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History of the Finger Lakes Trail 1962–2002 The Early Years: Part 1 of 5 by Tom Reimers “A Brief History of the Finger Lakes ment of the approximately 100 meet- Trail” was written by Tom Reimers in representatives in Congress urging ing registrants, the swimming pool 1992 to commemorate the 30th anni- support for the Wilderness Bill, which below Buttermilk Falls was closed versary of the Finger Lakes Trail eventually established the national because of the summer’s drought. System. It was updated in 2002 for the policy for wilderness preservation. 40th anniversary. The following article It was agreed at the meeting of trail is the first of five based upon these The second annual meeting of the organizers in 1961 that they would build a new trans-New York hiking documents. FLTC was held at Camp Duffield in western New York on May 18 and 19, trail across the scenic southern ends n the summer of 1961 Wallace D. 1963. The featured speaker was Mr. of the Finger Lakes to connect hiking Wood of Rochester, New York, Owen Allen, one of only 25 people at trails in Allegany State Park with I hiked portions of the Appalachian the time who had hiked the entire those in the Catskills. The precise and Long Trails in Vermont. It Appalachian Trail in a single three- route of the main FLT was left for the occurred to him that a similar trail month hike. A substantial treasury local clubs to decide. Spur trails to system might be possible in New York. balance of $371.53 was reported. In spots of similar interest not on line of He presented the idea to the Genesee its second year of existence, the con- the main trail also were to be built or Valley Hiking Club, and a committee ference already had over 100 adult included in the FLT System. was formed to investigate prospects for and family memberships, 10 student In 1962 the FLTC accepted sponsor- cooperation of regional outdoor clubs memberships, 10 organizational to build a long-distance trail in New ships for 70 miles of the main FLT memberships, and one commercial each from the Cayuga Trails Club and York. A meeting of 12 people was held membership. The constitution and in Rochester in November 1961 to Foothills Trail Club. Soon after, spon- bylaws, which were approved at the sorships by the Genesee Valley discuss the idea of a trail system. second annual meeting, established Hiking Club, the Adirondack The following year, approximately 100 the purpose of the conference as Mountain Club-Onondaga Chapter, people met in the auditorium of Keuka “promoting, planning, construction, and the Cornell University Outing College near Penn Yan, New York, on and maintenance, directly or through Club were presented to the Board of Saturday, March 17, for the opening other organizations and individuals, Managers and approved. session of the first annual meeting of of a continuous footpath...across part the Finger Lakes Trail Conference of New York State in a generally east- The Cayuga Trails Club used an air- (FLTC). The FLTC was organized at west direction south of the Finger plane in 1962 to scout for trail route. that meeting to promote and coordinate Lakes with or without lateral exten- Cruising at 80 mph, Fred L. Hiltz the building and maintenance of the sions north or south of the main east- reported to the club that he had flown Finger Lakes Trailway, as the system west part.” Other purposes for the “at 500 feet or a bit higher, because I was called in those days. Participants organization stipulated in the consti- don’t like to be too low in narrow discussed classes of membership, tution included encouragement and spaces like Michigan Hollow.” Hiltz approved annual dues, voted for promotion of educational uses of the explained, “Visibility at that altitude incorporation of the FLTC, and elected FLT and the conservation of natural is good enough to see animal tracks in the first FLTC Board of Managers and resources. the snow. Even at higher altitudes, you can see whether trail clearings officers. Wallace D. Wood was elected The FLTC Fall Campout is another president. The name of the conference will be brush-whip work or power annual event drawing many members saw work.” Hiltz was a graduate and name of the trail also were and guests from all over New York approved at this meeting. The new student in the College of Veterinary State. It includes a Board of Managers Medicine at Cornell University and Board of Managers met for the first meeting, hikes, and evening entertain- time after adjournment of the general one of several members of the Cornell ment. The newly formed FLTC did Outing Club who assisted the Cayuga meeting of the conference on Sunday. not waste any time getting things or- Trails Club in routing trail. A 10- The first issue of Finger