Rob’s Trail joins Canadice and Hemlock

View from Rob's Trail towards Canadice Lake

Two of my favorite spots in the Finger Lakes are Canadice lake and Hemlock  Lake. Hemlock and Canadice are the only Finger Lakes with undeveloped shorelines.

Icey shoreline of Canadice Lake

The City of Rochester spent over 100 years acquiring all lakeshore properties to prevent development of the watershed and to safeguard its primary source of drinking water. When you hike, bike or ski along these shorelines you feel like you are in total wilderness.

View looking west on Rob's Trail

When I saw that there was a trail connecting Hemlock Lake to Canadice Lake, I had to check it out. Rob’s Trail starts just off 15A, on the southern end of Hemlock. The trail is part of the newly designated Hemlock-Canadice State Forest.

Who is Rob? Rob van der Stricht was an avid naturalist, especially fond of the Finger Lakes. The Nature Conservancy officially dedicated this trail to his memory. Thanks Rob, this is an awesome piece of land.

Map of Rob's Trail and spur to Canadice

The 1.75 mile circular trail takes you up over the ridge between the two lakes. Despite the altitude,  this is a very wet area. Fortunately it was cold enough to keep the ground hard, but I noticed a lot of board walks for navigating the muddy trails.

Hiking the winding and sometimes steep spur trail to Canadice

As the trail starts to head east, over the top of the ridge and into the woods, there is a spur trail .75 mi. long, that winds down to the Canadice Lake trail.

I was on the look out for black bears, eagles, deer, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, weasels, but all I saw was some Chickadees and Juncos. However, on the drive back into Hemlock, A gorgeous pheasant sauntered across the road.

Ice sculpture, au natural

I was most impressed by the variety of ice formations in the hundreds of little creeks that wind down the hill to the lake.

I recommend if you hike during cold weather that you wear good hiking shoes or Yak Tracks. The trail can get very steep in parts.

View of 15A from entrance to parking lot

To find Rob’s Trail:  15A south, and through the Village of Hemlock. Continue to top of hill above Hemlock Lake, veering left onto South Old Bald Hill Road. Parking on left.

Other great posts on this topic:  New York Outdoors Blog.

F. Olivers takes flavor further on Park Avenue in Rochester

New location on Park Avenue, Rochester

Last year I wrote about a new store in Canandaigua featuring flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. F. Olivers has flourished on the main street of Canandaigua and have just expanded to Park Avenue in Rochester. They are in a perfect location right sandwiched between a bakery and wine store.

Michelle Cardulla, Director of MOCA

I was there to attend a special fundraising event for the Museum of Children’s Art, in Rochester.

While I was there I picked up a bottle of Squash Seed infused Olive Oil and a couple bottles of Pineapple Balsamic (2.00 of each bottle goes to MOCA). Everything tastes better in our kitchen. The balsamic makes a killer dip or stuffing for baby peppers, with cream cheese, shredded cheddar and a little thai hot sauce.

Locations:

Canandaigua:  129 South Main Street // Canandaigua, NY 14424 // 585.396.2585
Rochester:  747 Park Avenue // Rochester, NY 14607 // 585.244.2585

Enjoy Dramatic Relief at Mendon Ponds Park

Growing up in Rochester, one of my favorite places to explore with my family, was Mendon Ponds Park. At over 2500 acres, it is the largest park in Monroe County. In 1967 it was designated a national natural landmark in recognition of it’s unique glacial features.

Book Barning at Phoenix

Take a massive barn and fill it floor to ceiling with room after room of books. Add a curmudgeon at the register, a bee hive located somewhere deep inside, and you have a visit to Phoenix Books.