Cascade-Porter-Blueberry Traverse

Cascade

4,098 feet  |  ranked 36/46 in height  | 2nd peak climbed (repeat)

Porter

4,059 feet  |  ranked 38/46 in height  | 3rd peak climbed (repeat)

I first climbed Cascade and Porter back in 1995.  Then in 2016, I hiked Cascade again with Frankie for his first High Peak.  Erwin accompanied us on that outing, and he has a strict one peak per day policy.  Therefore, even though Frankie wanted to add Porter onto that hike, his Dad outright vetoed it.  I promised Frankie that if he was still interested in hiking Porter another time, I would happily bring him back.  We postponed it a few years, which turned out to be a fantastic decision because by age 11, Frankie's stamina has increased considerably, making the traverse over Blueberry readily achievable.  This was exciting for me because it meant exploring new trails.  I had never been past the summit of Porter, and had read the back side was much less traveled.  This definitely turned out to be true.  

Gothics, Armstrong, and Upper Wolfjaw via JBL

Gothics 

4,736 feet  |  ranked 10/46 in height  |  28th peak climbed (repeat)

Armstrong

4,400 feet  |  ranked 22/46 in height  |  29th peak climbed (repeat)

Upper Wolf Jaw

4,185 feet  |  ranked 29/46 in height  |  10th peak climbed (repeat)

After missing out on stays at Johns Brook Lodge (JBL) for the last several years, I booked two stays for Frankie and I in 2022: one in July to climb Marcy with Erwin, and one in August to climb Gothics, Armstrong, and Lower Wolf Jaws with Erin and Alden.  I hiked these peaks solo back in 2017, using the same trails, but as a day hike, and this loop is one of my favorites.  It would be new for everyone else and I was excited to share it.  Staying two nights at JBL spreads the miles out over three days, making the peaks more accessible for the kids.  We lucked into among the very last parking spots at the Garden; it was very full for a Wednesday yet again.  I had been prepared to drop Erin and the kids and send them on ahead, but was very relieved not to have to do that.  We booted up and made last minute pack adjustments while the kids bounced around the trailhead area, then finally set off.

Mount Marcy via JBL

Marcy

5,344 feet  |  ranked 1/46 in height  |  1st peak climbed (repeat)

Frankie has been wanting to climb Mount Marcy since he was tiny, but was always somewhat discouraged by the length of the approach.  Then in 2018, he picked up an activity book at a National Trust Property in Northern Ireland that inspired him in terms of timing for his goal.  See, the booklet was focused on fun things for kids to do outside, and included a checklist of things to do before you are 11 and 3/4 years old, really great things like dam a stream, go camping, catch a falling leaf, roll down a big hill, play Pooh Sticks, go swimming in the sea, forage for wild food -- and "climb a huge hill."  Frankie has always loved activity books and he was taking this one very seriously, marking off things he'd already done and working on some of the new ideas.  We climbed some pretty big hills on that trip (Slieve Binnian is the third tallest peak in Northern Ireland and Slieve Bearnagh the fourth).  However, Frankie refused to count them, as he had already decided: Marcy would be the huge hill that he would climb before he was 11 and 3/4.  He was only 7 then, and 11 and 3/4 seemed a long way off.  But he never forgot.  Last summer he talked about it a lot, how we had to make sure to get up Marcy soon because his "deadline" was approaching.

FLT: Getter Hill Road to Beals Pond Road, M27

For this Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) hike, I skipped ahead a bit, because there is a lot of road-walking after the spot I left off on my last eastbound hike.  Spring is a time for me to be in the forest, not on the roads, so this seemed like a good solution.  I will return for those skipped sections another time.  I started on Getter Hill Road where the FLT leaves the road, turning back when I reached Beals Pond Road.  I varied my route slightly on the return hike, to venture to the top of an unnamed hill the FLT climbs most of the way up.  It only seemed fair!  This was easy going because the FLT used to run that way - my entire diversion was on old trail.  It is no longer maintained, with the blazes painted over, so there is more blowdown than active sections.  I had no concerns about staying within the trail easement because the old trail is entirely within Beal Pond State Forest.

FLT/NCT: Lakeside Park to Whites Hollow Road

This hike would take me through Watkins Glen State Park, but not the gorge trail for which the park is famous.  The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) follows the south rim of the gorge, high above the dramatic chutes and cascades.  At least in part, this is because the gorge trail is closed for much of the year.  It was closed today, in fact, due to "winter conditions."  Now, we did get snow last week, but it melted very quickly.  I could see down in the gorge and there was no snow or ice evident, but many years the trail doesn't open until well into May.  No matter!  Today I was here for the FLT. 

