waterfalls – trailchaser2020

Conservation Trail – Mammot Rd to Sumner Rd

I put on my favorite Darn Tough socks.

I ate a good breakfast. (My husband made it for me.)

I laced up my boots and threw my pack into the car.

I had packed my big backpack the night before with all the essentials. You know, everything you need on a short day hike. Stove, pots, 2 liters of water, rain gear, head lamp, emergency blanket, extra clothes, gloves, food for two days. I just wanted to be prepared – I am in training after all.

I asked my nephew to hike with me and was happy he agreed. Matthew hikes fast and doesn’t complain when I can’t keep up.

My husband drove us to the trail head on Getman Road and I discovered a very fast moving stream about shin deep right across the trail. I wasn’t familiar with this trail head, but I looked up and down the creek and couldn’t find a way across that wouldn’t mean hiking in wet boots the rest of the way, so we moved to Plan B.

Plan B was entering the trail at Mammot Road. We would have had to hike .7 miles on this road anyway, now we will avoid the road walk. I peeked down the trail before making the commitment to the hike. It seemed wet, but not impassable. I sent my husband on his way back home and Matthew and I took off down the trail.

We encountered many, many “puddles” aka swampy areas. Matt has LONG legs and moves like a gazelle. I have short stubby legs and I lacked any finesse hopping over these areas, especially carrying my full pack. I prayed my boots stayed dry and the prayer worked. And I really sloshed through the water. As long as it wasn’t over my ankle I was good. (I love my Keen boots!)

img_20170121_091531 — This was a small puddle, I kept my camera put away while hiking through the deep stuff!

Matt and I stuck close together while the ground was a giant puddle but once the trail dried out, Matt was off like a flash. The trail was very easy to follow. The bright orange blazes were close together and I knew Matt would be able to follow it no problem.

Matt backtracked a little to find me and told me saw a railroad track ahead. Sure enough we came upon the track and glanced in both directions. No trains in sight. Drat. That would have been a treat to see a train so close. We didn’t want to wait around not knowing the schedule at all.

We spotted the orange flag in a tree branch indicating the trail entrance and Matt took off again. I stopped a few times to take some pictures, look at the sky, admire the forest and listen to the birds. We didn’t see any deer, only their footprints and some scat.

We saw some gorgeous waterfalls, including one that I drive by everyday and didn’t even know that it was there! It was spectacular especially with all the snow melt and rain we had recently.

We crossed Broadway into Darien Lake State Park. We found the log book and signed in.

It started to really warm up so I stopped to take off my jacket and we had an impromptu snack time. After a few cheese puffs, beef jerky and red fish we were fortified.

I put a few red fish in my pocket and we continued our journey. It didn’t take long to come across the blue trail to the lean to.

I gave Matt the option to hike it and he declined so we continued on following the orange blazes towards Sumner Road.

We actually heard a tree fall somewhere nearby and we both stopped in our tracks. We looked at each other relieved that it wasn’t a bear crashing through the woods to eat us. Then I found a ninja tree stump! Tell me it doesn’t look like ninja??

The trail ends at a parking lot on Sumner Road, so when I started hearing traffic I called my husband to pick us up. Timed right we wouldn’t wait long for him. We exited the trail and found a picnic bench, snacked again and had a drink. I picked up trash I found in the lot.

It was a beautiful day of nearly 60 degrees in January. It took us about two hours to hike about 4 miles. Matt said he’d be up to hiking this trail again when it was dry!

I have a few other trails up my sleeve for us, too! I just ordered and received a bunch of maps from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference. My goal this summer is to hike the Letchworth State Park branch trail of the FLT.

Appalachian Trail Dreaming

Since my vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park I’ve tried to wind down my obsession with the Appalachian Trail a little. Honest! I want to concentrate on solo hikes in my neck of the woods and few group hikes. Hopefully I will be able to get a handful of over-nighters during the summer months, too.

But, I can’t seem to get my head out of the Appalachian Trail or out of the Smoky Mountains! When I fall asleep I see those amazing mountains of blue, grey and purple. If you’ve seen them, you know what I mean.

IMG_20160425_150214365 — See what I mean?

You would think my dreams would be calm and sweet. But NO! My dreams are filled with walking the trail and sometimes the trail is a DEAD END! Or there’s a scary BEAR! Or I keep walking the same trail over and over and over. I wake up in a sweat and can’t fall back to sleep.

Bear Affair 2010 — Please don’t let this EVER happen to me!

Well, I think I need therapy. How about I take a walk! No, seriously, I need help! I’ve decided to step back from the Appalachian Trail a little, no a lot. I’m going to concentrate more on my immediate surroundings, my house, my family and friends and even other hobbies besides hiking!

Let me clarify, I have not given up on my goal of thru hiking the AT!!

