The Hiking Blog

The Bristol Hills Trail

Posted on by Evan

As seasons change, so do our methods of outdoor recreation. When ILoveNY starts to put out their Fall Foliage Report, it ques my brain to contemplate hiking in the Adirondacks.

Naples Creek Trail Head

The ADK region is usually first for peak foliage in early October, and I wasn’t able to make it work. Luckily here in the Finger Lakes, peak is much later. The large bodies of water hold heat and delay the onset of cooler temperatures needed to trigger the color change in leaves, and extend the fall foliage season. The FLX has some challenging hikes, and I set my sights on Naples. The Bristol Hills Trail is a 50-mile branch trail of the 900+ mile Finger Lakes Trail System.

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Tagged: Hiking, Western NY3 Comments

Goodnow Mountain Ramble

Posted on by Peter Minde

As I wrote this on 14 October, fat, waterlogged snowflakes were pelting out of the sky and accumulating in my yard. The upcoming weekend was Columbus Day, the swan song for hikers. On Sunday, I got out into the woods, hoping to get a measure of solitude. I gazed at the bottom of the map. Hoffman Notch or Goodnow Mountain?

I chose Goodnow. The trailheads alongside Route 73 confirmed my decision. They were all stuffed to the max with cars. I wouldn’t mind climbing Cascade again, but not with 500 of my closest friends. I turned onto the Northway to dash down to exit 29 and Blue Ridge Road.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Hiking4 Comments

Trenton Falls Scenic Trail

Posted on by Robert

Autumn is a great time to view scenic waterfalls in upstate. Places like Watkins Glen and Kaaterskill come alive in blaze of yellow and red. Just north of Utica there’s a set of falls that rival some of these gorge’s but with an exclusive twist. It is only visible twice a year.

Trenton Falls Scenic Trails
Trenton Falls Scenic Trails

Trenton Falls is only open to the public one weekend in the spring and one weekend in the fall. As luck would have it, my Dad saw a news piece on Trenton the week of the fall opening and called me to tell me my parents wanted to walk it. The path is a family-friendly gravel trail with some dirt and mulch cut offs to scenic overlooks. We made plans for Saturday when the weather looked best.

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Tagged: Central NY, Hiking5 Comments