow). Who was this hiker? Only the "Six-Mile Creek Five" know for sure... and we're not telling. Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #479 Date: August 10, 2003 Location: Cornell Plantations, Ithaca Leader: F. Robert Wesley I n a modified reprise of a hike he led several years ago for the club, Bob Wesley, a noted field biologist with Cornell University's Natural Areas Program, crossed the raging Fall Creek via footbridge near the Test Gardens and once again worked his magic on 10 members and two guests. Bob has the gift of naming and describing any plant in terms easily understood and interesting to both the complete amateur and the seasoned woodland rambler with a botany guidebook. Participants learned that Bob has a good grasp of the animal pollinators and predators of flora as well. The group was especially intrigued by the many plants with mechanisms to toss their seeds or hurl their pollen or grasp with velcro-like hooks to hitch a ride on passing animals. The party heard about the long-ago medicinal uses of Joe-Pye weed and other greenery. Bob spotted a few rare native species, including Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense). He described the relative climbing abilities of various vines, such as the tall and vigorous Virginia creeper. What with the mixed-up and late growing season this year, many flowers were in bloom and growing into vigorous specimens for our ad.miring eyes. To some degree, the outing turned into a fungus walk because of all the great mushrooms that were so abundantly represented. While discouraged from collecting at Cornell Plantations, the gathering learned what would be delectable at the supper table and what would be perilous (most but not all species of amanitas). Everyone learned about the many non-native plants that have made the Cornell Plantations their home, crowding out many indigenous varieties. All in all, this was an entertaining and educational afternoon's foray. Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the late fall edition is October 15, Send to nyhiker@localnetcom or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

48 Third Annual Picnic a Success by John Andersson Social Chairman T he third annual picnic enjoyed one of the few rain-free evenings in July. About 25 Cayilga Trails Club members and friends gathered at the North Shore area oftaughannock Falls State Park on Wednesday, July 30. The grill was hot for sausages, hamburgers, fish, steaks, and vegetable patties. People brought plenty of cool salads, snacks, and sweet desserts. Some requested recipes. Our new banner hung from the shelter, announcing us. After trading tales and experiences, one group took off for a short hike up the gorge to view the falls, arriving back at dark. A few bung around to watch the sun set over the west shore and marvel at the color of the sky and water and watch the fish jump for their dinner. Photos by Tom Reimers. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

49 Welcome to New Members Trails Report Jackie Caito Geneva, NY Edith Cassel Ithaca, NY Mark & Susan Field Fayetteville, NY Report on Evening Hike #3 Date: July 23, 2003 Location: Lick Brook to Buttermilk Falls State Park Leader: David Schwartz Although the definition of "sharp" turned out to be "rough," the group of six hikers managed to leave at a reasonable time, starting from Lick Brook. We earned our dinner calories with the initial climb up the original steep portion of Lick Brook that is now a spur trail. From there, the group managed a steady pace through the trees and fields towards Buttermilk We were actually quite lucky with the weather. We had just a light drizzle towards the end of the hike. The spur trail was a bit wet and muddy in spots (perhaps some minor work and small bridges for the future?), but all told, in decent shape. With a bit of car shuffling, we finished about 8:30, and a good time was had by all. by Tom Reimers Trails Chairman A nyone who has hiked the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) between Shindagin Hollow Road and Brearly Hill Road knows about the not-so-scenic segment on the old woods road. I remember years ago when this was a nice, historically interesting (stone fences, old house foundations) hiking trail. In recent years A TVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles have illegally taken over this section and destroyed it as a hiking trail. Garbage, bed frames, and fire rings now distract from the scenery. Well, the hiking experience there will soon improve. A beautiful reroute of the FLT off this old road was cleared by 13 CTC volunteers during two trail work sessions on June 28 and July 4. It's not blazed or signed yet as of this date (August 24), but we hope to open the trail as soon as the senior forester for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation gives the go-ahead. He wants to be sure that salvage logging in two nearby pine plantations destroyed by last winter's ice and snow won't affect the new re-route soon after it's blazed and signed. I'm looking forward to opening the new section because it is sooooo much better than where the trail is now. A group of nine CTC volunteers also worked on the FLT on July 19 greatly improving a section west of Potato Hill State Forest in Tompkins County. This section needed some serious trimming and blazing. Finally, August 17 saw a very successful trail work session repairing a collapsed footbridge across a stream on the Abbott Loop in Danby State Forest. Eleven volunteers hiked about three-quarters of a mile each way to and from the bridge, tore the old bridge apart, and re-built a fine, sturdy replacement in about 2 Y2 hours. ' Robert Wesley (left) identifies a small tree at Cornell Plantations during Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #479. See report on page 7. Photo by Tom Reimers. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

