Write-up: Walt Pillar
Leader: Walt Pillar
Co-leader:
16 hikers, including 6 first timers hiked 4.1 miles through the back trails and ravines of Sherrilbrook Park on a warm May Saturday.
After the hike, 7 of us imbibed in a glass or two of wine at the Brimfield Farm Winery
Write-up: Bobbie Scarpino
Leader: Bobbie Scarpino
On a beautiful sunny, perfect temperature day, 30 Tramps headed north from Pipestem Resort State Park to explore part of the New River Gorge, one hour and fifteen minutes away. New River Gorge just became a new national park. So new, in fact, that most of the literature about the park is still in print.
From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, we drove the short distance to the trailheads for the 5-star rated Endless Wall Trail. The first, Fern Creek, proved to be too crowded, since it’s on the map as the place to start. But we found ample parking spaces 0.5 mi. down the road at the second less populated Nuttall trailhead. The trail could be considered a loop, but the rangers did not recommend walking the 0.5 on the road to complete the loop back to our cars. We decided to do the shorter out to Diamond Point Overlook and back for 2.5 mi along the outside forested edge of a cliff wall. The wooded area was like walking in a tropical rainforest with rhododendrons creating a canopy of beautiful pink blossoms. Several spurs led to the edge of the cliff with views of the New River and the gorge. Diamond Point afforded a spectacular view of the gorge and partial view of the bridge that spans the New River. We stayed a while here taking in the beauty and enjoying our lunch. Upon the way back, a ladder used by rock climbers to access the cliff wall was discovered. Lu, Kathy, and Jean let curiosity get the best of them and climbed down the ladder to the bottom of the cliff, while the rest of us watched and took pictures of their perilous journey down into the crevice.
Returning to our vehicles, 18 of us ventured back across the New River Gorge Bridge to the Long Point Trailhead on the other side of the gorge for an additional 3.5 miles. This trail boasted a variety of plant life, including a rhododendron and mountain laurel forest, all in bloom. High up on a rock- outcropping at the end of the trail we were rewarded with an awesome view of the New River Gorge Bridge. The entire day was definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
Write-up: Mary Pat Connors
Leader: Mary Pat Connors
Co-Leader: Meg Higgerson (the muffin-maker)
Photo Credit: Jim Wasielewski, Dianna Morris, MP Connors
Our area has been getting some good Spring rains, but we were lucky to have clear skies for our hike to PlotterKill Preserve. Located in Rotterdam, Schenectady County, this is a 632-acre nature reserve and hiking area. It contains three 40-60’ waterfalls, which, after the rains were fast and full. The gorge itself was formed at the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago, but the flat rock layers were originally formed about 450 million years ago!!! Now I don’t feel so old.
You are met at the parking lot with a sign warning about steep slopes and unstable soils, and many times along the trail there were additional signs “Stay on Trail!” These should be taken seriously as there have been fatalities and emergency rescues here.
We set out on the “red trail” which under normal circumstances would be a perfect hiking loop, but apparently there is some undergoing construction around power lines that prevented it.
After taking the red down to the banks of the Plotter Kill, where it disappears into the water, we decided we would not like to chance multiple crossings of the creek with the swiftly-moving water. So we back-tracked and took a yellow-marked trail back along the creek and eventually uphill away from it. Taking the “highland” trail we meandered through hard-wood forest, with many Spring flowers dotting the way. Our resident horticulturist, Dianna, pointed out Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Mayapple and baby Poison Ivy.
The goal was to continue on the highland trail until we again reached a creek, this time, the Rynex. We did that but had to trudge through wet-lands and a good deal of MUD! Meg said when she got home each boot weighed around 8 pounds with the filthy layers.
We had a lovely lunch break on the bank of the smaller creek, and then reversed our direction heading back.
At the end of the red trail, we took a blue trail to the waterfall observation deck to view the cascade.
Continuing on that trail we did a small loop back to the parking lot.
By this time the lot was full of cars. However most of those people stayed on easy trails and near the waterfalls. We met very few hikers going the distance that we did.
A wonderful day!
Leader: Paul Sirtoli
Co-leader: Carolyn Eastman
Write-up: Paul Sirtoli
Photo Credit: Greg Sipp
The pouring rain would have made bushwhacking to Big Shanty Mt. a miserable affair, so we somewhat hardy hikers took the “high road” and walked the railroad track from Big Moose Station to Woods Creek, about half-way to Beaver River.
