2025 Hikes Part 3
Hike Report Greenway Conservancy Quarry 11/23/25
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This Sunday morning 11 hikers and 3 canines met at the parking lot at
357 Upper Ravine Rd, Norwich, NY 13815 (the Quarry)
Holly C with Bot 🐾, Dennis G with Kona & Ginger 🐾, Alice H, Brenda R, Joyce P, Anne A, Melissa T, Gwen W, Guy F, John N, Steve E
We visited the Little Quarry first and found a porcupine hole. This had quills at the entrance.
A great day to explore the lore of the quarry visiting the Pondering Pool, the Keepers mailbox but no mail on Sunday!
The overlook at the ponds, the Nest (a fertility spot), the 'Face' an overlook of Norwich where our group photo was taken by a friendly mountain biker then off to Dimross and the Maiden Chair, Stone Den, Fairy Mound, The Hill (Robert Frost quote) were some of the lore destinations.
On a new section of trail there was a blowdown and Guy and John took on the task of clearing it with the Silky saw.
There were a couple other blowdowns that will require a chainsaw but don't know the rules on this property.
At dimross we had a geology presentation led by our Bullthistle resident geologist Dennis G.
We walked on a Mountain Bike challenge structure that had a teeter totter element that rang a bell once you overcame the tipping point.
The hike was 3.7 miles with an elevation gain of 291 ft.
Photos:
Map:
Just passing through,
Steve
Hike Report CCC 220 Chimney > Whaley>Kopac>Bowman>Bowman Rd. 11/22/25
The rain this morning ended before we assembled for the hike at the McDonough CCC Chimney.
Dennis G, Ginger 🐾, Kona 🐾, Melissa T, Gwen W, John N, Guy F, Steve E.
We headed Northerly on the CCC Road from the CCC Camp Chimney, there was a considerable timber harvest since the last time we hiked there.
Then East on Sherman-Bliven to the DEC Whaley Rd. again North to the Whaley Pond Rd. but just before the turn we passed by a nice seasonal home with a beautiful wrap around porch.
Arriving at Whaley pond we discovered first ice, an indication of the temperatures to come.
At the Whaley dam we pause for our group photo. (see the photo link below) ... a motley crew.
Hike Report Lincklaen SF Pink Hill Cemetery>Wolthe Rd>Kibbe-Wilcox Rd>Mullenax Rd 11/14/25
A cool breeze in the air and squalls on the way to the meeting point there were seven hikers ready for another fall day.
After checking the Pink Hill Cemetery, David K, Paul S, Gwen W, Christine G, John N, Guy F & Steve E.
headed North on Pink Hill then East Beardsley, South on Wolthe to Mullenex.
Kibbe-Wilcox took us North to Freeman and South again to Cemetery Rd back to our vehicles.
There was a lot of activity on these seasonal roads with hunters opening their camps for opening day of deer season.
We passed by several ponds that were not too far off the road.
A kingfisher must have been hunting at one of them as it just moved around and didn't leave.
It's amazing that there are myrtle still in bloom and even some forsythia.
A new plant was discovered... a Carolina horsenettle but the other name is devil's tomato which should be a sign that it is poisonous.
The hike was about 9 miles with 912' of elevation gain.
Map:
Photos:
Slow Strider, take it easy..
Steve
Hike Report Ambler State Forest Loop 110925
This morning with the threat of rain there were 6 hikers that showed up on the DEC road off Pat Farley Rd between Nowich and South New Berlin. Sheena W, Joyce P, Gwen W, Brenda R, John N & Steve E prepared for rain.
There was a little sprinkle but it stopped so the hike was very enjoyable.
We hiked the DEC Fire Lane past the old cistern. explored an old quarry and found an old well.
The fire lane ends in a turnaround where we took a break for water and a snack.
There were a lot of gunshots in the distance that sounded closer than they were.
I imagine there were target shooting in preparation of the opening of gun season for deer 11/15.
There is a parcel of private property right in the middle of the State Forest so from the turnaround we hiked the 'perimeter' of Ambler SF through hardwoods and hemlock groves then back to the road on the West side of the private property.
The hike was 4.3 miles with an elevation gain of 366'
Map:
Photos:
Nice day for a walk, then again most days are,
Steve
Hike Report M13-M14 CR22 Pine Creek > 4H Parking Townsend Rd. 11/07/25
This morning six hikers and one canine met at the trailhead about 9AM after dropping of a carspot at the $h Parking on Townsend Rd.
Ben H, Cindy S, Lucy🐾, Gwen W, John N, Guy F, Steve E started eastward on a cool morning just South of Six Nations Hill.
Six Nations Hill explains why there were other trails parallel to the FLT, the Mohawk and the Seneca Trails.
Those trails led to the Sugar Hill Firetower, Sugar Hill LT and the Vanzandt LT
We did visit the Buck Settlement Lean-to and the Buck Settlement Cemetery.