50 National Trails Day Message Editor's Correction... Again! Editor's Note: The following message was received by the Cayuga Trails Club from Jane Thompson, Trail Programs Manager, American Hiking Society, regarding our event for National Trails Day on June 7, Dear NTD event coordinator, Thank you for hosting a National Trails Day Event! Local coordinators are an integral part of what makes NTD a success and without your help none of this would be possible. Though there was rain all along the east coast, hopefully the sun was shining elsewhere, and wherever you were, spirits were soaring. Remember that just because the event is over does not mean National Trails Day needs to end. Everyday is Trails Day. There were over 825 events registered with AHS-nearly 25 percent more than last year, meaning the valuable benefits of trails were spread to an even wider audience. Many thanks to all of you who put links to which added to the ease for potential trail enthusiasts to find events in their local communities. Make sure to mark your calendars for National Trails Day 2004, Saturday, June 5! Thanks again for all of your support! Looi< forward to working with you on an event next year! Best regards, Jane The list of CTC members who have hiked the entire 5_60-mi~e-long Fin_ger Lakes Trail that was published m the last ISsue of Cayuga Trails was incorrect again! Joe Dabes was listed as having hiked the whole trail three times. In fact, he has hiked it four times! Now, he's working on his fifth end-to-end hike having completed about 80 percent of the trail. West Nile Virus What is West Nile Virus? West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne infection that can cause serious illness and in some cases death. Although a person's chances of getting sick are small, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. What are the symptoms of West Nile Virus? Most people who are infected with the West Nile Virus will not have any type of illness. It is estimated that 20 percent of the people who become infected will develop West Nile fever: mild symptoms, including fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. In many individuals, these symptoms are so mild that they go unnoticed or undetected. The symptoms of severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that one in 150 persons infected with the West Nile Virus will develop the more severe form of the disease. Usually, symptoms occur from 3 to 14 days after exposure. There is no specific treatment for viral infections, other than to treat the symptoms and provide supportive care. How is West Nile Virus transmitted? West Nile Virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Over 30 species of mosquitoes have been infected nationwide. fu 2002, West Nile Virus was documented to be transmitted by blood transfusion or organ transplantation in a small number of cases. In addition, one case of transmission through breastfeeding and one case of transplacental (mother to child) West Nile Virus transmission were documented. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is working with the Food and Drug Administration, blood collection agencies, and state and local health departments to investigate possible cases Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003

51 ofwestnile Virus transmission through blood transfusion and organ transplantation. How can I protect myself and my family? To reduce the mosquito population around your home and property, reduce or eliminate all standing water: Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, or similar water-holding containers. Dispose of used tires. Used tires are a significant mosquito breeding site. Call your local landfill or Department of Public Works to find out how to dispose of used tires properly. Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors. Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall. Remove leaf debris from yards and gardens. Tum over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use. Change the water in birdbaths twice weekly. Clean vegetation and debris from edges of ponds. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs. Drain water from pool covers. Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property. From New York State Department of Health. More information about West Nile Virus is available at the following Web site: nile/education/2746.htm. Report on Executive Board Meeting The Executive Board of the Cayuga Trails Club met for a regular meeting on August 5, 2003, in the Scott Heyman Conference Room, Old Jail, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, New York Board members present were Sigrid Connors, Phil Dankert, Joan Jedele, Barb Morley, Tom Reimers, David Schwartz, Jack Van Derzee, and Jennifer Wilson. The following is a summary of some of the items considered as recorded by Secretary Sigrid Connors. Co-President Jennifer Wilson called the meeting to order at 7: 3 3 p.m. Treasurer Jack Van Derzee reported that the checking account balance was $1,270.73; the savings account balance was $5, He also reported that guidebooks sales were about $2,200 since the last report. Guidebook sales to date amount to just over $6,000. Our break-even point is $7,500, so we expect to break even early next year. Walk, Look, and Learn Hikes: Tom Reimers volunteered to lead an October hike at Arnot Forest. David Schwartz recruited Carol Mallison to lead a hike at Sapsucker Woods on August 19 that will be announced by . David led evening hikes #2 and #3 with eight and six people attending, respectively. David will schedule an evening hike in September and possibly one in October. Social: The General Membership Meeting and dish-topass supper wili be held again at the Ellis Hollow Community Center on October 19. Tiris will be preceded by a hike at the Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve. A nominating committee for 2004 officers will be selected at this meeting. Trails: Tom Reimers reported that the June work session to clear a reroute for the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) in Shindagin Hollow State Forest was quite successful with 12 CTC members completing most of the work. Then on July 4 an impromptu group of four members finished the mile-long re-route. The regional DEC forester informed Tom that the pine plantations near the re-route that. were destroyed by the ice and snow last winter may be, scheduled for some salvage logging. The forester doesn't: want the re-route blazed until the logging (if done) is finished. The old trail is still blazed and usable. On July 19 nine members blazed, trimmed, and cl~ared a section of FLT west of Potato Hill State Forest in the Town of Caroline. An August 17 work session is planned to repair a footbridge on the Abbott Loop. Adopt-a-Highway: Sigrid Connors reported that the next Adopt-a-Highway cleanup of NY Route 366 will be on August 23 at 10:00 a.m. The Adopt-a-Highway renewal agreement has been approved and is good through June 30, The last cleanup this year will be on October 18. Old Business: Co-presidents Phil Dankert and Jennifer Wilson sent a thank you letter to Eastern Mountain Sports for its generous $ donation to re-build a footbridge on the FLT at Lick Brook. New Business: The Fall Campout of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference (FLTC) will be October 3-5 at Hickory Hill Campground near Bath, New York. The FLTC annual Erv Markert Memorial Hike will be on September 14 on the Interloken Trail and led by Matt Underwood. Cayuga Trails Early Fall 2003.

52 Mark Your Calendars Sunday, September Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #480. Fillmore Glen State Park. Details about meeting time and place will be posted on the CTC listserve. See page 4 for available information. Friday-Sunday, October 3-5 Tuesday, October 7 Sunday, October 1 2 Wednesday, October 15 Finger Lakes Trail Conference Fall Campout. Hickory Hill Campground, Bath, New York. Cayuga Trails Club members welcome. Details on page 3. Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #481. Arnot Forest. Meet at 1 :00 p.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca. Details on page 4. Tom Reimers, leader (607/ , nyhiker@localnet.com. Deadline for submitting materials for the late fall edition of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 7. Saturday, October Final 2003 Adopt-a-Highway cleanup of NY Route 366. Meet at Cornell's "O" parking lot at the corner of Route 366 and Caldwell Road shortly before 10:00 a.m. Details on page 5. Jim Connors, leader (607 / , jconnors@twcny.rr.com). Sunday, October Special hike to precede General Membership Meeting and dish-to-pass supper. Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve. Meet at East Hill Plaza in Ithaca at 2:00 p.m. Peter Harriott, leader (607 / ). Details on page 1. Sunday, October Cayuga Trails Club General Membership Meeting and dish-to-pass supper. Ellis Hollow Community Center, Genung Road, Ithaca. Social at 4:30 p.m. and supper at 5:00 p.m. Details on page 1. Contact John Andersson for additional information (607 / , Sunday, November Special hike on the Interlaken Trail, Finger Lakes National Forest. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Forest Service parking area, southern end of Interlaken Trail off Burnt Hill Road. Details on page 5. Marsha Zgola (607 / , mmz2@cornell.edu) and Jennifer Wilson ( , wilsonj@cortland.edu), leaders. Sunday, January 25 Cayuga Trails Club annual meeting. Details later. Cayuga Trails Club, Inc. P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, NY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY PERMIT NO. 94

