A proper snowstorm visited us, blanketing our neighborhood in about 16 inches of snow. It’s pretty but it can be too much of a good thing sometimes: the Binghamton area in our neighboring county got a record 41 inches and nearby Newark Valley got 44. They probably don’t think it’s so nice.

Our most recent stroll in the park was in the lovely Buttermilk Falls State Park. This time of the year changes the character of hiking in both good and bad ways. In the Fall and Winter, parks and trails are less traveled, there are no bugs to contend with, and cooler temperatures can make for more comfortable strenuous hikes.

On the other hand, hunters are in the woods Although the overwhelming majority behave in a safe and responsible manner, it’s the occasional oddball or inexperienced hunter that gives one pause. Also, especially in the state parks, many trails are closed for the season due to hazardous conditions. (Slippery icy conditions on steep or treacherous trails, fallen or unstable rocks from freezing and thawing stresses, and unprepared or inexperienced hikers are probably the main factors.)

Although we have more limited options, it’s worth getting out anyway–it can be quite beautiful with the changing light and snowy conditions. Our recent brief hike was a good mental health elixir. We’re eager for the coming snow to give us some opportunity to get out snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Yeah, that’s it, that’s our story.

We’re very fortunate to live close to Taughannoock Falls on the West side of Cayuga Lake. It’s a wonderful place to walk or contemplate a few million years of geologic history. A brisk early Winter day in the middle of the week, in the midst of the pandemic, means we had the place nearly to ourselves.

Our intent to walk the loop around the rim trail was thwarted by trail closures due to hazardous conditions but we walked the gorge trail and part of the North rim trail that wasn’t closed. What a treat.

Robert H. Treman State Park is brought to us by the Devonian era, the most recent ice age, Robert H. Treman himself, the Great-Depression CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), and New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation. What a gem! We’ve walked it many many times over the years and never tire of it. Our Fall post-election recovery hike was no exception.

We’ve had a wonderful Fall this year but, alas, it must come to an end. The last few bursts of color are now being torn away by the relentless winds and we’ve had our first durable snowfall to remind us what we’re in for.

Later this week we get a respite with some nice weather, albeit with the subdued palette of grays and browns settling in for the duration.

Nearing the end of prime Fall color season, we returned to a favorite hike at Sweedler Preserve, just minutes from our house. The steep trail was strewn with colorful wet fallen leaves making the footing a bit slick at times. As is often the case, we had the hike all to ourselves. Nearby Buttermilk Falls State Park lures most of the tourists, leaving Sweedler and Thayer Preserves to far fewer visitors.

Quite the visual feast is jammed into the relatively short loop hike: waterfalls, hemlocks, a wide variety of deciduous trees, eskers, a flood plain with an explosion of wildflowers in early summer. Resident squirrels and birds reminded us of our visitor status as we passed through.

It’s been quite a beautiful Fall this year and we’ve been fortunate to get in several hikes to enjoy it. Nature will soon be scrubbing the remaining colors away in preparation for Winter.

On another gorgeous Fall day, we walked for a couple miles along the South Hill Recreation Way. Our original plan, hiking Logan Hill in Candor, was thwarted by a steep and narrow one-lane dirt road with no place to park out of the way near the trailhead–I’ll bet the trail doesn’t get used a lot. We decided to look into the South Hill trail as a Plan B since we have been curious about it having driven past many times.

The trail is easy, relatively flat, and was particularly gorgeous this time of the year. The east half of the trail is very scenic with beautiful hardwood trees and dramatic steep gullies and gorges on either side. The west half is through a more residential area, not nearly as scenic, and is busier.

We can imagine this trail must be quite busy all year round with convenient access by locals to walking, jogging, bicycling, and skiing.

Wanting to enjoy another hike during our exceptionally nice Fall this year, we selected Fillmore Glen State Park near Moravia NY. It’s named after Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the US (and usually in lists of the top 10 worst presidents in our history).

The beautiful gorge trail, which we’ve enjoyed in the past, was closed due to damage so we opted to walk a loop around the rim trails. Whether walking the north or south rim trails, hikers are immediately confronted with substantial up-hill trudges to get to the heights above the gorge. We started on the south rim and returned on the north rim. The north rim trail is our preference–it’s scenic and wanders through some very nice hemlock forests.

We are fortunate to live in a place with easy access to a multitude of beautiful natural areas within a few minutes drive of our house.  Among those is a little gem, the Stevenson Forest Preserve, part of the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

This preserve, at 83 acres and less than 2 miles of trails, makes up for its modest size with some beautiful (and rare) 150-year-old hemlock woods as well as several other distinct woods and a large variety of other features.  Oak, maple, ash and many other trees provide a canopy over vernal pools, ferns, and a wide variety of sylvan vegetation.  Mature old woods and expanses of young saplings share the hilly landscape. One trail leads a short way to an open field along the woods edge providing a nice vista to the east.

This site packs a lot into its diminutive size and provides a beautiful and relatively quiet alternative to the bigger, better-known parks in the area. We look forward to returning in the Spring to enjoy a completely different experience as nature goes through its cycles.