Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Inc. NON-PROFIT 6111 Visitor Center Road ORGANIZATION Mt. Morris, NY 14510 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Address Service Requested ROCHESTER, NY PERMIT NO. 928 Finger Lakes Trail NEWS Spring 2013 Dawn along Seeley Creek near its junction with the Chemung River, Chemung County. Note to self: get outside earlier in the morning! Photo by Vinnie Collins Inside... New Trail Off Road FLTC Spring Weekend 2013 The Trail of Surprises President’s Message Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Inc. Pat Monahan Calendar of Events As I begin to write this in the middle of winter, I Construction and Trail Inventory and Mapping March 16...................Board of Managers Meeting, Hobart & Wm. Smith Colleges in Geneva must tell you that it is 60 degrees and overcast. The to Vice President levels pending membership snow has melted away in my favorite snowshoe approval at the annual meeting. This will require April 6 .......................Trail Council in Canandaigua locations and I am ready for spring!! I suspect my a change in our by-laws as well as our Guide to April 20 .....................First hike of Schuyler Cross-County Series wishful thinking will quickly drop with the chilling Responsibilities documents for each position. temperatures to finish out winter 2012/13. Even • Website and online store issues were discussed. April 20-21 ................Chainsaw training: one space left. Birdseye Hollow State Forest southeast of Bath though spring (a.k.a. mud season to some) is not that • We determined we would pilot a newsletter May 17 ......................Deadline for Summer FLT News far away, I am ready, willing and able to make the first publication process with a volunteer newsletter footprint for the season. editor and a paid graphic designer (in house) to May 18 ......................Club Presidents’ Council in Canandaigua I promised in my last message to give you a more determine its efficiency and effectiveness. May 18-19.................Chainsaw training: one space left. Birdseye Hollow complete review of our November Board retreat at • The question of trail register uniformity along the Letchworth State Park Conference Center. The the entire trail system was raised and tabled for May 25 ......................Wally Wood Rainbow hike. See pg. 29 Old FLT News Issues days were filled with meetings followed with time for further discussion in the future. May 31-June 2 ..........Spring Weekend and Annual Meeting Archived on Our Website reflection, conversations at mealtimes and a walk in I am very pleased to announce that Irene Szabo has on June 1 in Alfred the park to refresh the body, mind and spirit. We had a taken over as our Newsletter Editor. She will be If you haven’t saved every precious issue of your FLT News magazines since 1985 (and why not?), productive weekend: assisted by Brenda Reeb. Jennifer Hopper in our June 1 .......................AHS National Trails Day now you can check recent prior issues online at • The 2013 budget was reviewed with some office, with the help of our Executive Director, Dick June 2 ........................Board of Managers Meeting in Alfred www.fingerlakestrail.org adjustments and approved. Hubbard, will be responsible for layout and design. • Our long-range plan was reviewed and updated. The spring issue is the second from this group. I June 16 .....................First hike of Hiking 101 Series All but the most recent issues are now available back through 2006 in the Members section of the There were only minor changes: update have received many outstanding comments about the July 27 ......................Ed Sidote Hike. See pg. 29 website, under Library. membership targets (from 5% to 4% increase to winter issue and expect more of the same as we move October 3-6...............Fall Campout in the Catskills reflect a downtrend in our membership numbers); forward. identify new member demographics to target During the month of March, you will receive a mailing Please check the FLT website (www.fingerlakestrail.org) membership and marketing strategies; publicize about our annual membership drive and our annual for up-to-date calendar information. awareness of protecting the trail forever (with trail meeting. Your membership renewal is critical to the easements) to our members and affiliate clubs. health of our organization. I hope you will continue Mark Your Calendars For The Annual Fall Campout • The updated safety manual was reviewed and as a valued member and find a few of your friends to approved with a few additional revisions. join with you. Your membership helps the FLTC fund Thursday, Oct 3 thru Sunday, Oct 6 • A SUNY Geneseo student marketing study was the many projects that help to build, maintain, enhance Camp Amahami, near Deposit, NY in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains discussed. Implications and further review and promote a continuous footpath across New York Hosted by the Binghamton-based Triple Cities Hiking Club (TCHC) with our new Vice President of Membership and State. Forever. As a member, you can vote on by-law Look for full registration info in the Summer edition of the FLT News Marketing will occur later this year. changes and a slate of new Board members (see page Magazine and on the FLT website (available June 2013) • Our organizational chart was reviewed and 10) at our annual meeting on June 1 during the Spring updated and is now on the website. It was also Conference at Alfred University. I encourage you to Campout Features: agreed to change the Directors of Crews and attend and have your voice heard at the meeting. Finally, I want to publicly thank all of our * Thursday night lodging in conjunction with Friday breakfast and landowners who give us permission to walk on their choice of two full-day Catskill hikes * Full range of Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday hikes from Photos by land. We would not be able to enjoy the FLT trail Map M24 to Map M30, including all the latest Catskill reroutes Irene Szabo system without the permission of over 400 private landowners! I have encouraged them to consider a * Organized biking Friday afternoon and Saturday trail easement that would give us permission forever. * Friday evening hikers’ trivia contest and ice cream social * Saturday evening presentation “Around the Globe,” by the FLTC’s I remind each of you to say thank you to the next own Jack Vanderzee landowner that you see. Those few words of gratitude * Range of accommodations from modern bunk rooms to rustic cabins go a long way in demonstrating our appreciation for to bring your own camper or tent those beautiful views along the trail. * Motels located in Deposit, Bainbridge, Sidney, and Binghamton Go ahead; read the rest of the newsletter later. For Board members at November retreat. At least Flip chart with Saturday’s * Home-style meals supplied by the best chefs the TCHC has to offer ! the surroundings at Letchworth State Park’s agenda of ambitious topics. now, “Go take a hike!” Photos courtesy of Camp Amahami Conference Center are grand, both inside and out. SPRING 2013 Mission Statement The mission of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference is to build, protect, enhance, and promote a continuous footpath across New York State. Forever! CONTENTS FINGER LAKES TRAIL NEWS Volume 52 Number 1 4 The Trail of Surprises 7 Annual Meeting/Spring Weekend Finger Lakes Trail Conference Service Center Schedule and Registration 6111 Visitor Center Road 10 Invitation to Annual Meeting and Board Nominees Mt. Morris, NY 14510 (585) 658-9320 14 New Trail Off Road 28 2013 Schuyler County Hike Series Editor Irene Szabo 30 2013 Howard Beye Memorial Hike 34 One Happy Enough Landowner Editing Assistance Brenda Reeb Layout/Graphic Design DEPARTMENTS Jennifer Hopper 12 Bug Bites End-to-End Update 19 Faces of the FLT: Meachams Jacqui Wensich 20 End to End Album: Kirk Doyle #351 Trail Medicine 26, 27 Help Wanted: Volunteer Opportunities Bob Michiel 29 FLT Named Hike Events Walking through Time 31 End to End Album: Jon Bowen #352 Irene Szabo, Tim Wilbur 33 Name that Map! Natural Connections Answers to the Winter Quiz John A-X. Morris FLT Archives COLUMNS Georgeanne Vyverberg Inside front cover... Executive Director President’s Message Dick Hubbard 11 Executive Director Report Finger Lakes Trail News is the official 16 Natural Connections: March IV publication of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Inc., and is published four 18 From the Archives times a year by the Finger Lakes Trail 21 End-to-End Update Conference, 6111 Visitor Center Road, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. Comments and 22 Trail Medicine: Tick Borne Diseases that Pose Risks to original contributions are welcome and Hikers may be submitted to Irene Szabo, 6939 Creek Road, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. 24 Trail Topics, reports from the trail management directors Phone (585) 658-4321. [email protected]. FRONT COVER: The trail goes through a charming sheep pasture in Send address changes to Finger Lakes Garwoods on Map M8, Allegany County. Here during a hike in May Trail Conference at the Mt. Morris ad- 2007, the group sat for lunch. This same place will be featured during a dress listed above or [email protected]. hike planned for our spring weekend this year. Photo by Jacqui Wensich. Copyright © 2013 by Finger Lakes THIS PAGE: Railroad bridge as viewed from our trail below, in Letch- Trail Conference, Inc. worth State Park. Its days are numbered, but as you can see from the number on each base, it’s already 138 years old! Walk beneath it at the Upper Falls during the Spring weekend. Photo by Jacqui Wensich www.fingerlakestrail.org Finger Lakes Trail News Spring 2013 3 The Trail of Surprises By Rachel Frey “Now, THIS is a real vacation,” hiking over 400 miles on the North mud.