Recently, I’ve hiked with my MOM! My mom grew up loving the outdoors and wandering around the woods between the border of NY and PA not far from the Allegheny National Forest. I think I get my love for the woods from her! We went to a trail that I’ve discovered before and that I knew would be “kind” to her. It’s a mile and a quarter long trail with gentle slopes and meanders along a little creek with little waterfalls. I know we will be back.

IMG_20160523_185001076 — My mom making a swan dive into the waterfall. I stopped her.

IMG_20160523_184940012 — She only accused me of trying to kill her once. She though the hill was too steep.

Linda and I have also been out in the last few weeks exploring (and geocaching). I’m lucky to have friends and family that enjoy being outside.

IMG_20160517_181815608 — Linda and I made an Inukshuk.

IMG_20160517_183222434_HDR — Little waterfall.

I was out on National Trail Day, June 4. I visited the Eternal Flame in Chestnut Ridge Park. My favorite place to go.

IMG_20160530_081717280 — These natural gas flames are in a grotto behind a waterfall. So beautiful!

Unfortunately, I said good-bye to my good friend and hiking partner, Shelly! Livingonthedirt.com She left for her grand adventure on Memorial Day. She’s traveling out West to visit many of the National Parks! I’m going to miss this woman soooo much! She took me on my very first overnight backpacking trip and taught me so many things. Please follow her blog! She’s so excited to start this new path in life. I’m so excited FOR HER!

IMG_20160512_175524118 — Shelly is a secret Disney Princess – birds just land in her hands!

Chasing Waterfalls

I hadn’t worn my boots in over a week. It’s funny how I began to miss them! My name was sitting on a “waitlist” for a hike to chase waterfalls in a nearby State Park. I checked my phone for alerts every half hour hoping my name would be put on the “confirmed” list. I woke up at 7:00 a.m. the day of the hike and saw that I was finally confirmed. Enough people had backed out, clearing a spot for me! Jumping out of bed and scaring the dogs, I hurried to shower and pack my backpack.

The December day was forecast to be in the 60’s and nice. I was looking forward to being outside and among friends on the trail. Stepping outside it was foggy, damp and dreary – it did not look promising. Driving to the park it began to sprinkle. It still felt more like an April day than a December day, so I carried on.

The group was beginning to assemble at the meeting point and it started to rain harder. People were changing their RSVPs to No every couple minutes and before we knew it, we had only 14 people instead of 25. The rain was putting sour faces on most of us, but no one backed out. We all hoped it would stop soon and lucky for us it did.

Fog was still settled below.

We were chasing down a number of waterfalls in the park and since there hadn’t been much rain, except for the little that fell early in the morning, the waterfalls were only trickling.

Our leader, Chuck took us past interesting old ruins of park infrastructure. The park was built in the 30’s and many of the old stone incinerators and mysterious buildings remain. A few took us a minute to figure out what they might have been used for. I still don’t know what this large dog house building would be. It had no floor – only mud, trash and a large pipe running through it.

We eventually chased down a few waterfalls. Not very exciting this time of year with no water rushing over them, but beautiful, just the same.

Just a trickle. I swear there is a waterfall here.

Chuck said this one wasn’t on his list, but it was flowing better than any of the other waterfalls!

There’s a teeny tiny waterfall in the middle of this picture. It didn’t make Chuck’s list either.

This hike felt different to me than any other so far. I was talking to everyone, breathing easily and having so much fun. My feet were even smiling in my boots! There were a couple of challenging, steep inclines and I was glad I brought my hiking poles. They sure do come in handy. Chuck had us walking in the creek bed in order to view another waterfall. The creek bed was SLIPPERY! Those poles saved me from getting wet! So did Ali – my happy Drill Sargent was there lending a supportive hand and motivational words whenever I needed it!

At the edge of the park there was a marker engraved with the name, Cliford Robert Pettis, State Forester. Of course, I had to “Google” his name! Turns out he was named the “Father of Reforestation” and was the New York State Forest Superintendent from 1910-1927. Seems this man was responsible for the planting of 20,000,000 trees in New York State. Here is a website if you want to learn more: https://localwiki.org/hsl/Clifford_R._Pettis.

Nearing the end of the hike we were climbing and climbing. My heart was beating out of my chest! My face was RED! I reminded myself that this is why I am in training for my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. As long as I am still breathing I will get through it! I concentrated on my slow even breathing and setting small little goals. For example on one steep section of trail I concentrated on different shape rocks ahead of me and told myself to get to that one rock, then the next rock, then the next weird looking root, then the next bright leaf in trail. Sometimes these goals were only 2 feet apart, but it worked!

Luckily the last steep climb landed us right at the parking lot near our cars. I quickly caught my breath and we said our farewells. My muddy boots and poles needed a little TLC.

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