Letchworth Gorge Trail

Place: Letchworth State Park Gorge Trail

Town: Castile NY

My Hike: Gorge Trail is one of the longest trails in Letchworth State Park, it technically stretches 7 miles down the length of the gorge. It's not a loop so you have three options:

1. Have 2 cars, one parked on each end. Hike the full length then drive back.
2. Only hike part of the distance and then turn around
3. Hike the entire trail then turn around and do it again

While doing some research before going to Letchworth with my friend Christine we found out that "expert hikers" could finish a down and back route in 6-8 hours. We fancied ourselves in pretty good shape so we decided to go for the entire trail one fine Saturday in September. We did the unthinkable in terms of normal college students (got up at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday without being held at gun point) arriving at the park around 7 in the morning. This was Christine's first time being at Letchworth and my first trip hiking beyond middle falls. It was an incredible experience, Letchworth truly is a gem of a park. Everyone who lives in the area should make a point to visit. 

Now about Gorge Trail:

Pros: It's Beautiful and you get to see all the best lookouts in the park. It's also a fun challenge to do the whole thing.

Cons: It takes you right through the most touristy parts of the park (lots of people) and its not well marked. You always know you are going in the right direction because the trail follows the gorge (which is hard to lose track of) but if you are trying to follow the trail exactly it gets insane. We got lost when the "trail" went through the touristy part with cabins and the pool. The map isn't incredibly helpful either. We started from upper falls and went down the gorge and on that route lost the trail. On the way back it was easier to follow through the tricky sections. Another con, the "trail" is sometimes just walking along side of the road, and is almost always in sight of the road (a major detractor in my book)

We finished just under our goal of 8 hours (even getting turned around at one point, stopping to eat and rest a few times, and taking a few side trails) and it was a great day. We started early enough that we missed a lot of the crowds till we got back to upper and middle falls around 3 in the afternoon. 

Notes: I wanted to mention my two favorite parts of the day. First, we saw a huge snake (easily longer than 5 feet) while finishing Gorge Trail before turning around. It was fantastic and it also scared the crap out of us when we almost stepped on it. My other favorite part was an accidental side trip. On the way back (going toward upper falls) it's easy to accidentally take a side trail portion of Gorge Trail. When Gorge Trail heads away from the gorge toward the road for a distance, this trail keeps next to the gorge, bringing you to a ridge (pictured above) and a steep portion of trail (pictured to the left). We took this by accident (and you might too if you don't look at markers carefully) but didn't regret it for a second. It added an element of fun adventure to an otherwise very straight foward trail. It meets up with Gorge Trail later so it won't get you lost. But if you find yourself on a narrow ridge with a drop on both sides ending in a steep down hill climb you will know you found what I am speaking of. I highly recommend it. Another plus: it takes you far away from the road. We met up with some other hikers who were not a fan of the steep portion though and turned around to find the actual Gorge Trail.

Summary: this is a great hike where you get to see a lot of Letchworth, but you should also expect to see a lot of people. The biggest challenges are the stairs and the sheer length. You can sprinkle in more adventures as you wish (I recommend it). For someone who likes great views this is a great hike.

Wilderness Chic

Example A

I am going to be vulnerable here: browsing Wikipedia and simply seeing where it takes me is one of my favorite things to do on the internet. Sometimes I can get lost. I will look one thing up and then keep following links until I realize that I don't remember what originally brought me to Wikipedia in the first place.

Recently I was having one of my Wiki Surfing sessions and ended up on an article entitled Wilderness Chic (I believe my original search was The North Face). This is Wikipedia's own definition of wilderness chic:

"Wilderness Chic (also known as Outdoor chic/fashion) is a fashion trend centered around the look of hikers, climbers, and mountaineers. This style is particularly prominent in Japan and on college campuses across the United States and Canada."


