Holland Ravines

It's the last week before I go back to work for the school year and I wanted to go hiking as much as possible.  However, so far I've only been able to go once.  Maybe I will be able to get another hike in this weekend when I'm down in Rushford.

So I wanted to do another Passport hike.  My goal is to get the West Passport program done before hunting seasons starts.  You need to complete 4 Passport hikes in order to earn the badge and after today's hike and the Swift Hill Hike, I will have 2 completed.

I also wanted to bring someone with me so I brought my nephew.  I decided to do a hike about 30 minutes away from my house.  Looking at the Passport brochure the Holland Ravines looked like a fun hike for both me and my nephew.  The Holland Ravines are part of the Conservation Branch of the FLT and this part is managed by the Foothills Trail Club.  It was also the memorial section of Art and Olga Rosche who were founding members of the Foothills Trail club.

Sign at Trail Register

I was a little nervous about parking because when I looked at google maps, the trail access was in a residential area.  I had to park on the shoulder but there wasn't a lot of room so I was half on the road and half on the shoulder.  Even though it was a residential neighborhood, the trail was well marked and it wasn't super populated, it was in a very rural area of Erie County.

Conservation Trail Sign

The trail started out following a horse pasture but we quickly got to the ravines.  The Conservation Trail is on private property in this section, but there were a lot of posted signs throughout.  The trail followed orange blazes but there were times when the orange blazes went beyond a ton of posted signs.  I was understanding that if we stayed on the trail we'd be ok and that's what I planned to tell anyone if they questioned me.  There was also a lot of four-wheeler trails that made it confusing to follow the trail.  We had to turn around a couple of times because we lost the trail.

Nice section of the trail but very few blazes.

The trail was 3.8 miles out and back and besides the several ravines, it was pretty level.  It seemed a lot longer going than coming.  My nephew did pretty good.  He was getting tired but at the turnaround point we stop and ate lunch so it gave him a second wind.

My Nephew and I in the First Ravine

Another Ravine

Another reason I was attracted to this hike was because the brochure said there was "an outdoor museum of retired farm equipment."  Well, we never found any farm equipment, but after we passed a field of Christmas trees we found an abandoned jeep.  It was disappointing.

Abandoned Jeep

This was my first hike on the Conservation Trail.  After completing the Holland Ravines I have completed 1% of the Conservation Trail.  I've also completed 1.8% off all the branch trails.

Orange Newt We Saw

Grandma Gatewood's Walk

Montgomery, Ben. Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail. Chicago: Chicago Review, 2014. 288. Print.

Emma Gatewood was the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail solo.  She did it in 1955 at the age of 67.  Grandma Gatewood became a celebrity after hiking the trail because of how she did it.  She didn't prepare or have special equipment.  She just decided to go for a walk.  She started the trail with tennis shoes and a homemade backpack.  She met many people on her trip and make it from Georgia to Maine that helped her on the way.  She was also met by many reporters that helped make her trip famous.  She would hike the AT two more times after her first solo hike with nothing more than her homemade backpack and a few other supplies.

My Feelings:
I found this book through the New York Public Library (NYPL) and their online ebooks.  I was originally looking for A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson but it wasn't available (I'm still waiting to borrow it).  I just needed a book about the AT and this was the only one I could get immediately.

I enjoyed this book.  It was interesting to hear Grandma Gatewood's backstory in addition to the story of her hiking the AT.  It wasn't an amazing book because a lot of what the author was saying was speculation.  He wrote the book by talking with Emma Gatewood's children and looking at her journals.  There were some direct quotes, but he made it seem like he knew exactly what she was thinking and the reason why she decided to go for a hike.  I find it hard to believe that she felt exactly like Ben Montgomery stated.  I feel like Emma Gatewood would not have let the world know exactly what she was thinking.

Another problem I had with this book is that it is "The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail."  The book hardly talks about that and that was not Emma's goal in hiking the AT.  She did comment on some of the poor spots of the trail that needed to be better maintained, but she did not wake up and say "I'm going to advocate for the AT."  I think that the book didn't do a good job living up to its title.  She may have had some influence but I don't the trail would have disappeared without her.

