Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Western NY Trip to Offer New and Old Experiences

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Next week, Columbus Day Weekend and the days following it, I will be taking a trip out to the Finger Lakes, then out to Western NY and the Southern Tier, then to Chautauqua County, then dip down into Pennsylvania, and come back along US 6. Many of these destinations I’ve been to before, but also there are many other destinations I want to explore, anew.

I will probably start the first part of the week at the Finger Lakes National Forest and/or Sugar Hill State Forest. I would like to check out many of the gorge parks in fall, especially Robert Treman State Park. I also am interested in seeing Fillmore Glen, possibly on the way out there, as that is the only gorge I have not been to in the various Finger Lakes State Parks.

Later on the week, I want to visit  Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area, then Letchworth State Park. Possibly stay over night at the campground, depending on the weather. Then at some point, I want to check out the Allegheny County State Forests, and I may be able to camp at Bully Hill State Forest. The Bully Hill website says that hunters are allowed to camp at the various gravel pull offs at that state forest. It is after all, small game hunting season.

Flowing North

Then I hope to visit the ever so special Zoar Valley gorge. I bet you that gorge is filled with color this time of year. It certainly was spectacular, last November, at least when it wasn’t dropping wet snow.

Great Valley

From there, probably visit Little Rock City, then progress west through Chautauqua County to the Chautauqua Gorge. There are campsites there, and I might spend a night there, until heading south to Allegheny National Forest for a day or two. Visit Kinzua Bridge State Park – which surprisingly I have never been to.

South Branch as It Enters the Main Branch

From there, probably take a southernly route, e.g. State College and Jersey Shore, before eventually coming across the Pennsylvania wilds into Endless Mountain Country, and ultimately returning back to New York.

McCarty Hill from Great Valley

At least that’s the tentative plans. Things don’t always work out the way they first appear, and it’s possible that for the Allegheny leg, in particular, that some of the roads and overlooks will be gated off for the government shutdown, assuming it’s not resolved in the next few days.

Grandmother.

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A month or so ago ago, I called my elderly grandmother up one last time. It was such a meaningless conversion, she repeatedly asked how I managed to grow up without being drafted into the army. I tried to explain that it’s now an all-volunteer army, and that people don’t get drafted anymore. Then it was just a short conversation about my trip to the Finger Lakes, and probably the weather.

I have to admit I haven’t called her as much lately – maybe every two or three weeks. Not weekly, like I had when I was younger. Mostly it’s been I’ve been busy with work, and been on the road most weekends camping. After work, I’m usually tired, and it’s tough trying to correspond my schedule here on the east coast, with her schedule on Mountain Time. But her death seemed to occur so quickly and I never really got to chat with about so many things that one probably should do before everyone’s death.

Overlook Mountain Fire Tower

She always was a nice person. I last saw her five years ago, and while a different generation and background then I was, coming from suburbs, but I always had some kind of connection. I enjoyed my many chats with her, but she was distant, all the way away in Arizona. I really didn’t know how to react to her death, except maybe to offer sympathies to my mom who had just lost her own.

Death of a family member is always a strange experience, especially one where there is a lot of distance between you and the family member. I really dislike the pity-party you get from folks, who always want to offer their sympathies as a matter of respect. I actually avoided mentioning it on social media and even to my boss, until the last possible minute. I really didn’t want to get the sympathies from everyone, although at some point, I felt I should put something on the record, and I had to ask for time to see her ashes buried at the Long Island National Cemetery.

South

Her time had come. It was good to celebrate her memory and reflect upon her, seeing her ashes in urn as she was buried at Long Island National Cemetery, next to her husband, a war veteran. But it felt strange too, as she was a family member, but not one I had been that close to in recent years, except for our occasional phone chats about silly things like the weather or my latest trip up to the wilderness.