Search Results for: photo getting camp set up for the evening

Decided to head out for a night of winter camping ๐Ÿ•

It’s such a glistening and beautiful winter day here at the State Forest. I wish I had cross country skis after mine got worn out, snapped, then chopped up burnt last winter. So much fiberglass in those skis, and they held up for 20 years, but like all things, they don’t last forever.

Good afternoon! Partly cloudy and 26 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. โ›… There is a north breeze at 10 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The trees are still covered with snow and there is something we haven’t seen in a long time — blue skies. There is a 6 inches of snow on the ground. โ˜ƒ ๏ธThings will start to thaw out at Wednesday around 1 pm. ๐ŸŒก๏ธ

It is remarkably beautiful out today. ๐Ÿ˜€ Cold but beautiful. Yet that’s to be expected camping in the winter up in the mountains. The good news is the road is nice and solid this time for camping, so not playing in the mud or getting wet. The snow is frozen fairly solid, but also is light in fluffy. If I had skis, this would be almost ideal weather for skiing. ๐Ÿšฒ After lunch and finishing setting up camp ๐Ÿ• and gathering firewood ๐Ÿชต I plan to ride some of CCC Road and maybe go down to the OSI Parcel ๐Ÿ“ธ to look at the snow covered mountains. Then come back to camp and have a good fire. ๐Ÿ”ฅ

This afternoon will be mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 29 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal. North wind around 11 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 33 degrees. The record high of 57 was set in 2016. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2004.โ„

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:11 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.8° from the due south horizon (-40.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 4:31 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (241°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (248°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:13 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 8 seconds with dusk around 5:42 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:16 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 27 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 6 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 23 seconds over yesterday.

One thing that’s nice about this time of year ๐ŸŒ† is we are definitely picking up more daylight in the evening, which makes it not as long at camp. That’s good as the nights can drag on. Going to be fairly cold but not super cold by the campfire for tonight, and I will have a nice fire.

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 18 degrees at 4am. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 15th. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 1am; Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. In 2023, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 13 degrees. The record low of -13 occurred back in 1978.

Looking ahead to next weekend, the following Saturday is Clean Your Computer Day ๐Ÿงน when the sun will be setting at 5:23 pm with dusk at 5:50 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly cloudy, mild, rain showers and temperatures between 51 and 34 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 53 back in 1955.

Gathering Clouds

My urge for camping ๐Ÿ• got the best of me โ˜ƒ

You know I’m happier in the woods than in any city, next to the fire burning things and having a good ol time. I knew last night was gonna be cold but it turned out not that bad though today will be cooler. Worked out good bar some issues with the camp stove last night and forgetting salt for the icy campsite and I’m glad to get away even if it’s just one night.

Good morning! Happy Sunday. Mostly cloudy with some snow flurries and 30 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. โ˜ There is a south breeze at 9 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The current wind chill is 22.

I decided to take option 3 and do a quick overnight trip to Rennselearville State Forest. โ›บ I think I’m going to take down camp soon and then head home before the front comes through and brings snow squals with strong winds and it’s cold enough the roads will ice up. I kind of wanted to do two โœŒ๏ธ nights but I decided it’s not that far if it ends up being one night. It is probably my best chance to get away a bit, next weekend I’m busy with the Reszin documentary and it looks even colder. โ„ Winter has arrived as we enter the coldest part of the year. Little worried too that I’m starting to get a bit of a chest cough, ๐Ÿ˜ท you know the one that’s been going around. I’m hoping it’s just a breathed in too much smoke last night.

But first a second pot of coffee โ˜•. Few snow ๐ŸŒจ flurries around and I shouldn’t procrastinate but the morning turned out nicer than I had expected with blue skies and a fairly slack wind. Enjoyed the last of the Mariaville Farm Bacon ๐Ÿฅ“ from local hogs on sale by Farmer Alice at For the Love of Bacon with the eggs ๐Ÿฅš and veggies this morning. ๐ŸŒ… It’s a treat with camping. Wasn’t sure if I was going to get the camp stove working, regulator is giving me trouble again. Wasn’t working at all last night. I slept with it to keep it warm last night and fiddled with the connection and dipped in rubbing alcohol and now it’s working again. Going to add a propane line filter and maybe pick up a second regulator to avoid problems in the future ๐Ÿ”ฎ.

