Have You Ever Tried a Moonlight Hike?-The Road Less Travelled
Volume 29-Hiking With the Bullthistle Hiking Club
Here in Chenango County, in Central New York State, Spring has sprung. Well kind of. You know how it is. It’s officially Spring; however, some days are warm, some not so much. And that wind! Most of the snow has melted. Surprisingly, quite a bit still remains in the deep woods, as was discovered on this outing in the Pharsaila Woods NY State Forest.
Have any of you ever experienced a moonlight hike? If not, I would highly recommend it. It is definitely a unique and wonderful experience.
The Bullthistle Hiking Club is based in Norwich, NY. Although I am not yet a member, I occasionally participate in their hikes. The members are a great group of people and the frequent hikes are always well-planned and very informative as to local history, etc. The club is very welcoming to non-members making you feel like one of the gang. Each month they hold a moonlight hike, and this has become one of my favorites.
On Sunday evening, April 2nd, we gathered at the intersection of Fred Stewart Road and Hoag-Childes Road in Pharsalia. Pretty much the middle of nowhere. But that’s exactly the point; to get out in the woods and enjoy what nature has to offer. The plan was to hike approximately 3 miles on the Fingerlakes Trail and also on some seasonal roads. For those of you who don’t know, the Fingerlakes Trail is very popular in this area and many hikes held by the club involve this trail.
The Finger Lakes Trail System includes the main Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), which is 580 miles long, from the Pennsylvania-New York border in Allegany State Park to the Long Path and the summit of Slide Mountain in the Catskill Forest Preserve. It also has many side trails that increase the total available hiking miles to around 1000. To date, there have been more than 380 people who have hiked the entire length. Here in Chenango County, there are about 75 miles of trail.
A Great Night For Hike
The hiking party of about 15 was a great mix of adults, kids, and even a dog. With temperatures in the mid-thirties and clear skies, we began the hike around 6:30 PM, giving us a good hour of daylight to explore. The moon was already out, but we would have to wait to enjoy the glow. There were quite a few wet areas on the trail, which is normal for Spring. We also ran into quite a few areas of snow, which crunched underfoot.
The Fingerlakes Trail eventually lead to a seasonal road, one section of which still had enough snow for cross-country skiing for at least a quarter mile or so.
If you follow my articles, you know that I am an avid cross-country skier. The Pharsalia Woods State Forest has become one of my favorite destinations. With over 9,000 acres, there is plenty to explore and enjoy. My last ski outing of the year (barring any freak late-Spring snowstorm), was on March 26th near Bowman Lake State Park:
The trail then cut back into the woods and lead to the Sidote Bench, a stone bench dedicated to Ed Sidote, the founder of the Bullthistle Hiking Club and the 3rd person to complete the entire length of the Fingerlakes Trail. Ed helped my son with the approval and planning of his Eagle Scout project, a kiosk for the Fingerlakes Trail at Bowman Lake State Park, which the trail passes through.
Just a couple hundred feet further is the Sandberg lean-to, a place for hikers to stop and rest for the night. It is dedicated to Art Sandberg, a long-time club member, who recently passed away. We came upon 2 hikers who were spending the night. As darkness was falling, we visited with the hikers who had a nice campfire going. We all enjoyed some Easter candy snacks that several of the club members had graciously provided.
By the time we left the lean-to, we all switched on our headlamps for the trail through the woods out to Fred Stewart Road. We then followed the road back to our cars to complete the hike.
It was an enjoyable hike, and a great way to get out and enjoy nature. Hiking at night is a great experience, but of course, it is not a good idea to go alone, and always make sure you are well prepared including having a good headlamp.
