FLT: Otselic River to Old Logging Road past Flanagan Road

For this hike, I started at the NYSDEC parking lot by the Otselic River, which I had scouted last week.  I followed the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) east, along and then above the river.  It wasn't raining today, and temperatures were unseasonably warm.  The sun even came out eventually!

FLT: Ridge Road to Otselic River

On this hike, I continued my eastward exploration on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), starting on Ridge Road where I turned around last week.  It was pouring rain when I dropped Frankie off at school and drove to the trailhead, and pouring rain as I wriggled into my rain gear and set off down the trail.  Not ideal hiking conditions, but temperatures were mild enough, and I was determined to get out.  I am still working from home due to COVID, and generally staying home the rest of the time.  Most days I get outside for a walk around the neighborhood, but an occasional change of scenery is so very welcome, making hiking adventures more important than ever. 

FLT: Bamberry Road to Ridge Road

For this hike on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), I parked in the small lot that I had scouted on my last hike in the area, when I used the Bamberry Road crossing as a turnaround point.  Today I headed east from here, planning to turn back at either the Ratville Road or Ridge Road crossing, depending on conditions.  I knew rain was coming; the weather app gave a 100% chance of rain by mid-morning and I could see the storm moving toward me on the radar.  But after missing a solo hike last week, I was determined to get out today.  Temperatures were mild and I brought my rain gear.  No biggie. 

Seward, Donaldson, and Emmons

Seward

4,361 feet  |  ranked 24/46 in height  |  37th peak climbed 

Donaldson

4,140 feet  |  ranked 33/46 in height  |  30th peak climbed (repeat) 

Emmons

4,040 feet  |  ranked 40/46 in height  |  31st peak climbed (repeat)

Erin let me know a few weeks ago that she'd have this weekend available for hiking in the High Peaks.  Her partner, who is a highly driven newly aspiring 46er, was unable to join her due to work obligations.  Would I like to go?  Ahem.  Of course!  We were both excited about the prospects of a fall hike in the mountains, as most of our previous High Peaks hikes have been solidly in the summer months.  Cooler temperatures with lower humidity?  Yes, please!  Fall colors?  Icing on the scenic cake!  However, we were also very concerned about the parking situation, as COVID restrictions have resulted in records crowds in the region.  I suggested heading to the Seward Range.  I have been in there twice before, when Erin and I hiked Seymour, and a solo outing where I camped on Corey's Road and hiked Donaldson and Emmons in the rain, orphaning Seward. 

FLT: Paradise Hill Road to Bamberry Road

I started this Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) hike from Paradise Hill Road, which had been my turnaround point on a snowshoe hike in the area back in January.  I hiked eastward on the FLT, crossing several small roads and streams and completing a short roadwalk before turning around at Bamberry Road, where I could see a small parking area or snowplow turnaround that I planned to use as a starting point on my next hike.  It is very satisfying when one hike includes successful scouting for the next.

Pitchoff Traverse

Pitchoff is one of those iconic Adirondack hikes I have been wanting to explore forever but hadn't ever gotten around to, only because said list is just so long.  The two trailheads are both located on Route 73, where parking is tough to come by, particularly at the western trailhead, which is directly across from the Cascade trail.  However, we decided to give it a shot on this trip because we could attempt it on a weekday, and we had two vehicles, which would allow us to hike a traverse rather than an out-an-back.  We dropped Erwin's car at the tiny, empty lot at Pitchoff East, and were fortunate to get one of the last designated spots down the road by Cascade.

Big Slide via Grace Camp

 

  Big Slide

4,240 feet  |  ranked 27/46 in height  |  8th peak climbed (repeat) 

 

I have been itching to get back to John's Brook Lodge (JBL) ever since Frankie and I enjoyed our first magical stay there in 2018.  Unfortunately, I waited too long to make reservations last year, and they are closed this year because of COVID.  However, my interest was piqued when a friend told me her family had just returned from a stay at one of the cabins associated with JBL; apparently JBL staff are providing meal options to guests of the camps.  Erwin is ever reluctant to stay anywhere without a shower, but I convinced him he could handle a couple nights in the back country, if there was no need to lug a tent, stove, bear can, etc.  I booked us two nights at Grace Camp, with two dinners and one lunch, arriving on a Monday afternoon to hopefully increase our odds of securing parking at the Garden.

