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. 

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.

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: Robert Treman State Park to Stevenson Forest Preserve

I had extra time available today, as my Dad was picking Frankie up from school and bringing him home again later and staying for dinner.  I wanted to make the most of my extended time slot, so chose a hike both further away and longer than I had previously attempted for a school day solo venture.  I drove down to Robert Treman State Park, and parked at the upper lot.  There were no signs indicating where the FLT might be, and data coverage was very poor.  Conditions did not appear to match the map I had, but I found an orange-blazed trail where I expected the white-blazed Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) to be, and for lack of any better choices, decided to follow it.  I passed one white blaze amidst the orange, and took that as a good sign.

Snowshoeing Lake Bonita

I have to work tomorrow, so today had to be our travel day to get us back home.  I had been planning to stop and hike another small mountain on the way home, the way Frankie and I did with Belfry and Mount Arab.  Unfortunately it was snowing pretty hard and Erwin decided he wanted to take the Northway and the Thruway home; he'd driven through some rough conditions on Route 8 on the way up Friday night, and thought the highway would be in better shape.  I had a Plan B for just that circumstance: Severance Hill in the Schroon Lake area -- it's right off the Northway, so I thought it would have easy access.  Wrong!  The parking lot hadn't been plowed, and not just from today's snow.  It didn't look like it had been plowed all winter.  Erwin stopped at Stewart's in Schroon Lake, and we tried to come up with a Plan C, but couldn't think of another option that wouldn't involve back roads.  I was devastated.  Even a milkshake failed to raise me from the depths of despair.  We got back on the highway and kept driving south.  The highway was a mess.

Clark in June

I don't post about the majority of our hikes at Clark Reservation State Park, just because we go there so often, and I have posted about it so many other times.  I have never bothered documenting solo hikes here, and have mostly transitioned to posting only hikes that include family members beyond Frankie and I, just for the fun of looking back at the pictures later.  Even on this front I have been slacking: Frankie and I hiked here with Mary in October 2017 and with Erin and Alden in September 2017, and I didn't document either hike.  In fact, it's been almost a year since I last posted a Clark hike. 

Family Hike at Green Lakes

The boys had been planning on taking a walk to hunt Pokémon today.  I haven't installed the Pokémon Go game on my phone because I am not remotely eager for more screen time, but Erwin and Frankie play together on Erwin's phone.  I strongly disapprove if they take it out in a restaurant or similar inappropriate settings, but one aspect of the game involves rewards for distance walked, so it does get them out moving more.  I often tag along on such walks if I'm not at work, because I like walking and we can all hang out together.  These Pokémon walks are often downtown, or to/around campus, so they can visit the "stops" and "gyms" in the game, which tend to be located at landmarks such as sculptures and buildings.  Unfortunately this means there generally isn't much overlap between Pokémon hunting and hiking.  I was pleasantly surprised when Erwin announced he wanted to go somewhere more interesting, and decided on Green Lakes.  Apparently this State Park is crowded enough to attract Pokémon?  No matter to me.  A busy trail is still better than a sidewalk! 

Chittenango Falls

Frankie's classroom has a nature backpack, which is sent home with each child one weekend per year.  The backpack contains binoculars, a bug magnifier, some simple field guides, and a list of local parks; parents are encouraged to take the kids out to explore.  This was our weekend, and since we already had an indoor commitment yesterday, today would be our only chance to get out with the nature backpack.  Rain was predicted, but no matter - we couldn't let this opportunity pass by.  

Rock Throwing at Clark Reservation

When Erin told me she has been searching for good places for Alden to throw rocks in the water, I immediately thought of Clark Reservation State Park.  It has been my old reliable, my default spot for short hikes for many many years, because it is close and convenient, and so very cool.  Of course, it isn't as close to Erin's house, and she has her own default spots, but it does have a good spot for rock throwing.  Apparently they have been trying many different spots near her house with little luck, so Erin was willing to check out Clark.

Group Hike: Green Lakes

There was another group hike with families from Frankie's school scheduled for today.  The original invite indicated that the hike would be re-scheduled for Saturday (yesterday) if rain was forecast today.  With a previous commitment for yesterday, and rain predicted all weekend coupled with with unseasonably cold temperatures, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to go, or even if the hike would be cancelled altogether.  We are new to this group, and I just didn't know what to expect.  I was delighted to find that the organizers stuck with the plans for hiking today despite the cold rain.  They changed the venue to somewhere less remote, and moved the meeting time from late morning to early early afternoon.  Meeting after lunch was definitely sensible, as picnicking in steady rain with temperatures below 40 degrees is not ideal.

Clark Reservation for the Win

My Mom, Mary, has been visiting from Michigan the last few days, staying first at Erin's house, then here.  On Friday morning, after dropping Frankie off at school, I drove out to Beaver Lake and caught up with Mary, Erin, and Alden on the Deep Woods Trail.  Yesterday, we had a picnic in the cold wind at Onondaga Lake Park, then the boys played on the playground eternally and we visited the memorial bench for my late grandparents.  Erin and Alden aren't available Sunday mornings, so we made plans to meet up this afternoon to hang out after Alden's nap and have dinner together.  Then Mary, Frankie, and I packed lunches and headed out for a short hike at Clark Reservation.

