Search Results for: photo taking a break from swimming hot day

The days go by too quickly it seems ⌛

I was saddened, maybe even devestated to hear of John Wolcott’s passing while I was up in the wilderness, cut off from the news of the world. At one level I expected it sooner, he wasn’t well when I left for summer vacation and he hadn’t gotten better the last time I visited and I knew the end was near. And it was a cold and rainy four days, away from it all up at Piseco-Powley Road, though maybe it was good to be away from it all for four days before summer was done for good. No radio news, nothing up to date since leaving Thursday. Last summer weekend camping at least at Piseco-Powley though I might do an autumn trip and thinking Speculator for Labor Day Weekend. Can you believe it in two weeks?

Good afternoon! Partly cloudy and 74 degrees at the Herkimer Home Historical Site. ⛅ There is a west breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 62 degrees.

I would have hoped for better weather for the weekend that was 🌦️ but I’m not surprised by rain every day with the summer that’s was and the forecast that degraded as the long weekend approached. There was some breaks of sunshine ☀ but most of the weekend was cloudy with times of rain, especially after dark but also each morning after I got up including take down take down day, earlier today. Cold and rainy. Not a wash out but at times I was glad I packed the propane heater it got a fair amount of use for August camping!

Fortunately I caught the impending rain ☔ with the darkening skies and got the screen tent 🎪, flags 🎌 and tarp down before they could get very wet. 💧 Had a bit of sun today which is good for drying gear and as my starting and accessory batteries 🔋 could use a good boost this morning as it’s been cloudy and I haven’t run my engine since Thursday. It was raining while driving down to Little Falls this afternoon but now it’s getting sunny and warmer.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 78 degrees at 4pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 4pm. West wind around 8 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 93 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1937.

The rainy weekend did leave a lot of time for reading 📖 and playing around with cooking 🧑‍🍳 some meals coming out better than others. Been trying to come up with filling meals that taste damn good, relatively easy to cook but also have less calories but more fiber and protein, along with essential vitamins. 💊 Plus I have so much good farmers market 🌽 foods to eat up. The sweet corn 🌽 from Samdil’s was amazing as was the peaches 🍑 from Roger’s.

Took a few naps 😴 in the hammock besides reading, 📖 listening to podcasts and some bike riding 🚲 and hiking it’s been a very lazy weekend but I’m chocking it up to the weather. ☔ Honestly though if it had been nicer it would have been a lazier weekend just floating on the tube ⭕. Let’s be honest. Still every day either walked at least five miles, rode 7 ½ or a combination of both. 🚶 Do it’s not like I was just eating 🍴 and sleeping. 🔥 Had some nice fires in part because it was so cold and rainy, smokey at times due to the wet wood.

Bike 🚲 and hiked part of the way back to both the swimming hole off Old Edick Road snowmobile trail on Friday and on Saturday did Goldmine Stream Falls. Lot of water 💦 going over Goldmine Steam Falls. Thursday I rode up to Notch Mountain ⛰ and Friday also spent time at the Potholers but no swimming 🏊 due to it being very cold and the water levels dangerously high. I’ve never seen the Potholers so high in the summer months. 🏊‍♂️

Saturday night was the best night by far, stayed up until close to midnight watching the shooting stars ✨ from my hammock then listening to music 🎶 down by the campfire 🔥 for warmth. Had a second beer 🍻 and maybe a smoke 🚬 which is so uncommon these days since I’ve gotten into healthy eating in my forties. But also snacked on sweet corn 🌽 and peaches 🍑 by the fire. No more cookies these days, I go for natural fruits when I’m hungry. Greek yogurt too but not on Saturday. Switched on Country is so much funnier when your slightly stoned. 🤪

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:04 pm with sun having an altitude of 59.5° from the due south horizon (-10.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:18 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (282°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (288°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:56 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 4 seconds with dusk around 8:24 pm, which is one minute and 34 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the west-southwest (246°) at an altitude of 14° from the horizon, 246,018 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:03 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 75 degrees. The dew point will be 64 degrees. There will be a west breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 47 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over yesterday.

