From Jeff:
The Crescent Trail runs close to my parents' house, so I usually run a section of it when I'm back home. Been wanting to check out the rest of the trail, so I made it a project this holiday. Covered most of it over 3 out-and-backs this past week+. The conditions have been muddy, wet, and somewhat icy, so I was apprehensive, but today worked out well. Was initially hoping to go two days later, but tomorrow will be warmer and rainy, so I moved it up to avoid more slop.
One of my Boulder Track Club training partners, Ben, was also in the area for the holidays, and it took no arm-twisting when I pitched him the idea last night.
We met at the finish at 7:40am, left a car, and drove to the start. The start was unclear so we went a bit further down the canal (NW) -- further than the #trailsroc app map and Daven Oskvig's start, and further than the last Crescent Trail orange arrow we could find -- starting at an open area at a larger trail marker for another Pittsford area trail.
The cold morning made for less mud -- most of it frozen but soft -- until the last 5 or 6 miles. Feet got wet first at White Brook, and then it was unavoidable through the Thomas Creek / Howell Rd Park areas, but it didn't matter much at that point since the end was near. Otherwise, though, the conditions were quite good. Just leaves and sometimes crunchy snow. The many, many footbridges were generally more crusty than slick, too, which was nice.
This trail is super well-marked throughout, except for where it turns off Turk Hill into the tree farm. We would've been totally lost here had I not run this part in the other direction. And there's a lot of great, flow-y singletrack, with quite a few stretches that are far enough from houses and roads as to see and hear only the thick woods. Props and thanks to the Crescent Trail Hiking Association. Psyched to check out the Lehigh and Seneca trails next time I'm back.