Illustrated Excursions: HIking up Virgil Mountain

On Saturday, February 26, I planned on hiking the Finger Lakes Trail Loop on Virgil Mountain. Cartwright road had really deep snow, so I had to park my Jeep on Bleck road and start from there. The first dense patch of conifers made me excited for the rest of the trail. However, the snow was extremely deep. At some parts it came nearly halfway to my knee. Some of the trail was on steep terrain and I had to be very careful not to slide. Crossing the streams were very difficult, since they were entirely covered in snow. I used sticks to determine where the stream began and to choose where it was safe to cross. Finally the elevation increase was enough that I was losing significant time slipping. I decided to go back for the day. In all, I probably hiked no more than 2 miles.

The next day I purchased snowshoes from Eastern Mountain Sports in Ithaca on discount because it is the end of the winter season. I got back to the same trail by 12:30pm. It was far easier than before. I almost made it to the peak, but because I started late, I had to turn back by the time I had gotten to the electric power lines before Valentine Hill road. The confifer sections were easily my favorite parts because they are extremely dense and it offers a lot of shade. I plan on completing the loop once the snow has cleared and I have the time to do the entire thing. Supposedly Greek peak is located at the top.