Today out exploring Little Falls, Herkimer Home, Bike Path and Moss Island. 🚲 No set agenda, I’m just in the area until 6 pm or so when I’ll take NY 5S to Sprakers then down to Sloansville and US 20, maybe stop for ice cream 🍦 and sweet corn 🌽 if I see a good place. I was surprised that Green Acres dinner and ice cream stand is still open in Dolgeville, I heard it’s closing but I’m not going back that way.

Tonight will have increasing clouds ☁, with a low of 64 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 64 at 7pm. Light northwest wind. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It was humid. It got down to 70 degrees. The record low of 42 occurred back in 1977.

The unavoidable truth is a five 5⃣ day work week ahead in the office 🏢 as the head director is off for my unit, and as the deputy I have to step up and fill in for her role. It’s fine, but no more passing the buck, ignoring emails 📧 and not taking immediate action on staff and inter departmental requests because I don’t want to step on the toes 👣 of the director. 🙈 It means no sneaking off to the woods this week. Promised my mom next week to do a clam bake for them too. 🦪 Following weekend though probably head to Spectulator, maybe taking off that Friday or working remotely.

Need to order the bolt 🔩 and the tool to install the lost bolt on Blackie’s 🚵 rack. The zip tie was a good emergency fix but it still rattles and I’m not convinced that I should carry a lot of groceries on the rack with the loose bolt. Could fail under weight. 🍏 Rather be safe then sorry and have groceries spill all over the road.

In 2014, seventy-two people are killed in Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture by a series of landslides ☔ caused by a month’s worth of rain that fell in one day. Reminds me of the some of the extreme rain we’ve been having lately.

I was sadden to learn of John Wolcott’s passing this afternoon 😢 while I was away from town at camp. 👼🏼 He was quite the man though I don’t know even half the story as so much of his memory had passed by the time I started interviewing him and going through his files. 📂 I do always wonder what was in his attic that burned in that fire 🔥. I know after that fire I personally made sure to keep multiple off site back ups, scan in important documents and purge a lot of the paper 📄 I owned. Never got to the really interesting stuff in his attic where the fire burned hottest. So much of the story untold. 🕯

I’m glad I blog in part because it’s a way to ensure at least part of my story is told and can get found on the Way back Machine and the Internet Archives. 🖥 You never really know how long people’s lives will last, or the institutions and things around us. Here one day, gone the next. 🕊 Honestly I thought 💭 the news 📰 would happen during summer vacation, though I’m glad I did spend a few afternoons with him at the hospital, took him around the Crossings and read to him before it was over. 🦆 🐦 🦋 🎍 I do wish I had found time to do that one more time before it was too late. 🙏 I need to do better with my parents.

Looking ahead, there are 3 weeks until 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:20 pm with dusk at 7:47 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 83 and 56 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 77 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1931.

Powley Bridge

Gorging on Gorges, An Adventure, Day 2

I awoke for Day 2 of Gorging on Gorges, and it was a fairly warm morning, at least for the day before Columbus Day, in the back country of the Finger Lakes National Forest. I decided I wanted a full breakfast this morning, so I got some sausage frying up, the coffee peculator doing its thing, then scrambled some eggs with mushrooms and sweet peppers. It was a good breakfast. Packed up my gear, folded the flag, headed out on Potamac Road, and stopped grab a few pictures of the pastures along the road.

Potamac Road 2

Driving along all these back-country roads, I was amazed during most of my trip in New York State, on how many anti-SAFE Act signs there were in front of houses and farms along the way. If there ever was an issue that galvinized the backwoods of Upstate NY, it has to be that stupid gun law. I would reminded of the opposition to the SAFE Act all week, until I finally crossed into Pennsylvania state-line – the last SAFE Act sign ended a ¼ mile before I left the state. I bet you that poor dairy farmer, was awful pissed to live on the wrong side of an imaginary line, so they had to be subjected to stupid laws, high taxes, and anti-farm regulations.

Across the Gorge

Drove down to Trumansburg and then to Taughannock Falls State Park’s Gorge Overlook. The main overlook, next to the parking lot was a complete tourist trap, with dozens of tourists, many obviously traveling a long ways to get there, crowded around the overlook deck, as everyone – myself included – scrambled to get that one trademark photo of the falls. I was glad to get away from that overlook.