Today will snow showers likely, mainly after noon. Partly sunny ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 35 degrees at 9am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 9th. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph becoming southwest 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. A year ago, we had light snow. The high last year was 30 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1932. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1999.โ„

The wind is what concerns me. ๐ŸŒฌ Some forecasts are talking about windchills especially tonight around 0 degrees. I am not sure I want to be camping out in, plus my camp stove has been acting up in the cold. I’m having issues again with the campstove regulator getting jelled up and plugged with dirt and condensate. I think when I can get home this week, I am going to order a second regulator for the campstove, plus another Big Buddy filter. โ™จ My other propane stove, whose burners ultimately burnt out a second time, had a few issues with this occassionally but this new stove I got last summer has constant issues now that it’s cold, though oddly not all on the Christmas trip to Madison County, though I stored it in the warmth of my truck. ๐Ÿšš Though if the Big Buddy filter works like it does with the Big Buddy Heater and the lantern, I expect smooth sailing going forward. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ It’s good to have back ups.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:06 pm with sun having an altitude of 26.1ยฐ from the due south horizon (-44.8ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 4:03 pm with the sun in the southwest (234ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (241ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:47 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 18 seconds with dusk around 5:18 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent ๐ŸŒ’ Moon in the southwest (216ยฐ) at an altitude of 29ยฐ from the horizon, 226,294 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:53 pm. At sunset, look for snow ๐ŸŒจ and temperatures around 29 degrees. The wind chill around sunset will be 16. โ˜ƒ๏ธ Breezy, 22 mph breeze โ›… from the west with gusts up to 44mph. Today will have 9 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 33 seconds over yesterday.

I am worried enough about the possibility of white out conditions driving home ๐ŸŒซ that I want to be on the road by 11 AM. I am going to sip my coffee, then take my campsite down before it gets too late. I could for a walk, and the road is hard enough for a bike ride now, but I think I’d rather just head home and avoid the risk of driving on snow-covered roads. Its not like I am on the other side of the earth — it’s a 21 mile drive that takes roughly a half hour, as most of the road is 55 MPH bar Clarksville and Rensselearville. I’m right on a plowed dirt road, and 1,000 feet from asphalt so I’m not worried about being snowed in, but driving home on those hills in snow and ice, could be kind of miserable.

Tonight will be partly cloudy ๐ŸŒค, with a low of 17 degrees at 4am. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 11th. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 3am; Breezy, with a southwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Other weather reports are calling for a wind chill closer to 0. I don’t mind such cold when I’m in the truck protected from the wind, but during the evening next to campfire ๐Ÿ”ฅ that would be downright cold, I’m afraid. Wind worries me more then cold, as it sucks the heat away from your body. That said, my gear is really good for camping down to about 10-15 degrees, much colder then that at night in my unhreated truck cap it gets cold. In 2023, we had light snow in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1957.

Still I’m glad I got away for one day. ๐Ÿ˜€ Just a night in the woods puts a smile on my face. Despite the woods being wet from rain we’ve had, it was cold enough up here in the State Forest that ground was frozen solid and was able to have a good fire. I’ll head home, get unpacked — it’s not that much stuff for one night ๐Ÿ’ผ — and shower. ๐Ÿšฟ Maybe go for a bike ride this afternoon ๐Ÿšด or down to the library ๐Ÿ“š if conditions aren’t too harsh. Or maybe cook up a big pot of chicken soup, ๐Ÿฒ especially if I’m not feeling good. I am thinking my next trip will be Presidents Day to Moscow Hill Horse Camp ๐Ÿ‡ in Madison County, but we’ll see. Get some nice weather, and maybe I’ll head back to the wilderness sooner for a weekend trip, like during my 41st birthday weekend, though winter is tough. Next weekend will be too cold it appears, plus the Reszin documentary.

