Erin's son Alden is 4 months old already. Unfortunately, he is currently going
through that phase of screaming in furious despair when riding in the
car, that full on tomato-head, gasping and wheezing bawl that I remember
so well from Frankie's babyhood. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to avoid going anywhere that isn't absolutely necessary. Still... fresh air is good for everyone, babies included. To reduce the length of
the potential torture session for both of them, I suggested we hike
somewhere on their side of town. Great Bear fit the bill and since
Frankie and I hadn't been there since last fall, it rose to the top of the
list under consideration.
The land is protected under a
patchwork of ownership as the source of drinking water for the nearby
City of Fulton. We grew up calling the area "Great Bear
Farms" and I have many fond memories of childhood adventures there:
hiking, digging for treasure, picnicking, and reading C.S. Lewis aloud
along the riverbank. Apparently, the area is now formally known as
Great Bear Springs or
Great Bear Recreation Area. Anyway, it remains much as
I remember it, a mix of woods roads and narrow foot trails winding over
rolling hills down toward the river, passing through deep forests and
overgrown fields, crossing narrow creeks, and passing the occasional
decaying structure from times past.
On this visit, we
ended up following Great Bear Road all the way down to the river, and
hanging out there for a long time before winding our way back on the
Pumphouse Trail, Trolley Track Trail, and another unnamed trail. Map My
Ride put the entire hike at 2.02 miles. The trail system is a bit
confusing, with some trails unmarked and other bearing multiple markers,
but there is definitely the potential to string together a longer
walk. Maybe next time...
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| Erin and Alden at the Canal River Landing |
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| The Oswego River |
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| Frankie at the Canal River Landing |
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| Looking northwest along the Oswego River from the Canal River Landing |
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| Pig Will enjoys the river |
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| Frankie got his hiking boots a bit wet |
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| Doling out a snack (pretzels) |
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| Erin and Alden |
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| Looking out from inside the old pumphouse |
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| Inside the old pumphouse |
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| Hiking along the Pumphouse Trail |
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| The Pumphouse Trail |
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| Trolley Tracks Trail |
It's great to see a younger generation enjoying the spot that my children once enjoyed so much as kids!!!! :-D The only drawback to my pleasure is the wish that I could have been there, too! Nice pix, Love the baby smile and the obvious enjoyment of certain small boys!
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