Started along the North Rim trail along the gorge. I was looking for secret places to find isolated, beautiful views of fall, and the hike did not disappoint. I found one perfectly shrouded in colorful fall leaves, but with a view of falls. I snapped a picture. I continued along, and found some good views in the gorge, showing the depth and width it below the falls. Then I ran into Robin Smith and his wife – Twitter and Facebook friend. Chatted for five minutes, then I proceeded on.

A Secret Spot for Observing the Falls

In part, I was in a bit of a rush, trying to find a place to take a piss. All that coffee plus maybe an eye-opener drink wasn’t great for the bladder. There also were a few to many people around to do it right on trail, especially being so close to the road most of way. But eventually I did it, and was on my way.

The North Rim trail runs into the Black Diamond Trail, which crosses an old railroad bridge, converted to a hiking trail via some concrete slaps and fence placed on it. The high, old railroad trestle provides views of a smaller, upper waterfalls and the little known, but quite impressive upper gorge. The upper gorge, above the falls, is a deep, narrow, but beautiful gorge where the Taughannock Creek runs, cutting deep into the valley. For the best views, you have to take the South Rim trail, which is what I took next.

Upper Gorge

The South Rim trail is impressive. There is the big parking lot from the Gorge Overlook on Taughannock Road, or you can alternatively take Gorge Road, and halfway down it, park in the smallish pull-off. Don’t miss it though. If you follow the South Rim Trail, there are some views of the gorge below the falls, and one view of the gorge, extending out to Seneca Lake.

I hiked back to my pickup truck, and then drove down to the main part of Taughannock Falls State Park. I parked in main portion of the park, rather then the always crowded and tight to park in lot next to the trail to Gorge Trail, which runs inside the gorge to below the falls. Not wanting my truck damaged by an overly excited tourist, I figured it’s always safer to park in an empty lot. Walked down to Seneca Lake, and noticed how green the trees were still on the lake shore. This contrasts to sections of US 20, the previous day, where the colors were burnt out to say the least. I was also surprised to see the AES Cayuga in Lansing, across the lake, burning coal today. They must keep in standby for when the line frequency drops to low locally. Stopped in the bathrooms at Taughannock Falls State Park, which were just very gross – clean, but rusty and in old shape – like so many state facilities.

AES Cayuga Coal Plant in Lansing

Then I hiked along the gorge trail to the fall, taking several moments to stop and take photos, and explore the river bed. I had previously been here, in mid-July, but it certainly was different now that fall was in full swing. The trail was popular, and in some places, downright crowded, but the riverbed, at least as far as one could hike, wasn’t nearly as crowded. The gorge walls were pretty with the fall leaves, although by the time I got the falls, the sun was right over the top of the waterfalls, so most of the pictures of the falls came out pretty poorly.

The Falls From Below

Headed back to the truck, then drove down to Ithaca. The traffic was as awful as always in that city. I had stop at the pharmacy, then it was off to Buttermilk Falls State Park. I was surprised they were still charging – the last day must be Columbus Day. By now, it was too late to keep Robert Treman State Park on my list; that will have to wait until tomorrow. This time, I intentionally hiked up the North Rim trail, up to West King Road, then down into the gorge. Last November, I hiked up the gorge, so I figured it would be interesting to go the other way this time.

North Rim Trail

Hiking down Buttermilk Falls was scenic, but not as a scenic as I remember it. Maybe after all this time hiking in gorges and exploring the gorges, they also start to look a bit alike – and we are only day two. It’s more scenic then most of other glens, besides Enfield Glen and Watkins Glen, but it’s still a step below them. The gorge swimming pool at the bottom of the gorge it was nice.

An Autumn Afternoon at the Falls

It was a good hike, until descending the slippery stairs, I slipped, and dropped my camera, and it fell like 20 feet, hitting a dozen of the stone stairs before coming to a rest. The fall did some serious damage to the camera, as one might expect. The protective UV filter was shattered, the case was cracked up the lens. I was not pleased, to say the least. There may have been a few cuss words. But so be it. The camera was under a drop warranty that I bought when I got it, but I was more worried that the fall would damage the camera, so I would be out of luck for taking more pictures for the rest of the trip.

