Tag Archives: autumn leaves

Where the Leaves Are

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On a fine fall Friday afternoon, what could we do but go for a walk?  So we parked on Kettle Road, off Robie Road, right by the little drive into the campfire area at Sandford Lake, and we walked along Kettle, which is dirt at this point, as it winds around the shore of the lake.

*In the bright sun and the blue sky, the autumn leaves sparkled.  Fall colors lay over the land like a blanket lain down on the rolling countryside.

*With a little hunting we found the oriole’s nest that had been active back on Memorial Day weekend… now empty but not forlorn… instead, fulfilled.  The lake at this end is smothered in lily pads, though most of the rest is open.  We were surprised that we didn’t see any waterfowl, but dragonflies and damselflies busied their way around us.

*The inlet on the north side seemed full and flowing, which surprised us a little, given how dry this year has been.  Once beyond the pond our way rises, taking us past white birches that remind us of our New England homes.

*In the past we’ve walked straight on to the little settlement of Sonora and done a turnaround there, but this time we took a left onto Sonora Road, which we don’t think either of us had been on before. The road rolls up and down along meadows and woodlots, and the blue jays screech in the trees. In one stretch Sonora Road is lined with tall old maples, and we relived our maple-sugaring days, for these stately ancients were surely tapped for many years, and probably planted for that purpose. A good-sized hawk flies from the woodlot, lights in a maple by the road, then doubles back when he notices us.

*There’s a medium-sized cemetery on the east side of the road, Sonora Cemetery, with many stones still easily legible, dating back to the 1830s. Here we make our turn and amble back southward, scaring a tall wading bird from the lake – so we saw a great blue heron, and a great big hawk.

*This is supposed to be our peak for this year’s foliage season, though I’m not sure how anybody makes that judgment. Sunshine on the leaves can make all the difference, and of course wind or rain can tear the leaves away. Plus it gets to seem routine, but autumn leaves are like Housman’s cherry blossoms… every year means one less season to see.

*So besides Robie Road, where else can you see good leaves – bearing in mind that with a good wind, this could be out of date ten minutes after I write it? From my experience of this season, I’d say:

*Village of Hammondsport… great place to see the leaves as a walker, not only in the village but on the slopes above, and even on reflections in the lake.

*Village of Honeoye Falls… a good scene again this year, and take in those lovely falls in the middle of town.

*Village of Dansville… get out of the business district (good and busy, but short on trees), and you may be pleasantly surprised.

*Interstate 390 between Bath and Dansville… very good right now, but keep your eyes on the road. Safety is job 1, leaves are job 2.

*Mossy Bank Park, overlooking Bath… not just in the park itself, but looking over the tremendous view you get from there.

*Pleasant Valley… there’s a reason they called it that, all the way back to the 1790s.

*Finger Lakes Trail, between Pleasant Valley and Mitchellsville Road… maybe the Trail’s most beautiful segment, and a vineyard as well. What’s not to like?

*So – how many more autumns are you going to have? Don’t waste this one. Get out and enjoy it.

Color Quest — Fall in the Finger Lakes

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Fall in the northeast… fall in the Finger Lakes, no less! Take it from a guy who used to live in Vermont, and loved it; our autumn colors are just as good as theirs.
It’s always hard to recommend good places for peeping at leaves, because the vista varies from day to day, even hour to hour. It even depends on how the sun is shining (or isn’t).
I’m hearing that our “peak” this year was a week or so back. But some trees are still green today! So peak even varies from tree to tree. You never know what you’re going to find, or where you’re going to find it. Some residential streets in Bath and Dansville are gorgeous just now. And one of the most spectacular displays I’ve EVER seen was on Victor Road near Fairport, right by Lollypop Farms – and that, as I recall, was mostly because of the brush, not the trees.
So what the heck, I’ll take the plunge, and suggest some places where I’ve found terrific foliage over the years.

Foliage Villages
In our region, I’ve found two villages where a stroll can deliver really memorable foliage – Hammondsport, and Honeoye Falls. In both places you can wander around on sidewalks, at your own pace, without worrying about you or somebody else being a distracted driver. Hammondsport, of course, gives you the great wall of that wooded cliff looming over town – a gigantic palette – plus the lake, and the colors of the distant shore. But Honeoye Falls also has that wonderful waterfall on the Honeoye Creek, right in the heart of the village. Both places are worth a walk.

View From a Height
At least three high places in our region offer breathtaking views regardless of season, made more magnificent in the fall.
*Mossy Bank Park, near Bath. The lookout here gives a great vista of the village right below, of miles along the Conhocton River and its surroundings to the west, and for a good distance northward to the heights that hide Keuka Lake. And once you’ve surfeited yourself at the lookout, you can walk along the trails in the park.
*Harris Hill, outside Big Flats. At the lookout here you get a great view for several miles of the Chemung River, and the Flats, plus there’s always the chance a sailplane will take off or land right over you. Then you can walk in Harris Hill Park, or in nearby Tanglewood Nature Center.
*Ontario County Park, outside Naples. The lookout at the dramatic “jump off” point gives a staggering view. Add fall colors, and it’s especially impressive. Once again, you’ve then got the park trails to pursue, including the Bristol Hills Trail.

State Parks
I’ve found three of our area state parks to be especially fruitful for fall foliage.
*Stony Brook Park, near Dansville. For some unfathomable reason this park is overlooked and underappreciated. Sometimes you’ll find a yellow wood as you make your way along the brook.
*Watkins Glen State Park in Watkins Glen. If you haven’t been for a while – what’s keeping you? I can almost guarantee you’ll experience parts of it that you’ll swear you’ve never seen before.
*Letchworth State Park, near Mount Morris. To all those fall colors add that great cleft in the earth, and the spectacular falls. What more needs to be said?Top that, Vermont.

A Walk in the Woods
I’ve had really good fall experiences in three places that stand out in my memory.
*Sanford Lake in Moss Hill State Forest, near Savona. Fall brings a lovely bleak beauty to the lake, with its few odd restless waterfowl taking suspicious wing. One trail crosses a little tributary to Mud Creek right by an old beaver dam. I’ve often got the place to myself this time of year.
*Bully Hill State Forest, near Almond. One sunny October afternoon I enjoyed a wonderful walk from Karr Road to Bully Hill Road and back, along the Finger Lakes Trail. The dry leaves crunched deliciously beneath my feet, and birds clicked and twittered along the way.
*Interloken Trail, outside Burdett. Last fall I walked this entire trail in five out-and-back stages. I walked from north to south, and so walked along with autumn. Every hike brought forth a new experience of fall.

Feed the Birds
Mendon Ponds Park, south of Pittsford can be glorious when you catch it right. Walking along a lane shadowed on both sides by long rows of maples, planted in days long gone by someone with confidence in the future, can be like walking through an explosion in the paint factory – or like walking in a stained-glass window. Bring some sunflower seeds along, and the songbirds will eat from your hand.

Any of these I’ve found to be great. But to be perfectly honest, all you’ve got to do for a great fall is to look out your window, or wander your neighborhood. Just really look, and you’re bound to be overwhelmed.