Central & Western NY Outdoors
 August 2007 

     

 ~~~ IN THIS ISSUE ~~~      

Ecologist Shares Intriguing Findings about Owasco Flats area

Another Link Completed in the Erie Canalway Trail

The Genesee River Drainage Basin, Gorge and Mount Morris Dam

Take A Paddle and A Train Ride?

Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Get Out & Paddle - Water Trails of the Northeast

Bike Train ? A New Idea Out of Toronto

Fall FLTC Hikes - Mark Your Calendar

Nominate your Favorite Trail or Greenway for an Award!

       Ecologist Shares Intriguing Findings about Owasco Flats area
                                             Excerpted from an article by Kristina Martino in The Citizen

Mark Whitmore, project manager and stewardship ecologist for the Finger Lakes Land Trust, recently completed a year-long project involving a comprehensive inventory of natural resources, which included a survey of landowners and other stakeholders associated with the Owasco Flats area to determine their attitudes about conservation and development of the site.

The flats consist of about 1,500 acres of wetlands, forest and fields located on the southern end of Owasco Lake, including 11 ecological communities, from marshland and floodland to cropland, Whitmore described. He noted that one area of the flats, the streamside oak-hickory area, is one of the most diverse natural places in the Finger Lakes area. ?This area is really unique, with over 360 types of plants in this small area,? Whitmore said.

Local survey responses show that flats landowners hope to preserve the area's uniqueness by preventing development. Residents noted in surveys that they continue to use the area to hunt, fish and boat. ?I was very impressed. They love where they live,? Whitmore said. ?They love the area for its peace and quiet,? he said. A majority of people surveyed had no desire to change the current usage and some expressed interest in restoring wildlife habitats.

Go explore the natural beauty of Owasco Flats by hiking the 1.6-mile-loop Owasco Flats Trail (Take A Hike - Family Walks in New York's Finger Lakes Region) or by paddling 5.3 miles from Moravia to Owasco Lake on Owasco Outlet (Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Waters for Canoes & Kayaks).

       Another Link Completed in the Erie Canalway Trail

For many years now we?ve had a glorious stretch of Erie Canalway Trail stretching 85 miles from Lockport to Palmyra. That continuous trail reached new lengths recently as the New York State Canal Corporation announced the official opening of a six-mile Canalway Trail segment in Wayne County that connects to a segment of trail in Newark that was built several years ago. We now have a 94-mile continuous trail from Lockport to Newark.

The previous Palmyra end of the trail is shown in Take Your Bike ? Family Rides in New York?s Finger Lakes Region on page 205. The new trail segment now continues east from Division Street for 6 miles to connect to the map shown on page 202 (at Filkins Road) and finish at T. Spencer Knight Park in Newark.

The new trail segment features a 10-foot wide crushed limestone surface. Informational sign kiosks were installed at the Garnagua Creek Spillway and at the Whitbeck Road parking area.
With more than 250 miles of developed trail, representing more than two-thirds completion, the Erie Canalway Trail is fast becoming one of the nation?s premier cycling and multi-use trail destinations.

Click on this PDF file to read about the interesting history of the Genesee River Gorge and Mt. Morris Dam.
(An article by Robert Hennigan, as published in "Clearwater," the magazine of the New York Water Environment Association, Inc.)for newsletter

 

Water trails are an important part of the kayaking & canoeing scene. The trails help preserve access to the water, establish and maintain campsites, promote low-impact forms of recreation and create communities of stewardship to watch over our waterways. See the next article for the complete list of water trails in the Northeast. 

Here's a long one in our part of the country:
Northern Forest Canoe Trail, PO Box 565, Waitsfield, VT 05673, phone 802-496-2285
www.northernforestcanoetrail.org 

 

      Get Out & Paddle - Water Trails of the Northeast

CONNECTICUT
Upper Connecticut River Valley Water Trail
Cornerford Dam to Massachusetts border
Contact Upper Valley Land Trust, 888-356-663
www.connyak.org/

MAINE
Maine Island Trail
Coast of Maine from Portland to Machias
www.mita.org

Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Old Forge in the New York Adirondacks to Ft. Kent in northern Maine
www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/

MARYLAND
Potomac River Water Trail
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. shorelines from Western Maryland to the confluence with the Chesapeake Bay
www.potomactrail.org/inventory/segments/water.html    

NEW YORK
Hudson River Water Trail
New York City to the Erie canal north of Albany
www.hrwa.org/index.html

Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Old Forge in the New York Adirondacks to Ft. Kent in northern Maine
www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/

NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia Coastal Water Trail
Lunenburg to Halifax
www.trails.gov.ns.ca/kayak/kayak_index.html

PENNSYLVANIA
Susquehanna River Trail
Sunbury to City Island in Harrisburg, PA
http://cgis.hbg.psu.edu/SRTA/index.htm

VERMONT
Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail
New York and Vermont portions of Lake Champlain
www.lakechamplaincommittee.org/lake/paddlers.html

For additional water trails across the country visit http://seakayakermag.com/community/water_trails/_watertrails.htm

 

       Bike Train ? A New idea Out of Toronto

A group in Toronto is testing a new initiative called Bike Train. The pilot program runs from Toronto to Niagara Falls and back using Via Trains, the weekends of July 21 and August 11.