Assumed that it was named after several 'Buck's' that were buried there.
It contains 55 recorded burials, with names and dates of individuals such as Christiana Powell Hicks (1833–1919), John Kendell, Sr. (1821–1905), and Ebenezer Buck (died 1869).There was an interesting spider that 'jumped' out at us, a pumpkin spider and guess what color it is?
The Sugar Hill SF probably should have been more appropriately named 'Oak Hill SF.
More acorns and oak varieties than I've ever seen in one area.
The whole forest is quite diverse with American chestnut, sycamore, bittersweet, maple and beech but more oaks than anything else.
Glen creek was low and we were grateful for the easy crossings we had to make.
Being the water source for Watkins Glen the water flow was minimal for viewing the falls.
Part of the trail from VanZandt Rd to the 4H camp was recently opened back up and goes along Glen creek.
This now avoids about a 2.5 mile road walk. It is much nicer in the woods than in the traffic.
The bullthistle has gone to seed and I wonder if we'll see more members next year after sprouting.
The hike was 10.5 miles with an elevation gain of 826'
Map:
Photos:
No hills... just elevation,
Steve
Hike Report M22 Truman Hill > Will Warner Loop 11/2/25
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Today 6 hikers joined the group to Hike Truman Hill at the Otselic Fishing access North of South Otselic
Paul S, Lisa R, Gwen W, Guy F, John N, Steve E.
We climbed Truman Hill from the fishing access to the bench overlooking the Otselic River about 200' up.
Continuing to the pinnacle of Truman Hill at 1781', 410' higher than where we started.
We signed the trail register and continued hiking the trail toward Will Warner Rd.
The Winston Braxton bench was a great spot for a short break and just past there was the old shale quarry where there was a carpet of lichen.
Rounding the halfway point to Raider Hill we stopped in the sun for hydration and snacks.
Itching to go, we hiked the DEC road (Flannigan) to the cul de sac.
Along the way we saw a tree host with the most fungi and a cute little hoof fungus gnome.At the cul de sac we bushwhacked to the Truman Hill trail for our descent to the parking area at the fishing access.
There were a lot of downed branches to pick up and saw some larger ones along the way.
We now know where we need to go back in with the chainsaw.
The hike was 9 miles long with a 1171' elevation gain.
Map:
Photos:
Reconnaissance is a great reason for a hike but the weather was so right to be outside,
Steve
Hike Report M25 Shapley Rd > Basswood Lean-To O&B 11/01/25
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10 hikers met at the Oxford Dollar General this morning despite the recent rains.
Pat B, Tom M, Bev O, Alice H, Gwen W, Melissa T, Anne A, Annie C, John N, Steve E.
We parked at the Wiley Brook SF Kiosk and walked North to the Basswood SF.
The trail register was about filled up and in need of a new 'zip lock' as it was wet and musty.
(I think the trail register box leaks)
There were plenty of mushrooms and fungi.
Yellow fairy cup fungus, Wolf's milk slime mold, Witch's butter... etc.
The wild flowers have mostly perished and retreated until next spring.
We are headed toward winter and don't know when the first snow will fall on our trails.
We'll be ready, hope you are too!
The trail had been re-blazed and is now easier to follow especially where the logging had been done.
We measured a red oak on the trail and checked the tree age calculator...
The hike was 4 miles with an ascent of 249'
Map:
Photos:
Just a saunter through the woods,
Steve
Hike Report Whaupaunaucau SF Larch March
When we arrived I think it was 31 degrees and foggy.We had 10 hikers and one canine. Alice H, Beverly O, Melissa T, Gwen W, Joyce P, Jeanne P, Holly C, & Bot 🐾, Anne A, John N, Steve E.
We headed to the DEC lean-to and out on trail 19.We walked by the larch but the fog obscured the tops somewhat.They all had not fully turned golden but some were showing their brilliant yellow.
After trails 15 & 13 we arrived at the second lean-to (privately owned by the Clements) There was a pause for drink and lemon cookies for the theme of the yellow larch.
It was back to the DEC lean-to then on to Jeffrey pond dam for a group photo.We decided to go all the way around then back to the parking lot rather than cut the hike short.There were signs of fresh beaver activity on a tree as we went around the lake.
Jefrey pond was low because of the lack of rainfall this summer but an added benefit...the trails were much drier than in previous years.
A downy woodpecker was apparently the victim of a hawk as we found feathers in the trail, gathered them and left them on display.
When we reached Post Rd it was almost downhill all the way to our cars.
The hike was 4 miles and 448' elevation gain Map:
Photos:
Gone for a hike,Steve
Hike Report M23 Perkins LT Loop 10/22/25
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There were 8 hikers and one little puppy who came for the darker experience.