I might have been pissed at myself for my careless handling and missteps, for a little while, cussed myself out. I was less pissed when I discovered the lens wasn’t destroyed, only the $5 UV filter. The camera seemed to continue to work well, although the flash doesn’t always pop up – a feature I almost never use at any rate. The camera seemed to work okay, and I picked up a second UV filter at Walmart later in the evening. Later in the week, I noticed the automatic focus was sticking – fortunately I have a drop warranty on the lens too. One of these days, I will get around to sending the camera back to the factory for warranty repairs or replacement.

Nice Little Falls

Once I got over the shock, anger, and amusement of smashing up my camera, and got the shattered UV filter off the camera – it took a little fiddling, as the impact of the fall bent the ring – I enjoyed the remaining hike and vistas of falls. Snapped several other quite nice pictures. Went to Walmart to pick up a few supplies, then back to Finger Lakes National Forest, for another evening at camp.

When I drove up to the campsites on Chicken Coop Road, I was pleasantly surprised to find out the campsite I like was vacant. Whoever was the night before packed up, and there was no mess left over. Hung the flag up, set up the table, hung lights up, and gathered wood. Started a campfire, cracked open a beer, had soup and sandwitches for dinner. The colors in the woods were about peak here. Around 6:15 PM, walked across the road, to take a closer look at the cows grazing in the pasture.

Pasture View from Campsite

I stayed up until 8:15 PM, when it started to sprinkle, and quickly turned to a heavier rain, and decided it was time to seek shelter under the truck cap. Again a bit annoyed about the rain, and my stupidity about not setting up a tarp earlier in the evening. I listened to the radio for a bit, played on my cellphone, and retired for the night. The good news was that by morning, the rain would have passed, although the skies would be cloudy, damp, and the temperature only around 47 degrees.

This morning is a drag 🐲

Puff the magic dragon by lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee. A dragon lives forever but not so little boys.

Good morning! Happy Thursday. It’s cloudy and 60 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ Calm wind. The dew point is 60 degrees. Fog around, and it’s in my head this morning and I’m not stoned but maybe I wish I was as I stumble around this morning skipping my morning walk.

So I can get at least some steps in 👣 taking the long way around the High School 🚸 superblock to the express bus 🚍 as I have enough time. Breakfast was a bowl of light red kidney beans with sugar free maple syrup and a little bit of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. I have a bit of sore throat this morning and maybe that’s my excuse for my dragging ass, though truth be told it’s the gray skies my struggle to recover from summer vacation. 🛏 I was in bed shortly after 9 pm and slept well but had to run to the bathroom 🚽 a few times during the night as I had a bunch of lemonade 🍋 after my evening bike 🚲 ride to Voorheesville.

Today will have a slight chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 78 degrees at 12pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 67 at 1pm. Lighyg south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 79 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1949.

If the weather was going to be better today ⛈ I would definitely be riding into work. 🚲 It was a nice bicycle commute yesterday, although my ride home was a bit heavy with all that sweet corn 🌽, zucchini, cucumbers 🥒 and that watermelon 🍉 I had loaded into the back of my bike. Howard Street does get a bit crazy 🚘 at 5 o’clock but once I hit the bike path under 787 and do the climb out of the valley it’s a bit of serenity. Tomorrow I’ll ride down to the dentist 🦷 and then to work.

Yesterday I rode close to 30 miles or maybe more. 🚲 Not sure though I did GPS log it. Sunset is getting earlier 🌇 and I was running late 🏃 after dinner but it was still a great ride. That said my mountain bike is so slow compared to the road bikes and it’s boring 💤 to ride on asphalt but take it to the places I like to camp ⛺ it’s wonderful and it beats walking 🚶 around town. It just annoys me as road bikes fly by on the bike path, and general boredom of the bike path, but I remember it’s a compromise compared to the great places I can get up in the wilderness. I am thinking the gravel/stone dust of Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Gorge might be fun this autumn. 

