Outblog No. 60

Sunday, February 15, 2004

Hunt Road and Tan Hollow Road. Let me give you a visual map first of the 5-7 mile hike I went on Monday. House (following CR 411 N) to CR 312 W to SR 143 W to Hunt Road N/E to Tan Hollow Road S/E to CR 312 W to CR 411 S to house. Phew, that was pretty complex, but it was a wonderful hike.

Walking along CR 411, I saw a nice F-150 truck -- I mean a nice one, near Travis Kelly's old driveway -- if it's his, all I can say is lucky SOB. At any rate, it was a pretty clear day out and not too cold out. It was early so I figured I'd have a lot of time hiking, so the hike kept getting longer (but certainly was a very doable hike). Went up the CR 312 hill, noting the clear views of the valley where the reserivor is, and the hills around it -- one which might become the home of a great big garbage dump if the city gets it way -- but a story for another day.

So up SR 32 I go. Pretty nice along there, seeing Cliff Fisher working on his van. Get to the top of the hill and enjoy a view of the great big Catskills. Those mountains are so big around where I live, yet seem so small from where I go to school. Speaking of that, I wonder if from the SUNYA library if I can see the area around my house in the foothills of the Catskills -- my anwser is probably. I figured I'd walk out the Van Tassels house, and turn back like usual. But I decided to go farther, as I've been meaning to hike all the way out to Hunt Road to get a better view of some of the sweeping vistas around that area.

Crossing SR 143 at the almost hair-pin turn / Hunt Road intersection seemed a bit dangerous and difficult, but I made it. On Hunt Road saw several does, which is not surpising with all those fields. Not the best views around, but it still gave me a better impression of the contours of the land around, particularly on the big hill. Decided to continue down Hunt Road and not take Hilson, to avoid the dogs, and because I wasn't ready to give up yet.

It was a nice walk along this section of road, noting some houses and landscape features that were easily passed by with car. Going down Tan Hollow Road, I was kind of surpised how the guard rail was well covered with snow and often hidden. In the cementary, there was a doe that refused to move until I got pretty close. See they know who out to get them, ie. not me. Down in the valley noted how close to the road houses were, and not much land behind them either. Fortunetly for those poor people in the valley, it looked like nobody had a burn barrel.

Hiking up the hill getting out of Tan Hallow (heading South East) I noted how the road ran pretty high about the creek, but that was only because the banks were pretty steep -- fairly standard stuff for high up in the Hannicrox creek like around here. Surpisingly when your up on the higher parts of Tan Hollow Road, your actually running almost parrallel and almost at the same elevation as Hilson Road (although a bit lower).

When I got to CR 312, I saw that somebody had been skiing down the Hanicroix Creek -- something that might be a bit too disconcerning for my tastes. Also got to see that they had moved the electric wires to a new telephone pole, after the previous one had been hit, although the phone and cable was not transfered over. Of other interest in the same area, was the work they are doing to that old one room school house, including the installation of insulation and lots of work to stabilize the building.

Then I returned back -- after about 3 hours and 5-7 miles of hiking. It was enjoyable. P'Link

Monday, February 16, 2004

Greenville's Vanderbuildt Park. Went cross-country skiing in Greenville's Vanderbuildt this evening, after getting my hair cut -- probably not such a hot idea, as my ears seemed to sting a bit from the cold when I was done. But it still was pretty enjoyable.

So what did I see out there? First and foremost this area is some pretty open fields that were farmland not all that long ago. It's disappointing that they can't continue to be that, but it's better then the alternative of the sprawl which is springing up on one edge of the park—more of those truly ugly houses apartment sprawl crappy messes to the Northern border. They are just disgusting, especially when placed in such a pretty rural community.

I've forgotten what a beautiful small rural community Greenville truly is. The mountains where beautiful on the way skiing there, but they 10x more spectacular on the way back, with the sun setting nearby, and snow on them. I have to go to that park at some point and try to get some pictures in the evening, while the snow is still around—that park is surpisingly close to where I live. I just kind of forget about Greenville, years after graduating from it.

The fields and the nearby woods where to me quite obvious deer terroritory—and my prediction proved to be true. Saw a beautiful doe trying to get some of the hay still sticking up in one of the fields. I hope the town continues to hay these fields—if not for agriculture but the environmental benifits.

Never made it all the way to the stream, as it is a long way from the parking lot, but made it towards the woods and the depression heading towards the stream. Interestingly, there were a lot of snowmobile tracks in the park, eventhough they were pretty clearly prohibited as per sign—then again, snowmobiles aren't very destructive, and there probably isn't a lot of enforcement, especially during weekends. That says nothing about how much land truly is required for snowmobiles, due to their quickness and ability to cancel out distance.

I can't repeat how amazing the sunset and the ski were out in these big open fields, and the view of the mountains. It just amazed me. It was neat to see the old elemenary and high school I went to, provoking some thought on rural schools in NYS. But I also was saddened by seeing the sprawl: even though most of it existed from before I left the Town of Greenville. P'Link

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Partridge Run Road/CR 6, LP, Truck Trail, Gulf. Fairly nice day out, although a bit grey. Parked along sholder of CR 6 at foot of Partridge Run Road. Good, packed down snowmobile trail, so I decided to use my hiking boots. Waved to small game hunter. Nice hiking. Although, I forgot to put on a shirt over my undershirt—my head wasn't totally there that day.

Saw several birds, and passed a snowmobiler. Walked down towards the Gulf, then hiked back on CR 6. P'Link

Saturday, February 21, 2004

House to Basic Resivour. Figured I'd go on a nice little walk on up to the Basic Resivour on Sunday morning, after breakfast, for one to test out the water (well, the air tempeture) for the boy scout hike planned for this afternoon.

Saw several deer (and two deer carcuses), the people at the Fuller farm feeding their horses, some pretty clear views up top of the hill, and so forth. It was a pretty nice day out, but a bit cold. P'Link