Looking ahead, next Sunday starts the Coldest Week of the Year ๐ŸŒฌ when the sun will be setting at 4:57 pm with dusk at 5:26 pm. Martin Luther King ๐Ÿ‘‘ weekend is early this year. On that day in 2023, we had snow showers, cloudy and temperatures between 33 and 30 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 2006.

Abandoned Farm House

Places I Camped in 2023

While this year was a rainy one, and it rained during many of my trips, I was able to get out for 53 nights in the wilderness — mostly fairly close to home but I also did a trip down to West Virginia in late October with several trips to the Adirondacks, Central New York and summer vacation in the Finger Lakes.

Places I Camped in 2023

Martin Luther Kings Day โ€“ January 14-16 (2 nights)

To start out my camping adventures in 2023, I drove out to Charles Baker State Forest and Brookfield Horse Camp. There wasn’t a lot of snow — just a dusting but it was a fun weekend, topped off by a beautiful sun-full glittery hike up Tassell Hill after a hoar frost. Explored Lost Pond and several of the trails in the middle of state forest.

Home for the weekend

40th Birthday โ€“ January 27-29 (2 nights)

For my fortieth birthday, I took off the Friday leading up to my 40th birthday to cross country ski and winter camp at Rensselaerville State Forest. It was a beautiful weekend with lots of blue skies, sufficient snow for skiing but not so much that was a ton of snowmobiles out on the trails.

Beautiful Day of Skiing

Presidents Day โ€“ February 17-19 (2 nights)

I decided for Presidents Day Weekend to do another trip out to Charles Baker State Forest and Brookfield Horse Camp. Slightly more snow then last time but again largely a snow-less winter, with some nice days for hikes through the various truck and horse trails. I hiked around much of state forest, especially the more southern part of the forest.

Evening on Truck Trail 13

Easter Weekend โ€“ April 7-9 (2 nights)

On Good Friday through Easter I camped at at Rensselaerville State Forest. The snow was gone and it was fairly mild though at times it was a bit cool. Spent a fair amount of time walking around and exploring the new OSI Parcel that has been recently added to state forest and is still largely open fields with sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains.

Hillcross Farm Pond

Duck Pond Trip โ€“ May 5-7 (2 nights)

The first Friday in May I took a half day from work and headed out to Schoharie County to camp at Duck Pond at Burnt-Rossman Hills State Forest. Originally the plan was to camp two nights at Duck Pond, hiking along the Long Path and exploring the state forest and then on Sunday hiking the Catskill Scenic Trail. That part of the trip changed when driving along Duck Pond Road the low tire pressure light came on I found a pallet nail in my truck tire. I was able to top off the truck tire and then change the tire when I got home and got the nail pulled and plugged. But it wasn’t the best way ever to end a trip early.

Spring

Overnight at Cole Hill – May 13-14 (1 night)

After visiting the folks on Mother’s Day Weekend, I decided to do a quick overnight hammock camp on Cole Hill State Forest in Berne. Nothing fancy or formal, it was as much a way to test out sleeping in my hammock with the bug screen. Kind of a chilly night, I took camp down fairly and headed home early in the morning.

Hammock Camping on Cole Hill

Memorial Day Weekend at Cole Hill โ€“ May 20-22 (2 nights)

This year I decided to eschew the Adirondacks and Greene Mountains for Memorial Day Weekend due to the black flies, my desire to look at bicycles, and work I had to do on the Saturday morning leading up to the holiday weekend. I decided to hammock camp again Cole Hill State Forest in Berne. This was a three-day two night trip, so it it gave me a chance to bring more gear up the mountain, set up a more formal camp. Cooked on the fire, hiked around the forest. It was a warm weekend, but I enjoy the solitude, along with having good cell service for listening to podcasts and watching videos.

Cooking down dinner

Juneteenth Weekend on Piseco-Powley โ€“ June 15-20 (4 nights)

To kick off summer, I did my usual Juneteenth weekend camping trip, tacking on some days on the Juneteenth Holiday Weekend. It was a bit of a cool and rainy weekend to kick off summer, one that would actually be followed by many cool and rainy weekends where I would stay home. Camped at House Pond for the first three nights, spending time down floating in the tube on East Branch while the final night I camped up at Powley Bridge site and kayaked along the East Branch. Really, like often is the case, the best weather was the day I took down camp.

