Happy Friday.
Friday, July 23rd 10:14 am
Today's Easy Rider Clip.
Ever since being in High School I have loved this clip from Easy Rider, It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding...
Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child’s balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon There is no sense in trying
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool’s gold mouthpiece the hollow horn Plays wasted words, proves to warn That he not busy being born is busy dying
Temptation’s page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover that you’d just be one more Person crying
So don’t fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It’s alright, Ma, I’m only sighing
As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don’t hate nothing at all Except hatred
Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Make everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It’s easy to see without looking too far That not much is really sacred
While preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the president of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked
An’ though the rules of the road have been lodged It’s only people’s games that you got to dodge And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it
Advertising signs they con You into thinking you’re the one That can do what’s never been done That can win what’s never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you
You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks they really found you
A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit To satisfy, insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not forget That it is not he or she or them or it That you belong to
Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, Ma, to live up to
For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Cultivate their flowers to be Nothing more than something they invest in
While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize And then say God bless him
While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society’s pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he’s in
But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it’s alright, Ma, if I can’t please him
Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn’t talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony
While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer’s pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death’s honesty Won’t fall upon them naturally Life sometimes must get lonely
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed Graveyards, false gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough, what else can you show me?
And if my thought-dreams could be seen They’d probably put my head in a guillotine But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life, and life only
Hiding Out from the Rain; Nice So Far MRP; Hiked Wakley Mountain; Financial Reform.
Friday, July 23rd 3:42 pm
Hiding Out from the Rain for a While.
At the Indian Lake Public Library, reading the news, and doing a little blogging. I miss not having any cell or internet service up at Moose River Plains, but there really ain't a thing I can do it. The Indian Lake Public Library, is beautiful, probably because Senator Betty Little treated them well when the Senate Republicans where in the majority. Some real interesting characters there, a lot of campers and the alike drying out at the library, while they play on the internet.
Nice So Far.
So far for most of my vacation, it has been quiet nice, except for a little bit of rain today. Actually, a lot of rain today. It's been pouring since mid-morning, and everything is solidly under water It's too bad, because tonight was the night I was supposed to be camping out under the lean-to. It does look like it will clear out by the time I get back to where I'm camping. I decided to stay in the same site one more day, because I didn't want to get soaked taking down and putting back up the tarp.
Moose River Plains has such interesting characters there. Lots of people in RVs and the alike boondocking, along with kayakers, canoers, fishermen, etc. It's a really cool place, especially down at Cedar River Flow, where you have the alike nearby to play in (see blog banner above). Best of all, there aren't a lot of DEC Fascists harassing you all of the time.
The better not take away Moose River Plains from the people. That said, I really don't trust the Grannis DEC one bit, when it comes to the revision of the Moose River Plains UMP, which they are taking a second stab at it, after Pataki's original plan got tossed out due to the eco-terrorists claiming that boondocking along Moose River Plains Road was not an appropriate activity, despite the campsites being developed along there for decades.
The new plan converts the section along Moose River Plains Road to Intensive Use, to try to appease the environmentalists, but also would involve fewer campsites further off the road (about 120 -- although even that is in question with the secret revisions to the plan by the DEC). The wilderness portion is also expanded under the plan, although it seems that section no longer has any maintained truck trails so it's largely a moot point. And one has to wonder with Intensive Use Designation won't mean the DEC will end up converting it to a campground. I hope not, it's great as it is.
Hiked Up Wakely Mountain.
Yesterday, I hiked up Wakley Mountain. It was a long hike, in part because it's three miles each way, and the first two miles are almost entirely flat, and the last mile is straight up, climbing like 1500 feet in a mile. No open rock faces, so I didn't get sick, but I was pretty sluggish climbing the mountain.
I also started out in the morning hiking down to the far end of Cedar River Flow and towards Little Moose Pond, but decided it was too far, and time was starting to cut into my Wakley Mountain Hike. I didn't get off Wakley Mountain until 6:30, although it was no problem getting back to camp, because I still left the tarp all set up, and generally truck camping is easy, so that's why I do.
Financial Reform.
