Finger Lakes Trail in February

The Finger Lakes Trail, in the western Catskills, easily flows in companionship with the waters of the Cannonsville Reservoir in Delaware County.

As hiking trails go, the Finger Lakes Trail in the western Catskills is VERY well marked.

In late February, the still water near the intersection of state Routes 268 and 10, known to old-timers as Apex, makes for an inviting, moderate hike.
Apex, once a bustling hamlet, supported in part by the O & W Railroad in the town of Tompkins, disappeared with the demise of the rail road.
It was the site of the Delaware County's first acid factory, built in 1876. Quarrying and lumbering gave rise to Apex, and when nearby hillsides were denuded of their timber, industry faltered.
In the early 1960s, the construction of the Cannonsville Reservoir did away with neighboring hamlets like Granton, Rock Rift, Rock Royal and Cannonsville - their remnants now lie beneath the waters of the reservoir.
The Finger Lakes Trail parallels the reservoir, snaking through enchanted forests of managed Hemlock, Spruce, Birch, Oak, Beech and Maple stands. 
Hiking the trail with a dog is well-advised. My hiking partner, Nancy-from-Cadosia, and I, encountered several areas where a bear had recently awaken from its winter slumber and left a tell-tale paw-printed path that led, presumably, to a den.

I was definitely over-dressed for a late February hike in the unusual, but becoming-more-common, warm weather in February in southwestern Delaware County, NY.

Though we didn't actually spot wild life, other than early season songbirds, rabbit tracks, mole tunnels, coyote prints and deer runs were also visible in the melting snow on the 58-degree day.
Somewhere along the trail, before it merges to become the Rock Rift Rail Trail, there is either a tunnel or a blasted rock site that remains as a reminder of long-ago locomotive action.
We didn't make it there this time, but will when we next hike, giving ourselves more time for a leisurely exploration of life and the trail.

As usual, the trail was showing us some love.

*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics, crime and business in Delaware County. She is a NYS licensed outdoor adventure guide exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie