Sprague Brook Park

Hike #52 Sprague Brook Park May 18, 2014 See the path we took Special Guest Hikers: Ellen, Zach, Erin, Don, Barb, Phoebe, Leah, Val, Anne, Pete, Charlotte, Christie, Annie, Lowell, Michael, Marc, Tara and Cameron. We saw a holey tree, an absent bridge, fiddlehead ferns, a nature-made cage, orange mushrooms, a beetle, a couple of …

Letchworth State Park

Hike #51 Letchworth State Park May 11, 2014 See the path we took We saw a beaver, boulders, turkey vultures, a small waterfall, chipmunks, stairs galore, a bluejay, a bird's nest, ice, a path along the gorge, a stone bridge with a beautiful view, scummy water, the lower falls, mist, the end of the trail, …

Royalton Ravine Park

Hike #50 Royalton Ravine Park May 4, 2014 See the path we took Substitute Hiker: Brennan (Megan came down with a stomach bug last night, so she and Liz stayed home) We saw a pond, hooligans, mud, a forest floor turning green, an "x marks the spot", deer prints, a swollen creek, very long and …

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

Hike #49 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge April 27, 2014 See the path we took We saw horse prints, red-winged blackbirds, the world's easiest limbo, a crane waiting patiently, a crane skimming the water, lots of Canadian geese, lots of ducks, a sunning turtle, a swimming turtle, a bench donated by the East Aurora Bird Club, …

Allegany State Park

Hike #48 Allegany State Park - Osgood Trail April 20, 2014 See the path we took We saw Red House Lake, STEEP terrain (700 ft climb!), tiny flowers, a green beetle, mossy boulders, a tree that changed its mind, a merciful pine, a sign eating tree, an underground stream, a babbling brook, a rock face, …

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

Hike #47 Ward Pound Ridge Reservation April 13, 2014 See the path we took Special Guest Hikers: Garret & Craig We saw a waterfall, bridge, a split tree, marshes, rock chairs, sunning turtles, boulders, a string tree, a hole-y tree, an inner tube, outstanding unofficial overlooks, an even more amazing official overlook,  Cross River Reservoir, …

Erie County Bureau of Forestry

Hike #46 Erie County Bureau of Forestry April 6, 2014 See the path we took We saw a sugar shack, fresh maple syrup, a saw mill, a covered bridge, 2 deer, 8 different labeled trees (White Pine, Red Pine, Norway Spruce, American Beech, Ash, Black Cherry, Spruce & Sugar Maple), bark boats, lots of sap …

Elma Meadows Park

Hike #45 Elma Meadows Park March 30, 2014 See the path we took We saw cross-country skiers, snow-filled bunkers, golf carts, rolling hills, sledders, a swollen creek, Canadian geese swimming up stream, snowy pines and other snowshoers.

West Falls JP Nicely Park

Hike #44 West Falls JP Nicely Park March 23, 2014 See the path we took We saw bat houses, a picnic table in the middle of the woods, a four tree, a bunch of frozen waterfalls, some half-frozen waterfalls, a hammock chair, a couple of loons, fossil rocks, a platypus footprint rock, a gnome home, …

Majors Park

Hike #43 (Ginger's 1st!) Majors Park March 16, 2014 See the path we took We saw a chicken wing ice ball, a sledding hill, a babbling brook, a swollen creek, the remains of a cool old bridge, a robin, a blue jay, a squirrel, a vine fortress, a thorny archway and an awesome boardwalk.

Delaware Park

Hike #42 Delaware Park March 8, 2014 See the path we took We saw squirrels, a hat tree, bloody snow, a cool stone bridge, dogs of all kinds, seagulls, two baseballs on a frozen lake, ducks, a seagull dining on a fish, a shirt tree, a hot dog, The Buffalo History Museum, Albright–Knox Art Gallery, cross-country …

Joe Panza Nature Trail

Hike #41 Joe Panza Nature Trail March 1, 2014 See the path we took We saw a naked tree, lots of forgetful leaves, tons of deer prints, a half-tree snowball toss game, puppy paw prints, Ellicott Creek, a snakey vine climbing a tree, a cross-country skier, the underbelly of a Southwest Airlines jet, a blue …

Nature View Park

Hike #40 Nature View Park February 23, 2014 See the path we took We saw a green something-or-another hanging in a tree, deer tracks, tire tracks, a dead end trail, crazy-big dog prints, bird houses, a family having a campfire, a lean-to, a gigantic fallen tree, a glaring lack of trail markings, cross-country ski tracks, …