53 November-December 2003 Newsletter of the Cayuga Trails Club Founded in 1962 "to explore, enjoy, and preserve wild lands and places of natural beauty... " Late Fall Edition Vol. 43, Nos. 11 & 12 CTC Annual Meeting and Luncheon Repo~ Election~ and Rattlesnakes! January 25, 2004 M ark your calendars now for Sunday, January 25, 2004, for the Annual Meeting of the Cayuga Trails Club. Come and hear the committee chairs, officers, and co-presidents describe important happenings in 2003 and plans for Help elect officers! See who last year's Oscar winners choose to take the little squirrels home for 2004! Before the meeting enjoy a me;tl with fellow hikers prepared by Angelina Centini' s Restaurant, 124 Coddington Road, Ithaca. Our after-lunch speaker will be Rulon Clark, graduate student in Comell 's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, who studies the timber rattlesnakes of Steege Hill, a nature preserve in Chemung County owned by the Finger Lakes Land Trust. Timber rattlesnakes once were abundant top-level predators throughout the forests of the eastern United States. In recent times, their range has been massively reduced both by habitat loss and active eradication programs implemented by humans. However, they still manage to persist in a few wild and remote comers of the Finger Lakes Region. Come learn more about this fascinating and under-appreciated animal, as Rulon presents his research on the hunting behavior, social lives, and conservation biology of timber rattlesnakes. Look for a flyer in your mailbox in December with all the details of the annual meeting. We hope to see a record number of members attend this important event! Scenes from last year's CTC Annual Meeting and Luncheon (Photos by Tom Reimers)

54 Co-president's Message by Phil Dankert I n early August of this year I returned to Hanover, New Hampshire, to attend my 50th high school reunion. Since time was not something I had a lot of, this trip could only : 1-1i "::. ~ last three days and thus I was 1 1Ji ;1~ nota~l~,unfo~ately,togetin.~, - any hiking. Smee, when travel- ~..n. ing alone, I prefer to ~avitate ~.... ~ ~ to roads less used, I did take advantage of several "stretch" breaks to walk and sit by various streams that I am familiar with and watch the water as it moved swiftly past rocks of various shapes and sizes that over many years had been strategically placed in its path. Unfortunately, much of Saturday, the day of the reunion, was overcast with intermittent rain showers. This obscured what would otherwise have been a most enjoyable drive east from Rutland, Vermont, on Route 4 over Sherburne Pass (elevation 2,190 feet). Outside of Woodstock I stopped briefly to take several pictures of one of my favorite covered bridges. (Out of curiosity, after I returned home, I did some research and discovered that the state of Vermont has the greatest concentration of covered bridges in the United States with a total of 114, many of which are still in use. One hundred years ago there were over 600. One more interesting fact: these bridges were covered for protection from the elements, not for the people crossing them.) Before the official reunion festivities began I walked up to the main street of Hanover and, probably not surprisingly, ran into hikers with their backpacks, hiking poles, etc. Undoubtedly the reason for this is that the Appalachian Trail goes through here. Very recently I decided to take a closer look at a particular book that has been sitting on the shelf in one of the rooms of our house. I quote several passages. "If one should become lost from a path in the White Mountains, it is not necessarily a serious matter. Distances are, as a rule, so short that one can readily reach civilization within half a day, or at most a whole day, simply by going downhill, skirting the tops of any dangerous cliffs, until water is reached. The stream should then be followed downward... The distances given at the ends of descriptions are cumulative and are often only approximately accurate. The times, also cumulative, are based on a speed of two miles per hour, plus a half-hour for every thousand feet ascended. Time figures are thus intended only to be consistent; the individual's experience will soon enable him to determine and apply his own correction, which will usually be a reduction from that given by the formula. The results will be reliable only on standard trails and they will probably fail on excessively steep grades." It is quite obvious that this did not come from a recent guide book to the White Mountains. Some of the advice and suggestions given, however, still apply today. I took these sentences from The A.M. C White Mountain Guide: a Guide to Paths in the White Mountains and Adjacent Regions. It was published in Boston by the Appalachian Mountain Club in 1936 (and is quite voluminous: over 500 pages). By the time you receive this issue of Cayuga Trails, there will be approximately two weeks until the start of the regular deer hunting