Overall, it was a good read about one woman's hike on the AT.

Letchworth Trail Run

I knew I needed to complete a long run for my half marathon training but I also wanted to do another section of the FLT.  My idea when doing section hikes was to focus on the main trail, but to also do the Passport Program, I'm going to have to do sections of the branch trails.  In my research for running around Letchworth State Park I found the 'Dam' Good Trail Race.  While I don't think I'd ever run it, it did give me a section of trail to run.  Looking back at it, they ran the race on Sunday and I went on Monday.

So I decided to kill two birds with one stone and do a section for the Passport and get a run in.  I decided to start at the Mount Morris Dam and run the FLT south.  Looking at the map, it looked level for the majority of it with one section that went down in elevation and back up rather quickly.  I didn't think it would be that bad if the rest of it was level.

I had never been to the Mount Morris Dam before so I explored a little bit before I started running.  There's a visitor center and you can do a tour of the dam.  Unfortunately, I didn't wait to go into the visitor center and I used the latrine right next to where I parked.  Oops, could have had indoor plumbing.  I explored the upper area around the dam and there's a nice playground and picnic area.

Mount Morris Dam

Selfie at the Mount Morris Dam

Also at the Mount Morris Dam is the FLTC Service Center.  I didn't go in there, but I did stand next to the totem pole near the center.  It has various signs that show the mileage of different trails.  It was a little bit of a trek through some high weeds to get to it.

Totem Pole

Totem Pole Selfie

So after exploring around the parking lot and the visitor center (where there was a really nice lady at the desk) I went to start my run.  The section that was part of the Passport program was really short.  There were some really nice views from the start though.

View from the Trail of the Dam

Traverse Station

Once I got to the turn around point for the Passport Program, I continued on.  Past the turn around point is a detailed map and then a little while down the trail was the registry.  The trail was nice and level but for some reason, I kept finding every root and rolling my ankle.  I was also so winded.  So I stopped running and tried to walk briskly.  However, I did not bring my daypack (because I planned on running the whole thing) so I just had my handheld water bottle.  It was not enough water and by the end I was so thirsty.

Detailed Map

One of the many creek beds you cross on the trail.

Most of the trail looks like this.

So I decided, after this failed attempt at running that I need to be more conscience of my diet.  Yesterday was the last day I would drink soda (I finished the trail with a cold bottle of Pepsi from the vending machine at the visitor center) and I'd try to eat less junk.  The half marathon is in less than 2 weeks and I want to do decent.  I was so tired that I had to sit and take a break, something I haven't done in a long time.  Well, the minute I sat down I jumped up and screamed.  There was a little snake and I almost sat on him.  I was telling Nick the story later and he asked if it had a rattle and was like, "you do know they have rattle snakes in Letchworth."  It was a baby snake and no rattle but we don't know what kind it was.  I think it was more scared of me than I was of it because it didn't move for the longest time.

Almost sat on this little guy.

I took a ton of pictures on this run.  I don't think I'll post all of them but I'll end with the panoramic view from where I turned around.  I could here people yelling and laughing, but couldn't see anyone.

My total run/walk was 6.74 miles round trip.  I can't give an accurate percentage of how much of the Letchworth Branch I have completed because I turned around at a point not listed on the FLTC Tracking Excel sheets.  I want to do this trek again (with my daypack and hiking boots) so I don't believe it will be an issue.

Swift Hill

While researching the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), I discovered the Passport Program sponsored by Wegmans.  The point of the program is to encourage people to get outside and hike.  There are 3 different areas: West, Central, and East.  You must complete a certain number of hikes in each of the brochures to receive a patch.  After looking at the different Passport booklets, I decided to tackle the West Passport first.

Last Friday, August 21st, I was going to do a 5K Run in Pike, NY.  After the 5K (which I did in 41:40 - my best 5K time yet) I decided I was going to go to the Swift Hill State Forest in Centerville, NY to complete my first Passport hike.  The Passport guide stated it was an easy 2.2 miles out and back, so I figured it would be bad to do after the 5K.

