Tramp & Trail

Write-up: Dianna Morris
Leader: Dianna Morris
Co-Leader: Greg Sipp

Thirty-seven (!!!) of us took off on a nice autumn morning to hike the Woodhull State Forest trail. Since we walked along a groomed, two-way snowmobile trail, this made for easy hiking and socializing.

There is one steep hill on this trail, otherwise the trail is relatively flat. With only one minor incidence of exhaustion on the part of a first-time hiker (who recovered quickly after she got off the trail), we all had a pleasant walk in the woods. We made it out to our cars and enjoyed caramel apple oatmal cookies just before it began sprinkling.

Woodhull State Forest was acquired by NTS in 1955. There are unmaintained skid trails in the 567-acre forest that make me think this might be a nice map and compass/bushwhack forest to explore on another Tramp outing, but the snowmobile trail is the only maintained trail. This is a nice, easy trail to keep in mind for a close-to Mapledale hike, but I would not suggest using it for winter activity unless you want to constantly be dodging off the trail to avoid the snowmobile traffic. As far as I can find out, this as the first time the Tramps have hiked in this forest.

Write-up: Dianna Morris
Leader: Dianna Morris
Co-Leader: Lorrie Wazielewski

A beautiful day that was originally forecast to be rain-filled, but turned out warm and mostly sunny had 28 of us heading off to explore the nature trail. The ride over Jordanville Rd to Van Hornesville was pretty with distant hills covered with muted autumn colors and rolling farm fields along the road. The trail we hiked was originally an 18^th century trail and was used by Washington and early settlers as an area the British did not know of so the settlers were able to build their homes and use the creek waterfalls as a means of powering their grain and saw mills. These replaced mills burned out by the British along the Mohawk River during the Revolutionary War. In several places along the Otsquago Creek you can still see remnants of gears that worked the mills and broken up stone dams.

Since hiking with me usually means taking the trail less traveled, I soon had some brave Tramps climbing down to the side of the creek to follow it a short way – for no other reason than it is always fun to hike along running water.

The rest of the Tramps were instructed to follow the main trail to the caves where we would meet up with them after clambering back up the hillside. We had fun checking out the caves, taking the stairs down to the water and then headed back up and followed the trail to where it reached a bend in the creek. The only way forward from here was to wade through the creek – which is a fun adventure, but not when the water is cold and no one was prepared for such an adventure! We turned back and took the stairway up the steep hillside to the Plank Rd Extension and followed it to where it became private land – so we turned around and took the Plank Rd back to the cars. It was  beautiful day to be out in the woods in the company of fun-loving Tramps!

Write-up: Dianna Morris
Leader: Dianna Morris
Co-Leader: Tom Smith

A large group of us met up at Gems Along the Mohawk – which, on that day, was not a great place to meet up as there was limited parking due to a bus trip that took off before we got there. I gave everyone verbal instructions of where we were headed and took off – and waited each time after 3 traffic lights on Main St in Mohawk – and still managed to almost lose a few people who had a hard time exiting Gems Along the Mohawk.

Eventually we all ended up at the Mohawk end of Spinnerville Gulf Rd and began the hike from there. The first half-mile of the hike was downhill along the closed off road (too many wash- outs from the streams on either side of the road caused the state to close the road to traffic many years ago). It was a fantastic autumn day to be outside with temps warm enough for many to be in tee shirts and shorts. Fall asters, jewelweed, Japanese bamboo and other wild flowers lined the roadway.

A half-mile down the road we turned onto the trail that led to the falls. Here the footing became a bit more difficult with lots of small rocks to negotiate as we hiked up a trail that in some seasons also serves as an overflow extension of the creek we hiked along. A final bend in the trail and we all could see the trail and many of us walked along the trail up under the cliffs to get to the base of the falls – it has been very dry so the falls were more like a bridal veil falls than the roaring torrent one may see earlier in the season. I then offered the hikers a choice of crossing the creek and taking the trail on the other side to the top of the falls, OR remaining to rest at the base of the falls until we came back down, OR heading back out to the cars. Most of the Tramps decided to follow me across and up to the top with a few heading back to the cars and a few waiting at the base of the falls..so options are good and prove to accommodate all levels of hikers!

After a steep clamber to the top of the falls we turned and headed back down – choosing to head straight down at one point rather than risking sliding down the initial steep slippery part of the trail so that we wouldn’t end up in the creek – recrossed the creek, gathered up those waiting at the foot of the falls and hiked back out to the old road. Here it was decision time again – cross the road and follow the trail a half-mile up a hill and back, head to the cars or head down the old road to another trail which was very slippery and steep and head back uphill. We opted for the 2nd choice – a smart decision! At one point on the trail we intersected the gasline right-of-way between Mohawk and Ilion – it looked like a very steep ski slope and I think I almost got some crazy Tramps to agree to climb down one side of the right-of-way and back up the other side with me – but we behaved ourselves and headed back out to the old roadway where the official hike ended and most headed back out to the cars.

