smitty77
New member
Date(s) Hiked: 5/14/2005
Trails(s) Hiked: Tully Loop Trail
Total Distance: 4 or 5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Dry trails, overcast skies, 50s, buggy
Special Required Equipment: Bug dope
Trip Report: I, along with Mika, my 18 month old siberian, departed from the top of Tully Dam amid threatening skies and a swarm of May flies. Since Mika was wearing her 24/7 protection, she didn't seem to be bothered, but since I had forgotten my own bug spray I figured this to be a short-lived hike. As we descended onto the flood plain that makes up the area surrounding Tully Lake I noticed the bugs had all but disappeared. This would be the case for the remainder of our hike, but others may not be so lucky.
We made our way along the lightly rolling terrain at a brisk walking pace, sometimes breaking into a jog over the smooth, almost carpeted sections of trail. The trail basically follows the shores of the lake, crossing a few minor run-off streams until it nears Doanes Falls at which point the trail kicks upward steadily. Here I had to keep tugging on the lead to slow the dog down. She thinks everyone can climb like her.
The trail crosses the top of the falls at Chestnut Hill Ave, and then continues down the opposite side, offering nice views of the falls. Since this was nearly the halfway point on the loop trail, we took a five minute break to rest and enjoy the scenery. As Mika is not one for sitting still, our rest was soon over. We desended along the falls for a stretch until the trail veers right into the woods. where it continues to wind through the flood plain, flirting with a nearby road, until it reaches Tully Lake Campground.
Here we took a side trip to scout the campgroud, and found it to be a very nice facility. There were a bunch of staff and volunteers clearing the brush and prepping the place for the coming season. All of the sites are walk-ins that are nicely spaced and the comfort station looked neat and clean, although I didn't do a thorough inspection. Some of the sites are near the water's edge, and one all sits by itself on an island that is accessed by a foot bridge.
From here the trail ducks back into the trees and rolls though more relatively flat terrain. We were able to jog some more along this stretch as the trail was realtively free of large roots or rocks, moving along at a nice clip until we encountered a stream crossing. It turns out the dog was a little aprehensive about crossing the foot bridges over the streams (all crossings on this side are bridged), so she would stop and think about crossing in the water. I'd guide her onto the bridge and she'd carefully make her way across, and then resume her gallop.
We finished the hike in about an hour and 40 minutes, breaking a sweat only on the climb to the falls. The loop seems like one of those trails that can be pounded out quickly after work or enjoyed over an entire afternoon, especially if one brings a fishing rod. For me, it was a nice Saturday A.M. workout with the dog while the rest of the family was sound asleep.
Smitty.
Trails(s) Hiked: Tully Loop Trail
Total Distance: 4 or 5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Dry trails, overcast skies, 50s, buggy
Special Required Equipment: Bug dope
Trip Report: I, along with Mika, my 18 month old siberian, departed from the top of Tully Dam amid threatening skies and a swarm of May flies. Since Mika was wearing her 24/7 protection, she didn't seem to be bothered, but since I had forgotten my own bug spray I figured this to be a short-lived hike. As we descended onto the flood plain that makes up the area surrounding Tully Lake I noticed the bugs had all but disappeared. This would be the case for the remainder of our hike, but others may not be so lucky.
We made our way along the lightly rolling terrain at a brisk walking pace, sometimes breaking into a jog over the smooth, almost carpeted sections of trail. The trail basically follows the shores of the lake, crossing a few minor run-off streams until it nears Doanes Falls at which point the trail kicks upward steadily. Here I had to keep tugging on the lead to slow the dog down. She thinks everyone can climb like her.
The trail crosses the top of the falls at Chestnut Hill Ave, and then continues down the opposite side, offering nice views of the falls. Since this was nearly the halfway point on the loop trail, we took a five minute break to rest and enjoy the scenery. As Mika is not one for sitting still, our rest was soon over. We desended along the falls for a stretch until the trail veers right into the woods. where it continues to wind through the flood plain, flirting with a nearby road, until it reaches Tully Lake Campground.Here we took a side trip to scout the campgroud, and found it to be a very nice facility. There were a bunch of staff and volunteers clearing the brush and prepping the place for the coming season. All of the sites are walk-ins that are nicely spaced and the comfort station looked neat and clean, although I didn't do a thorough inspection. Some of the sites are near the water's edge, and one all sits by itself on an island that is accessed by a foot bridge.
From here the trail ducks back into the trees and rolls though more relatively flat terrain. We were able to jog some more along this stretch as the trail was realtively free of large roots or rocks, moving along at a nice clip until we encountered a stream crossing. It turns out the dog was a little aprehensive about crossing the foot bridges over the streams (all crossings on this side are bridged), so she would stop and think about crossing in the water. I'd guide her onto the bridge and she'd carefully make her way across, and then resume her gallop.
We finished the hike in about an hour and 40 minutes, breaking a sweat only on the climb to the falls. The loop seems like one of those trails that can be pounded out quickly after work or enjoyed over an entire afternoon, especially if one brings a fishing rod. For me, it was a nice Saturday A.M. workout with the dog while the rest of the family was sound asleep.
Smitty.
