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Sunday Aug 24, 2014 #
Event: DVOA Hickory Run State Park
11 AM
Hiking 3:56:21 [2] 14.62 km (16:10 / km) +238m 14:57 / km
shoes: Columbia Romero trail runners
Hike from Thompson's Lake to Hangglider's point in Thacher, in the oft-neglected north end of the park. Went camping at Thompson's Lake with family+friends for the weekend and managed to free myself (myself!) for a longer hike at long-legged speeds. Warm and sunny day in the 80s.
The camp office surprisingly had a decent trail map with actual contour lines, printed in color on cardstock. It was even free. Map evidently produced by the NYSOPRHP GIS office in 2011. That's a lot of acronym.
Some notable things: An old one-room schoolhouse on Thompson Lake property, restored in 2004 by the Kiwanis or something. Then mostly meadow walking out of Thompson Lake property, through private property (trail is on an easement that looks like it meanders along parcel boundaries) and into Thacher. The meadows are all overgrown but there's some mown trails in places (that go into the private property). Possibly used for bird hunting as I saw a blind along the trail.
Its pretty normal to see trails that aren't on state park trail maps, but at this point (on Thacher land) there was a trail on the map that existed -- but had been removed from all the trail signs, as if they're closing the trail. Not sure why; its labeled "W1" on the map. Along the trail there's a big old cement slab from a building with some rubble and plumbing on it. Wonder what it was.
Walked out to Hangglider Point; stunning view and no crowds! Only saw one other couple out there, and only a few hikers total.
Came back by a trail that's not marked on the map, using my superior directional abilities and knowledge of catching features to know that if I walked east (I didn't even have a compass, so reckless) I couldn't get too lost since I'd hit the escarpment, and eventually make it to the main park areas. The trail crossed a parcel of private property 'landlocked' between Thacher land and the escarpment, and ended at the water treatment plant near where Phil H-T ran the EMPO champs in 2009(?). From there I knew where I was and followed the perimeter trail back. More unmapped trails crisscrossed this area but I stuck to the official one.
Then back to Thompsons via the easement trail and through different Thompson's Lake trail to the beach, where the family was just wrapping up their swimming. Perfect timing!
The Thompson Lake property would actually be pretty nice for some orienteering. Its not a big park, seems about 1 mile by 0.5 mile with about 1/3 devoted to campground. But the rest is 1/3 trails, and 1/3 no trails, with a lot of open woods (some of the meadow areas are impenetrable). It would be an extra 0.7 miles each way to run into Thacher.
The camp office surprisingly had a decent trail map with actual contour lines, printed in color on cardstock. It was even free. Map evidently produced by the NYSOPRHP GIS office in 2011. That's a lot of acronym.
Some notable things: An old one-room schoolhouse on Thompson Lake property, restored in 2004 by the Kiwanis or something. Then mostly meadow walking out of Thompson Lake property, through private property (trail is on an easement that looks like it meanders along parcel boundaries) and into Thacher. The meadows are all overgrown but there's some mown trails in places (that go into the private property). Possibly used for bird hunting as I saw a blind along the trail.
Its pretty normal to see trails that aren't on state park trail maps, but at this point (on Thacher land) there was a trail on the map that existed -- but had been removed from all the trail signs, as if they're closing the trail. Not sure why; its labeled "W1" on the map. Along the trail there's a big old cement slab from a building with some rubble and plumbing on it. Wonder what it was.
Walked out to Hangglider Point; stunning view and no crowds! Only saw one other couple out there, and only a few hikers total.
Came back by a trail that's not marked on the map, using my superior directional abilities and knowledge of catching features to know that if I walked east (I didn't even have a compass, so reckless) I couldn't get too lost since I'd hit the escarpment, and eventually make it to the main park areas. The trail crossed a parcel of private property 'landlocked' between Thacher land and the escarpment, and ended at the water treatment plant near where Phil H-T ran the EMPO champs in 2009(?). From there I knew where I was and followed the perimeter trail back. More unmapped trails crisscrossed this area but I stuck to the official one.
Then back to Thompsons via the easement trail and through different Thompson's Lake trail to the beach, where the family was just wrapping up their swimming. Perfect timing!
The Thompson Lake property would actually be pretty nice for some orienteering. Its not a big park, seems about 1 mile by 0.5 mile with about 1/3 devoted to campground. But the rest is 1/3 trails, and 1/3 no trails, with a lot of open woods (some of the meadow areas are impenetrable). It would be an extra 0.7 miles each way to run into Thacher.