I’ve been kicking myself for not stopping in Triangle on my way home from the Finger Lakes to get more zucchini and have been desperate ever since. 🥒 The zucchini I had in the Finger Lakes was so good that all I’ve been dreaming of all week is more zucchini. Fried with onions, some MSG, some pepper and a bit of stevia and olive oil it was so good. Eat way too much but there are worse foods to over indulge in. Sweet corn also for dinner and a plum for dessert. 🌽 This morning as I mentioned it was red kidney beans and syrup, and lunch is going to be onions, rice with peas and lentils and then some edamame thrown in. Haven’t had edamame in a few weeks, and it’s good, mostly because of vacation. 

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 63° from the due south horizon (-7.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:27 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (286°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (292°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:06 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 7 seconds with dusk around 8:35 pm, which is one minute and 22 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:15 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 71 degrees. The dew point will be 66 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 11 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 26 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 2am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 61 degrees at 4am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 13th. Maximum dew point of 66 at 6pm. South wind around 8 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 63 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1941.

Another summer weekend on tap. 🏖 Saturday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Maximum dew point of 66 at 5pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Maximum dew point of 68 at 10am. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

This weekend I’m thinking of either riding or driving out to Our Families Harvest farm stand 🌽 in New Scotland to stock up on produce then maybe some mountain biking / trail riding in the Albany Pine Bush 🦋, I think that could be a lot of fun. Do it early as I see thunderstorms ⛈️ and rain popping up by afternoon. Then maybe go to see John and get some groceries at the Walmart in Albany. I specifically like those little pearl onions they have, I haven’t seen them at other grocery stores. They’re like candy and you can eat them raw after you peal the outer skin or toss them in a frying 🍳 pan and they quickly get brown and extra sweet. Maybe head a bit further north in Colonie and do some of the Canalway trail but I doubt it. Quiet day Sunday, maybe Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 🐸 and go out and see the folks. 👪

I asked the secretary 🗓 to schedule no meetings for me on Thursday and Friday of next week, lest I want to head up to the Potholers for a long weekend and to ride Piseco-Powley Road on Blackie 🚵 and camp at House Pond Campsite ⛺ assuming it’s open. I could go for a nice few days at the swimming 🏊 hole there maybe with some clams again 🦪 and tons of fresh farm produce 🌽 🥒 🍅 🧅 to toss in the beer and clam broth. We’ll see, it depends on the weather. I could use some time floating on the tube ⭕ and cooling in the Potholers before summer is done. I can’t do the following week as the other director is off. Right now the second half of next week looks good, and we might finally get some warmer and drier weather. One last stand before summer is done. I’m also thinking of seeing if I can work remote or take a personal day that Friday before Labor Day Weekend 👷‍♀️ so I can get camp set up early on Friday, then work or have fun as time would allow.

One month 📅 from now will be 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:16 pm with dusk at 7:43 pm. It will mean darker mornings especially for walking 🚶 although I should be able to walk for a few more weeks after then at 6:15 as dawn is about a half hour earlier and I do that most of the winter at any rate. The cooler air will be refreshing and help wake me up when those days come.

South in Gorge

Totally agree that walking in that thunderstorm last night wasn’t a great idea ⛈

I didn’t think it would be nice enough to go out walking last night but then I stepped outside it seemed okay, the wind blowing the opposite direction of the clouds to the west. It risk of thunder seemed pretty low, and I wanted to get at least 8 miles in for the day. But the time I was farthest from home the lightening was too close for comfort and five minutes from home the sky opened up. Ultimately I did get in 8 miles for the day, not the ten I normally walk and didn’t make it to the park, but that’s fine.

Good morning! With a few loud cracks of rain and thunder it’s morning. The sun is is rising, the skies are clearing somewhat and let’s call it 66 ⅔ degrees at the 6:30 for the morning walk in the land of the Delmartian. ⛅ Calm wind. The dew point is 64 degrees.

Last night I got home 🏡 from work glad that I didn’t get soaked and figured that the evening walk 🚶 was off the agenda. Then at 6:30 I stepped outside and looked at the radar and decided it would be okay. And it was for a while until the wind shifted and thunder ⚡ pushed closer. In the end it was fine, though I got a bit wet and went to bed early. 🛏 Walked 8 miles for the day plus 39 flights of stairs up and down. I was asleep by around 8 pm and up around 5 am.

