Triple Cities Hiking Club Hikes Near Cortland

hikers from the Triple Cities Hiking Club (photo from TCHC)

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submitted by Larry Blumberg of the Triple Cities Hiking Club

A very high turnout matched the very high temperatures (upper 70's) as 17 hikers met Saturday for a really nice stretch of Finger Lakes Trail in Cortland County on FLT Maps M21 and M20.

We started high up on Cortland Two Rd, west of the Cheningo Day Use Area in Taylor Valley State Forest. This was the spot where Susan Blumberg, Diana Liu, Karen Goodman, and I had last left off in the Fall of 2009 -- this hike was the continuation of our methodical east-to-west trek along the FLT with the self-imposed requirement that each hike be done 'in order'.

From Cortland Two Rd our hike took us over Mt Roderick, Mt Tego, across NY Rte 41, and up Solon Hill to our ending point at the intersection of Baker Schoolhouse Rd and McGraw Marathon Rd (wow, say that fast 3x times !). No question that our progress up each hill seemingly slowed as the unusually warm weather began taking its toll on us, it was only a few days ago that we had been hit with a raw cold rain.

Up on Mt Roderick we were fortunate to run into Tim Davis, a trail steward from the Onodaga Chapter of the ADK (Adirondack Mtn Club). Tim was out clearing the last of the winter blowdown from his section of trail. We very much appreciated Tim's efforts, and gave him a standing ovation (well, ok, we were already standing, but it was an ovation nonetheless !) after enjoying a nice chat with him.

hikers from the Triple Cities Hiking Club (photo from TCHC)

Lunch #1 was taken at the register box on Mt Tego, lunch #2 at the top of Solon Hill...and for about half of us, desert was taken at the "Scoop" ice cream place in Whitney Point on the drive back to Binghamton (yes, when out hiking I am a firm believer that lunch begins the moment breakfast is over, and doesn't end till supper begins !)

This segment is on FLTC maps M20, M21

See Finger Lakes Trail