Evening on East Canada Creek

Catskill Scenic Trail Trip โ€“ July 22-24 (3 nights)

After several months of researching and visiting various bike shops, I finally got a mountain bike. I decided it would be fun to do as much of the Catskill Scenic Trail as I could before my summer vacation got underway. Actually did quite a bit of riding and hiking that weekend — started out hiking Pratts Rock’s then riding from Grand George to Hobart. Sunday, I rode from Fultonham to Middleburgh on NY 30, doing a quick climb up Vromans Nose, then stopping at the farm market then going to Mine Kill State Park to swim. Monday I rode from Hobart down to Bloomville, getting caught in a major thunderstorm and downpour a few miles north of Bloomville with no shelter in sight. The trail became super boggy, then I went to Mine Kill State Park for one more swim, and then out to folks house for Sunday dinner a day later then usual.

After the rain showers

Finger Lakes National Forest โ€“ July 28 โ€“ August 6 (9 nights)

Every year for nearly a decade and a half I’ve been doing summer vacation out in the Finger Lakes — camping in the National Forest and exploring as much as possible during my days there. The past few years I’ve been driving there on a Friday, to get a better campsite before they’re taken by the weekend campers. This year was no exception. With Blackie, my mountain bike, I did nearly all of the bike trails in the near vicinity, from the Black Diamond Trail to the Cayuta Valley Trail to Dresden – Penn Yan Canal Trail. Kayaked on both Cayuga and Scenic Lakes, swam many days at Watkins Glen State Park and Taughannock State Park, explored the Cornell Campus and Botanical Gardens on my bike. Got some good ice cream at the Spotted Duck, explored the Geneva Waterfront along with the Cayuga-Seneca Canalway. Some rain but compared to the wet summer that was, this was a pretty good week.

Morning on Searsburg Road

Piseco-Powley โ€“ House Pond Campsite โ€“ August 18-20 (3 nights)

The next few weeks for rainy and by the time I got away for one more long weekend, it promised to be fairly nice weekend but turned out to be fairly cool and cloudy with some rain. Back at the House Pond Campsite, did some swimming in East Branch, but with the mercury in the 60s most of the weekend, I didn’t spend a lot of time in the water. Hardly what I had dreamed when the I planned the weekend. Rode Blackie up to Goldmine Stream Falls and relaxed down by the falls for a bit, also sat down by the swimming hole off of the Old Edick Road Snowmobile Trail, watching the rain fall, bemoaning the wet and cold weather. Still it was good to get away for a bit, and I did do a fair amount of reading in hammock, under the protection of the bug net, as the bugs were bad after such a wet summer.

Gentle Drop Into A Golden Pool

Labor Day at Perkins Clearing – September 1-4 (3 nights)

I took the Friday off before Labor Day to get a jump on the holiday season travel, and set up camp at the site I really enjoy up at Perkins Clearing overlooking the mountains. Did a fair amount of riding along the various dirt roads of Perkins Clearing, including over to Mason Lake and on Sunday rode most of the way to the Spruce Lake Trailhead, though didn’t make it there in time as I got a bit of a late start as I spent the balance of the day reading and swimming in the Jessup River Bridge swimming hole. Labor Day, I rode around the Spectulator Tree Farm, doing a large loop, through the tree farm, past the north end of Elm Lake, then down to Austin Falls and Old Route 8B. I had hoped to get ice cream, but by the time I got to the ice cream shop they were out of soft-ice cream, and there was a long line. Summer was dragging to a close.

Kunjamunk River from Long Level Bridge

September Trip to Rensselearville State Forest โ€“ September 15-17 (2 nights)

With time being fairly tight and the weather only so-so I decided to do a two night trip close to home out in Rennselearville to ride some of the gravel trails, explore the OSI Parcel further and just enjoy an early autumn weekend camping.

