In September of 2020, everything was closed. It was the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. The County Hike series was cancelled that year because no one wanted to be on buses with large groups of people. But outdoor activities, like hiking, was something we could do together in pairs or small groups.
I planned a hike with Becca Harber up at Watkins Glen State Park. The FLT follows the creek and passes along the lake in the western part of this long, narrow park. This part is less travelled than the beautiful, steep gorge that is often busy with visitors. Becca and I met in the parking lot off Rte 329, left one car there and then drove together, wearing masks, up to Access 3 on Templar Road, just west of the State Park boundary.
Though the trail has since been re-routed, at the time, there was a creek crossing that I had heard could be tricky. Becca and I got lucky. There was a drought that summer and when we got to the crossing, it was bone dry!
I had only met Becca a year or two earlier, but she had a wide circle of friends in Ithaca. Sadly, she died suddenly just about two years after this hike.
I just took a picture of my cup of hot water in front of the photograph of the stumps. The comment rectangle didn’t allow me to paste my photo here but under my picture I would say that I have found a place to sit and enjoy my morning cuppa on the large stump while studying the two stumps/branches in the foreground. I especially enjoy their shadows on my chosen seat in the woods.