Point 2 Point

Something can be said about the merit of a long, point-to-point trail run. A few weeks ago I decided to create my own adventure run on the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), with a route mapped out that would take me from Brooktondale to my house in the City of Ithaca. The run was to be self supported, so I stashed a jug a water just off the road at what would be the 10 mile point of the route. The mindset was markedly different from a typical long run, since I would be getting further and further from my car and eventually it would be easier to continue on ahead, rather than turn back, if anything went majorly awry. Additionally, I would be following trail blazes and a paper map through some forest areas I'm only vaguely familiar with.

Planning for a long day on my feet with an element of adventure, I parked at the trailhead on the east side of Shindagin Hollow State Forest. From there, I'd follow the FLT west through Shindagin Hollow and Danby State Forest, then north to Lick Brook. At the Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook, I'd leave the main FLT and follow the Buttermilk Falls Spur Trail east