The Bristol Hills Trail

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.

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.

Having frequented Ontario County Park I was familiar with it being the northern terminus for the Bristol Hills Trail and wanted to hike a section in the High Tor (High Peak) region of Naples. The High Tor Wildlife Management area is run by the DEC for the purposes of conservation and recreation.

There are opportunities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts from paddling, cycling, hiking, fishing, and hunting. Via AllTrails, I had selected a 12 mile section of the The Bristol Hills Trail with 2k in elevation gain. I felt this would more than makeup for missing out on the ADK’s this year.

The morning was 35° and frosty, but had sun and blue skies coming. Tiff, Dan and I had layered up, starting the hike alongside Naples Creek. We were the only car parked in the lot, and only passed a couple other hikers over the course of the day.

Most of our elevation gain was at the beginning of the hike. Lucky for us, switchbacks dispersed the load making it attainable to climb continuously. The trail markers were okay, but with the AllTrails map in the palm of my hand, I navigated us to a pond for a scenic break.

On a memorial bench overlooking the pond, we shed a layer and admired the peaceful view while devouring Uncrustable PB&J’s. Although not the healthiest option, we reminisced on eating Uncrustables growing up and that it’s still a go-to outdoor snack for us while hiking and skiing.

Ironically I read an article recently saying NFL teams consume a copious amount of Uncrustables, one team was up to 7,000 sandwiches a week! We joked about the need to start hiking at a much higher intensity to match that consumption.

The hillside we had now summited, was facing northwest and did not have many scenic overlooks, but one did treat us to a view of the south end of Canandaigua Lake. We continued on our journey, and I saw on the AllTrails map an option to connect to Conklin Gully.

I deviated from the original plan, knowing Dan hadn’t been to Conklin Gully before, and was worth the additional elevation change we would take on. Steep terrain and dewy leaves made this connecting section of the hike a little more technical, I was grateful we were hiking somewhere that doesn’t have overcrowding issues.

Upon arrival I was quickly reminded of just how big Conklin Gully is, and was glad we made it part of our hike. We took in the view at the top of a dry Angel Falls, which stands 120 feet tall and flows into the gully. We continued along the gorge rim to another lookout and decided it would be a good spot to take our lunch break.

I felt we could have eaten unlimited Uncrustables, but Dan had ever so kindly prepped and packed burritos for lunch. Wrapped in foil they were still warm and hit the spot, fueling us the rest of the way.

We continued our climb to the boundary of the High Tor area. Although there was no view, I noticed a cell tower and was then connecting the dots, realizing how far and high we had hiked. We all had noticed over the course of the hike how different certain sections had felt, it was as if we had done four different hikes noting the varying foliage, plants, and diverse trees.

As we started our controlled descent, we conversed about the ski season soon approaching. One piece of exciting news was that Hunt Hollow — located just outside the village of Naples — had recently joined Indy Pass! As passholders, we were stoked and looking forward to spending time there this season. This conversation of ski hype took us all the way back to the parking lot before we knew it.

As we changed out of our hiking boots into fresh socks and shoes, I thought of one last thing we needed to complete our day: grape pie. Naples is known for its wineries and grape pie, even hosting an annual Grape Festival in September. At this point, the grape pie was non-negotiable. We picked one up in town and continued home to catch the Bills game. I couldn’t wait to cut into the pie, so much so I neglected unpacking the car. With sore legs, football on, and a tasty treat, we were fulfilled with fall adventure.