Sign Next to the Parking Lot

 When they say this hike is easy, it was super easy.  The trail was well marked except when you got through the woods and had to cross the road.  Luckily, I printed the map from the booklet so I could look at it.  There wasn't much to look at on the trail in terms of scenery, it was just a nice walk through the woods.  I did bring my new selfie stick that I bought for $5 at Walmart and had some fun taking pictures.

Trail Signs near Rushford Road

Selfie with Passport Program Station

You put paper over the W07 and rub it with a pencil to prove you walked the trail.

Still getting used to using the selfie stick.

This was my first hike with my backpack but I still didn't have the chance to go to Buffalo or Rochester to purchase hiking boots.  The backpack was great, but the hike was so short that I didn't really need to drink any of the water I brought with me.  However, by the end, I could feel a blister starting to form on my right big toe.  I wore and old pair of running sneakers (my Saucony Hurricane 14s).  I really just need to throw those sneakers out.  I was able to go on Sunday and buy hiking boots so I'll get to try those out soon.

By completing this short trek I have completed 1.1 miles of the 572.5 miles of the FLT Main Branch. That means I have completed 0.2% of the trail.  Yes, its not a lot, but it is a start!

Bit by the Hiking Bug

So I've rediscovered hiking and how much I enjoy it.  When I was a kid, we went camping a lot for vacation.  I think as I got older (in addition to my parents getting older) we stopped going camping and spent our vacations at the beach.  I remember camping at Shenandoah National Park where the deer walk through out the tents and hiking to see great views.  It was also the only time I remember owning actual hiking boots before.  I also remember a few years ago in Lake George when we hiked Buck Mountain and it was crazy hard but fun.

Well the rediscover comes while training for a half marathon.  I've been running (or rather run/walking) for the past 3 years.  As of today, I've run 171 miles this year; more than the previous two years combine.  In attempt to run a farther distance, a friend and I went to Letchworth State Park to run.  Well, it turned out it was more of a hike than a run but we easily did 10+ miles.

Me at the bridge over Wolf Creek

Even though our main objective was running, I really enjoyed the parts we walked and hiked.  After that, every time I went for a long run in a park setting I just wanted to hike it and enjoy the scenery.  This happened when I tried to run at Genesee County Park.  Another influence was the preview for the movie A Walk in the Woods.  I read the book by the same title in high school and I have always thought it would awesome to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT).

So with the AT back in my brain, I wanted to reread A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  Apparently, so does everyone else and I was unable to get a digital copy from the library.  The only other ebook that the Pioneer Library System and the New York Public Library had available was a book about this Grandma who hiked the AT.  So I borrowed Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery.  It was a wonderful story and now I needed another book to fuel my trail hunger.  Luckily, someone mentioned that they were debating buying Bryson's book or Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  It was available to borrow from the library and I couldn't wait for bedtime to keep reading it.  I finished it last night and started looking for another "long-trail" book.  Now I'm reading The Appalachian Trail Girl's Guide: Part Memoir, Part Manifesto by Megan Maxwell.

In addition to reading novels about different trails, I've been doing some research of my own.  Being a school librarian, I have summers off and it would be the perfect opportunity to hike a complete trail.  However, I think the AT might be a bit much.  In looking for trails around home, I found the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT).  The FLT Main Trail is 575 miles long and starts in Pennsylvania near the Pennsylvania-New York Border in Allegany State Park.  It ends in the Catskill Mountains.  There are also various branch trails that connect to the main trail.  After looking at all the maps, I think that this would be a doable trail to through-hike in the summer.  While I'd love to through-hike the trail next summer, I don't think it would be completely doable nor would I get the support.  So I might try to section-hike the trail and try short backpacking excursions.

Finger Lakes Trail Sign at Swift Hill

So, this journal will be the documentation of my hiking adventures.  Right now, my focus will be on different parts of the FLT, but there are other adventures and challenges I'd like to do.  I bought myself a daypack and some hiking boots and I'm ready for adventure!

My Daypack