I was happy to hear that financial reform passed the US Congress, and was signed by the President. It may not be perfect, but it's the best we could do nowadays, and hopefully it will be a step forward. Now, I'm sure big business will find ways around the law, and some dishonest people will still rip off consumers, but at least we now have a law with far more teeth then the old law had. So it's a good step forward.
Tuesday; MRP Was Purty; Routine; New Hampshire Next; MRP UMP Comments; Governors; Kayaks.
Tuesday, July 27th 8:45 am
Happy Tuesday!
So Monday was back to work, and of course I had to miss the bus downtown, both the 8:30 and 8:45, and ended up driving in. Well go figure. It wasn't as bad as I expected, and I'm getting used to the relatively smooth pavement in comparision to the rough roads of Moose River Plains. Evidently, the shock absorbers in my truck don't work all that well anymore, and I like to drive too fast on that truck trail.
Moose River Plains Was So Beautiful.
While I can bitch and moan about how rough the truck trails where up there, on my crappy suspension, or how the extremists in the DEC want to close it down, I can't complain about the beauty. You drive a few miles, and it's like your in a totally different ecosystem and place, from the sandy plains, to vast wetlands, to mountains, and crystal clear mountain brooks. Camping up there was wonderful for sure.
I hope it stays open. There are so many mountains to climb surrounding the area and/or within a half hour drive, so many great places to camp, ponds to fish, places to hunt, wild blueberries and rasperies to pick, etc. It is basically the defination of heaven in NY State. That would of course make the Governor the (blank) for proposing to shutdown this piece of land this year.
It's Tough Getting Back in the Routine.
So Monday morning I missed both buses. I just find it hard to get up in the morning, after vacation and spending time sleeping in day after day. I can't get bed on time in the evening, the mornings are just hellish. It's been a tough past couple days just getting back into the work mood.
So New Hampshire Is Next... I Guess.
I have yet to totally decide where I'm going to go to New Hampshire on Agusut 11th, in part becaues I have yet to find an interesting blog with places to visit and camp. I don't really like to do too much hiking on vacation, I'm more into the of the thing of drinking all night, then sleeping half the day, until the hang over wears off.
I really hate staying at "campgrounds". I don't like having little adults aka nazis looking over my shoulder every five minutes, and little kids screaming and carrying on like jackasses. I like to be alone, or fairly alone in the woods, truck camping. I don't like paying money and I hate regulations. I don't like backpacking, or spending time in tents, although I can be anmeniable to spending a night in a lean-to or maybe even a tent. Cold hard ground sucks.
New Hampshire has five primary benefits that I can think of:
- Cheap liquor - stock up on bottles of Jack Daniels
- Legal Fireworks - there is nothing like having a private fireworks show up in the woods, especially in NY State where fascist government makes them illegal
- No Seat Belt Law - "Commonsense for All", and seat belt laws suck. I may wear my seatbelt, but I won't be compelled to do so by stupid state politicians.
- Different Place to Explore - From looking on Google Streetview, there appears to be lots of high mountains, valleys, and twisty roads that look like an interesting drive.
- Pete Grannis Isn't A Commissioner in That State - It's good see a portion of America not totally run by the fascists.
Face it though, besides the cheap whiskey and fireworks, I actually want to go back up North to the Adirondacks, and maybe Moose River Plains. I really fell in love with that place. It would be cool to go to New Hampshire, and maybe see some of the Green Mountains in Vermont too -- head like across the Lake Champlain ferry, and drive through the mountains past Addison, White River Junction, etc.
I do want to hike up Snake Mountain in Vermont on a clear day, and look at the green fertile plains of the Lake Champlain Valley and the beautiful lake. It would also be interesting to see the progress of the Champlain bridge.
Thoughts Moose River Plains UMP.
Last night I was reading the Moose River Plains UMP, and looking to find out how the eco-terrorist extremists down at 625 Broadway where going to screw us New Yorkers. I jotted down several observations and points and shared them with the "Save Moose River Plains Facebook Group". Here they are:
1) I support the creation of the 1/10th of a mile Intensive Use Area as described in the UMP along Moose River Road and Rock Dam -- primitive roadside camping with 83 drive in-sites, with room for a trailer-camper and car, including a privacy setback from the road. An additional (existing) 20 tent sites would be scatter around.