Interloken & No Tan Takto Loop

I went into this hike super excited because I would be finishing the Interloken Trail, which corresponds to Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) map sheet I1.  The Interloken Trail is the shortest of the FLT branch trails, but well worth exploring.  I started today on Searsburg Road, which was my turnaround point on my last Interloken Trail hike.  I proceeded north for 3.8 miles until I got to Parameter Road, which is the northern end of the Interloken Trail.  There is parking and a trailhead here, from which a non-FLT Forest Service trail, the No Tan Takto Trail, also heads south.  The southbound No Tan Takto Trail crosses the Interloken Trail at Seneca Road, about a mile north of my car, so I decided to return that way and make a loop.

The Kopac Trail

Frankie is on spring break this week, and I had today off, so we planned an adventure and lucked out with absolutely beautiful weather.  We decided to go down to Bowman Lakes State Park and check out the Kopac Trail, a Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) passport hike that passes by three different lakes.  I picked up passport books from a trail register last summer and Frankie has really been enjoying them: find the post and take a rubbing.  It adds a fun element because the maps don't disclose where exactly the post is, just that it is somewhere along the designated route.  I hiked the very short section of the passport loop that overlaps the main FLT last fall.  That small section included a playground by Bowman Lake, making this hike chock full of attractions for kids.  I was happy to be exploring (mostly) new trails.

Interloken Trail: Picnic Area Road to Searsburg Road

For this hike, I returned to the same trailhead along Picnic Area Road that I used when hiking the Interloken - Burnt Hill Loop back in November.  Today I set out in the opposite direction along the Interloken Trail, planning to use Searsburg Road as a turnaround point 3.9 miles to the north.  I was considering exploring some of the Forest Service trails on the way back to make small loops, but conditions proved more challenging than they appeared, so I mostly stuck to the Interloken Trail on the return, as well, except a slight deviation to walk around the other side of tiny Foster Pond.

FLT/NCT Roadwalk, M16: Trumbulls Corner Road to Griffin Road

For part two of this rifle season outing on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), I finally made it back to M16.  I parked at the trailhead at the Stevenson Forest Preserve, which I had used as a turnaround point for a hike that started in Robert Treman State Park back in January 2020.  From here I followed the white blazes southwest on Trumbull Corners Road, then turned right and hiked up Rumsey Hill Road.  Just after cresting the hill, the FLT turns south onto Connecticut Hill Road; when Connecticut Hill Road veers off to the southeast, the FLT splits to the right and continues south on Griffin Road.  I followed the twists and turns of Griffin Road until I got to the trailhead where I started a hike into Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area back in February 2020.  Having completed the orphaned roadwalk section, I turned back and re-traced my route back to the car.

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. 

FLT Roadwalk: M23, M24

For the second stop in my two-part adventure, I parked at the corner of Fred Stewart and Hoag-Childes Roads, at the trailhead I used last March when I explored the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) to the north in deep snow conditions.  Today I walked south along Fred Stewart Road to complete the roadwalk I'd skipped, turning left (east) onto County Route 10, and then right (south again) onto North Tower Road.  I continued south on North Tower Road until I reached the trailhead where I'd parked last month when hiking the FLT through Bowman Lake State Park.  With the gap filled, I turned around and retraced my steps back to the car.

FLT Roadwalk: M24, M25

Today was another two-part adventure, designed to mop up some Finger Lakes Trail roadwalks I'd orphaned while hiking the adjacent off-road sections.  For this first stop, I drove to the trailhead on French Road on map sheet M25.  This had been my turnaround on a hike in May that started on State Route 12 to the east.  I hiked west along French Road for a short distance, then turned north and followed the blazes along Fred Wilcox Road.  When that teed onto County Route 3, I turned east, then took the first left onto Stone Quarry Hill Road.  This intersection is the border between two maps sheets; as I hiked up the hill, I was on M24 -- but just briefly.  The trailhead for the off-road section going north from Stone Quarry Hill Road was my turnaround point on another hike in May that started further north on Hoben (Hogan?) Road.  Having connected the dots, I turned around and retraced my steps back to the car.

Interloken-Burnt Hill Loop

I had planned to start this hike at the parking area on Burnt Hill Road where I turned around on my first Interloken Trail outing.  I intended to hike north on the Interlaken Trail to Picnic Area Road, walk east on the road perhaps a quarter mile past Blueberry Campground, then return south via the Burnt Hill Trail to make a lollipop loop.  However, as I was driving to the trailhead, following the Google map directions, I passed a sign for Blueberry Campground.  I pulled over and confirmed: it was one and the same.  There is day use parking there, and since Google said it was another 7 minute drive to reach the Burnt Hill Road trailhead, I changed my plans.  I could save almost 15 minutes of driving by starting here.  Brilliant!