 

Mount Van Hoevenberg

We had originally planned on hiking Phelps today.  We are camped at the ADK Wilderness Campground and wanted to take advantage of being right at the trailhead (i.e., not having to fight for a coveted spot in the Loj parking lot).  However, I could only get reservations for two nights in the campground, and we'd rolled in last night somewhat later than planned.  We were further delayed setting up the tent due to a sudden downpour, and then the Hungry Hiker was closed, so we had to drive into town for dinner (we had a completely forgettable meal, but ate outside, which was our main priority due to COVID).  Also, Frankie's spirits were extremely high due to the excitement of camping.  As a result, we were up way too late, and consequently, slept in way too late.  It is always a challenge getting these boys moving in the morning, but I didn't want to wake Frankie, given how late he'd stayed up the night before.

 

Nippletop and Dial

Nippletop

4,620 feet  |  ranked 13/46 in height  |  35th peak climbed 

Dial

4,020 feet  |  ranked 41/46 in height  |  36th peak climbed

This hike was rather spur of the moment, which for an Adirondack High Peak, is very unusual for me.  Normally I plan things out obsessively, reading and re-reading trip reports and poring over maps and buying special foods.  None of that happened here (except maybe the obsession part, that is ongoing).  What happened is this: I got a text from Erin Saturday saying that Alden was spending the night at his Dad's house and she couldn't stop fantasizing about driving up north and climbing a mountain.  She'd have very little time available, as she'd need to pick Alden up the next day, but was still sorely tempted.  Hmm. Lovely notion, right?  Initially, I dismissed it as pure fantasy, but the idea was lodged like an ear worm -- a mountain worm.

FLT/NCT: Maple Lane to Sugar Hill

We have taken so many endless walks in our neighborhood since March when we went into corona virus induced shutdown.  But our trip to Greece?  Cancelled.  Frankie's 3rd grade Adirondacks trip?  Cancelled.  Camping at the Pinery?  Cancelled.  I was restless, craving something adventurous, something different from our same old haunts.  I thought I had a good idea, but sadly, this hike did not work out as planned.

FLT/NCT: West from Cheningo Day Use Area

 

Today Frankie and I returned to the Cheningo Day Use Area, from which we'd hiked east a few weeks ago, only this time we hiked west instead.  This section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), from here to the next road crossing, was a bit long for us to complete given our available time today, but that didn't bother me.  I completed this section in May 2017, so didn't "need" to go all the way to Telephone Road today.  We planned we'd go 3 or 3.5 miles and then turn back. 

FLT/NCT: Hammond Hill State Forest

This hike is a repeat of one I did in 2018, on a cold wet October day in the middle of a rain cloud.  Today I parked at the same spot on Star Stanton Hill Road and turned around at the same point on Harford Slatersville Road, but it was a very different experience.  It was warm and sunny, and I had my dear boy along for company.  Instead of endless white mist, we saw wildflowers and a beaver dam and amphibians.  He jabbered endlessly about Pokemon and we just had a great time together. 

FLT/NCT: East from Cheningo Day Use Area

For this hike on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), I parked at the Cheningo Day Use Area.  Frankie and I hiked east, up and over a ridge and back down to Cheningo Solon Pond Road, which we used as our turnaround point.  This is a repeat of a solo hike I did in very early spring back in 2017, so it was nice to return under different conditions to see the area greening up.  We knew there was a risk of rain, but Frankie reviewed the weather forecast and decided today would be the nicer day of the weekend, so out we went.  There were many spring wildflower in bloom, which always slows me down, but it didn't matter since this is a shorter hike.

FLT/NCT: Hoxie Gorge South from McDermott Acess

Frankie very much likes it when Erwin comes hiking with us, but it complicates trail selection, since he prefers shorter hikes with water features and minimal elevation gain.  The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) is pretty much *all* up and down, up and down.  I love it, but Erwin, not so much, and after getting dragged along on a few hikes at Morgan Hill that were tougher than he wanted, he was firm in negotiating this time: we'd just have to turn back after 3 miles.  I decided on Hoxie Gorge, because it has some super charming streams, and I have already hiked the entire FLT through Hoxie Gorge, so wouldn't fret about orphaning part of the trail due to a premature turnaround.