Evening

Columbus Day at Rensselearville State Forest โ€“ October 8-9 (1 night)

Columbus Day Weekend was cold and rainy for the first half of the weekend, but the Sunday heading into Columbus Day was nice, so I decided to head out to Rensselaerville for a quick overnight at the campsite on CCC Road. Leaves were late this year, so not a lot of color, but it still was nice to get away for a night and ride some of the trails around.

Leonard Hill

West Virginia Trip โ€“ October 21-29 (8 nights)

The banner trip of the year was my trip down to West Virigina. While it started and ended in rain, it was a very enjoyable trip with lots of new adventures this year. Camped the balance of the week — 6 nights in Canaan Heights — doing day trips from that area. Overnighted one night driving down at County Bridge Campground in Pennsylvania, and a on the way back camped overnight at Long Pond State Forest in New York. Adventures in West Virginia included hiking at Dolly Sods, mountain biking at night in the sods of Canaan Heights, riding up and hiking to Table Rock, exploring Blackwater Falls State Park on the mountain bike, MonPower Mountain Bike Park, Thomas Rail Grade and the Olson Firetower. Rode part of the Great Allegheny Trail through the Cumberland Passage, and the two sections of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canalway, including the Paw Paw Tunnel.

Sunrise

Stoney Pond โ€“ November 4-7 (3 nights)

A little over a week back from West Virginia, I headed out to Madison County to ride the Tassel Hill Mountain Bike Trails at Alfred Woodford, the Chenango Canal Trail in Hamilton and Erie Canalway from Chittenango to Green Lakes State Park and then to Canastota and Wampsville. The first night was cold at Stoney Pond but the subsequent nights were quite pleasant and mild.

Old Canal Warehouse in Chittenango  [Expires November 19 2023]

Prospect Mountain – East Branch Sacanadaga โ€“ Buttermilk Falls/Hudson Special Management Area โ€“ November 24-28 (3 nights)

Strangely enough, I had never been up Prospect Mountain. So I decided the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) to hike up Prospect Mountain, and then spend the next two nights camping on East Branch of the Sacandaga River. The Saturday and Sunday was fairly cold, so I ended up spending the bulk of day hanging around camp, doing a bit of hiking around Fox Lair. Sunday, evening around 8 PM it started to sleet, then snow, then rain, Monday morning, it turned into a white globby snow, and I ended up taking down camp fairly early after discovering I was out of propane and then spent much of the day exploring the Hudson River Special Management Area – Buttermilk Falls.

Icy River Road

Stoney Pond – Charles Baker โ€“ December 21-26 (5 nights)

On the days leading up to Christmas I decided to take a second trip to Madison County. I was originally planning to camp two nights at Stoney Pond then two nights at the Charles Baker Horse Camp but my family’s holiday plans were cancelled due to illness in my family, so I ended up staying an extra night at the horse camp, through the day after Christmas. On Friday, I rode the Erie Canalway from Canastota to East Verona, nearly to Rome. On Christmas Day I rode around many of truck trails at Charles Baker with my mountain bike, leaving my face splattered with mud. Many of the days were fairly cold and cloudy, but that’s too be expected in late December. Still it was a special way to spend Christmas.

Camp on this cold but still morning ?

Cold start to the winter camping season โ›บ โ„

While I was warm and comfortable under the covers in my unheated truck cap last night my toes were cold and stiff. Cold getting up but the heater was warm as was the coffee and eggs with all the fixings. Didn’t get up until after seven as the morning was so cold and dark.

Good morning! Partly sunny and 17 degrees at the Stoney Pond State Forest. There is a south-southeast breeze at 5 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Things will start to thaw out at around 1 pm. ๐ŸŒก๏ธ

That coffee is good. โ˜• Stove is still a bit slow from the plugging to got last time I was camping but it’s working fairly well. The heater is nice and warm. Eggs for breakfast. ๐Ÿณ Plus enjoying a grapefruit. ๐ŸŠWatching the sun rise this morning, very cold but still.