Tom M. Jeanne P. Ben H. John N. Gwen W. Guy F. Holly C. & Bot 🐾 Steve E.
Before it got dark there was a group photo taken in front of Perkins Pond.
We hiked North on Plank Rd .4 mile and headed East on the red spur trail to the Perkins Lean-To.
Enroute we stopped at the WIld Plum Bridge for another group photo.
At the lean-to we took a short break, signed the register and put the picnic table under cover for the winter.
We cut out on the access trail and then East on Clarence Church Rd to the FLT crossing and headed South toward Johnson St.
The red loop cuts off the FLT and heads back to Plank Rd.Most of the trail is a snowmobile trail that the four-wheelers have rutted up.
Back at Plank Rd it was just a short walk to the vehicles.
Then we realized what a starry starry night it was!
The sun set at 6:21 and it was a day after the new moon so there was not much light.
The hike was 3.5 miles with an elevation gain of 228'
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Photos:
Livin' the night life!
Steve
Hike report and Don Windsor Bench dedication 10/19/25
This morning 9 hikers and 2 canines appeared at the Hale St Parking lot by the Greenway Trail.
Brenda R, Holly Crouch & Bot 🐾, Gloria M & Piper 🐾,Warren Johnson, June G, Alice H, Beverly O,Jeanne P, Steve E.
We hiked North along the river, around the Norwich athletic fields and did the road walk up Grove Ave.
Went back down to the river around the Matthews Ford and up to Patsy's Riverview and the end of Sheldon St.
Alice and Beverly left a car spot there and were excused from the hike.
Then around the County maintenance buildings to Borden Ave and met Melissa T there who had just got out of work.
We continued along the river winding around the many trails, past the Norwich water supply pumping station then behind Pires Flowers.
A huge tree was spotted on the trail it was 214" around, a burr oak.
A tree age calculation was made 214/3.14 x 5 (growth rate for a white oak) ~= 340 years old.
This is definitely the oldest tree we have found.
The interesting thing is that the memorial tree planted by Don's bench is a burr oak. (We did not know)
We walked across the railroad trestle South to the access road that went to the pumping station then back to the greenway trail.
The O&W right of way led us back to Gold St., River St then Sheldon where the dedication of the Don Windsor Bench took place.
We hiked back to the Hale St parking lot and then drove to Patsy's Riverview for lunch before the dedication.
The dedication was a tribute to Don for his dedication and knowledge of hiking, birding, writing, archeology and the Chenango Land Trust. His children spoke as well as speakers from every organization paid tribute to Don.
Don had led more than 700 Sunday hikes in the county. I was fortunate enough to go on many of the hikes in the past 10 years.
Don in a way mentored me and got me to lead hikes for the Bullthistle Hiking Club.
My knowledge will never compare but I try to learn as I go. One hike at a time.
Once again we got more than we paid for....
The estimate was a hike of 4 miles but in fact it was 6.3
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Photos:
Check for ticks... found one when I got home.
On the level,
Steve
Hike Report M23 Bullthistle Bridge @ NY-23 > Lower Pond O & B 10/14/25
This evening 6 hikers and two canines came to walk into the darkness.
Colette J, Melissa T, Dennis G, Kona 🐾, Ginger 🐾, Gwen W, Dominic S, Steve E.
Crossing the Canasawacta you could see how dry it has been this year even with the recent rain.
Now the trails are covered with leaves so the blazes are the saving direction for our passage because you could not see the worn trail.
After climbing uphill we came to the beaver pond where you could see several lodges on the far side.
I wonder if there are extended beaver families there or just beavers from other tribes?
Note: Two blowdowns requiring chainsawing between the bridge and Elmer Jackson.
We crossed Elmer Jackson Rd (seasonal as we found out from a trip last winter) then back into the woods then back out on Elmer Jackson to Lower Pond.
It was still light but failing.
This pond was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The dam is impressive and I hope that this beautiful stone work can be maintained before it fails.
The return went a little quicker I think because it was downhill (mostly).
It was a good group who had a lot of stories to share and two great dogs in training.
Our group photo was taken before ascending to our cars on NY-23
The hike was ~4 miles with an elevation gain of 321'
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Photos:
Hike anytime there is an opportunity,
Steve
Hike Report M34 Denning Trailhead > Slide Mtn FLT Eastern Terminus > John Burroughs Plaque O&B
This morning 9 hiker met in Bainbridge at 6:30AM
Chris G, Cindy S, Lucy 🐾, Guy F, Ben H, Joanne F, Malia P, Gwen W, Lisa R, Steve E.
We carpooled to the Denning trailhead and headed ⬆️, the trail was dry and looked like it could be very wet if it rained a lot.
The large rock rock water bars across the trail are used to prevent erosion of the trail and divert water off rather than washing down the trail.
The large rock rock water bars across the trail are used to prevent erosion of the trail and divert water off rather than washing down the trail.