I cannot speak for Japan, but I definitely have noticed this on college campuses. Its basically people dressing for their day like they could be going for a hike, but as a fashion choice. The guy might look like a hard core hiker but really he just likes the rustic look. If you are having trouble picturing what Wilderness Chic might look like, picture a guy wearing a North Face jacket, a hiking back pack complete with Nalgene bottle, and Timberland hiking shoes who uses a carabiner for a key chain. Take said imaginary guy and place him on a college campus probably with some sort of scruffy facial hair and this is the epitome of Wilderness Chic (for humorous example see picture). The rise of Wilderness Chic is not only in clothing and accessories but also pop culture (Case in Point: Man vs. Wild and Survivor Man)

The odd thing about people who dress in this fashion is that a lot of them don't spend a whole lot of time actually in the wilderness. 

Some people see this rising fad as a good thing, its represents the spread of "the love of the outdoors". Some people see it simply as harmless, just a fad that comes and goes. A small contingency of people are disgusted by these "posers" because they believe companies (like The North Face) pander to this rising customer base while sacrificing quality and authenticity. At this point I don't really have an opinion, but I love looking at issues within sub-cultures so this was interesting for me (hence why I have a minor in Sociology). 

Keep your eyes peeled for Wilderness Chic everyone!

Ampersand Mt.

Place: Ampersand Mt.

Town: Near Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake in Adirondack Park

Get there: From Saranac Lake, take NY Route 3 West about 8 miles to parking area on right and cross the highway

My Hike: Ampersand has a special place in my heart because it was the first mountain I ever hiked. I hiked here on a weekend trip to see my friend Jenna at St. Lawrence University. Its an easy 3 hour hike and we had a picnic at the summit. The trail is well marked; it was a bit tricky at points because it was muddy but I think it is really doable for anyone. It was a pretty dismal day weather wise. It rained and we had no view at the summit, but I still loved every second. The best part was feeling like we were inside a cloud on the summit. We nestled into a rock crevice to escape the wind and just ate sandwiches and watched. I felt like we were stargazing. We looked out off the summit (into the clouds) and every once in a while the clouds would lift and we would get really excited about the little view that we had waited so patiently for.

Of course, just as we got a quarter of the way down the mountain the clouds seemed to be lifting, but no regrets here. The wind was really strong on the summit (at one point we felt like we were going to be blown over so we sat down on the rock).

Ampersand is not one of the Adirondacks 46 high peaks. It's 3352 ft high so it misses the 4000 ft mark, but it was a spectacular summit. There's Lots of room to explore on the huge completely rock summit. Toward the top of the mountain there was also some fun off-the-trail places to explore and climb around (picture a jungle gym for adults).

This mountain is highly accessible as a day trip. It only took us about 2 hours to get to the top. You can really take your time and enjoy yourself, and the rewards at the top are great. It was a great 1st mountain experience.

Warning: It is a popular mountain (Potential Hermit Types Beware). I went in late September on a rainy Saturday and still saw about 20 other folks. The good news is you can really spread out on the spacious summit.

Hiker Typology: Chapter 3

Hiker Type: Adventure Enthusiast

The Adventure Enthusiast's main priority is... you guessed it... Adventure. It's the thrill of doing something new. There is a certain amount of danger, action, difficulty, ect. needed to get this person excited. Views can be fun. Remote locations can be nice. But to keep this person content you should probably send them up a rock face or down a cliff.

You might be an Adventure Enthusiast if...

• You get easily bored with hiking if it only involves walking
• You see a rock face and really want to climb it
• You don't stop to explore the cave and you think about it for the rest of the hike
• A "relaxing" day at the beach has very little appeal for you

Hiker Typology: Chapter 2

Hiker Type: The Potential Hermit

This hiker wants to be away from people. This person appreciates the journey, being away from other people, getting where no one else goes. They want peace and quite. This person satisfies their inner hermit by getting away into the wilderness. Popular mountains and State Parks in the summer should be avoided, this person may become easily annoyed by too many people.

You might be a Potential Hermit if...

• You cry when you finish your trail and see a parking lot
• You get upset by hearing cars from a nearby highway
• You consider a summit ruined by more than 4 other hikers present
• You are more upset than most by the commercialization of Mt. Everest

Hiker Typology: Chapter 1

Hiker Type: The View Junky

The View Junky seems pretty self explanatory. This person loves to see nature. This person sees "overlook" marked on a map and knows where they want to be. This hiker is happiest with a view. It doesn't have to be panoramic, it can range from mountain-tops to canyons to waterfalls to a cool rock formation. If there is something neat to see it's enjoyable.