That said, has the DEC done any serious survey of existing sites? How many drive-in sites on average are used on weekdays, weekends? How about on peak weekends like July 4th or Labor Day Weekend? Is 83 sites sufficient under current peak use times? Also, how many of the 150 drive in sites are currently used, and how many have reverted back to forest, or otherwise provide a sub-prime experience by being too close to the road and essentially abandoned? I suspect fewer then 80 existing campsites in good enough shape to be regularly used. The DEC has not done a full survey of it.
While there are many sub-prime sites along Otter Brook Road and spurs that should be abandoned, there are others that deserve to be preserved. Some of the sites along spur roads on Otter Brook, along South Branch of the Moose River (such as Sly Pond Road) and Otter Brook deserve preservation. They are particularly scenic, and allowing camping there, allows people to ensure these wonderful areas. It makes sense to include Otter Brook Road and spurs in the Intensive Use Area.
To quote Page 44 of the DGEIS Statement:
"There are 170 existing campsites along the road system within the unit. The national trends indicated in Table 5 show a continued increase in the number of persons participating in primitive camping, a trend which is likely to continue. Thus, any reduction of sites below current use levels may result in an increase in “user defined” sites in areas which are currently not used for camping."
2) One of the cul de sac camping areas along Moose River Plains Road should be set up for equestrian use. The DEC says Plains Road along with other trails will allow horseback riding, but there is currently no facilities for equestrians. Expanding equestrian use could bring in new users, new businesses and jobs to Inlet and Indian Lake. It could help support local agriculture, by providing hay and other supplies for sale in nearby towns.
I would support the creation of a single camping area cul de sac with 4-6 drive in campsites in a common area, along with 15 horse stalls and 5 horse tie downs, a disabled person's mounting platform, along with access to a spring for water. The model should be the Southern (Secondary) Assembly Area of Six Nations Horse Camp/Sugar Hill State Forest outside Watkins Glen NY.
Hiking trails must be segregated from trails used by equestrians, mountain bikes, and ATVs (legal or otherwise). Hiking trails are quickly chewed up by the hoofs of horses pounding through the mud.
3) What are the annual costs of biannual NYSDOT inspections of the Otter Brook Bridge and the Wakley Dam Bridge? Part of the reason for closing the only two inspected bridges in the UMP is to save money. Other reasons in the report are given, but we must assume the NYSDEC primary concern is the high cost of bridge inspection and maintenance.
How many cars per year cross the Otter Brook Bridge to Indian Lake Road, and use it to access Squaw Lake, Indian Lake, or the West Canada wilderness? What is the per car cost of bridge use? 6-10 miles additional hiking can make these areas increasingly unaccessible for people, except those who can afford to take a float plane into Squaw or Indian Lake.
One idea to reduce the cost of maintenance to Otter Brook Bridge, would be further restrict the load rating on the bridge to 5 or 10 tons as it is largely unnecessary for heavier vehicles to cross it. Likewise, a bridge speed limit of 5 MPH could be set. That said, while the NYS DOT has put weight restrictions on the bridge due to structural deficiencies, it is still viewed as safe by DOT, and shows minimal signs of deterioration to the causal viewer.
The same should be asked about Wakely Dam Bridge. Understandably, it only connects to 4 campsites, with the ledge site, No 7, and site No 8 of them illegally designated by DEC in West Canada Creek Wilderness (this could be fixed by changing the designation).
The Wakely Dam Bridge was constructed in 1967, and is only 43 years old, and is rated by the DOT to carry any load, including Restricted Loads up to 120 tons. There are no posted weight restrictions, as would be required by law after DOT inspections not rating the bridge to the highest capacity. The bridge has little use or wear or tear, and has never had any road salt applied to it. It is built far to exceed the strength required for typical vehicle that would cross it.
