FLT/NCT Roadwalk, M15: Burnt Hill Road to South Hill Road

With rifle season still going strong, my main goal for today was to complete a roadwalk on M16: the last section I needed to finish the map sheet.  Hurray!  But since the orphaned bit of M16 was not long enough to make the long drive down worth it, I decided to also knock out another short roadwalk on M15.  And since M15 is further from home, it made sense to go there first and work my way home.  I started part one of my outing at the southern-most Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) trailhead on Burnt Hill Road, where I'd turned around on a loop hike back in October. 

I hiked south on Burnt Hill Road down a steep hill through the woods, which are part of Finger Lakes National Forest.  The road flattens out and crosses over Hector Falls Creek, then turns to the west and passes through a very small residential neighborhood.  There was a loose dog in the yard at the house on the bend that barked and ran toward me, but to my relief, it stayed in the lawn and did not enter the roadway.  The FLT then turns east on State Route 79 and follows that briefly before turning south again onto South Hill Road. 

heading south on Burnt Hill Road

heading east on Route 79, approaching the turn onto South Hill Road

I continued on South Hill Road, ascending part way up the hill before reaching the trailhead where I had turned around on a hike back in September.  Note the small sign indicating that parking is permitted on the shoulder (but don't block the field entrance).  Having completed my gap, I turned around here and retraced my route back north to my car.

looking east on the FLT section I hiked in September

heading north on South Hill Road

heading west on Route 79

approaching the turn onto Burnt Hill Road

approaching the bridge over Hector Falls Creek on Burnt Hill Road

back in Finger Lakes National Forest

the trailhead that was my turnaround point on one of the spurs of my October loop hike

GaiaGPS tracked this out-and-back at 2.7 miles roundtrip with 306 feet elevation gain.  On to part two of my adventure: completing M16.