Project lead and founder, Justin Lafontaine, is currently working with partners on planning Phase 2 of the Bike Train initiative, which will likely see more departures between Toronto and Niagara in 2008, as well as one or two new pilot routes. Although none of the project partners or organizers could confirm other potential Bike Train destinations, some of the cities that were mentioned over Chardonnay at the Bike Train press event were; Ottawa, Buffalo, Rochester, Montreal and London.

One of the big challenges is the availability of baggage cars to house the bikes, as some routes ? such as Niagara and Ottawa ? do not have these as part of their existing train service. Each Bike Train passenger will receive Niagara Region Bicycling Maps when they check in at Union Station. Additional copies will be available at the Niagara Falls train station. Bike Train passengers will also receive the ?Bike Train: Guide to Exploring Niagara? along with the map. This guide features customized information for Bike Train passengers, as well as an overview of long-distance cycle routes, attractions and more tourism info. One cycle route Bike Train and partners are promoting is the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. So, even if Bike Train never comes to Rochester, you can still use the material in these links to go bicycle in the Niagara Region.

       Bike Train ? A New idea Out of Toronto

A group in Toronto is testing a new initiative called Bike Train. The pilot program runs from Toronto to Niagara Falls and back using Via Trains, the weekends of July 21 and August 11.

Project lead and founder, Justin Lafontaine, is currently working with partners on planning Phase 2 of the Bike Train initiative, which will likely see more departures between Toronto and Niagara in 2008, as well as one or two new pilot routes. Although none of the project partners or organizers could confirm other potential Bike Train destinations, some of the cities that were mentioned over Chardonnay at the Bike Train press event were; Ottawa, Buffalo, Rochester, Montreal and London.

One of the big challenges is the availability of baggage cars to house the bikes, as some routes ? such as Niagara and Ottawa ? do not have these as part of their existing train service. Each Bike Train passenger will receive Niagara Region Bicycling Maps when they check in at Union Station. Additional copies will be available at the Niagara Falls train station. Bike Train passengers will also receive the ?Bike Train: Guide to Exploring Niagara? along with the map. This guide features customized information for Bike Train passengers, as well as an overview of long-distance cycle routes, attractions and more tourism info. One cycle route Bike Train and partners are promoting is the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. So, even if Bike Train never comes to Rochester, you can still use the material in these links to go bicycle in the Niagara Region.

If you enjoy hiking with others or want to try hiking and are leary of going it alone, here are two hikes sponsored by Finger Lakes Trail Conference that you can attend. You don't have to be a FLTC member to do the hikes, but FLTC is a fun and worthwhile organization so why not join today (www.fingerlakestrail.org).

1. Interloken Overnight, September 14-16
   Hike the 11.9 miles of the Interloken Trail in the Finger Lakes National Forest with 6 miles of day hiking on Saturday & Sunday with overnights at the Potomac Group Campground in FLNF. For details contact Kim at meach@infoblvd.net, 607-324-0374 or Sharon at sharonbillgal@aol.com, 585-872-0327. (See Take A Hike - Family Walks in New York's Finger Lakes Region, pages 251-260.)

2. Abbott Loop Trail, October 13, 9 AM
   This is the FLTC annual Erv Markert Hike on the Abbott Loop trail in Danby State Forest, just south of Ithaca. This 8.4 mile loop passes through mixed hardwood and pine forests, and will offer some fine views of the fall colors, including the spectacular overlook at Thatchers Pinnacles. For details, contact Sigrid at sconnors@twcny.rr.com or Jim at jconnors@twcny.rr.com.  (See Take A Hike - Family Walks in New York's Finger Lakes Region, pages 235-237.)

 

 Give a trail champion the recognition they deserve

Parks & Trails New York is seeking nominations for its 2007 Greenway and Community Trail Awards. The awards recognize the volunteers, local businesses, governments, and not for profits across New York who have made a significant contribution to a trail project or program. The deadline for submitting nominations is August 31, 2007.
Awards will be given in five categories:

• Public Leadership
• Volunteer Service
• Corporate Partnership
• Healthy Trails, Healthy People
• Outside the Box

E-mail, fax to (518) 427-0067, or postmark and mail to Parks & Trails New York, 29 Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207, by August 31, 2007. Awards will be presented September 28, 2007 at an awards dinner at Parks & Trails New York's statewide trails and greenways conference.

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