picnicking

White Brook Nature Area

~ randyaa ~ 4 Comments

Ohhhh man have I found a place for you.

I’ll admit it, I haven’t paid the White Brook Nature Area much attention before. Every time I’ve driven by there has always been a picnic/BBQ going on at the pavilion and I always assumed that’s all it really was. I stopped there for the first time today and whoa was I surprised to find a 2+ mile trail off through the woods.

It’s a great in and out trail (no loop available) too, well maintained and pretty scenic for such a suburban landscape. There’s a few bits of the trail that need some work however; A few planks on the boardwalk that are starting to pull up and a few places they could use some gravel fill. That said it’s mostly in good shape. The trail winds it’s way through cattails and groves of flowering bushes until you happen upon what the map calls a ‘large meadow’. They aren’t kidding. It took me close to 45 minutes and almost 40% of my (iPhone) GPS battery life to do the loop around it. From the entrance to the field I couldn’t even take a picture of it without stitching a few together.

The only place there’s a map on the property is on a small post once you get to the entrance to the meadow. I took a photo of the map so you could reprint it or distribute it however you want. I doubt the crescent trail association would have a problem with it.  Funny thing is I had no clue the White Brook Nature Area was part of the Crescent Trail.  So now I’ve come very close to hiking the whole thing, only a few miles left.

Or you can make use of my GPS map:
GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com

http://www.instamapper.com/trk?key=14633227609411538872&width=400&height=350&type=roadmap
I’m also trying something new so the GPS map of the White Brook Nature Area is also available as a Google Map.

Goose Ponds (High Acres Trail Area)

~ randyaa ~ 2 Comments

I bet you thought I forgot didn’t you?

This weeks post comes to you from Goose Ponds.  At least, that’s what I’m calling it.  Technically the property isn’t even publicly owned.  However; It’s part of the Waste Management High Acres Landfill area.  They list it as a ‘nature trails/wildlife habitat refuge.’  They allow access to the property by the public 365 days a year and even encourage the following activities:

  • Hiking
  • Nature walks
  • Jogging
  • School field trips
  • Fishing
  • Bird watching
  • Cross country skiing
  • Picnicking

Tonight is only the second time I’ve been here and it’s gone through a lot of changes since the last time.  There’s a new pond, nice new green areas and a new 100′ hill which creates a barrier between the road and the property.  The last time I was here it was sunrise (picture: left) and it was extremely quiet and peaceful.

This time around, just before dusk, the silence seems to be coming to a close.   All I can hear is frogs croaking, geese honking, ducks flapping, crickets chirping, birds swooping low over the water and the occasional howling of the wind.  It’s peaceful, and intense, all at the same time.  Like a tiny bit of wilderness right in the middle of Perinton (well, really on the side of Perinton).

Unfortunately it’s getting dark so I don’t have a lot of time to explore, but Waste Management claims there’s over 4 miles of trails to explore, and there’s certainly a lot of natural wildlife to observe.  As with any wildlife/nature area, Dusk & Dawn are the best times to be around.

The parking lot is on 31f just outside of the village heading east.  Or, you can find it by using my Instamapper track below:

GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com

http://www.instamapper.com/trk?key=5482863491259441793&width=500&height=350&type=roadmap