Jamestown Audubon Center & Sanctuary

Hike #39 Jamestown Audubon Center & Sanctuary February 17, 2014 See (most of) the path we took We saw the Urban Pavilion, a million deer prints everywhere, a boardwalk over Spatterdock Pond, teeter totter trees, "x" marks the spot trees, look-out towers, a "bark-er lounger" (aka the treecliner), a blue jay, a tuning fork tree, …

Darien Lakes State Park

Hike #38 Darien Lakes State Park February 9, 2014 See the path we took We saw lifeguard chairs guarding a frozen lake, arbors, a dead tree, a shot-up sign, deer tracks on a frozen creek, pine cones, poorly marked trails, frozen apples with snow hats, woodpecker condos, lots of birdhouses, a porta-potty in peril, 6 …

Tifft Nature Preserve

Hike #37 Tifft Nature Preserve February 1, 2014 See the path we took We saw bird windows, solar panels, 27 deer, a sign about nothing, lots of deer poop, invasive plants, beaver business, cat tails, boardwalks, deer prints under a shelter, futuristic bird houses, caged-in trees, a snow egg in a bird's nest, a cardinal …

Beaver Island State Park

Hike #36 Beaver Island State Park January 26, 2014 See the path we took We saw intertwined trees, a gigantic net, a golf ball nailed to a tree, the bowing tree, deer tracks, a super-cool gate, cross-country skiers, limbo trees, ice fishers, the Niagara River, a power plant, frozen apples, a frozen lagoon and Canada.

Stiglmeier Park

Hike #35 Stiglmeier Park January 20, 2014 See the path we took We saw Cardinals, Chickadees, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, a twisty-turny tree, a tree lounge, a garbage bag tree (no swollen city breeze), an awesome system of boardwalks & bridges (way to go Town of Cheetowaga!), super-octo-mega tree, ice fields, Cayuga Creek, ice walls, sledding …

Sinking Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary

Hike #34 Sinking Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary January 12, 2014 We saw a frozen pond, a half of a green ball, 3 lean-tos, tree carvings, mushroom shelves climbing a dead tree, a chipmunk, a huge tree split in two, a squirrel, 2 three trees, hundreds and hundreds of acorns, a blue ball, giant cement blocks, gnarly …

Beaver Meadow Audubon Center

Hike #33 Beaver Meadow Audubon Center January 5, 2014 See the path we took We saw solar panels, bat houses, bird houses, the Grandma Tree, the Grandpa Tree, the remains of the 1840 Homestead, a bunny, squirrel prints, deer prints, a twisty-bendy tree, a lean-to, a hidden bench, a peeking woodpecker, frozen apples on frozen …

Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve

Hike #32 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve December 28, 2013 See the path we took We saw deer prints, snow shoe prints, XC ski tracks, marshes and ponds, a very bendy tree, huge bat houses, a nature play area, frog watch signs, a stone marker, tree enclosures, blank signs, the Champion Beech Tree, a woodpecker, a …

Hunter’s Creek Park

Hike #31 Hunters Creek Park December 22, 2013 See the path we took We saw dog prints, deer prints, squirrel prints, a touchdown tree, smiley face graffiti, a woodpecker condo, deer crossings, swift running streams, an underground waterfall by the bat cave, Emma island, Seamus island, crazy warm breezes, a tree falling down (right before …

Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center

 Hike #30 Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center December 14, 2013 See the path we took We saw colorful birdhouses, a garbage can house, a garden tea table, a cemetery,  a sure sign of winter, a small waterfall, a squirrel, Charles Birchfield paintings, a huge elevated gazebo, snow angels, a calming creek, colorful slush, …

North Tonawanda Audubon Nature Preserve

Hike #29 North Tonawanda Audubon Nature Preserve December 8, 2013 See the path we took We saw a lichen covered sign, frozen deer prints, 2 bridges, a half dozen fallen trees blocking the path, "ice, ice baby" (frozen marshy areas everywhere), a teetering tree, a headboard, a lean-to, a huge water tower, a teeter-totter tree, …

Walton Woods Park

Hike #28 Walton Woods Park November 29, 2013 See the path we took We saw a pair of ducks, a frozen pond, a dozen huge bird's nests, an American ninja squirrel warrior, a cardinal couple, an icy bullseye, XC ski tracks, a knot of knobby trees, a patch of pines, a yarned tree, wobbly logs, …

Golden Hill State Park

Hike #27 Golden Hill State Park November 24, 2013 See the path we took A Box Elder tree, bunches of beaver bitten trees, a diving duck , a doe dining on the beach, white caps on Lake Ontario, wild grapes, cliffsicles, a cool lighthouse, a guest entrance to the Ministry of Magic (aka a phone …