Our intent was to walk around 5 miles, but that morphed into a 9-mile round trip trek. I suppose we took an extended walk since the heavy deluge on the way to Old Forge was absent at Big Moose. By noon, it was slightly drizzling as we approached the parked vehicles.
Given that most of the group had not climbed the Stillwater Fire Tower, and since we were in the vicinity, we gave it a go. I won’t mention names, but some tramps just need to have more, and can’t give it a rest. Now, it WAS raining, and hard!
Protected by our rain gear, we charged up the one-mile trail, taking some refuge from the steady rain in the tower cab. Views were obscured with the dense cloud cover, but what the heck, it was another tower off the fire tower challenge list for some.
We logged 11 miles, witnessed some unique scenery along the railway corridor, and were home by mid-afternoon.
Participating in this partially wet event were Carolyn E., Phyllis D., Dave R., Greg S., Paul S., Carol S., Darlene W. and Cynthia S.
Write-up: Lu Blanchard
Leader: Lu Blanchard
Co-Leader: Meg Higgerson
The 100th Anniversary Hike took place on April 24, 2021 and the day could not have been nicer. (Our Tramp forefathers were watching out for us!) We met at the top of
Elm Street, in the Parkway parking lot and a fine gathering it was. Our members really got into the spirit of the 1920’s with bloomers, pack baskets, cloche hats and the like. WKTV was there with a reporter and a cameraman and they interviewed Meg Higgerson, 100th Anniversary Committee Chair; Bobbie Scarpino, President; Lu Blanchard, representing Abigail Dimon; Linda Cox, Abigail Dimon’s great-niece; and two hikers joining us for their first time, Terry R. and Lisa L. Meg had all 50 strong line up behind our new banner for pictures and a “champagne” toast! Five of the members who hiked the Glen in 2005 also were present, Mary Cameron and Bill Wilson who led the hike, David Drew and John Gilbert. They didn’t hike with us this time, but it was good to have them come for the pictures and toast. Madonna and Don Fellows, Jean and Emil Misiaszek, and Nancy Agen also hiked in 2005 and did hike this time as well.
It was a first in a couple of ways. First time a leader was lost! Lu forgot her pack at the Parkway and went back to get it only to find that Bill Higgerson had picked it up and taken it to the other end of Valley View to wait for the hikers. Trouble was her car keys were in it, and her phone was home, so she couldn’t tell the others that she would have to catch up with them instead of driving around to meet them at the Parks Maintenance building. The info that she had gone back never made it to the front of the line, though, so Kathy and Meg were frantic trying to call her! Oh what a way to start!
It was also the first time most of us had seen Cascade Glen or the lovely property now owned by Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA). The willows were beautiful and the reservoirs were full. We didn’t see much wildlife with this many hikers, but the antics of the hikers made up for it! The stream through the Glen was still strewn with shale and the effects of the floods of 2019 could be seen by the huge trees spread around the glen. The MVWA graciously gave up permission to hike into the property and it really was a special feeling to know that we were retracing the steps our founders had taken on their inaugural hike. In the words of one of our Tramps who couldn’t be there, “This is so much fun!”
The toast was, “To all the Tramps who led the way, who blazed the trails and seized the day. To all the Tramps now here today, and all those not yet born to play.
We salute you! Mazel Tov! (Good Luck)”
Write-up: Sue Manier
Leader: Sue Manier
Co-Leader: Meg Higgerson
21 Tramps hiked the Link Trail that begins off of Chenango Street in Cazenovia on a cool spring day. Walking a short distance along the trail we crossed a small stream that with a short hop we tried not to get our shoes wet. Continuing along the stream is a wooded field with well-constructed foot bridges. 
The group hiked 5 miles up to the entrance of the Stone Quarry Art Park. There we walked around enjoying the outdoor landscape and sculptures. On the way back we stopped at the Madison County Distillery for some liquid refreshments. It was nice to share some liquid comradery after a year’s hiatus.
Thanks to Sue and Meg for a great hike and Jim Wasielewski for taking the pictures.
(If you have Amazon Prime you can view a film about the Stone Quarry Art park.)