You might be a view junky if...

• You cry when you hike the mountain and there is too much cloud cover to see anything
• You are interested in staying at the overlook longer than anyone else in your group
• You don't notice the family with loud children who just drove up to the view you just hiked to because you are lost in the view
• Seeing pictures of a trail get you pumped for your upcoming adventure

Hiker Typology: Intro

ty·pol·o·gy: a systematic classification or study of types (dictionary.com).

I'm developing a theoretical classification of hikers. Potential for my nerd rating to increase: High

I guess its more a classification of outdoorsy people in general. This started when I was planning a day hike with my brother and friend Tim. When I threw out the idea to go to Letchworth my brother asked if I thought they would enjoy the hike. That's a hard question. I don't remember what my answer was but I do know it started me thinking. Here is my thought progression...

Will Alex/Tim like Letchworth?

Probably, but it depends on what they like

Different hikes offer different things

and different people enjoy different things

if only there was some sort of typology of hikers we could use to rate trails

maybe a typology is superfluous

BUT maybe its NOT superfluous, maybe its necessary!

it would at least be fun for me

yup. I'm gonna do it.

If Hikers Ruled the World…

Would the world be a better place if everyone spent some time hiking? I submit that it would. I think everyone would gain some essential long lost social skills to start off with. My “If Hikers ruled the World…” series will be a tribute to what people learn from hiking and why the world would be a better place for learning these lessons. We will start off with my top 3:

1. Reclaim the long lost art of acknowledging the presence of other human beings. It always seems like hikers are nicer people. I don’t think that hikers are automatically better people, but they do have something refreshing going for them. Hikers will say hello when you encounter them on the trail. Walking by people in a city, they won’t smile and say hello. They won’t even look at you. I feel like we are socially taught that if you don’t know a person you should pretend they don’t exist. Pass a hiker on a trail and my guess is that the hiker will smile and in some way acknowledge that you are a human being. On the trail it seems natural (after all, it may have been a while since you have seen another person). It is a simple but beautiful thing.

2. Develop a conscious knowledge of something bigger than yourself. We can get trapped in ourselves too often. This isn’t just a part of our culture, I think it’s a part of our conditions as humans, but it’s exemplified by our culture’s emphasis on individualism. When you stand on a mountain or sleep under the stars you realize your true size. It opens your eyes to the bigness of the world and potentially the bigness of something bigger than the world. If you think you are the center of the universe, you’ll suffocate in your own Seran-Wrap kingdom.

3. Taking a step back from our Fast Paced Tech-Centered Society. Notice how I didn’t say, “Seeing technology as Evil” or “Run away from all media influences”. Hiking doesn’t mean hating technology, but it does mean taking a step back and enjoying something different. This happens to different degrees for everyone. My brother tweets from the top of mountains via cell phone. I take more of a purist (cell phone off) mentality. To each his own, but the point is that hiking gives you an opportunity to take a few breaths of fresh air away from the hyper-commercialism, media bombardment, fast food, and the technology we "can't live without".

Grimes Glen

Place: Grimes Glen

Description: A gorge with three big waterfalls that you can get up close and personal with

Town: Naples, NY. Lots of great hiking, beautiful scenery, close to Honeoye lake, and delicious grape pie. You can't go wrong with Naples, it's a gem of a town.

Get there: In Naples, turn off of Main Street on to Vine Street, follow signs for Grimes Glen Park until Vine street ends at a parking lot.

My Hike: I went with the 4 girls in my suite on a day trip to Naples (the home town of Kara, one of my suite-mates). With the guidance of her friend Andy we had a very exciting hike here. My favorite part about glens/gorges is that you can have freedom to explore off the trail (if you keep the gorge in sight as a landmark you can always get back)

We took the trail up the creek till we got to the first waterfall then scrambled up the side of the glen and continued on the rim of the glen past the second water fall and up to the final one. Before the 3rd waterfall we climbed down the dirt wall of the glen (warning: lots of potential for getting dirty). From there we continued walking the creek bed down stream. When we got to the second waterfall Andy surprised us by leading down the actual rocks to the creek bed below. This is not for the faint of heart but doesn't require any technical climbing skills to accomplish. (I saw some rope as a path down farther away from the falls as another option... I would like to go back and give that route a try but it was muddy and would have been more dangerous (ironically) than clambering down the slippery rocks).