Creation Walk Nature Trail

Hike #26 Creation Walk Nature Trail November 17, 2013 See the path we took (I forgot to start tracking it until we were about a 1/4 mile own the trial) A pile of boulders hosting a centipede and wooly bear, a half eaten corn on the cob on the ground, bunches-o-barrels, stairway to nowhere, a …

Wesley Hill Nature Preserve

Hike #25 Wesley Hill Nature Preserve November 11, 2013 See the path we tookWe saw a bird's nest, a bat house, a non-wobbly bench, 2 rock stacks, a twisty-turny tree, a dark dark wood, gulleys galore, a cool creek, a damn steep trail, burger boulders, a large rodent's skull, a mossy hill, a chipmunk, a …

Birdsong Park

Hike #24 Birdsong Park November 3, 2013 See the path we took We saw birdhouses, swift streams, good pooh stick bridges, cattails, bat houses, a stream in a path, ducks, deadwood island, deer paths, Lorax tree stump, squirrel, apple trees, creepy tree tunnel, wigged-out trees and doggies.

Bond Lake Park

Hike #23 Bond Lake Park October 26, 2013 See the path we took We saw deer and horse prints, black walnuts, a squirrel, a chipmunk, a fossil rock, grapes on a vine, a lonely pine tree, 7 birds nests, a SUPER sledding hill, Bond lake, phallic graffiti, mossy rocks, a goldfinch (hi grandpa), stacks-o-poo, a …

Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area

Hike #22 Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area October 19, 2013 See the path we took We saw 2 frogs, snails of all sizes, invasive plants, a life-vested swimming bulldog named MJ, mallard ducks, blue jays, a huge nest, a pb&j rock, a shedding root, a hug toll bridge, swamps, deer prints, thorny trees, twisty-turny trails, …

Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area

Hike #21 Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area October 14, 2013 We saw a slug, a turtle rock, graffiti, a chipmunk, fog, a huge spider, a magical leaf, a deer run, a hallow tree, Honeoye Lake, plastic daffodils, a big gigantic slug, an acorn sprouting into a tree, an orange salamander, 2 ziggy-zaggy trees, a …

Town of Lockport Nature Trail

Hike #20 Town of Lockport Nature Trail October 6, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: Smoothie, Amber and William We saw a gigantic cricket, a wasps nest, fake raccoon , a fake owl, two old-growth oaks, fossil rocks, a thumbs up rock, an overwhelmed waterfall, a rushing waterfall, our first snake, another snake, a tree bark canoe, a …

Chimney Bluffs State Park

Hike # 19 Chimney Bluffs State Park September 29, 2013 We saw a butterfly, a 4 tree, a speedy woolly bear caterpillar, a smiley-face rock, a huge fish head carcass, a limbo tree, woodpecker holes, a dead tree in the water, a leaf floating in midair, a sheer unstable bluff, hooligans, a spiderweb gate, poop on …

Genesee County Park and Forest

Hike # 18 Genesee County Park and Forest September 22, 2013 We saw a woolly bear caterpillar, an amphitheater, a bunny, an apple tree, a Braille trail, grapes, a bright orange bobber, deer tracks, a red squirrel, bitternut hickory nuts, a chipmunk, six gravestones and a bird stump.

Chautauqua Gorge State Forest

Hike # 17 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest September 14, 2013 We saw a Dora chair, lots and lots of fossil rocks, water striders, minnows, 4 crayfish, a bunch of waterfalls, a heart-shaped rock, a hawk, a frisbee, a paw print rock, did we mention all the fossil rocks, gnarly roots, the mossy mossy tree and …

Devil’s Hole State Park

Hike # 16 Devil's Hole State Park September 8, 2013 We saw Canada, pointy rock pillars, a squirrel, a waterfall, fishermen, a dead centipede, a chipmunk, tons of sea gulls, a crane, geese, a seat rock, ducks, wicked white-water rapids, a pink whirlpool boat, a teeny-tiny heart rock, an anaconda root, a cave, a little …

Stony Brook State Park

Hike #15 Stony Brook State Park September 1, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: TJ, Karen, Bobby, Tori, Becca, Matt, Hannah, Brennan, Bryant, Meaghan, Molly, Parker, Braden, Amy, Nicki and Tori We saw a swimming pool creek, rule breakers, glitter, a ferny cliff, a tree tempting fate, a salamander, a scenic overlook, graffiti, the remnants of an …

Rock City Park

Hike #14 Rock City Park August 24, 2013 We saw a weather rock, glowing rocks, a wishing well, a bear chair, a turtle head rock, raspberries, a super old drilling rig, a tree climbing a rock, a limbo tree, middle of the woods machinery, 2 chipmunks, a 4 tree and Sasquatch.

