Closing in on 100 on a beautiful autumn day
Time is getting short.
I looked up this morning and discovered that lo and behold, it was almost the middle of November already. With 10 unexplored parks still on my list, I went into panic mode -- again. So I packed up my camera, my note pad, a few Pop Tarts for lunch, put gas in my car and headed south to tackle five parks in Perinton and Pittsford.
It was a wonderfully productive and enlightening day. I spent four and a half hours on the road, and walked almost six miles, enjoyed some spectacular autumn scenery, and met some wonderful people along the way.
Garnsey Road Arboretum
The Garnsey Arboretum is tucked between two residential Perinton neighborhoods off the ortnh side of Garnsey Road. There's only a small parking lot at its entrance -- more like a pull-off, actually -- which might cause you to drive right by, if not for the sign.
According to an online site I found, the Arboretum was founded in 1975, and is now home to 124 different kinds of trees. The southernmost part of the park is a large open grassy area. There are no delineated trails in this park, but keep heading to the back of the park and you'll find one heading back into the wooded area. While this trail is not marked, either, and while the thick coating of autumn leaves made it almost impossible in parts to distinguish between trail and off-trail, it was easy enough to find my way. Having said that, I was not at all hesitant to start tramping through the woods, heading down toward the stream that runs through. Since the adjacent neighborhoods were always in view through the almost leafless trees, there was little chance of getting lost.
I walked out and back in about 20 minutes, a distance of about a mile. There are no playgrounds or picnic tables or basketball courts here, just natural beauty. A makeshift fort told me that this is probably a popular play area for the neighborhood kids, reminding me of my younger years when we would spend hours in the local woods. I also happened upon a spot not far from the west-side neighborhood where a family has set up some Adirondack chairs in front of what appears to be a fire pit.
I came across a woman walking her dog, who told me "I rarely see people when we walk here." That's unfortunate, since it is such a peaceful and beautiful setting which more people should enjoy.
Because everything was so beautiful, it was difficult to stop snapping photos, so there are a lot in this gallery. Even though our area is past peak color, the yellow leaves were out in force today on all of my hikes, making every turn a new delight.
I wonder how old that fire hydrant is....
Horizon Hill Conservation Area
Horizon Hill is less than a mile west of the arboretum, on the south side of Garnsey Road. It's not technically a "park," but it's impossible to miss the large green splot on the map of Perinton, so I added it to my list, especially since I saw that the Crescent Trail winds through the area, which was calling me to hike. The parking lot is quite spacious.
As its name implies, Horizon Hill is dedicated to nature, and it does not disappoint. The Crescent Trail Association has had their hands all over this area, which means its several miles of trails are very well marked. I came to REALLY appreciate those markings as I hiked; like at Garnsey, the heavy carpet of autumn leaves obliterated the trail in many places. The frequent and clear blazes were instrumental in keeping me on track,
I chose to take the orange trail (seen at the top of the map), which led up an incline to the top of the hill and a spectacular overlook at 825 feet, where you can see downtown (on the horizon, of course). I then headed back to the parking lot on the blue trail. It was a hike of just under a mile, and took me about 20 minutes
The trail was not a difficult one, and not so steep that it was ever hard to manage. Because of the park's proximity to Rt. 490, it was tough to get away from the traffic sounds, but they were fairly inconsequential compared to the spectacular natural beauty of the trails,
I had already seen more people on the trails this day than I have on any other day of my quest. Here I had a nice conversation with Tom Phillips and Gail Smith, who were hiking the trails with their dog Marshall. Meeting fellow hikers is always a bonus.
This is a great place to hike. I highly recommend it. In the gallery below I tried to capture the beauty of this area. I respected the little red leaf in the bottom right for trying to bring a little color to the leaf carpet.
Hopkins Park
If you're following along on this blog and trying to hit up many of the parks I've explored, I'll save you the trouble on this one.
Don't bother checking out Hopkins Park. At least not this fall.
Hopkins Park is a 9.6-acre recreational area at the corner of Barker Road and Mendon Center Road in Pittsford. According to the Town of Pittsford website, it encompasses 96 acres and features "two multipurpose fields overlapping two softball fields." But you sure wouldn't know that right now.
This park is apparently undergoing major renovation. You won't find any sports fields here right now, just an active construction site. The spacious grassy fields are now just spacious dirt fields. Earth movers and backhoes were busily working to smooth the soil, while other construction vehicles awaited their turn in the parking lot. I couldn't find any reference to the work online, so I can only assume they're upgrading the sports fields. There is a restroom facility, but this also appears to be brand new; there are no names on the locked doors, and it does not appear on the Google image.
Oh, yeah, I posted a Google image here of what the park looked like before the construction.
Powder Mills Park
Powder Mills Park is a jewel in the Monroe County Park system.