season (November 17- December 9). Thus there are still two weekends to get out into the woods and enjoy whatever hiking trails appeal to you. I know that wherever I might happen to be hiking at this time of year I take great pleasure observing the brilliant colors of the leaves that grace especially the maple trees. Another enjoyment is to hear the crunch of fallen leaves under my boots. Should you decide to take a hike at the spur of the moment and might like others to join you, this is a reminder that you can put your plans on the new CTC listserv. If you have not already subscribed and wish to do so, please contact Barb Morley at blm2@cornell.edu or 607 / I availed myself of this opportunity several weeks ago and had a most enjoyable hike on the Abbott Loop with one of our new members. The CTC Annual Meeting will be held on January 25, More detail~ will be forthcoming at a later date. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending this important club event. Cayuga Trails is published six times each year and is edited and published by Thomas J. Reimers. Comments and original contributions are welcome. Deadline for the winter edition is December 15, Send to nyhiker@loca/netcom or 3C Wildflower Drive, Ithaca, NY Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

55 Trail-Section Adopters The Ca~ga Tra~ls Club is responsible for maii;i-ten.ance of 1~1.2 miles of th: F.inger Lakes Tra~l (FLT) System between Watkins Glen m Schuyler County and Caroline m Tompkins County. This mcludes 77.4 miles of the main FLT and 23.8 miles of other trails. The following list indicates the sections of trail and the volunteers who adopted sections for maintenance in If you would like to be placed on the waiting list to adopt a section of trail next year, please contact Betty Hansen at bsh2@cornell.edu or 607/ Trail Section Franklin Street in Watkins Glen to Excelsior Glen NY Route 414/Excelsior Glen to Main Street in Burdett Main Street in Burdett to Logan Road Logan Road to Burnt Hill Road (S) Burnt Hill Road (S) to Texas Hollow Road Texas Hollow Road to Steam Mill Road Steam Mill Road to NY Route 228 NY Route 228 to County Route 6 County Route 6 to Todd Road Todd Road to Ridge Road Ridge Road to Boyland Road Boyland Road to Connecticut Hill Road Connecticut Hill Road to Cayutaville Road Cayutaville Road to Rumsey Hill Road (W) Rumsey Hill Road (W) to Porter Hill Road Porter Hill Road to Hines Road Hines Road to Woodard Road Woodard Road to NY Route 13/34/96 NY Route 13/34/96 to Town Line Road (N) Town Line Road (N) to Town Line Road (S) Town Line Road (at West Jersey Hill Road) to Bruce Hill Road Bruce Hill Road to Comfort Road (N) Comfort Road (N) to Bald Hill Road Bald Hill Road to Michigan Hollow Road Michigan Hollow Road (N) to Curtis Road Curtis Road to Fisher Settlement Road Fisher Settlement Road to South Danby Road South Danby Road to NY Route 96B NY Route 96B to Ridgeway Road Coddington Road to White Church Road White Church Road to Brearley Hill Road Brearley Hill Road to Shindagin Hollow Road Shindagin Hollow Road to South Road South Road to Old 76 Road Old 76 Road to Level Green Road Level Green Road to Blackman Hill Road Blackman Hill Road to NY Route 79 Cayuga Trail: Stewart Ave to Freese Road Cayuga Trail: Freese Road to Varna Abbott Loop: Michigan Hollow Road (N) to Michigan Hollow Road (S) Abbott Loop: Michigan Hollow Road (S) to junction with main FLT Lick Brook Loop Van Lone Hill Loop Bob Cameron Loop Buttermilk Falls Trail Spur Thank You! Adopter(s) Jonathan Bernstein Jonathon Bernstein Ed Kokkelenberg Jack Van Derzee Ed and Elaine Lopresti, Betty Hansen Ed Hart Charles Marquaerdt Betsy and Dan Elswit, Fred Sibley Betsy and Dan Elswit, Fred Sibley Rich and Tracy Marisa Rick Grossman Barb Morley and John Chamberlain Kurt Seitz Charles and Lori Elrod Herb Engman Robin Spry-Campbell Michael Turback Eric Kratochvil and Fran O'Rourke Tom Reimers Greg Wooster and Ree Thayer Cornell Digital Library Research Group James Turk I Eric Mastroberti John Andersson Oskar, Ellen, and Robin Schmidt I Carol Mallison and George Little Cliff and Doris Abbott I Gary Mallow Danny and Kristin Scott Tom Reimers Michael Kazarinoff and family David Ruppert and Anne Shapiro Richard and Claudia Wodzinski Gary Mallow Phil Dankert Erin Shafto and Noah Hamm Andy Boehm and Connie O'Brien Stephen Nicholson William and Donna Bergmark Jay Zitter and Bill Fair Jim Hodges, Montessori School Adolescent Program Tom Reimers Cliff and Doris Abbott Cliff and Doris Abbott I Joan Jedele and Jack Rueckheim Tom Reimers Betsy and Dan Elswit Cris McConkey Chris Proulx and Rachel McGuire Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

