A Hike In The Allegany State Park

6:53

6:59

It's another great fall morning here at the lake; it ain't going to last too long.  One more day of warm weather, then a change.  Anways, it's an absolutely cloudless morning, azure sky, brilliant sunshine, 46º at the moment, 69º highs.  Time to get out the chaise lounges, again.

Confusing Hiking Map

We wanted to hike the Allegeheny State Park one more time this year and yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do so.  So, we got out all all hiking gear, water bottles, maps, bear bell, bear spray, sandwiches, cookies, anti bug stuff, cameras, phone, money, walking poles and backpacks.  Yikes.  We are only going on a hike!  Anyways, it's about a forty minute drive to the Art Roscoe Cross Country Ski Warming Hut where many of the park's trails begin.   We thought we might go three or four miles.  The maps we had and the one that stands at the start of the trails were confusing to say the least.  We decided on the Ridge Run, 3.3 miles supposedly.

Trails of Beech And Birch

Taking A Rest

Evie Among The Golden Leaves

Five miles later, we had lunch, rested and  we realized we still had to head back to the Warming Hut, another 2.5 miles.  Thus, a nice easy hike ending up taking us  3 1/2 hours, a total of 7.5 miles.

Checking Our Map At The Lean To, Five Miles In

And to be honest, it wasn't that bad except the the 2.5 return back to our car, which was uphill the entire way, admitedly gradual but still up hill.  We found that stopping for any length of time, like for lunch, made the hike more arduous.  It was hard to get back into rhythm. It was not the best time of autumn to hike because most of the leave had fallen; all that remained in the naked woods were the yellows of birch and beech.  Still, there's always a particular kind of beauty to woods of naked branches, leaf stewn paths, and the late fall colors of yellow, brown, and gold. We got back to our lady bug infested car at 2:30, tried to brush off all the lady bugs and drove off to Steamburg, where we are able to get cheap gas because it's in the Seneca Nation.

Backroads Of Cattaragus County

Browns And Gold Of Late Fall Foliage

Rather than drive home on the highway, we decided to go on back roads and see what the Horseshoe Inn  Restaurant looked like, overlooking the Allegeny Resevoir, about 4.5 miles from Exit 18.  We drove into the restarant's parking lot, a nondescript looking building that we have driven past a couple of times.  It looked closed but  as we pulled in, at 3:00, the door opened so we were the first patrons of the day.

 Parking Sign At The Horseshoe Inn (hope Jennifer notices)

Outdoor Lounge At The Horseshoe Inn

It's quite neat inside, very deer hunter friendly, with an antler chandelier and all kinds of guns above the bar and on the walls.  We felt right at home.  Soon, others came in and we struck up a conversation with Dan Copf, who lives just down the road in Scandia, PA, but owns businesses in Frewsburg.  He grew up in the Bemus Point area, where his grandparents had a home on Lakeside Drive.  He went away to a prep school in the East, Loomis Chaffee, which we were familiar with, so we seemed to have lots in common.

Enjoying A Beer And Fries With Dan Copf And Dave

A friend of his came in, Dave, and joined the conversation.  We will remember him best for his bragging that he had trapped 134 squirrels last year and wished he could eat them.  And both Dan and Dave and the bartender talked about the infestation of bears in the area.  They cannot keep bird feeders because of them, and have to drive them off of their porches.  Evie found this very interesting.  We really enjoyed the guys, the ambiance and vowed to come back,  probably making it, rather than the Nic L Inn our go to place.

A View From South Valley, Bone Run Road

We drove home via Bone Run Road, through South Valley, to Frewsburg, then Busti, then Ashville, where we stopped at the Ashville Country Store to pick up a Cuban sandwich for dinner.  Neither one of us felt like fussing with dinner.  Once we got home, we hurried sat down with a beer and some cheese and crackers to enjoy the rapidly darkening sunset at 6:00.  Dinner was easy, we split the Cuban, Evie made a salad and I heated up more of my Drunken Beans.  We were anxious to watch two shows we had saved, The Affair and The Good Wife but neither  seemed to have upped their game this year. They bore us or seem silly.  Or maybe we are just getting tired of them.

Not sure what today will bring, for sure some kayaking, maybe a SHORT  walk or hike.