Then we kept going down the creek and passed the 1st waterfall. This waterfall is off to the side so you don't have to descend this one, but you can still play in it if desired. We then proceeded back to the car. If you haven't put this together yet, this hike will get you relatively dirty and quite wet, but the pay off of being so close to big waterfalls is fantastic. This was one of my favorite adventures this past fall, and I would love to go back again.

Note: It took us about 2 hours at a leisurely-exploring-pace. You can visit and enjoy without taking my route (then you won't get wet either). Careful about bringing your camera cause of the wetness factor (the picture below is of the second falls but it is courtesy of gowaterfalling.com because I didn't bring my camera).

Wesley Hill Nature Preserve

Place: Wesley Hill Nature Preserve

Town: Honeoye, NY- A lake town with a view (and plenty of hiking).

Get there: From Honeoye, take Rt. 20A to East Lake Road. Follow East Lake Rd. south for a short distance and then turn left on County Rd. 33. Continue a short distance and turn right Pinewood Hill Rd. Follow Pinewood Hill, then Gulick Road south, for a total of 6.4 miles to preserve entrance, on right (go slow and keep your eyes peeled; we missed the parking lot on our first pass).

My Hike: I went with my brother and sister while on a family vacation. Unfortunately we picked the day we were having steak dinner and didn't set out till 3:30. This is a bad combination because when loyalties were tested everyone came down on the side of the steak dinner (no offense to the trails of course)

This place is very quite and secluded, we didn't see another person for the few hours we were there. Trails are well marked and take you right alongside Briggs Gully. Some steeper parts of the trail have ropes attached for easy access, which is also true in parts of nearby Grimes Glen.

As I said, I feel like the trails were as well marked as you could ask for, but somehow we got turned around. We saw the cabin nestled in the woods and most of Briggs Gully. We were then heading to the overlook marked on the map. Alas! We never got there because we got turned around on the trails and ended up taking a big loop. By that time it was almost dinner so we headed home. Needless to say, I cannot rate the quality of said overlook (but the preserve is on a hill over looking a lake which is a winning combo in my book). I would really like to get back here some day, yet knowing how way leads on to way...(insert shout-out to Roberts Frost here)

Notes: There are maps located at the trail head; my advice is take one and get at it... its not a huge place but it is a good hike. Its not terribly exciting but its very secluded and has some beautiful woods. It also *might* have a great view, who knows what you will discover.

Harriet Hollister Spencer Park

Place: Harriet Hollister Spencer Park

Town: Honeoye, NY

Get There: From the town of Honeoye take West Lake road (Rt 36) turn right onto Jersey Hill Rd and then a left onto Canadice Hill Rd. At the fork in the road stay on Canadice Rd (to the left), it goes straight into the park (you will see a big sign)

My Hike: This place has a really long name (I just wanted to weigh in on that). My brother, sister and I went here for our first try at spontaneous trail biking. We were not necessarily equipped with the proper bikes for this... so it was quite the adventure. Not to mention the fact that we have never biked before on uneven ground. We don't even bike that often. It was still jolly good fun.

This park doesn't have a whole lot of people in it in the summer, which is good because we may have looked mildly foolish on our bikes (and sometimes walking our bikes). Did I mention that roots are rough when you hit them going down a hill? Once we found a less intense trail this was a lot more fun.

By far the best part of this park is the incredible view. I think its best for winter sports (it caters to cross country skiing) but I still enjoyed it (I'm a sucker for a good view and for trying something new so I had a good experience)

Note: I hear tell this is a great cross country skiing location (more to come on this subject hopefully sometime this winter). Also, you can drive up to the beautiful view in this picture (which stinks if you work hard to get to it and then all of a sudden someone drives up and gets the same view).