Even though we've had a streak of warm weather that has melted all our snow at home, I knew there would still be snow on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). The woods always hold onto snow longer, and the FLT always climbs over the biggest hills; I have seen many times how the FLT holds on to that snowpack. So I packed my snowshoes and my microspikes, not sure what conditions I would find, and carefully scoured the maps looking for somewhere I could safely park to access the trail. I settled on Pharsalia Woods State Forest, where I found what looked like a paved road with wide shoulder parking. I would be skipping ahead, not starting at the end of a previous hike, but that was a necessary concession with the prevalence of seasonal roads in FLT country.
My plan worked well. I was able to park on the shoulder on the north side of the intersection of Hoag-Childes Road and Fred Stewart Road. The wide shoulder I was expecting was not very wide today because it was full of a massive snowbank, despite the southern exposure delivering ample sunlight. However, there was good visibility in both directions and no traffic whatsoever, so it felt safe enough. It was still early in the day and the cold was lingering. I tested the snow with bare boots and it was packed firm; I wasn't sinking at all. I knew it would warm as the day progressed, so I strapped the snowshoes onto my backpack and set of down the trail, marveling at the deep snow. Even though I was expecting it, this much snow compared to the bare ground at home was stunning.
Because the trail was so well packed out, I was essentially just walking along the surface of the snow. I didn't get a sense of the true depth until I slipped into a posthole left by a previous hiker and fell down as a result. Luckily I was uninjured, but that is why postholing gets such a bad rap! It leaves dangerous conditions for those who come later. With my foot in the post hole, I realized the snowpack was almost up to my knees. Crazy deep!
The FLT pops out onto Nine Mile DEC Truck Trail East ("Old CCC Truck Trail" on Google Maps), and follows it west briefly before leaving it again to re-enter the woods. This area is shown as having roadside parking on the FLT maps; this is just the kind of seasonal road I need to avoid driving down. The only motorized vehicle tracks here were from snowmobiles.
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| re-entering the woods |
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| looking north at the Fred Stewart Road crossing |
With the temperatures continuing to rise, I was starting to sink slightly every now and then. When I came to the lean-to about 2 miles in, I decided to take advantage of a dry seat to put on my snowshoes in comfort. The lean-to is well maintained and clearly well loved. Then I continued on my way, content to be doing my part to keep the trail safe for future hikers.
I was still agog at the snow depth and began searching for ways to frame a picture that would show the amazing conditions. Shooting down into a posthole wasn't effective. Then I found a picnic table by a stream crossing and some fallen logs. Looky, look! We're talking serious snow here...
I turned back when I reached the second crossing of the Nine Mile DEC Truck Trail, and retraced my steps back the way I came. I eventually had to switch to sunglasses because the sun on the snow was so blinding. I look forward to leaf out and the return to sweet green shade (months away yet).
MapMyRide tracked the total out-and-back hike at 6.4 miles roundtrip, with about 530 feet elevation gain; a low mileage day, but I am always slower on snowshoes, even when I don't need to break trail. I bare-booted 2.3 miles and snowshoed 4.1 miles. I was thrilled to be out exploring new territory, and enjoyed the warm weather.
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