There were so many rocks that we had to have a little fun and look for geometric shapes,
now you can too if you look at the photos.
At one of the viewpoints we saw a peregrine falcon fly by us.
The mountain ash berries were hanging on the trees even though the leaves had fallen.
Just before the Slide Mtn summit there is a new plaque for the FLT Eastern Terminus.
Dot and Bill Rice came from the Slide Mtn Parking on Olivera Rd. (from the other side of Slide Mtn)
and really surprised us when we got to the top.
We asked a trail maintainer (professional geologist) why at the top there seemed to be gravel.
His reply was that the top of Slide mountain was not covered by the glacier from the last ice age 10000 years ago so it was more weathered from exposure. That may have broken the rocks into gravel driving up and down to the old fire tower.
Just past the summit at 4080' is a large ledge and around on the side is a plaque dedicated to John Burroughs.
John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States.
We descended much quicker than the ascent but it seems like there were more stones on the way down.
I would say that it is a pretty rocky trail.
The hike was 10.4 miles with an elevation gain of 2026'
Map:
Photos:
Ain't no mountain high enough,
Steve
Full Moon Hike, Monday 10/6
We had 18 hikers and two dogs meet at Berry Hill for this evening's full moon hike. They were: Joanne Finch, Mike Cunningham, June Granz, Abbie Tamber and dog Pic, Cheryl Lyon, Mike DeWispelaere, Dennis Geist, Melissa Tworkowsky, Lynn Kline, Guy Forden, Johnny Orsini, Chris Snow, Sharon Valentine, Jason Eastmen, Steve Ellsworth, Colette Johnson, Rebecca Hargrave with dog Apollo, and myself. I thought we had 19, so appolgies if I left someone off, but only 18 signed the sheet.
The small group arriving from Norwich arrived at the fire tower to a larger group already assembled to watch the sun set and the moon rise. After shuffling some cars to Bowman Lake to accomodate the larger group, we set out down Tower Road around 7pm. We followed the trail through the red pine plantation east of Tower Road before crossing back to the west side. Crossing the Breslin Bridge it was no surprise that the unnamed tributary of Bowman Creek was bone dry, much to Apollo's disappointment. Soon after heading west throught the hemlocks, a distant hoot of a barred owl was heard. We paused after a second hoot was confirmed, and Mike D. played some barred owl calls, but no response was heard. Taking in the quiet darkness of the woodswe eventually turned south towards Preston Rd, passing beneath the towering spruce. The trail was in excellent condition, with hardly a stick out of place.
Emerging on Preston Rd, we paused for a water break. Being that this was the Harvest Moon and the first supermoon of the year (Supermoon: a full moon or a new moon that nearly coincides with perigee—the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its orbit) a snack of pumpkin-shaped Reese's peanut butter cups, candy corn, and other chocolate bars with "festive fall wrappers" were shared to energize the group for the second half of the hike. Continuing on, we following the trail south along the old farm path, admiring the stone walls along the way that lined the edge of the trail.
Descending now away from the old farmland we paused at an area of exposed, uniform ledge rock that we decided must have been quarried long ago. Satisfied with that explanation, we resumed our trek southward and before long the framing of the new Bowman Creek bridge emerged from the darkness. As we approached the bridge the satisfying smell of fresh cut lumber greeted us. The bridge is an impressive structure spanning 24 feet and it easily handled our large group without complaint. Kudos to Larry, Steve and the whole crew who worked so hard to get this built. And while we were admiring the bridge, and although the creek was mostly dry, Apollo was happy to find a large puddle to lay down in to cool off—a strange thing to say in October.
Leaving the bridge behind, I noticed a strange sensation. Turns out it was the first uphill portion of the hike. Fortunately this was short lived and we soon started back down towards Bowman Lake. This section of trail has some truly impressive large trees, including a few black cherry, red and sugar maple. This section of trail was rocky and definitely undisturbed by farming or pasture grazing. I would be curious to see old aerial photography from the 30's to confirm that they were survivors of the original land clearing from European settlement.
Soon after, the banks of Bowman Creek appeared alongside the trail and the glint of streetlights on our vehicles at the trailhead was visible. The sign at Bowman says 2.8 miles to the firetower. My own measurement puts it closer to 3 miles to the gate at the base of the fire tower road, with the tower road being about 0.25 miles in length. Joanne's GPS said 3.6 miles, though I'm not sure if that includes the walk up and back to the firetower. Anyhow, we finish about 8:45pm, covering about 3 miles in an hour and 45 minutes, including the two stops mentioned.
Thanks to Steve, Guy, Melissa, and Rebecca for car spotting and thanks to everyone for an enjoyable evening. We all piled into the vehicles to return to the fire tower and were on our way home by 9pm. We could not have asked for a better night.
The next full moon is November 5th.
Chris