Bear Creek State Forest

Hike #13 Bear Creek State Forest August 18, 2013 We saw a blue beetle, a frog, minnows, water striders, blackberries, a blue jay feather, a big shell-filled rock, granite, a grasshopper, another frog, raccoon tracks, deer tracks, a tree stand, an awesome tree fort tree, a bloody nose, 3 slugs in some gunk, a rake …

Watkins Glen State Park (South Rim Trail)

Hike #12.1 Watkins Glen State Park (South Rim Trail) August 12, 2013 We saw a slug, a lean to, the top of a waterfall, 13 round stone tables, two rectangular stone tables, a suspension bridge, a squirrel, several peeks at the bottom of the Gorge from the top, a bluejay, Couch's Staircase (100+ stairs), the …

Watkins Glen State Park (Gorge Trail)

Hike #12 Watkins Glen State Park (Gorge Trail) August 10, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: Bryant, Meaghan, Molly, Parker, Braden, Joe, Jill, Jack, Ava and Quinn We saw tons of waterfalls, a bunch of tunnels, stone bridges, a super high pedestrian bridge, the backside of a waterfall, foam, a slug, a crocodile rock, a wasps nest, …

Luensman Overview Park

Hike #11 Luensman Overview Park August 3, 2013 We saw Lake Erie, Canada, orange mushrooms, a "hug toll" bridge, minnows, 2 frogs, a fast moth, an orange and red crayfish, funky yellow mushrooms, a long two-plank bridge, a good hiding spot, wedding photos in the woods, a green well and we heard a train.

The College Lodge

Hike #10 The College Lodge July 28, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: Pat and Tracy We saw 2 wind turbines, a bouncy bridge, tons of orange mushrooms, a slippery bridge, a lean-to, a frog, 4 orange salamanders, a slug, a hole, 3 millipedes, 2 toads, deer tracks, a swamp, an amphitheater and Canada.

Emery Park

Hike #9 Emery Park July 21, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: Anna and Daniel We saw a frog, an inch worm, a stone bridge, a wishing well, a water fall, a t-bar, Jason Gonser & Rob Goller, Frisbee golfers, a bumpy stick, water striders, a tire, crayfish, a softball, another waterfall, a rock that looks like …

Panama Rocks

Hike #8 Panama Rocks July 13, 2013 We saw a tree root that looked like a deer, a honey bee hive, mushrooms, flora galora, mosquito alley, the devils den, super deep holes, a stockade, a large tree perched atop a small boulder, moths, secret passageways and an erupted, Paleozoic seashore originating over 300 million years …

Skaneateles Conservation Area

Hike #7 Skaneateles Conservation Area July 7, 2013 We saw a slug, caterpillars, spiders, a cool old rock wall, lots of moths, a ladder bridge over a creek, Guppy Falls, a birds nest, a creek bed that looked like a long twisty water slide and tons of poison ivy.

Buffalo Outer Harbor

Hike #6 Buffalo Outer Harbor, June 30, 2013 We saw pedal boats, a lighthouse, Lake Erie, a Coast Guard boat, one boat getting towed by another, a big bell, an even bigger anchor, a bigger still buoy, kayakers, geese and gosling, butterflies, red-winged black birds, a helicopter and some awesome wind sculptures.

Griffis Sculpture Park

Hike #5 Griffis Sculpture Park June 23. 2103 We saw a dragonfly on a dragonfly sculpture, a babbling brook, a snail, a little orange butterfly, a white butterfly, a yellow butterfly, a very young deer and lots of awesome sculptures.

Chestnut Ridge Park

Hike #4 Chestnut Ridge Park June 16, 2013 Special Guest Hikers: Sean, Cam, Randy and Ollie We saw a toad in a toad house, a bearded dragon, chicken, 2 water falls, an eternal flame, a salamander, a crayfish, 3 cows and a grave for someone born in 1771.

Akron Falls Park

Hike #3 Akron Falls Park June 9, 2013 We saw 5 planes, dragonflies, a man-made waterfall, a picnic table under a bridge, a duck and a duckling, a natural waterfall, 2 rainbows, a rock garden and some hooligans.

Knox Farm State Park

Hike #2 Knox Farm State Park June 2, 2013 Busy weekend, had to call a last minute audible and use one of our “close to home” options far too early in the summer…No Emma, youth group. We saw a robin’s egg, geese and goslings, the Sheldon wind turbines, 2 rock faces and more bikes than …

Como Lake Park

Hike #1 Como Lake Park May 27, 2013 We saw a deer, a turkey vulture, ducks, geese, goslings, hundreds (or maybe thousands) of tadpoles and a couple crayfish.