Thornell Farm Park and Isaac Gordon Nature Center, Pittsford
First week of February, 48 degrees and bright sunshine. No WAY was I going to let this day pass without going out for a hike.
I decided to head to Pittsford, since I hadn't explored any parks there yet. And since I had some time to spare, I figured I'd explore two of them while I was in the area. Plus, I brought my bike.
It was THAT nice out.
Thornell Farm Park
Click here to see a map of the Thornell Farm Park trails.
My first stop was Thornell Farm Park, which sits right next to Pittsford Mendon High School on Pittsford Mendon Road. It was here that I decided to pull out my bike, because the main trail, which the town literature calls a "fitness trail," looked gravelly, wide and smooth.
That it was, and for the first minute or so, it was an easy, pleasant ride. At the far east end of the park, however, where an offshoot of the trail headed into some woods, I was very glad to have the bike. There were several short and more challenging trails in this small wooded area, filled with inclines, lots of tree roots and lots and lots of mud.
There's a lot of construction going on in this park, which I understand will eventually turn into a new synthetic turf playing field, and three new natural grass fields. So someday this park will be even better, and a real showplace for the town of Pittsford. Right now, though, it's a quagmire.
Several barriers have been placed on the perimeter path, indicating that it should not be used during the construction, but these are clearly regularly ignored. Those who venture onto the path, however, will find that the construction has made several sections difficult to navigate. One section is completely impassible, unless you want to be knee-deep in mud.
In addition to the trails, Thornell Farm Park is home to a sledding hill, lighted tennis and basketball courts, and a handball court.There's also something they call a playground, but it's really only a swingset that looks like it's been around since the 70s.
The perimeter trail is less than a mile. Wander through the woods a bit to add about another half mile.
Isaac Gordon Nature Park
Click here to see a map of the Isaac Gordon trails.
This park offered several surprises.
I decided to hike this one on foot, since I didn't know exactly what the trails would be like. The first section of the trail, heading east from the parking lot on Clover Street, presented a strangely dissonant experience.
On your right, as you walk, is a farmer's field. It's bare right now, of course, but clearly it's an active field and every summer is bursting with beautiful, tall corn stalks. It would be a bucolic scene if not for the sounds of Thruway traffic to the south and glimpses of a huge subdivision under development to the north.
I had high hopes for this trail, though, since one of its main features (according to the trail map and signs near the parking lot) was some sort of observation platform. So I continued to follow the signs, which in a little less than half a mile brought into a more peaceful wooded area and to the observation platform.
As nice as the farmer's field was, the east end of this park is definitely the more beautiful part. Once you get past the farmer's field, the trails here in this wooded area, beginning at the observation platform, wind along wetlands filled with cattails, reeds and lesser-used paths with crunchy leaves. Back here you can almost forget about the construction and denuded land only a few hundred yards away, and even the Thruway noise is muted.
You can also kind of forget where you are.
At least that's sort of what happened to me. I had a trail map, but while it shows the trails, it doesn't mark them very well. And a map I found at a trail head near the end of my hike (when it was too late to help) actually showed an additional trail that's not on the map on the town's website.
So I'm not sure exactly where I was hiking; I just kept exploring every new new trail I came across. One of them brought me face-to-face with three friendly horses.
I eventually made my way back to the path along the field, and returned to the parking lot down the south side. Big mistake. It was hugely muddy and I had to pick my way along the edge and through the woods to keep from rendering my sneakers completely trash-worthy. (Note to self: next time wear hiking boots.)
I saw a few bikers and several dog walkers also enjoying the beautiful day. They knew enough to take the drier, north-side trail.
I'm not sure how far I walked, since I kind of got lost, and I forgot to load up my RunKeeper app. But I'm guessing it was a couple of miles and took me about an hour. Well worth the time.
This park, by the way, is all about the trails. There are no other facilities.