There were 6 other Tramps looking for more fun so we decided to check out a trail I had not yet explored – which led us up a steep, almost wild trail that ended up along another section of the gas line right-of-way. We decided to head up the right of way to the top of the hill, and, once we got to the top, we were glad we did. The view of the Mohawk Valley from the top was fantastic and included the windmills off in Fairport – so it was worth the scramble up the rocks, wood chips and bushes on the right-of way!

After a brief break to satisfy our hungry stomachs we continued to explore and found a large field up top that someone had mowed a pathway in at some time this summer, so we followed it until it headed to a trail back into the woods – something I’ll have to explore another day. I have a feeling it might end up taking us back to the top of the falls – which would make it a fun future, strenuous loop hike for a future day!

Fifteen Tramps met in Newcomb at 9:30 and drove to Minerva and the Northwoods Club Road.  We took a slight “detour”  to check out the rustic wooden gates at the entrance to the Northwoods Club. This club, established as a farm and hotel in 1850 was frequented by the rich and famous. Winslow Homer* painted there in the summers and rumor has it that in 1919 the “4 Vagabonds” (Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison and John Burrows) also visited with a 50 vehicle camping convoy! 

   Back on the trail, we had an up and down hike with the Hudson often within hearing distance.  As we came down to the shore, we had views of the 450 ft ledges across the Hudson then a number of rafts floated by or pulled in for lunch.  What luck!!

  Our hike was a pleasant 5 miles of mud, roots and bridges! 

Write-up: Walt Pillar
Leader: Walt Pillar
Co-Leader: Meg Higgerson

14 of us biked, hiked and rode the 5 miles into the Great Camp Santanoni on a gloomy September day. A special tour with a description of the history and activities of the camp and farm were given by Bill and Meg Higgerson, who are part of a group restoring the camp.


The Higgersons hosted a wonderful barbecue at their nearby mini-great camp after the tour.

Leader: Mark Decker
Co-leader: Margaret Decker

We had 29 people hike on a beautiful day on the Mohawk river in Rome.  The Mohawk river is 149 miles long and the largest tributary of the Hudson River.  The Mohawk flows into the Hudson river in Cohoes, NY

Write-up: Greg Sipp
Leader – Greg Sipp
Co-Leader – Madonna Fellows

Fifteen of us hiked briskly to the lean-to at Bear Lake near McKeever with everyone making it.  It was a gorgeous day with temps in the low 70’s, hiking approx 5.5 miles round trip.  A prior attempt on snow shoes resulted in less than perfect results and a rep that Sharon says is unshakeable.  Lunch at the lean-to was nice with minimal bug annoyance and then we hiked back.  

While heading back, Dick lent his “leatherman” to another hiker to remove a fishing hook from his dog that was swimming in the lake.  At the same time a group of hikers with their dogs were passing by with one happening to be a veterinarian who also aided assistance.

Write-up: Walt Pillar
Leader: Walt Pillar
Co-Leader: Jim Wazielewski

13 of us (10 Tramps, 1 newbie and 2 interlopers) paddled 6.5 miles from the launch on Brookwood Point to the Stone Bridge on the Susquehanna, back up the lake to Kingfisher Tower and stopped for lunch at the Blue Mingo Café before returning to Brookwood Point.

The weather was great but the lake was choppy; company was great. Blue shirts were the uniform of the day.

More photos may be seen at https://www.trampntrail.org/august-2019/

Write-up: Mary Pat Connors
Leader: Mary Pat Connors
Co-Leader: Madonna Fellows

The weather forecast was iffy, but seven Tramps took the chance on going the distance to Forked Lake. We put in at Whitney Point, toward the western end of Forked Lake, in order to be closer to the outlet to Brandreth Lake.

We agreed to explore Brandreth Lake outlet as far as we could without going over a beaver dam. We saw several beaver lodges, but were able to paddle a good way before turning around.

The lake was very pretty and peaceful with only a few kayaking and a few fishing. The south shore has only campsites, and the north shore is privately owned by the Whitney family.

We paddled toward Little Forked Lake which is privately owned, to check out the cable marking private property, but the clouds that had been following us, were getting darker, so we headed back.

We were able to disembark and load kayaks without a drop. As we drove down N. Point Rd., you could see that it had rained there but not at our end. Someone was watching over us. We did hit torrential rains driving down Rt. 28, but missed the floods that were occurring in Utica, due to our lengthy stop at Kratzy’s for food and beverage.