56 --\Kes The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #482 November 9, 2003 (Sunday) Location: Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, Penn Yan to Dresden, New York + Meeting Place: Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza, Ithaca + Meeting Time: 10:00 a.m. C lifford Blizard will be leading this hike along the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, which follows Keuka Lake Outlet as it descends 274 feet from Penn Yan, on the northeastern arm of Keuka Lake, to Dresden, on the western shore of Seneca Lake. The trail is deeply evocative of the Industrial Age ( 1800s and early 1900s) in Upstate New York. The path runs along an old railroad bed, parallels the remains of the Crooked Lake Canal (with its 27 lift locks), and passes the ruins of several mills, an abandoned bridge, and an old locomotive turntable. (The outlet itself formed about 10,000 years ago, cutting through limestones and shales that are 350 million years old!). Hikers will also view woods and parklands, rock walls and waterfalls. We will carpool from Ithaca and leave vehicles at both ends of the trail. Although the hike is of considerable length (7.5 miles one way), the trail is fairly level and the section through Penn Yan is paved. The hike should take several hours, because there are so many intriguing historical features to examine along the way. We will arrive back in Ithaca by 5 :00 p.m. Plan to bring a lunch, snacks, and plenty of fluids. For more information, contact Clifford Blizard at 607/ or via the Internet at deep _landscape@hotmail.com. The FLT in Enfield Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #483 December 14, 2003 (Sunday) + Location: Finger Lakes Trail in the Town of Enfield, Tompkins County + Meeting Place: Enfield Elementary School, Enfield Center Road just off NY Route 79 west oflthaca + Meeting Time: 1 :00 p.m. D id you know that the Cayuga Trails Club is a landowner? The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) crosses on our land. Come explore Reiman Woods (owned by the CTC) between Trumbull Comers Road and Porter Hill Road and adjacent areas. Reiman Woods was purchased by The Nature Conservancy and granted to the Cayuga Trails Club. The hike should be about4 miles. The hike leader will be Jack Van Derzee. Contact him at 607/ or vanderze@ithaca.edu if you would like more information. Dotted line on map below is the FLT. HARV~ /-lu.. c.. Ro.AD 2003 Deer Hunting Seasons Hikers are strongly urged to wear safety orange clothing during deer hunting seasons. Deer hunting seasons for New York's Southern Zone including the Catskills are as follows: + Archery: October 15 through November 16 and December 10 through December 14 + Regular firearms: November 17 through December 9 + Muzzleloaders: December 10 through December 16 Please keep in mind that hunting may be allowed in parts of state parks with dates that differ from those above. For more information about hunting seasons call 518/ or visit /dfwmrlwildlifelguidelhuntseas.html. For information about hunting in state parks call 518/ Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

57 Report on Evening Hike #5 + Date: August 19, Location: Sapsucker Woods, Ithaca + Leader: Carol Mallison H ave you ever gotten lost in Sapsucker Woods? This gentle, clear summer evening hike was a good lesson in why the leader should be familiar with the trail in advance! However, five very good sports-all CTC members- and about 10,000 mosquitos had a fine time taking turns in the leadership role as we explored most of the four-mile-long, wood chip-covered trail looping around Sapsucker Woods and over the wetlands at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The trail map (which everyone agreed has some room for improvement) included an impressive list of birds. we might see. However, what we saw were other animals, starting off with a snapping turtle I swear was the size of a tire on a compact car. We were entertained by two young muskrats playing in the water and guessing if that large animal swimming across the pond was a beaver or the Sapsucker Woods monster. And a fawn standing in the middle of the path allowed us to get quite close before it skittered off to the side and continued just ahead of us for quite a while down the trail. We did see several birds but we knew only one for sure, which was a kingfisher. All in all, each hiker made a significant contribution to our walk, look, and learn--<>ops, the trail does NOT go that way!-adventure. Welcome to New Members Sue Gilcher Cortland, NY Gwyneth Lymberis Ithaca, NY John & Carol Morris Dryden, NY Corina Vlot Ithaca, NY Jennifer Yacenda Cayuga Waterfront Trail by Carol Mallison Have you heard of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail being built around the Cayuga Inlet in Ithaca, running from Cass Park, down to the former "Octopus," up past the Farmers Market, and ending eventually in Stewart Park? This six-mile trail will be walking and running, biker and blader, walker and wheelchair friendly. It will also connect to other local trails such as the Black Diamond Trail. One of my major disappointments with our community is the way our downtown waterways are treated as nothing more than huge, ugly gutters. Finally, someone is taking an interest in beautifying a portion of one of these waterways and making its beauty accessible to the public! Please support this unique project with your donation of a "stone" for one of the many trail heads that will be built. Visit the first trail head just outside the Cass Park rink to see inspiring examples of people's