Today will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 33 degrees at 2pm. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around January 5th. South wind around 6 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light snow by afternoon. The high last year was 34 degrees. The record high of 60 was set in 1990. 12.3 inches of snow fell back in 1969.โ„

The plan for today is to visit Oxbow Falls County Park then head to Canastota. ๐Ÿšฒ I want to ride the Erie Canalway to Rome as time allows. Should be a good day, hoping it warms up a fair amount by midday. โ˜€ At least it shouldn’t be cloudy and it looks like the wind will die down.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 23.7ยฐ from the due south horizon (-46.8ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 3:47 pm with the sun in the southwest (230ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (238ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:33 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 26 seconds with dusk around 5:04 pm, which is 30 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous ๐ŸŒ” Moon in the east-southeast (104ยฐ) at an altitude of 38ยฐ from the horizon, 232,306 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:41 pm. At sunset, look for partly sunny skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 31 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 4 minutes of daytime, a decrease of over yesterday.

Yesterday when I got to camp it was a mess. ๐Ÿšฏ There had apparently been a party ๐Ÿป at the campsite since I was last here and a ton of broken glass, beer bottles and half burnt pallets everywhere. ๐Ÿ”ฅ Nails too, I’m a bit worried about getting one in my tires. I tried to pick things up to the best of my ability, at first sorting out as many of the recycling as possible โ™ป but ultimately just scooping a lot up into the ever growing ash pile at the edge of the campsite.

Tonight will be partly cloudy ๐ŸŒƒ , with a low of 27 degrees at 6am. Six degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around December 2nd. Maximum wind chill around 23 at 6pm; South wind 6 to 9 mph. Much warmer than yesterday. In 2022, we had light rain in the evening, which and it cleared oytby the early hours of the morning. It got down to 9 degrees. The record low of -12 occurred back in 1955.

Last night ๐ŸŒƒ I had a nice camp fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ and the moonlight was great but it was cold โ„ with lows in the single digits and a breeze that slackened a bit as the night progressed. ๐Ÿฅ“ The bacon I got was good though.

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 38 degrees at 2pm. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 17th. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light snow by afternoon. The high last year was 53 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 1990. 8.8 inches of snow fell back in 1947.โ„

Looking ahead to Sunday, a chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 39. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Typical average high for the weekend is 36 degrees.

The winter camping trip begins โ„ โ›บ

Just reviewing my packing list and finishing getting ready, doing some cleaning and double checking things.

Good morning! Partly cloudy and 31 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ›… There is a north-northeast breeze at 13 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Things will start to thaw out at Saturday around 10 am. ๐ŸŒก๏ธ

Kind of a cool day to start out my trip with the breeze ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ but it will be sunnier later and then a cold night ๐ŸŒƒ is ahead. But my propane tank is full ๐Ÿฎ, I’ll have a good fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ and enjoy the cold. Winter starts at 10:27 pm. โ˜ƒ๏ธ Going to be a cold night, I’m not sure if I’ll stay up that late. Maybe.

Today will be partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 32 degrees at 2pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around January 15th. North wind 9 to 14 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 34 degrees. The record high of 62 was set in 2018. 6.6 inches of snow fell back in 2008.โ„

Today’s plans are to head out to Stoney Pond State Forest ๐Ÿž and camp there. I’m thinking about stopping at For the Love of Bacon ๐Ÿฅ“ to get some of the name sake, and maybe to ride the Chenango Canal Trailway and explore Hamilton NY on my bicycle ๐Ÿšฒ as time allows. That said, the sun sets early this time of year. Looks like it will be a nice day but maybe somewhat cold. But it’s to be expected in December a few days before Christmas.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 11:54 am with sun having an altitude of 23.9ยฐ from the due south horizon (-46.9ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 3:40 pm with the sun in the southwest (230ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (238ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:25 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 25 seconds with dusk around 4:56 pm, which is 28 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous ๐ŸŒ” Moon in the east-southeast (120ยฐ) at an altitude of 43ยฐ from the horizon, 229,997 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:33 pm. At sunset, look for sunny skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 30 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 9 mph. Tomorrow will have 9 hours and 6 minutes of daytime, an increase of one second over today. Days are getting longer.