Write-up: Lu Blanchard
Leader: Lu Blanchard
Co-Leader: Bob Kane
As often happens with our hikes, the weather turned out much better than forecast and instead of morning rain and temps in the low 40s we had morning clouds which gave way to beautiful blue skies and sun with temps in the mid-50s. All I could think of while hiking is Gail H.’s comment on hiking on Sunday – we’re already in the blue-sky cathedral- could a church be any better?
There were five of us who explored the newly refurbished Foxy Brown x-country ski trail. According to a DEC sign, “the trail was named after Adirondack hermit Foxy Brown, whose real name was David Brennan. He moved to the area approximately in 1890 from Boston, NY(sic). Foxy Brown worked logging operations around Lake Pleasant and Speculator, then known as Newton Corners, before settling in the backcountry about 6-miles north of Piseco. He built himself a little log cabin at the lower end of an old logging flow on Fall Stream, where he lived for about 25 years….”
We were very pleased with the improvements to the trail-especially on the one stream (where an intrepid Tramp went through the snow bridge on a long-ago hike while x-country skiing with Harold and group, making for very wet and cold feet) which now has a beautiful bridge complete with a push-out, with benches no less! We took the opportunity to have lunch here. It still is a wet trail, but in the worst places, bridges have been added and a lot of cut-back has been done. There are still stands of balsam which would be lovely to walk through in the heat when the fragrance is at its peak. The trail also goes through a lot of hardwood stands that in the summer would be very cooling. Today we welcomed their openness which allowed the sun to shine through!
We heard very few birds, one woodpecker, one possible winter wren and saw even less wildlife. However, the amount of scat on the trail was evidence it is there. At one point along the western side of the trail it looked like a pack of coyotes had used the trail with multiple dumpings on about a 100-foot stretch. (Sorry, poop is cool when it happens on the trail and isn’t dog or human!) I’d suggest people get out and enjoy this trail and all the work that was done. Thanks to Mary Pat, Dianna, Kathleen and Bob for going on the hike with me.
Though this Christmas Eve Day outing was to be a ski or snowshoe our record breaking warmth this December resulted in a several mile hike on a crisp, snowless December morning. Twenty one participants enjoyed the trails of the Trenton Greenbelt and then “tailgated” with good cheer, Christmas cookies and cider.
Sixty Nine Tramps showed up to celebrate the fact that the club has conducted six thousand hikes during its ninety year history. Due to a total absence of snow we hiked the frozen BREIA Egypt Road Ski Trails and honored the custom of hanging food for the birds on trees along the way. We divided into three groups depending upon the difficulty of the hikes. One group, led by Carol Dippolito hiked around the Rim Trail, Mike Huss led another group up and down the Gully Trails, while Harold Pier led a group on a longer hike on the Great Trail out to Echo Lake Road and back. We had completed about 2/3 of the Great Trail hike when we realized that it would be getting dark in about 45 minutes so all but three of us turned around and returned to the lower parking lot. The rest of us hiked to the top of the hill where we had a view of Echo Lake road before turning around, and sure enough, we had to hike that last half mile out in the gathering darkness. As a penalty for our zeal, we didn’t get back to the Knights of Columbus hall until after five, missing the social hour in front of the fireplace downstairs and almost being late for dinner.
And what a dinner it was! Louie Casatelli, Meg Higgerson, Grace McNasser, Dianna Morris, Lu and Dick Blanchard and Nancy Coleman had set out tables decorated with LED candles and spruce bows and several groaning boards had been erected to accommodate the many, many “dishes to pass” that even included a whole roast turkey supplied by Lu.
After dessert Bonnie Sanderson introduced Santa Claus who reminded us that this was also the anniversary of the births of Carole Huxtable and Joan Purpura. Bonnie then led us in singing a medley of familiar carols and popular Christmas songs. A special feature was a rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas with individual groups being responsible for the French Hens, The Pipers Piping, The Golden Rings, etc. Each group acted out the different days and improvised their own gestures. No one will easily forget Charlene’s use of a beer bottle to portray a Piper Piping.
In past years we have employed Santa for a grab bag gift exchange, but this time we replaced this custom with a gift box for donations to the Food Bank of Central New York. Our Treasurer, Mike Huss, tells us that as a result, a check for $416 will be sent to the Food Bank. It is nice to know that others will have a little share of our Christmas feast.
By: Harold Pier