Fred J. Cusimano Westside Overland Trail
From Mount Pleasant Parking [Point G] to Eggleston Hill Road Sign Marker [Point M]
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Visited February 25, 2023
Visited February 25, 2023
Address: I used Google Maps to get to Weeks Road, Panama, NY, and then travelled a bit further to find the parking at the lower end of the trail where I left my car, my goal for the day. My husband dropped me off at the Mount Pleasant Parking. Google Maps was not helpful in finding the parking spots for the trail; I relied on the PDF provided on the website for the trail. (Link is below.) I ended up having to call in my husband to pick me up at Eggleston Hill Road and then he returned me to my car.
Parking: Room for 5+ cars, dirt parking lot at the lower end of the trail.
20 degrees, no significant breeze, 8:40 AM-2:30 PM
No restroom facilities available
The trail is free.
Leashed pets are welcome but I left Wesley home today.
The trail has a natural surface interrupted by occasional wooden bridges.
I walked 13.7 miles on natural trails with up to a half inch of snow; the trails had sections of mud and/or standing water both of which had some areas that were over six inches deep. Only the surface was frozen. The trail was quiet except for the occasional sound of water and vehicles passing on the nearby roads. According to the map available in the trail boxes, the trail should be around 7.94 miles between these two markers so clearly I went off trail.
Sections of the trail were well marked with frequent blue paint and wooden markers. There were other areas, especially where logging trails or new bicycle trails met with the Overland Trail where there were not as many markers as I needed. At least twice, I managed to stray from the marked trail. I was still on established trails, just not the Overland Trail. At one point in the Wallen Memorial Forest, the trail I was on just ended at someone's private property signs. I am not sure how I missed the trail I was trying to follow but the end result was that I have totaled the number of miles that the website says should cover the entire trail and I have only hiked 2/3 of it. I am sure that I am not the only person who would benefit from a small sign by each roadside trail marker that stated the name of the road we are crossing.
In the Wallen Forest, the signal is sketchy which drained my phone's battery super fast.
I would not recommend a stroller for this hike. There were many downed trees in the trail and there were many fence "ladders" to climb plus one deep ditch to try to jump.
I had the trail to myself. A large dog barked and ran out to the road to urge me to not dally when I passed Amish properties on the road section of trail near Freeman Road if my memory is correct. When I was "off trail" distracted by the blue blazes on the bicycle trail, I saw a man with his dog at a distance on what I believe was the trail where I was supposed to be. A happy yellow Labrador greeted me when I escaped the trail-less woods and found myself on the little curved road that connects Stebbins and Eggleston Hill on the PDF map. I saw people, a man and his child and a woman and her dog near their cars entering or leaving the trail at Marker Point M. (The Letter Designations for the Trail Markers are on the paper maps at the sign in boxes on the trails. I have a photo below.) I really enjoyed today's walk despite the deep mud and would have kept trudging on except that I really did lose confidence that I would be able to stay on the trail and eventually find my car. I did not relish walking in the dark. So maybe I will return to finish this trail. But I have learned something really important about hiking in the winter....when my boots and socks get wet, the wet and muddy shoelaces freeze and I could not untie the boots to change the socks. Very important that I learn a workaround for this before my next cold-weather hike. Also, I should find a digital map of this trail to follow since I do not have confidence in the signs and blue blazes keeping me on trail. Today's hike did not go according to plan, but there were beautiful moments and, thankfully, there was a hero to come to my aid.
I would not want to walk this trail during hunting season. I saw many hunting blinds near this section of trail.
I did not see any trash while on this section of trail.
No mosquitos today.
I saw people prints, dog prints, deer prints, squirrel prints, coyote prints, evidence of beaver, and over twenty hunting blinds. There were golden rod, pine, fern, blackberries, teasel, and a variety of tree species including cherry, oak, birch, beech, hemlock and maple. I scared off one momma deer her two young ones, and a pheasant or grouse. I saw a chickadee and heard its beautiful song toward the end of my hike.
The trail webpage for closure or notices to check before visiting: https://hikechautauqua.com/west-trail/
The PDF map can be downloaded from: https://hikechautauqua.com/map/west-trail-map/.
Stone wall ruins of a building near the bench by the trail near the Mount Pleasant parking lot.
Crossing Titus Road
Snow falling
Walking along Titus Road until the next trail marker
Snowing
Trail Marker to leave Titus Road
When this orange pole comes into view, keep going straight.
Keep going straight --even if the two large downed trees are distracting--keep the fence to the left.
Looking backward
Deep mud hiding under a crust of ice and snow along this entire field edge.
That is Route 86 ahead.
Looking right while standing on a sturdy section of the bridge above.
Looking left while standing on the bridge. That is Route 86.
I walked along this road edge until I passed under Route 86.
Looking up at Route 86
The road edge I walked. I think only 3 or 4 vehicles passed me while I walked this stretch.
Roadside teasel
Leaving the road and walking along the edge of another field
Evidence that beavers used to work the area
One of many hunting blinds viewed today
I hope a bridge is put in place here sooner than later.
Up this section of road walking is where a barking dog told me to keep moving along.
Looking back at the road incline I just walked.
Oh, good, there is the trail marker.
More hunting blinds. An identical one is on the far side of this field.
I obviously left the trail sometime after this because I walked many more than 4 miles and never did reach the lean to.
I should not have left the "road" here, I think.
The bike trail brought me down here. Very pretty.
Found a trail marker.
The blue blazes came to a stop right about here.
I followed the property's posted signs and the sound of traffic to the road, and after a bit of walking found this.
A car was passing so I was at the edge of ditch for this sign for Trail Marker M.
The map that is at the sign in boxes on the trail.
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