Snowshoeing

[jtwcornell91]

With all the snow this winter, we've been doing a bit of snowshoeing around the Rochester area.  Does anyone know about snowshoeing in Ithaca, both suitable trails and rental places?  (One of our local libraries actually loans them out, but we just had to return the ones we were using, so we're out a couple of pairs.)  The Cornell Outdoor Education website says they rent snowshoes, but they're only open 9-1 on weekends.

The forecast seems to call for rain on Saturday, so this may not pan out anyway.

[David Harding]

With all the snow this winter, we've been doing a bit of snowshoeing around the Rochester area.  Does anyone know about snowshoeing in Ithaca, both suitable trails and rental places?  (One of our local libraries actually loans them out, but we just had to return the ones we were using, so we're out a couple of pairs.)  The Cornell Outdoor Education website says they rent snowshoes, but they're only open 9-1 on weekends.

The forecast seems to call for rain on Saturday, so this may not pan out anyway.

Fifty years ago I spent a pleasant afternoon showshoing trails in the upper section of Buttermilk Falls State Park.  The trail to the foot of Taughannock Falls also remains open in the winter.  On the edge of campus the Cornell Botanical Garden has suitable trails.  From there, cross Fall Creek on the low suspension bridge and follow the Cayuga Trail upstream. 
I can't help with rental suggestions.  I would have expected the Ithaca REI to have rentals, the their web site says the nearest equipment rental location is Rochester. 

[jtwcornell91]

With all the snow this winter, we've been doing a bit of snowshoeing around the Rochester area.  Does anyone know about snowshoeing in Ithaca, both suitable trails and rental places?  (One of our local libraries actually loans them out, but we just had to return the ones we were using, so we're out a couple of pairs.)  The Cornell Outdoor Education website says they rent snowshoes, but they're only open 9-1 on weekends.

The forecast seems to call for rain on Saturday, so this may not pan out anyway.

Fifty years ago I spent a pleasant afternoon showshoing trails in the upper section of Buttermilk Falls State Park.  The trail to the foot of Taughannock Falls also remains open in the winter.  On the edge of campus the Cornell Botanical Garden has suitable trails.  From there, cross Fall Creek on the low suspension bridge and follow the Cayuga Trail upstream. 
I can't help with rental suggestions.  I would have expected the Ithaca REI to have rentals, the their web site says the nearest equipment rental location is Rochester. 

I phoned the Ithaca REI yesterday, and they don't.  Actually the one in Rochester stopped doing the rentals a few years ago.  We rented from there in December 2022, and were about to try do it again two years later, but fortunately I called to check ahead of time, and so we ended up renting them in Old Forge for a lot more money.  They recommended Cayuga Ski & Cyclery, but they only seem to do skis, judging from their website.