As it was still raining out when I awoke 🍳 I decided to have breakfast before walking which was cold black coffee ☕ with cold eggs and spinach from the other day. I also had a half of banana 🍌 from last night. At lunch time yesterday I walked up to Market 32 in Albany and got a bunch of bananas to hold my pantry over until Saturday when I can do a bigger shop 🏪. Cold lunch today with black beans, mushrooms, chopped farmers market tomatoes, peppers. Avoids the line for the microwave at work, though I’ve figured out the technique is to cook lunch at 12:50 PM before the 1 PM rush.

Today will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy 🌧, with a high of 83 degrees at 2pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around July 4th. Independence Day! Maximum dew point of 71 at 2pm. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 85 degrees. The record high of 99 was set in 1995.

I’ll have to keep that Market 32 in Albany in mind 🛒 for when I need stocking up of a few ingredients downtown. Much better than the old Ghetto Chopper and really only a few blocks away from work if I take South Swan to Elm Street. They don’t have much in household supplies – I was hoping to get super glue to fix my boots 👢 – but the fresh fruits and vegetables looked good. It’s small so a fast shop. Probably can’t get frozen things there and I decided to skip getting plain non fat Greek yogurt just because of the hot day walking back to the office and the bus ride home but in the winter I think that’s an option.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 69.1° from the due south horizon (-1.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:51 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (294°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (301°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:33 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 9:06 pm, which is 36 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:50 pm. At sunset, look for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 74 degrees. The dew point will be 70 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 5 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 25 seconds over yesterday.

Six months into healthy eating 🍎I am finally starting to notice how much thinner I am. I have a feeling that my BMI is now below 25 though I don’t have a scale so I don’t know but I know I have lost weight since the last time I visited the doctor at the end of May when I was 209 lb and needed to get to 194 lb to be a healthy weight at 6′ 2.5″ though most others say I’m 6′ 4″ or 6′ 5″ with the boots on. My love handles have virtually disappeared and my stomach is much smaller, and I’m pretty sure that size 36 pants 👖 are now the proper size, the smallest since probably I’ve been since elementary school. The problem is finding clothes in my closet that don’t make me look like a clown. 🤡 Still have a little more belly fat I’d look to loose, not just because of the look but because outer fat is associated with inner muscle fat, especially in the heart 💖 which is rather bad. But I feel like I am starting to get in great shape, mostly from eating a nutritious diet but also because I’ve kept up with the walking and stairs. And hopefully cycling too. Steiner, you are biting me with this bicycle thing. 😠

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 66 degrees at 5am. Three degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 6pm. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 57 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1950.

I need to think about getting new boots before vacation. 👟 Or at least rugged sneakers, something I can use for mountain biking and maybe jogging which I tell myself that I’m thinking 💭 about taking up 🏃 maybe half seriously since becoming thinner. Around camp and certainly st the swimming pools and holes the knock off crocks are fun but they’re not appropriate for much else. They have no ankle support, get my feet muddy, and worse of all let in any stones and sticks into my foot 👣 where I can step on them.

On this day in 1969, the $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills are officially withdrawn from circulation. 💵 After this date, if you wanted to buy a large purchase in cash, you needed a lot of hundred dollars in bills. 💰They had last been printed in 1945, and were finally dropped from circulation in 1969, in part as an effort to reduce corruption and money scams. Nowadays a hundred 💯 dollars seems almost a paltry amount with inflation not that I ever carry anything bigger than $5 bills because it’s just easier to use the credit card 💳 for anything bigger.

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 87 degrees at 3pm. Three degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 72 at 11am. Muggy, swamp weather. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 86 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1997.

Tomorrow I will walk 🚶 early to best the heat. 😰 Then it’s those oatmeal banana pancakes 🍌 🥞 love with blueberries and maybe some sugar free maple syrup and cold black coffee. So good! Then it’s off to Steiners to check on the status of the bicycle 🚲 they promise to be assembling for me. They don’t have it, I’ll test ride the XXL of the Marlin 5 and order and pay for the Marlin 6 as long as they can give me a set date for delivery. 🚚 Otherwise I will order online with another shop. This purchase needs to be closed down this weekend.