names, memorials, business names, and favorite sayings. You '11 find an impressive list of all the trail's donors (including the Cayuga Trails Club) and other ways to help on it's Web site at As a member of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative Advisory Board, trail volunteer, and donor, I'm proud to be part of this significant community project and encourage you to add your name to the growing list of essential supporters. Thanks for listening. CTC 2003 Executive Board Co-presidents Phil Dankert Jennifer Wilson Vice President David Schwartz Secretary Sigrid Connors Treasurer Jack Van Derzee Walk, Look, & Learn Hikes... Clifford Blizard Finance John Rogers Guide Book Sigrid Connors Membership Suzanne Cohen Social John Andersson Trails Tom Reimers Newsletter Tom Reimers Archives/Historian Barbara Morley Publicity David Schwartz Adopt-a-Highway Jim Connors Members-at-Large... Joan Jedele Jim Connors Ithaca, NY Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

58 Trails Report by Tom Reimers Trails Chairman As the trail maintenance season comes to an end, I would like to thank the trail adopters and members who participated in work sessions. A lot has been accomplished to make "our" 101 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) System the best in the state! Since publication of the early fall edition of Cayuga Trails, the new ShindaginHollowreroute bas been opened and marked, a new reroute has been cleared on the Caroline section to get the FLT off Level Green Road, several sections have changed hands from "retiring" trail adopters to new volunteers, and several sections have been reblazed and cleaned up. I've enjoyed working with two foresters from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: John Clancy and John Graham. Both have been very supportive and helpful in the two reroutes of the FLT on state forest lands mentioned above. John Clancy manages Shindagin Hollow State Forest and Danby State Forest. John Graham manages Potato Hill State Forest and state forests in Tioga County. Thanks for your help, John and John. Recently, I've had the opportunity to work with students and instructors in the Cornell Outdoor Education Program. They worked two Sundays and one whole weekend this fall clearing and blazing the Level Green reroute, building tvrn footbridges across seasonal streams, and doing general trail maintenance nearby. The students and instructors have worked enthusiastically for the betterment of the FLT. My problem was trying to keep myself from interfering with what they are doing! Get out of the way, Tom! I've also enjoyed working with a man who needs to work off community service hours. He wants to work off as many hours as possible improving the FLT. He has worked hard on the projects I have assigned to him; problem areas on the main FLT and Abbott Loop in Danby State Forest have been corrected. Thanks, Eric! Finally, I'm pleased to tell you that the trails committee has had to set up a waiting list of members who are eager to adopt sections of the FLT for maintenance. There are three on the list right now. The complete list of 2003 trail adopters can be found on page 3 of this issue of Cayuga Trails. Betty Hansen maintains the list and other records for the committee. Thanks, Betty! Thanks, trail adopters! Cornell Outdoor Education students clearing the new FLT reroute off Level Green Road with fire rakes. Photo by Tom Reimers. ~ j,,;:. J~ Cornell Outdoor Education instructor Tyler Jones {right) and student preparing a log for one of two footbridges on the FLT reroute off Level Green Road. Photo by Tom Reimers. Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

59 Report on Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #481 November Special Hike The Interlaken Trail + Date: October 12, Location: Arnot Forest + Leader: Tom Reimers Eighteen Cayuga Trails Club members and two guests enjoyed a natural and historical hike through Arnot Forest. "The Arnot" is a teaching and research forest owned by Cornell University and managed by the Department of Natural Resources. In addition to 2,400 acres of mature forest, the Arnot includes some 100 acres of open land, 1,345 acres of old fields, saplings, brush, and pole timber, 170 acres of softwood plantations, 40 acres of sugarbush, 20 acres of field campus, 10 ponds, and Banfield Creek. After gathering at Ithaca Shopping Plaza, cars headed south to the lower entrance of the forest in Schuyler County. Some cars were left there as others filled with hikers drove to the upper entrance in Tompkins County. Most of the hike was on unimproved Irish Hill Road with a stop at an old graveyard, a walk through a forestry demonstration plot, a stop at one of the best autunm vistas in the area, and a brief tour of abandoned buildings and equipment that was once the center of research on soil erosion. The sloping agricultural fields where the research was done in the 1950s and 60s are now covered by forest. There were goats, too! They were being managed to clear understory of the woods in several places. Near the end of the hike, some participants were amazed at the extensive sugarbush