Around the Lakes at Green Lakes

 

My motivation failed me this morning.  I didn't sleep well last night, so I was exhausted, and it was pouring rain and forecast to continue raining all day.  It didn't help that I hadn't done anything last night to prepare for a hike.  On my school day hikes, I get Frankie up and ready for school, feed us breakfast, pack his lunch, the whole nine yards.  It is always a mad dash just getting the little slug out the door on time, and that's without dedicating any time or energy to my own preparations.  He has a sweet habit of wanting to cuddle on the couch between eating breakfast and brushing teeth, and that is not the kind of thing that can be discouraged... he'll outgrow it soon enough, so we're going to savor it while it lasts (he does the same thing with Erwin the other four days a week when I'm at work).

Clark in February

The weather forecast for today was dreary, with rain predicted all day and and drastically plummeting temperatures.  I hadn't planned on hiking.  Morning brought stormy looking skies, but no rain.  After finally finishing his ridiculously sluggish breakfast, Frankie was being crazy, acting like a a typical energetic six-year old cooped up inside.  I started fretting about the prospect of an entire weekend of such behavior.  It still wasn't raining, so I pulled out my phone and checked the weather again.  The chance of rain was 100%, and I could see the wall of storm clouds moving towards us on the radar.  However, it was almost 70 degrees out and the front wouldn't arrive until noon.  Mobilize!!

Chimney Bluffs State Park

Frankie was on winter break from school this week, meaning that with a little schedule finagling, we had a free day together for a mid-week hike.  I was craving an adventure, something off our beaten path, and considered various options before settling on Chimney Bluffs State Park.  I hadn't been there since I was pregnant with Frankie, and I thought he'd enjoy seeing the eponymous spires, pinnacles, and cliffs.  Plus, there is the whole attraction of the lake...  Kids love water, and he hadn't seen a Great Lake since camping at the Pinery last May.  He wasn't thrilled about the idea of driving an hour to get there, but I brought along a new kryptonite for passing travel time: a sketchbook and pen.  I think he was actually (briefly) disappointed when we arrived.  He happily drew Calvin and Hobbes all the way home, too. 

Assorted Trails, Green Lakes State Park

Between parent-teacher conferences one week, and then rearranging my work schedule the next to attend an event at Frankie's school, it has been a few weeks since I've the opportunity for a school day hike.  With the horrible stress of the holiday season looming, I knew I had to seize this fleeting opportunity.  Since hunting season is underway, I have been favoring parks over forests and wildlife management areas lately, and decided to do some further exploring at Green Lakes State Park today. 

Gorge & North Rim Trails, Fillmore Glen

I had thought I might take Frankie further afield locally this year, to explore more of the many beautiful New York State Parks in our region.  However, many of these parks feature gorges and waterfalls, and we had a drought this summer.  The waterfalls we did visit were practically dry and, as such, underwhelming.  Therefore, I never bothered making the longer drives to take him to see more dry/drippy rock faces.  The autumn finally brought some rain, and while the groundwater may not be fully recharged yet, the surface waters are flowing again at least.

Post-Halloween Hike at Clark Reservation

My mother Mary has been visiting.  She stayed with my sister a few nights on this trip, so that she could spend some quality time with my adorable nephew.  Frankie loves visits from Grammy, so wasn't necessarily excited to share her, but we arranged it so she would be here with us for the Halloween excitement, and could stay with Frankie while Erwin and I attended a parent-teacher conference at his school.  Pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating are very important to my five-, almost six-year old.  We didn't get in as much hiking as we sometimes do, but we did have fun!

Clark in July

This was my very first hike since returning from Scotland three weeks ago, an inexcusable lapse that has lead, I am ashamed to say, to no small amount of moping on my part.  I have been extremely discouraged by the horrendous heat and humidity, and compared to the cool perfection of the Scottish climate, it has seemed even more unpleasant than normal.  The day we flew home there was a 40+ degree temperature differential from morning in St. Andrews to evening in Syracuse.  Then, just when I promised myself I'd get out that weekend, no matter what the weather and enjoy myself (dammit!), I was dispatched to western New York for three days of invasive plant surveys.  Field work means very long days, even when it's 90 degrees, so after arriving home late Friday, I was feeling more like crawling into a dark cave than heading back out into the beastly weather.

Clark in April

Frankie was pretty tired today, hung over from a very busy yesterday.  We started the day volunteering at the Earth Day clean-up organized by the Downtown Committee.  One of the meeting places is right outside my office, so a contingency from my company always represents.  This was the third year Frankie and I have joined in, and it is a great experience, if a little depressing - because the garbage is continuously replenishing.  It's an impossible task.  Good for a kid to develop an understanding of why it is important not to litter, though.  Then yesterday afternoon was an epic three-hour knight themed birthday party, with much simulated sword play and endless running around.  Asher's father made "swords" from cardboard tubes wrapped in tinfoil and decorated "shields" from corrugated cardboard.  The kids loved every minute of it, and wore themselves out completely.

Snowshoeing at Clark Reservation

In terms of snow, this winter has been kind of a dud so far.  It was warm all through December, and while January finally brought colder weather, sadly, there was still very little snow.  A lake effect storm finally came through early in the week, closing schools Tuesday, and I crossed my fingers that the snow would hold up for the weekend.  Yesterday Frankie and I were outside for a few hours, sledding in the backyard and going on a "heffalump expedition," which was really just a walk through the neighborhood, winding through the playground and the woodlot up behind the house (we trapped several heffalumps, thank you very much).  Cutting across the ball fields at the playground, we discovered that the snow was, in fact, deep enough for snowshoes.  Hurray!