Working from home ๐Ÿก or in my case the library ๐Ÿ’ป was good yesterday, it gave me an opportunity to get packed and get supplies before camping ๐Ÿ•. I ended up working late as it took longer than I expected at the store midday ๐Ÿ›’ but all was good. Came home made bread and had it ready to bring camping.

Tonight will be clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 12 degrees at 5am. Nine degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 12am; North wind 6 to 8 mph. That’s going to be a cold night for sure. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -8 occurred back in 1955. At least not that cold.

Clouds for the weekend but warmer. โ˜๏ธSaturday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. South wind around 7 mph. Sunday, mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Typical average high for the weekend is 36 degrees.

Looking ahead, next Thursday is 4:30 PM Sunset ๐ŸŒ† when the sun will be setting at 4:30 pm with dusk at 5:01 pm. A sign of longer days ahead. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 41 and 22 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 1982.

 Snow Has Stopped

Today was a great day up on Canaan Mountain โ›ฐ

Morning started out cold and so was the evening but tons of sunshine by midday and beautiful deep blue skies with temperatures in the low sixties by afternoon.

Good evening! Clear and 45 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. Calm wind. The skies are full of stars. โœจ

It was a nice day though it started out cold โ„ with a hard frost. As the previous night it was cold and I got here late, spent the morning pitching the tent and setting up camp for the week, gathered firewood ๐Ÿ”ฅ , then a nice lunch of salmon ๐Ÿ  , broccoli ๐Ÿฅฆ and onions. ๐Ÿง… Dinner was rice and lentils with too much garlic and some beer. But I enjoyed most of all was the many cups of coffee โ˜• โ˜• โ˜• and eggs and vegetables. ๐Ÿณ I mean the hard boiled eggs and banana ๐ŸŒ limited piss breaks on the way down but I was all for having a real breakfast this morning.

I spent a lot of time getting camp set up for the week, โ›บ organizing gear and food. Laid back in the hammock for a while. It’s vacation, and this year I’m determined not to spend every waking hour rushing from point A to Point B. It’s not like I’m planning fewer adventures but I’m trying to explore more what is close to camp but have previously overlooked then the crowded tourist trap kind of places like Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods and Seneca Rocks. I’ve been to all those places many times before, no reason to go back. Truth is though I kind of want to go back to the Dolly Sods ๐ŸŒพ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒณ but I don’t like the crowds or the rough steep road up there and it’s a bit out of the way. I guess I’ll decide later in the week.

Did a leisurely bike ๐Ÿšฒ ride along a portion of upper Canaan Loop Road and then hiked down to Blackwater Falls State Park ๐Ÿž spending some time at the scenic overlooks before hiking back through the mountain and giant laurel lined trail. With the giant laurel so tightly growing in Canaan Heights there wasn’t much of a chance of loosing the trail.

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 30 degrees at 5am. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Colder then Albany but also tomorrow will be warmer than back home. Lots of sun too. In 2022, we had mist in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 19 occurred back in 1981.

I’m starting to upload photos ๐Ÿ“ธ but with spotty cell service I’m having trouble. You might have to wait until next week to see more photos of my adventures, though I might upload some to Facebook in the meantime. Plus I’d rather be out doing fun things then messing around with social media on vacation.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous ๐ŸŒ” Moon with 76% illuminated. The moon will set at 4:17 pm. The Hunter ๐Ÿน Moon is on Sunday, October 29. The darkest hour is at 12:40 am, followed by dawn at 7:01 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:33 am in the east-southeast (105ยฐ) and last for 3 minutes and 1 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 12 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 8:09 am with sun in the east-southeast (112ยฐ). Tonight will have 13 hours and 17 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 43 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 69 degrees at 3pm. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 59 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 2017. There was a dusting of snow in 1962.โ„

The plan for tomorrow is to drive down to Davis ๐Ÿ›ป then to Blackwater Falls State Park and hike out to Lindey Point. Then poke around the village, ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ and then ride Camp Seventy Road along the Black River to Canaan Wildlife Refuge. Then get milk, ice, coffee grounds and paper towels at the Stop and Shop Express or Dollar General, the only real choices you have here.