with taps and interconnected plastic tubes that carry sap to the boilers. The hike ended at about4:00 when a few raindrops began to fall. November 16, 2003 (Sunday) + Location: Finger Lakes National Forest, Schuyler and Seneca counties + Meeting Place: U.S.D.A. Forest Service parking area at southern end of Interloken Trail off Burnt Hill Road, before Wyckoff Road and at North County Trail head. + Meeting Time: 10:00 a.m. C lub members Marsha Zgola and Jennifer Wilson will lead a special hike along the Interloken Trail in Finger Lakes National Forest. This approximately 12-mile-long hike will feature dense forest, open meadows, and rolling farmland, and pass by several ponds, campsites, and a lean-to. The trail is an official spur of the 800-mile-longFinger Lakes Trail System and also encompasses a short segment of the multi-state North Country National Scenic Trail. The terrain is easy and will be hiked in a slightly downward direction. Given the time of year and the miles hiked, this outing will not be for the faint-hearted, however. Please dress for the time of year. Layering of warm but breathable garments is advisable. Bring sufficient drinking water and a sandwich or high energy snacks. We will leave most cars at the trail's southern end and shuttle together to begin at the north end on Parmenter Road. For those who are unsure about finding the trail head or who want to carpool, meet Jennifer at 9:20 a.m. at the Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across New York Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza. For more information, contact Jennifer at 607/ or or Marsha at 607/ or Report on Walk, Look,_ and Learn Hike #480 S ixteen people attended this hike at Millard Filmore Glen State Park near Moravia, New York, on one of those beautiful early fall days, with the sun shining and most people dressed in shorts and short-sleeved shirts. The leaves on the trees were still green, but the summer flowers along the trail had gone to seed. Hikers who had never been to Moravia to walk the trail were surprised to see small waterfalls and several scenic overlooks. Old stone walls lined parts of the path, and several sections of stone steps looked very similar to the stairs at Robert Treman State Park. The hike ended at a + Date: September 14, Location: Fillmore Glen State Park + Leaders: Varya Siegel and Chris Proulx small pond where people sat to have a snack and look at the water. Then we went back through wide, wooded paths until we got back to the parking lot. Cayuga Trails Late Fall 2003

60 Adopt-A-Highway Report by Jim Connors T he CTC held its final highway clean up for the 2003 season on October 18. Present were nine club members who trekked our two-mile section on NY Route 366. The weather was overcast with only brief glimpses of the sun and the temperature in the mid-40s. Some of us on these highway cleanup sessions try to keep track of the "coolest" things we pick up on the roadside. Some items picked up this day were tickets to the new Cornell president's inauguration, a name tag for "Sara" who is a CNA (certified nursing assistant), a court appearance appointment card, and an oak ball gall which is formed by an insect. I have the honor of giving the 2003 "Adopt-A-Highway Perfect Attendance Award" to our one and only Tom Reimers. Tom attended all four highway cleanups. Way to go! By the way, if you are curious, ask Tom what an oak ball gall is. Thanks to everyone who participated in the highway cleanup this year. This community service activity is a meaningful and rewarding way to give back a little something to our environment. I look forward to seeing you again next year "on the road again"! Mark Your Calendars Sunday, November Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #482. The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Ithaca Shopping Plaza by Taco Bell across NY Route 13 from K-Mart Plaza. Details on page 4. Clifford Blizard, leader (607/ , deep_landscape@hotmail.com). Sunday, November Special hike on the Interlaken Trail, Finger Lakes National Forest. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Forest Service parking area, southern end of lnterloken Trail off Burnt Hill Road. Details on page 7. Marsha Zgola (607/ , mmz2@cornell.edu) and Jennifer Wilson (607/ , wilsonj@cortland.edu), leaders. Tuesday, December 2... Cayuga Trails Club Executive Board meeting. 7:30 p.m. Old Jail Building, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca. Members welcome. Sunday, December Walk, Look, and Learn Hike #483. The FLT in Enfield. Meet at Enfield Elementary School, Enfield Center Road just off NY Route 79 west of Ithaca. Details on page 4. Jack Van Derzee, leader (607 /387~5810, vanderze@ithaca.edu). Monday, December _.. Deadline for submitting materials for the winter issue of Cayuga Trails. See information in box on page 2. Sunday, January 25, Cayuga Trails Club Annual Meeting and Luncheon. Angelina Centini's Restaurant, 124 Coddington Road, Ithaca. Look for a flyer with details in December. Cayuga Trails Club, Inc. P.O. Box 754 Ithaca, NY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY PERMIT NO. 94