I discovered the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) due to its partnership with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT), which follows the FLT from the Pennsylvania state line in western New York all the way to Cuyler Hill State Forest, where the NCT diverges, following the Onondaga Trail north while the FLT continues east. I hiked all of the
Onondaga Trail, which is itself a branch trail of the FLT, in 2016, and started my explorations west along the FLT in Cuyler Hill State Forest. Ever since then, I have been hiking new sections of the FLT, but always westward, on the portion followed by the NCT. As I have fallen in love with the NCT, I realized that all the parts I love best are actually part of the FLT. And as my drive times to reach new sections of FLT to the west have increased, so has my desire to start exploring the FLT east of Cuyler Hill.
So I decided to use this day at the end of hiking season to cover a roadwalk that will allow my first eastward FLT hike, once hunting season is over, to be both contiguous with where I left off in Cuyler Hill AND off road -- in Mariposa State Forest, where I have never been. This hike preemptively fills a gap. I am excited to return and get in the woods!
 |
| CR 53, where I started this roadwalk |
 |
| Cuyler Lincklaen Road |
 |
| turning south onto Cuyler Hill Road |
 |
| looking south on Cuyler Hill Road at intersection with Midlum Road |
Cuyler Hill Road ascends Cuyler Hill, and at the top of the hill, comes to a T-intersection. I had previously hiked both directions here, so this was to be my turnaround point on this hike. To the left (south), the FLT, Onondaga Trail, and NCT all follow Cuyler Hill Road to Stony Brook Road and then off road into Cuyler Hill State Forest. To the right (north) the Onondaga Trail and NCT follow Midlum Hill Road before turning off onto private land and eventually Maxon Creek State Forest. Erwin and I hiked this section as a traverse in
2016.
 |
| looking north on Midlum Road at the intersection with Cuyler Hill Road |
 |
| looking north-northeast on Cuyler Hill Road, back toward where I came |
 |
| retracing my route down Cuyler Hill Road |
 |
| back at the junction of Cuyler Hill and Cuyler Lincklaen Roads |
 |
| Cuyler Lincklaen Road |
 |
| intersection of Cuyler Lincklaen Road and CR53 |
 |
| CR 53 |
MapMyRide tracked this roadwalk at 6.8 miles roundtrip with approximately 630 feet elevation gain.
No comments:
Post a Comment