FLT/NCT: Robinson Hollow State Forest

For this hike, I started at what had been my turnaround point on my last Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) hike: the Harford-Slaterville Road crossing.  The narrow roadside spot I had scouted was available and I took it.  Unfortunately someone else was parked on the opposite side of the road with two tires in the road, which concerned me somewhat because it made a narrow pinch point between our cars.  However, since my car had all four tires off the pavement with several feet to spare, I decided not to worry; it is unlikely that traffic is ever very heavy there anyway.  It was very chilly when I set out, but gloriously bright and sunny.  I grew up in central New York, and I like cloudy, overcast weather.  Too many sunny days in a row tends to make me a bit anxious.  The sun... it burns us.  Nevertheless, there is something amazingly cheerful about a bright sunny day after weeks of rain. 

Lake St. Clair Metropark

Since Frankie was born, my mother Mary has visited us in Syracuse every year around this time, sometimes carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating with us at Halloween.  Unfortunately, she had to have knee replacement surgery six weeks ago.  The surgery went well, and she is recovering nicely, already experiencing less pain than she did before the surgery, but it is a slow process.  Since she is still actively undergoing physical therapy and cannot drive yet, her annual fall visit was off the table this year.  However, Frankie's school was closed Thursday and Friday, so I bought tickets for the two of us to fly out to Detroit for a long weekend.  This way we wouldn't have to miss out on seeing Mary, and would get to see Keith, too.  Plus, we haven't visited Detroit in a few years and there is a whole lot to do here.  Thursday, we stopped at the Edsel Ford House on the way back from the airport, and hiked the short loop on Bird Island, and yesterday we went to the Detroit Zoo, where many animals were absent due to the cold, but we had notable encounters with an otter and a polar bear.