Lakes Trail ganized. The first Fall Campout was minute flight over Connecticut Hill in News was published in April 1962. It hosted by the Cayuga Trails Club on Tompkins County, with the fold- consisted of eight pages covering the September 7 to 9, 1962, at Buttermilk down door of his Piper PA-11 open first annual meeting, outings, the Falls State Park near Ithaca, New for better viewing, did the work of “Message from the President,” a report York. A hike on the FLT on Saturday walking for several days. Fred also from the trails committee, and went up Lick Brook gorge, still an un- piloted a Tripacer on June 6, 1964, for descriptions of two branch trails, spoiled and undeveloped gorge the FLTC to scout 350 miles of among other items. It also included a owned and protected by the Finger possible trail route in the area of the request that readers write to their Lakes Land Trust. To the disappoint- Catskill Mountains. □ Reprinted from the Finger Lakes Trail News, Spring 2009 History of the Finger Lakes Trail 1962–2002 Early Trail Building: Part 2 of 5 by Tom Reimers “A Brief History of the Finger Lakes extends 175 miles north from the the close of the sixth annual meeting Trail” was written by Tom Reimers in Pennsylvania-New York border to its of the FLTC. The original lean-to was 1992 to commemorate the 30th anni- current northern destination, the replaced in 1997. Also on May 7, versary of the Finger Lakes Trail Rainbow Bridge on the U.S.-Canada 1967, the Adirondack Mountain Club- System. It was updated in 2002 for the border. Its southern portion, dedicated Onondaga Chapter celebrated the gala 40th anniversary. The following article on September 18, 1965, serves as the opening of the Onondaga Trail. The with minor 2009 updates is the second western section of the main FLT. trail then was only 3.5 miles long. of five based upon these documents. Today this branch trail is 46 miles The third branch trail—the Bristol he origins of two major branch long heading north from the main Hills Branch—was officially accepted FLT near Cuyler, New York, through trails, the Interloken and into the FLT System on June 9, 1962. Conservation Trails, go back to Morgan Hill State Forest, Labrador T This 55-mile trail was planned Hollow Unique Area, Highland Forest the late 1950s and early 60s. The initially by Wallace Wood and County Park, DeRuyter State Forest, Interloken Trail runs down the “Hector representatives from the Otetiana Backbone” between Cayuga and and Tioughnioga State Wildlife Council of Boy Scouts, Seven Lakes Management Area to northeast of Seneca Lakes from Butcher Hill near Council of Girl Scouts, and Penn Yan New Woodstock. Interlaken (spelled with an “a,” not an Senior Girl Scouts. “o”) through the Finger Lakes National A ceremony in December 1970 Forest to Bennettsburg. Alec Proskine In the fall of 1965 the Cayuga Trails attended by state park officials, of Trumansburg, New York, got the Club and the Adirondack Mountain private landowners, and Cayuga idea for the Interloken Trail while Club-Onondaga Chapter acquired two Trails Club members highlighted the climbing the west side of Butcher Hill. trail shelters from the New York State opening of a spur trail connecting the On January 2, 1960, 72 Boy Scouts and Conservation Department (now called FLT in Robert H. Treman State Park leaders and members of the NYS Department of Environmental with the upper section of Buttermilk Trumansburg Rotary Club started work Conservation). The Tamarack and Falls State Park near Ithaca. The on the trail. After only one month all Hemlock Glen lean-tos were Letchworth Trail, another branch of 12 miles of the trail had been dismantled and moved piece-by-piece the main FLT, was dedicated in completed! The Interloken Trail from near Lapeer, New York, in November 1980. This trail is 25 miles follows a north-south direction off the Cortland County to their present long and runs along the east bank of main FLT through forests, open fields, locations on the FLT south of Danby the Genesee River gorge in Letch- in Tompkins County and on Morgan and wetlands. worth State Park. The fairly level trail Hill near Truxton, Cortland County. Planning for the Conservation Trail, passes through an ever-changing The cornerstone of Tamarack Lean-to variety of woodlands. It provides another north-south foot trail to was laid on October 10, 1965, in a connect the Buffalo, New York, area spectacular views of the “Grand ceremony described by a local radio Canyon of the East.” In 1985, the with Allegany State Park, began in station as “perhaps the first time in January 1961 with actual work starting Queen Catherine Marsh Trail near the history of the world that a Watkins Glen south of Seneca Lake in November of that year.

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