Stoney Pond

Russell Park, Ilion April 11, 2020

Russ and Dianna went exploring – at socially acceptable distances – through the little-traveled trails in Russell Park.  We entered the park via the quite steep and slippery-with-mud Bullion Trail. Leaving the more popular Horseshoe Trail, we went via the swampy Bunny Trail, then up into the hills where we took the Bushwhack Trail (not really a bushwhack as the trail is quite easy to follow) and then joined back further along the Bunny Trail. Right before the Bunny Trail joins back to the Horseshoe Trail, we took a right turn to the Eagle Trail. This trail goes through a wet, marshy area before it begins the steep climb up the hill to an area where you would more properly expect eagles to be soaring. From there the trail winds up and down hills with some steep wooded ravines along the sides. Eventually we made our way back to the upper end of the Horseshoe Trail and wandered down that trail to the Apex Trail – a quite steep, but short, trail that takes one back to the upper end of the Horseshoe Trail and on to one of the park’s pavilions. From there we made our way out to the roadway, crossed back into the woods and followed a semi-trail down to the cemetery and then back out to the Central Valley HS.

We enjoyed watching chipmunks scampering about and found some sharp-lobed hepaticas – aka liverleaf due to the shape of its leaves – one of the earliest of the spring ephemerals to bloom in northern forests. We also spotted mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum– aka Ground Lemon or Mandrake) just beginning to make them selves known if you look carefully. This is an interesting plant as the entire plant is toxic – except for the fruit that appears in late June or early July – the fruit makes a yummy jam.

Total hiking distance was 6.2 miles.