FLT/NCT: Hammond Hill State Forest

This hike is a repeat of one I did in 2018, on a cold wet October day in the middle of a rain cloud.  Today I parked at the same spot on Star Stanton Hill Road and turned around at the same point on Harford Slatersville Road, but it was a very different experience.  It was warm and sunny, and I had my dear boy along for company.  Instead of endless white mist, we saw wildflowers and a beaver dam and amphibians.  He jabbered endlessly about Pokemon and we just had a great time together. 

FLT/NCT: East from Cheningo Day Use Area

For this hike on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), I parked at the Cheningo Day Use Area.  Frankie and I hiked east, up and over a ridge and back down to Cheningo Solon Pond Road, which we used as our turnaround point.  This is a repeat of a solo hike I did in very early spring back in 2017, so it was nice to return under different conditions to see the area greening up.  We knew there was a risk of rain, but Frankie reviewed the weather forecast and decided today would be the nicer day of the weekend, so out we went.  There were many spring wildflower in bloom, which always slows me down, but it didn't matter since this is a shorter hike.

FLT/NCT: Hoxie Gorge South from McDermott Acess

Frankie very much likes it when Erwin comes hiking with us, but it complicates trail selection, since he prefers shorter hikes with water features and minimal elevation gain.  The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) is pretty much *all* up and down, up and down.  I love it, but Erwin, not so much, and after getting dragged along on a few hikes at Morgan Hill that were tougher than he wanted, he was firm in negotiating this time: we'd just have to turn back after 3 miles.  I decided on Hoxie Gorge, because it has some super charming streams, and I have already hiked the entire FLT through Hoxie Gorge, so wouldn't fret about orphaning part of the trail due to a premature turnaround.

Cobble Hill

After bluebird skies on Mt. Jo yesterday, today was overcast with low clouds.  We decided on another short loop hike, one that was new to all of us.  Cobble Hill is a tiny little mountain on the east side of Mirror Lake, prominently visible from town.  I can't count the number of times we've wondered about Cobble Hill while walking around town, out on the ice, or paddling Mirror Lake.  Today we would climb it and finally scratch that itch!

Mount Jo

Last winter was our first foray into winter hiking in the Adirondacks, and since we loved our jaunts up Baxter and Big Crow, we booked another weekend trip this year.  We still don't have proper mountaineering snowshoes, so plan to stick to smaller peaks for now.  Mount Jo has perhaps the most classic of High Peaks views, and I was very excited to see it in the winter.  And I was was excited to share it with Frankie again.  We last hiked it 2014, when he was just 3 years old, so I doubt he remembers much (if anything).  We took the loop in the same direction, up the short trail and down the long trail.  The trail was nicely broken out with great snow conditions as we set out along Heart Lake.

FLT/NCT: Griffin Road to Cabin Road

I had another opportunity for an extended school day hike today, as my Dad was picking Frankie up from school and bringing him home at dinner time.  I decided to explore another new section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) down by Ithaca, which due to it's location west of Cuyler State Forest, also carries the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT).  I initially drove to the parking lot for the Stevenson Forest Preserve, where I had turned around on my last hike in the area, thinking to continue from there, but the lot looked a bit sketchy for my little car.  The next 1.9 miles of the FLT is a roadwalk, so I kept driving, looking for a better spot to park.  I ended up on Griffin Road, where the trail turns south and leaves the road, and the road was wide enough I felt safe parking there.  I could have walked back towards the snowed-in parking lot, but the call of the woods was too strong, and I orphaned the roadwalk.  I can always come back for it during hunting season. 

FLT: CR53 to Paradise Hill Road

Since today was a "regular" school day solo hike, and not the extended version I enjoyed last week, and we had a lot of snow that would slow things down, I decided to stay closer to home.  I grabbed the snowshoes, and headed out to Mariposa State Forest, parking along County Route 53 where I left off after completing a Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) roadwalk during hunting season.  This section of the FLT is east of the three trails junction, and is the first off-road section of the FLT I have hiked that does not coincide with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT).  The NCT originally brought me to the FLT, but since my favorite NCT sections to date have all been part of the FLT, I will definitely keep exploring the FLT even where the two diverge.