Write-Up: Bobbie Scarpino
Leader: Bobbie Scarpino
Co-Leader: Carolyn Eastman

On one of the coldest, windiest days of the winter, 14 hardy souls showed up to tramp along the towpath of the old Chenango Canal. This waterway was once the means of transporting goods between Binghamton and the Erie Canal in Utica. Now the original towpath has become a walking trail extending from Hamilton to a few miles north of Bouckville for a total of 7 miles.

We began our trek in Hamilton on a path blanketed by only an inch of snow that had fallen the night before. With the wind stinging our faces and taking our breath away, we made a beeline for the wooded part of the trail and headed north. The woods proved to be enough protection from the elements to warm us up. We were able to hike the 2 miles to the point where the towpath runs between the remnants of the canal on one side and the Woodman Pond National Wildlife Refuge on the other.

The hike was planned as a loop, but due to the chill factor, we thought it better to return the same way through the woods. We were able to continue an extra mile on the return by taking the old Utica, Clinton & Binghamton branch of the O & W railroad bed back into Hamilton, making our hike a total of 6 miles.

Everyone agreed that this hike would make a great x-c ski with a little more snow. Who would guess that less than a week later Winter Storm Stella would drop 40 inches of snow in this area!

In Tramp tradition we ended our hike with a stop at a local establishment. Soup, wings, meatloaf sandwiches with a craft brew were enjoyed at Ray Brothers BBQ.