Powder Mills is located on the south end of Pittsford, off of Rt. 96. Within its 380 acres, there's something for everybody: shelters, lodges, a playground, picnic tables and grills, plenty of wide open spaces, a downhill ski area, and about three miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. Powder Mills is also home to the Fish Hatchery, a popular family destination where visitors can see several varieties of fish in various stages of development.
I was just pleased to find that the restrooms were still open for business.
My first stop (after the restroom) was the Daffodil Trail, which I have heard a lot about but had never hiked before. This is an easy .7-mile trail right off the main Park Road, just the right length for a short family hike. It's well marked with bright orange blazes most of the way, but the blazes inexplicably disappeared near the end of the trail, which concerned me a bit on the leafy trail, but ultimately didn't matter much.
At the beginning of the Daffodil Trail, which winds along Irondequoit Creek, there's an unmistakable smell of sewage, but fortunately that does not last very long. A few deer bounded across my path as I walked along.
There are no daffodils at this time of year, of course. Signs indicate they're in bloom around May 1. So when I got to the end of the trail I was greeted only by an open field. But it was still a nice walk, and I understand why families enjoy it.
I then decided to hike the Trillium and Ridge trails, an out-and-back distance of about a mile, beginning at the parking area off of Park Road. Before heading out, I was waylaid by an old mill wheel and historical marker, explaining the history behind Powder Mills Park. (Turns out there used to be an old powder mill here, if you can believe that.) I always consider it a bonus to learn a bit of history on my hikes.
This was a spectacularly gorgeous hike, the kind which makes you glad you're alive. Despite the park's proximity to Rt. 490, the only sounds were the crunch of the leaves, the creaking of the trees in the wind and the screech of blue jays.
The trail head was easy to find off the parking lot, and the Trillium Trail was well marked, so I found my way to the south end pretty easily. Finding the Ridge Trail when I got there, though, was a bit more difficult. Basically, I never did find it. Instead, I found myself on Corduroy Road, looking up a very steep hill, where I assumed Ridge Trail could actually be found. With some difficulty and much puffing, I clambered up the hill and finally found the trail.
The Ridge Trail markings let me down once again near its terminus at the main parking lot. At one point a connecting trail leads to a very tall cliff, where there appeared to be no way down but to slide on your butt through the leaves. It was so tall that my fear of heights kicked in, and I felt a bit shaky and short of breath looking down. I finally decided to head back down the trail and go back where I came from if necessary. As I did, I soon found where I should have gone the first time, and with much relief, the trail headed down more gradually to its end.
If you do this hike, know that the Ridge Trail is a bit more difficult than the Trillium Trail, but as long as you can follow the blazes (easier to do in the spring and summer) it's definitely manageable.
In the gallery below are photos of the old mill wheel, the historical marker (I read the whole thing), several photos of the beautiful woods, and a shot of that very steep hill which I thought I might have to tumble down.
Royal Coach
My final park of the day was Royal Coach Park, a natural area nestled between Mendon Center Road and West Bloomfield Road, abutting the NYS Thruway to the south. There is no sign at the main entrance off of West Bloomfield Road, but there is a small parking area. I have posted the trail map above, which I had all intentions of following. It didn't turn out that way.
The trail map seemed pretty easy to follow, so I didn't even bother bringing it with me when I left the car. And since there are no trail markings, I started off on the wrong trail from the very start, heading south from the parking lot toward the stand of woods.
I'm really glad I did, because this was a spectacular hike with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
The trail traced a small pond before leading into the woods. The woods themselves were so spectacular they literally made me pause. There was only one color in the trees -- bright yellow -- which enveloped me on all sides. It was an unbelievably surreal, yet tranquil scene which belied the fact that the Thruway was less than a hundred yards away.
Two delightful surprises enhanced the experience. The first was a historical marker and the remains of the county's first sugar shack, which was destroyed by Indians back in the 1800s. The second was a whimsical face nailed into a tree. There was no sign, no indication at all of who put it there or why, just a smiling face that made me smile back.
The path also took me right up to beautiful Walnut Hill Farm, home of one of the largest carriage riding competitions in the country. I'm certain my walk was taking me along part of the competition's cross-country trail.
I continued out of the woods along the Thruway, strangely intrigued by the fact that I was so close to it. Still thinking I was on the original trail, I headed what I thought was north, planning to encircle the big field as it showed on my mental map.
This is pretty much where I got lost.
By this time I was well beyond where I thought I was, and totally unsure of what direction I was going, or even where the parking lot was. It was the first time in all my explorations that I got a little panicked. But pooling my resources (Google Maps, my compass app, and familiarity with Walnut Hill Farm) I was able to find my way back. By the time I did, I had managed to walk about 1.25 miles.
The gallery below doesn't truly capture the awe-inspiring beauty of the yellow trees, but you get the idea. The small pond is part of Walnut Hill's cross-country trail, with the farm in the background. You can also see how close I was to the Thruway.