I started this hike at the NYSDEC fishing access lot for the Tioughnioga River along NY Route 92, and hiked generally northward, until I reached my turnaround spot from
last week. This hike was my third outing on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT)/North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) within Hoxie Gorge State Forest. For the first 0.7 miles I walked south on Route 11; then the trail turned north, following the dirt Steve Russell Hill Road uphill through a narrow gorge. I was sort of dreading the roadwalk, since Route 11 can be so busy, but it wasn't too bad. There is a wide shoulder with lots of room to walk on the protected side of the guardrail. And Steve Russell Hill Road is actually kind of interesting, first winding up along the stream, then passing under Interstate 81. Immediately after 81, the road split. The right fork, Pine Hill Road, is more substantive; the FLT/NCT stays straight on Steve Russell Hill Road, which immediately narrows and keeps climbing.
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| Route 11 |
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| Steve Russell Hill Road |
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| going under Interstate 81 |
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| field scabious (Knautia arvensis) |
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| looking back |
I had read there was shoulder parking on Steve Russell Hill Road
where the trail heads into the woods, but as I hiked along, I was super
grateful I hadn't tried to use it. The road is marked as seasonal right from
Route 11, but it would be easily passable up to Pine Hill Road; at least
that section is graded. Heading north from there, Steve Russell Hill
Road is rocky and uneven, a two-track with jutting rocks and deep mud
pits. I would not advise attempting it without a high clearance
vehicle, preferably one with four-wheel drive.
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| shoulder parking where the trail enters the woods |
After
1.1 miles on Russell Hill Road, the trail finally crosses onto state
land and turns into the woods. It dips down slightly into some hemlocks
to cross a small stream, then climbs again through beautiful
hardwoods. I saw a large bird of prey flying through the canopy, but
didn't get a good look. Then slightly further along, I saw the barred
owl again, perched in a tree right above me. I tried hooting at it,
Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? Unfortunately,
my efforts at communicating were not appreciated and the bird
soundlessly departed. After cresting a ridge, the trail starts
descending. I was surprised to stumble upon a small pond, which I had
overlooked while reading up on this section of trail. I was even more
surprised to find lawn chairs there, as this spot is well within the
state forest and not particularly close to a road. There was a rock
with a crocheted cozy wedged in a tree behind the chairs. It pleases me
to think of someone hiking out here to craft.
From the
pond, the trail continues westward and down, down, down. Finally, with
I-81 again visible high above, the trail turns north and crosses
another, bigger stream.
Then it was up again. I climbed uphill for
another mile, mile and a half. I came to the timber harvest sooner than
expected, but it was east of me, up on the ridgetop. I was hiking a
lower contour through mixed hardwoods and hemlocks, and the tree cutting
was in Norway spruce plantation. I knew I wasn't "there" yet, but this
is a large operation and it took a while to hike the length of it. I
came out on one skid trail with a swath of trees cut in the same
direction, but it didn't feel right: there were red pines and a rock
pile nearby that I didn't remember seeing. I briefly paused to check my photos from
last week; it definitely wasn't the right skid trail, so I started
moving again.
When I finally came out in the right
spot, it was perfectly obvious. I snapped a few quick "evidence"
photos, but didn't linger. I was 4.6 miles from my car and a 45 minute
drive from home, with four hours left until school pick up. Time to
hustle!
I stopped briefly by the pond to switch out my water bottles.
One of the pockets on the side of the pack tore, and will no longer hold
a Nalgene; they just slip right through, so I have to carry the second
bottle inside the pack and pause to swap them out when the first is
empty. Then, after hiking uphill for a few tenths of a mile, I realized
I had lost my handkerchief. I knew I must have dropped it by the pond
when I was fussing with the water bottles, so despite the time crunch, I
turned back to retrieve it. This was no ordinary sweat rag! It was the
edelweiss hanky I got in Mittenwald, a souvenir of our amazing time in
Bavaria. I was not about to abandon it, so I cruised back down the hill
to the pond, and there it was.
Once I hiked back
up to the crest of the ridgeline, it was easy going from there, downhill
through the hardwoods, across the creek, back up out of the gorge to
the Steve Russell Hill Road, and then down down down to Route 11. I was
surprised to have a vehicle come up behind me on the rough section of
road, but it was a pick up truck, and moving slowly. I was actually
passed by a garbage truck shortly after going under I-81; it must have
come from Pine Hill Road. Even on this "wide" section of road, I had to
jump in the bushes to make room for the big, smelly truck. Then I was
back to the parking lot with time to spare.
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| Steve Russell Hill Road |
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| Route 11 |
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| Tioughnioga River |
With the
extra back-and-forth to retrieve the lost hanky, this out-and-back hike
totaled 9.5 miles with about 1,250 feet elevation gain. Definitely my
longest school day hike! The extra half hour now that Frankie is on the
elementary schedule is paying off, haha. Also noteworthy is that this
hike brought me to 106 miles on the NCT in 2017, completing my second
consecutive Hike100 Challenge. Woot woot! Of course I'll be back out
for more as soon as I can.
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