Today in 1973, President Richard M. Nixon agrees to turn over subpoenaed audio tapes of his Oval Office conversations. ๐Ÿ“ผ Nowadays politicians rarely tape themselves in preparation for writing books in retirement ๐Ÿ“ though apparently George Romney’s son is a profilic journal writer.

While so far every night I’ve camped has been below freezing in the High Country, there are 3 weeks until Average Night Below Freezing back in Albany ๐ŸŒŒ when the sun will be setting at 5:06 pm with dusk at 5:33 pm (Standard Time) here in West Virginia. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 49 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 50 degrees. We hit a record high of 69 back in 1964.

Hang Gliders Cliff Ridgeline

15 bean soup kind of day… Good for using up a lot of vegetables in the fridge and counter ๐Ÿฒ

Well folks, I was hoping for a nicer weekend. I am surprised how long the rain is sticking around this morning, maybe it was a good thing I stayed home. That is soup is good, lots of garlic and spices. I know what I’ll be dipping in the fresh homemade whole-wheat bread the rest of today.

Good morning! Where did September go? Got washed away with the rain. I’m glad I’m not camping this morning, though if I headed north or west it probably wouldn’t be too bad. Rain and 55 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜” There is a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 54 degrees. Cool and damp, I have my windows closed.

Today will have showers likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 70 degrees at 5pm. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 27th. Maximum dew point of 59 at 2pm. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 62 degrees. The record high of 88 was set in 1905.

Not a great start to the day, I’m procrastinating on my morning walk ๐Ÿšถ. I was up at 5:30 but it’s a dark morning and now it’s raining out. โ˜” The 15 bean soup is done and absolutely delicious. I have bread I made up earlier in the week and took out of the freezer, it will be good dipped in the soup. Nice smokey flavor from the smoked paprika and a nice under-note from the garlic and onions I chopped up on it. ๐Ÿฒ Banana oatmeal pancakes made extra fluffy with baking soda topped with shredded mango and ginger with maple syrup. Yum ๐Ÿ˜‹.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:46 pm with sun having an altitude of 44.7ยฐ from the due south horizon (-26.2ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 6.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 6:03 pm with the sun in the west (261ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west (267ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:41 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 54 seconds with dusk around 7:07 pm, which is one minute and 46 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 7:42 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 67 degrees. The dew point will be 58 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 11 hours and 50 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 52 seconds over yesterday.

Not sure what today’s plans are going to look like. ๐Ÿ  I think it’s best to say it will be a stay home kind of day, but assuming it clears out it probably will involve a bike ride later on out to Voorheesville, Five Rivers or maybe both. I should go down to the library and get some books and work on the Internet too. ๐Ÿ“š I don’t think the rain is going to stop early enough though at this point for the sun to dry things out so I can paint over some of the rust spots on Big Red. ๐Ÿšš

Tonight will have patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 53 degrees at 6am. Seven degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 16th. Maximum dew point of 58 at 6pm. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 46 degrees. The record low of 28 occurred back in 1993.

Ad revenue has been decent on the blog, ๐Ÿ“บ I’ve been pulling in about $2.25 a day since I figured out the placement that I can live with. So that works out to be around $67 a month, though after hunting season is over I expected revenue to drop as there is less demand for my maps but it will pick up come May, might even top $100 a month as people seek places to camp and hike. โ˜บ Not going to make me rich, indeed the government will take probably a quarter in taxes๐Ÿ›๏ธ but I can look forward to a hundred dollar check every two months or so which will cover hosting and more incentive to create useful good content for the blog. ๐Ÿ’ต And it’s not like I’m selling little trinkets soon destine for the landfill or burn barrel. ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธI’m really pleased with the quality of some of the ads I’m getting from local businesses though some are complete crap.

Looking ahead, there are 5 weeks until Daylight Savings Time Ends ๐Ÿ›ฅ๏ธ when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:14 pm. On that day in 2022, we had sunny, rather warm weather for November and temperatures between 71 and 46 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 54 degrees. But last year didn’t break the record high of 76 back in 1994.

Mount Prospect