Out and About with Tom & Huck - Rambling Around with the Irwins
Searching for Chuck's Sugarbush

NY State Gazeteer pages 72, 58

On the road again…it must be Spring!  Winter has flown by; we passed most of the time working around the house on weekends and enjoying the good company of our friends.  The plan had been to purchase snowshoes this year and expand our winter sports horizon, but working in the yard through all of the great weather, trimming the evergreens and roses, raking leaves, etc. worked out just fine.  I have to admit that I really do enjoy defying the stinging missiles of snow propelled into my face by Lake Ontario’s howling winds.   I love layering up in my Carhartt coveralls, down parka, Gore-Tex mittens, and silly fleece hat to stomp around in the yard…conquering the drifts, replenishing supplies in our many bird feeders and wrestling wheelbarrows full of seasoned oak down the icy path to the back door.   Maybe next year.

A few short day trips helped to break the “monotony” of winter gardening.  Regular visits to Ontario Orchards Farm Market in Oswego were a must – they’re the only store other than  a** big chain** that sells the Chickadee Mix that our little friends are so fond of – and their low price beats the pants off the **big chain**.   Our trips are always strategically planned to include a lunch stop at Admiral Woolsey’s or Coleman’s.  The Northeastern Sports Show and the New York Farm Show at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse were a lot of fun too.  The CNY Brewfest was going on while we were at the Farm Show; you could sample over 100 micro-brewed beers.   We decided to pass on that one…had to drive home. There’s ALWAYS something going on at the Fairgrounds; you can find the on-going event schedule on their web site at http://www.nysfair.org.  

We have been getting really itchy for a longer road trip. With nothing imperative on our docket a few weekends ago, we threw our hiking boots, maps, and books into the truck and headed out in search of our friend Chuck Winship’s new acquisition:  200 acres in Springwater.  Chuck is a master at maple sugaring and has been searching for a suitable property to set up his “Sugarbush Hollow” business.  It’s no easy task to find a Hard Maple forest, and after years of searching he finally struck a home run; we HAD to go check out his acquisition.

Fortified with a warm donut and bottle of OJ from Breens in Williamson and map-reading glasses at ready, it was time to begin my assignment as navigator.  Our mission was to find a parcel of property just south of Honeoye and Canadice Lakes.   It just happened that along the way…wouldn’t it be a great idea to take a hike at Harriett Hollister Spencer Memorial State Recreation Area??  Left and right, right and left, south from Bloomfield… we decided it would be prudent to find a snack in Honeoye before heading into “no man’s land”, or better put “no food land”.  Ace’s Restaurant filled the bill; their homemade thick raisin toast with cream cheese was perfect.

Journeying south from Honeoye on Route 36, we discovered our favorite east-to-west-over-the-mountain route, Crapsey Hill Road, was closed for the winter, so we backtracked about a quarter mile to Jersey Hill Road. It's a short, steep (33rd gear, 2nd if its slippery) climb up to Route 37, a.k.a. Canadice Hill Road on the ridge between the two lakes.    After a couple of miles, the pavement ended and a dirt road took us to Harriet Hollister.  The 1.5 mile road into the park is closed during the winter, but there is a large parking lot right off route 37; that’s where the hiking and x-c skiing trails begin.  We started hiking the “Big Oak” and “Bear Cub” trails and the ground frost had turned the muddy trail into a wonderland of glistening miniscule stagmites.  We kept stopping to appreciate the frost-sculptured path, and felt bad about stepping on this short-lived wonder.    Bright green ground pine bravely shook off the left-over snow, and we spotted ferns ready to unroll into spring.  There’s an overlook that provides a sweeping panorama of the Honeoye Lake valley.   It’s accessible from the road into the park, and a memorial bench provides a comfortable place to contemplate the exquisite view.   The park is a great spot for year-round day use; there are lots of trails, open grassy areas, and tables for your family’s picnic.

Time to head south and find Chuck’s property.  Canadice Hill Road provided yet another surprise; rounding a blind-hill-curve a field of antique tractors, farm machines, stream engines, and Army vehicles came into view.  A mirrored sign stationed at the base of a tree announced “Bird’s Sandblasting – Visitors Welcome”.  As we roamed through the impeccably restored equipment, which also included a “steam shovel”, we watched the exit of a tractor-trailer that had just been sand blasted and painted; it was red-white-blue and perfect.

We wound our way down through the valley on Dutch Hollow Road, finally finding Chuck’s property in the neighborhood of Coates and Pardee Hollow Roads.  In addition to about 100 acres of hard maples, there are open meadows, softwood forests, a farmhouse and several barns and outbuildings.  Just about as perfect a spot as anyone could want.  I’m sure we’ll be spending time there this summer exploring on foot and…on our new, bright-red, Suzuki ATV!

On a personal note…I extend my sincerest thanks to my friends, family, and the entire community for your support  when I lost my Mom on March 30.  I am thankful for her gifts to me of her love of fun, adventure, and appreciation of nature.  I look forward to sharing our continuing adventures with you.