Cobble Hill

After bluebird skies on Mt. Jo yesterday, today was overcast with low clouds.  We decided on another short loop hike, one that was new to all of us.  Cobble Hill is a tiny little mountain on the east side of Mirror Lake, prominently visible from town.  I can't count the number of times we've wondered about Cobble Hill while walking around town, out on the ice, or paddling Mirror Lake.  Today we would climb it and finally scratch that itch!

Mount Jo

Last winter was our first foray into winter hiking in the Adirondacks, and since we loved our jaunts up Baxter and Big Crow, we booked another weekend trip this year.  We still don't have proper mountaineering snowshoes, so plan to stick to smaller peaks for now.  Mount Jo has perhaps the most classic of High Peaks views, and I was very excited to see it in the winter.  And I was was excited to share it with Frankie again.  We last hiked it 2014, when he was just 3 years old, so I doubt he remembers much (if anything).  We took the loop in the same direction, up the short trail and down the long trail.  The trail was nicely broken out with great snow conditions as we set out along Heart Lake.

FLT/NCT: Griffin Road to Cabin Road

I had another opportunity for an extended school day hike today, as my Dad was picking Frankie up from school and bringing him home at dinner time.  I decided to explore another new section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) down by Ithaca, which due to it's location west of Cuyler State Forest, also carries the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT).  I initially drove to the parking lot for the Stevenson Forest Preserve, where I had turned around on my last hike in the area, thinking to continue from there, but the lot looked a bit sketchy for my little car.  The next 1.9 miles of the FLT is a roadwalk, so I kept driving, looking for a better spot to park.  I ended up on Griffin Road, where the trail turns south and leaves the road, and the road was wide enough I felt safe parking there.  I could have walked back towards the snowed-in parking lot, but the call of the woods was too strong, and I orphaned the roadwalk.  I can always come back for it during hunting season. 

FLT: CR53 to Paradise Hill Road

Since today was a "regular" school day solo hike, and not the extended version I enjoyed last week, and we had a lot of snow that would slow things down, I decided to stay closer to home.  I grabbed the snowshoes, and headed out to Mariposa State Forest, parking along County Route 53 where I left off after completing a Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) roadwalk during hunting season.  This section of the FLT is east of the three trails junction, and is the first off-road section of the FLT I have hiked that does not coincide with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT).  The NCT originally brought me to the FLT, but since my favorite NCT sections to date have all been part of the FLT, I will definitely keep exploring the FLT even where the two diverge.

FLT/NCT: Robert Treman State Park to Stevenson Forest Preserve

I had extra time available today, as my Dad was picking Frankie up from school and bringing him home again later and staying for dinner.  I wanted to make the most of my extended time slot, so chose a hike both further away and longer than I had previously attempted for a school day solo venture.  I drove down to Robert Treman State Park, and parked at the upper lot.  There were no signs indicating where the FLT might be, and data coverage was very poor.  Conditions did not appear to match the map I had, but I found an orange-blazed trail where I expected the white-blazed Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) to be, and for lack of any better choices, decided to follow it.  I passed one white blaze amidst the orange, and took that as a good sign.

NCT: Skyline Lodge to Cowles Settlement Road

The weather forecast for today included snow squalls, but it was clear and sunny in the morning when Frankie was getting ready for school, right up until about 5 minutes before we had to leave.  We went upstairs to brush our teeth and when we came back down, darkness had descended.  It snowed enough in just those few minutes that I had to clean the car off, and was snowing hard enough that the window I cleaned first was already completely covered again by the time I did a lap around the car.  Not exactly ideal... I dropped Frankie off and headed south toward Mariposa State Forest, which I had been looking forward to exploring after knocking out a Finger Lakes Trail roadwalk leading there during hunting season. 

NCT: Bardeen Road to Rowley Hill Road

With the madness of the holidays finally behind us, Frankie and I set out for a hike on the Onondaga Trail, just the two of us.  In order to earn the patch for completing the Onondaga Trail, the entire trail must be hiked within five years.  Since Frankie hiked several sections in 2016, this would be his last calendar year to complete the trail, if he wanted to count those sections.  This is not something he has been actively pursuing over the years.  However, the realization made him want to hike a new section today, and I wasn't about to complain about that.  We got a late start, not heading out until after lunch, so I picked a short section, parking in the NYSDEC lot on Bardeen Road and hiking west.