FLT: North Tower Road to Bliven Sherman Road

I had been saving this hike for a while, intending to bring Frankie down with me so we could climb the nearby fire tower on Berry Hill.  However, I recently got a Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) passport book from a trail register, and Frankie has *really* enjoyed the couple passport rubbings he's done so far so.  I discovered there is a passport hike on an FLT spur trail within Bowman Lake State Park, the Kopac Loop Trail, and it seemed like that might be a more interesting pairing for Frankie.  Which put this section back on the table as a solo hike, and I decided to prioritize it before rifle season starts because it is my only off-road section left on M24.  By hiking this today, I can complete the M24 roadwalks during rifle season and finish another map sheet.  Exciting stuff!

FLT/NCT: Excelsior Glen and Adjacent Roadwalks

For the second stop in my two-part adventure (part one here), I decided to hike Excelsior Gorge.  The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) passes through private land here, and part of it has a fall hunting closure starting November 1.  It is also a fairly short off-road section, surrounded by roadwalks, so fit well into my mop up day.  Plus, the weather was absolutely gorgeous today, sunny and dry, which seemed a good fit for Excelsior Gorge, given the warning for this section on the FLT Trail Conditions page, "Creek crossing (ford) can be extremely slippery."  As I would find out, this warning is no joke.  This is not a stream crossing to be taken lightly: I would not advise this hike for folks with impaired mobility or short legs.  For example, I would not bring my Mom here.  Or my nephew (not yet anyway).

FLT/NCT: Newtown Road West to Texas Hollow State Forest Property Line

 

 

Today would be a two-part adventure, with my first stop along Newtown Road where I turned around last week.  This would be a very short hike, but I wanted to fill a gap left between two previous hikes on the Finger Lakes Trail in this area.  I parked at the trailhead and hiked west -- actually mostly north -- until I reached the point where I turned around last month on an eastbound hike from Texas Hollow Road.  This was a distinct spot with a NYSDEC property line, but I had also marked it with a waypoint in GaiaGPS so there could be no confusion.   

 

FLT/NCT: Schuyler Veterans Memorial to Newtown Road

 

 

I started this hike at the Schuyler County Veterans Memorial along NY Route 228, where I had parked this past spring for an eastbound hike.  Today I would be hiking west on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), which carries the North Country National Scenic Trail west all the to Pennsylvania.  Today's route mostly consisted of roadwalks, but since the longest section is a narrow private road, I didn't want to leave it for rifle season.  Hunting is not permitted from public roads, but I'm not sure such protections apply to private roads and didn't want to risk it.  Roadwalks aren't my favorite terrain, of course, but this wasn't bad at all -- dirt roads, not paved, and in some cases no wider than the groomed trails at parks like Beaver Lake, Clark Reservation, Green Lakes, etc.

 

FLT-Interloken-Southslope Loop w/Spurs

For this hike, I returned to Schuyler County to continue exploring the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF).  There is an extensive network of trails winding through the FLNF, including the main branch of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT; Map M15); the Interloken Trail, an FLT branch trail (Map I1); and various Forest Service trails.  Given my vast appreciation for both the FLT and the Forest Service, I have decided I want to hike the entire Interloken Trail, making use of other short trails to hike loops where available.  Today I started at the FLT trailhead on Logan Road that was my turnaround point on last week's hike.  Last week I arrived here from the west; today I would hike east.

Balsam Lake Mountain

As I've written before, Frankie is absolutely obsessed with fire towers.  I wanted to check out one of the Catskill towers, and when we found out that one of the approaches for Balsam Lake Mountain is via the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), that rose to the top of the list.  We invited Erin and Alden to join us, and that pushed the excitement levels through the roof.  A fire tower cousin hike?  For my kid, that is about the pinnacle of awesomeness.  My excitement levels were also quite high, as I can't recollect EVER hiking in the Catskills before (plus the whole FLT thing). 

FLT/NCT: Twin Tunnels to Logan Road

As with my outing last week, this was another non-contiguous section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) selected because of a looming October 1 hunting closure on private land.  Skipping around like this  allows for the possibility of completing Map M15 this fall.  I don't know whether I'll pull it off or not, but at least I have the chance now.  Since I complete these solo hikes on school days between drop off and pick up, I have a fixed and limited window of time.  It's such a long drive to get down to here that I am incrementally reducing the time available to hike (and therefore the distance I can cover) with each new section I hike.  I keep saying I'm not going to be able to keep exploring new ground on the FLT on school days, and then I keep pushing it.  I am absolutely and irrevocably hooked.  Please send help.