Local Hikes…

I am always on the hunt for interesting local hiking spots that I can take the girls to and spots that may be a little more advanced that I can enjoy without the girls. I packed a lunch and my camera today and set out to make the most of my lunch hour. With a quick google search for hiking trails around Canandaigua I found a gem of a spot that is well known to, well, everyone but me apparently. It’s Barnes Creek Trail situated right next to Onanda Park on West Lake Rd. Lucky for me it was a short trip down the road, so I headed out and started my one hour clock. It took me roughly ten minutes to find the park and finish my lunch, but I found it and was pleasantly surprised to find the place deserted. It should figure that no one would be there at 11 AM on a Thursday, normal people work, right?

I followed a path to a set of stairs that led me down to the creek which at this time of year was nothing more than a trickle. The creek was pretty easy hiking and there are “trails”/ledges along the creek bed that allow you to navigate without getting wet. It was beautifully quiet down there, except for the occasional sound of leaves falling from the canopy and the alarm calls and rustling of leaves from mischievous chipmunks as they scurried out of my way. I hiked at a slower pace so I could take pictures, I was upset though because I forgot to pack my new macro filters in the bag so I couldn’t get some more of the up close artistic shots, but I was short on time so it was probably for the best. I didn’t make it to the first waterfall, so I definitely am going to take some time real soon while the weather is nice and go back for an extended hike.

I have noticed a lot lately that people never tend to look up, when you see people walking most of them are focused on the ground in front of them or straight ahead. It never seems like anyone takes the time to stop and look up. I always try to look at my surroundings from all angles, it’s just the paranoia in me I suppose but I always look at the higher ground first to make sure nothing is coming down on me. As I strolled back I was looking up and I saw this platform mushroom growing about 20 feet up, then a bit lower I noticed this:

Yup that’s a rock that the tree has grown around. I have absolutely no idea how this rock got 10 feet off the ground, but it was interesting to see.

I finally made it back to my Jeep when I spotted a sign for another more manicured trail for the “Uplands”. That trail will have to wait for another day as I was out of time, so I packed up and headed back to work.

Overall, it was a pretty cool place for a few short hikes. I am definitely planning to go back soon, hopefully with the girls, but possibly on my own with my camera.

Keep exploring!