The only deficiency on the bridge is the minimal cable guardrail, which per the UMP is insufficient to prevent an accidental crash through it by a pickup truck towing a heavy trailer. This is unlikely due to the low-speed of vehicles crossing it -- cable guard rails on state highways are only designed to slow passenger cars and not 3/4 ton pickup truck at any rate. Even if the DOT insists the bridge must have box-girder guard rails installed, it is a one time cost, that should be relatively minimal for this short span.
Also, with the Wakely Dam Bridge has to be maintain the dam to keep the Cedar River Flow in place. The bridge's maintenance is probably not a big cost to the DEC. While it is true that the campsites across the bridge could be moved over to western side of the Cedar River, with an expanded camping area (possibly by removing some of the trees or putting sites along Lower Moose Plains Road near the entrance), it seems that can't much of a cost to keep Wakely Dam Bridge open.
4) Has the DEC ever considered partnering with a local organization, ala a Moose River Plains Association, that could act as a one part neighborhood watch for the Moose River Plains Camping Area, and also help pick up litter, maintain and build campsites, up keep sites ?
The model should be that of the CC Dam Association's Camping Area in Brasher Falls State Forest in Saint Lawrence County. Such a partnership with the DEC would ensure up keep of the lands, by those who use and care about the lands the most, and help rein in the worst abuses of the land.
The state to sweeten the deal might let a Moose River Plains Association maintain offices in the currently unused Rangers headquarters at Cedar River Flow. Such a long term partnership with locals could do much to upkeep this wonderful land.
5) The DEC should not proceed with the UMP plans until it has sufficient funds to implement it's plans. It would a bad thing, if the DEC banned camping along Otter Brook Road, yet lacked sufficient funds to create the new sites along Moose River Plains Road. Funding for anything is really up in the air right now for NY State, and it's not clear that their will ever be the funds in the foreseeable future for these changes.
Granted, the DEC may be able to recover some funds by not paying for DOT bridge inspections and repairs, but that's unlikely to make up the difference for the drastic changes the UMP would require. The state could end up closing off a lot camping and a lot of areas, without the funds to create replacement areas.
If the sites on Moose River Plains and Rock Dam Road are not up to snuff, it's certain the Otter Brook Road sites will continue to be used and most of the plan is ignored. It would be a really bad situation. The DEC has reputation for sometimes not building things they promise, just because of the "sudden" lack of funds. Projects often mysteriously get canceled in state government.
Why I'm Still Undecided On Who I Will Vote for Governor.
As Nelson Rockefeller once said:
Calling yourself a liberal or conservative is like saying, I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts." - Nelson Rockefeller
Many of you know that in 2002, I voted for Governor Pataki, a man I immensely liked, and in 2006, voted for Spitzer-Paterson, one of the biggest mistakes ever -- they made the state looks like fools and handed out favors to every interest group under the sun. I also like both President Obama and Bush, although for different reasons.
And while I have volunteered for Andrew Cuomo a little bit in recent weeks, I've certainly not made up my mind on that being the lever I will ultimately pull in November. I really don't like the racist tone of Rick Lazio over the Muslism Cultural Education Center in Manhattan, and how he is exploiting fear for his political benefit.
So here is how I look at it:
- Vote for Democrat - Get screwed by state lands being closed, new regulations, stupid new laws handed out like candy to every interest group that moves or otherwise can drool. Expect new taxes.
- Vote for Republican - Drastic cuts to public services, like highway maintenance, public SUNY colleges, local aid, health care. Let the parks rot. More and more user fees, and $15 dollar park day use fees or $30 to go to the transfer station.
Anyway I look at it, we are all screwed by the politicians. There may be at least some of the 49 other states in America better run then crappy New Yak.
Still Want a Kayak.
While I find kayaks to be the most obnoxious yuppie status symbols, I got to say that are a lot smaller then putting a canoe or the sailboard I own in my truck. I could bring a kayak plus all my camping gear to Moose River Plains or wherever I want to go.
I think I have the money, I just got to figure out how much it will cost, and where to get it. I have over $25,400 in my savings account, and the Ford Ranger seems to be going strong. I really want to have a kayak prior to my next vacation on August 11th. I got to think a little bit more about it and find out the advantages and prices for kayaks.
