Road Trips and Hike Reports

 I'd gone back to this favorite hike a few times on weeknights trying to cram in a hike in between work and dark.  Brian and I had always headed down the hill from the parking lot but I have since explored the Red Trail that leads off from one side of the parking lot.  I found a route that goes down down down to the creek which runs through the gully that is the defining feature of this park.  The hikes we did there earlier were all on the other side of that creek but now I now how to make loops using both sides of the creek and can traverse the creek or stay on either side of it.  Nothing too exciting but the newer trail has some more challenging slopes and overall this park is a great place that feels like a 'real' hike without a long drive. We did this walk together on a lovely Saturday with great fall colors.  Pictures by Brian.

 After a simple but delicious breakfast at Panera Bread (eating outside in the 50 degree breezy weather!) I took us up to Durand Eastman Park near Irondequoit.  I had been to this same park by myself a few weekends ago but somehow today we ended up at a totally different section of the park.  Alltrails had a plotted out 3.4 mile hike that went around one of the lakes and at one point went up to the Lake Ontario shoreline.  Unfortunately, much of the trail as plotted goes through a golf course which was being heavily used.  So we spent a lot of time trying to skirt the edge of the course and find side trails.  Still, the golf course plus one navigational error near the lake extended our hike out and it had a lot more ups and downs that I expected.  Fall colors are still getting started here near Rochester but it was very scenic already.