Then the next thing to do is get grocery shopping 🛒. I want to get more red kidney beans for maple syrup 🍘 next week and get them soaking to be cooked come Sunday morning. Plus all the usual, more Greek yogurt, 🐮 frozen fruit 🍓, peppers 🫑🌶️, mushrooms 🍄 and the usuals. I also need shampoo and extra deodorant the later this keep in the office 🏢 after climbing the stairs. Then I’m not totally sure. 🏊 If it’s hot and looks like thunderstorms will stay away, maybe go to the town pool. I would have to register though to get a pool fob, maybe I should do that and it’s $5.25 to enter. 😕 And you have to do that in advance. Seems like a pain. If I get the bike, 🚵 ride out to Voorheesville and probably the Black Creek Marsh. If it’s hot and I don’t want to spend money, go to the library for a while 💻 with my computer, then come home, sit by the fan and get through some more of the stack of library books I have at home. 📚

Looking ahead to Sunday, showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 83. ⛈️ South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Not just a few passing showers. Maximum dew point of 74 at 12pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 84 degrees.

And so is the weekend forecast. 😖 But if I can get this damn bicycle 🚲 thing closed down, I’ll be happy. I am thinking about taking off at least one day next week, where and what to do is to be decided but I need to get a few things ready for my vacation, I’ve taken fewer days off this summer than expected. Maybe it will be to get the rack on the bicycle, break it in or pick it up. 🛠 Maybe the Potholers or Schoharie the second half of the week. 🏊

Two weeks from now, God willing, 🏖 I will be well on my way to the Finger Lakes. I really want to leave by eight AM on that Friday to get the campsite I want in the National Forest ⛺ and then have the afternoon to set up and relax. 🎣 Do some fishing, a nice bicycle 🚲 ride and maybe watch a Finger Lakes sunset 🌇 across a cow pasture in the National Forest.

After vacation, August 11th I have a dentist appointment at 10:15 AM 🦷 which I will follow up probably with a long weekend. Maybe Schoharie or the Adirondacks. Have to be strategic at this point as there are only three weeks left in August at that point before Labor Day Weekend, and I want to have at least a few more long weekends before summer is done. 🏊 🛶 That said, except for the Mine Kill Pool there is no reason I can’t take lots of long weekends come September and October. 🍁 I am not doing a West Virginia trip — or even a week-long trip at this point this autumn, so that leaves other days to allocate. I would like to do some kayaking, fishing, hunting, and bike riding this autumn. Charles Baker State Forest roads probably would be wonderful for autumn bike riding, as would the Chenango Canal Trail and others.

Looking ahead, there are 7 weeks until September 1st 🍂 when the sun will be setting at 7:31 pm with dusk at 7:59 pm. That’s the start of Labor Day Weekend. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny skies with rain showers and temperatures between 73 and 55 degrees. Cool day. The average high is 79 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1953. I might do Spectulator that weekend, especially if they have fire tower lighting that I could observe from I don’t know, Watch Hill (?). 🏕 Some of those truck trails through the Conservation Easement might be nice on the mountain bike, as would be camping up on Hardwood Hill, looking at the stars, lighting off ground fireworks and sparklers. 🎆

Back Out on Open Lake

We all continue to sweat 😰

Some more than others. That statement is true on so many levels. I’ve never had air conditioning at home. Maybe this is morning is not a good one to be listening to the Stones’ Paint It Black. Of course the that doesn’t count all the hours lately I’ve been sweating climbing the stairs in the office and out walking, 40 flights including in the LOB and 10 ½ miles again yesterday. And the thing I’m really sweating about these days – funding the perfect bicycle. A nice problem to be sweating a lot about.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! A three day work week doesn’t seem so bad after a four day weekend. 🙃 Partly cloudy and 69 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk. ⛅ There is a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 66 degrees. The muggy weather ends next Wednesday around 7 pm. 😓 Or is that just when the weather model ends?

Last night was sticky for sleeping 😴 and the evening walk. 🚶 By any standards it’s bed hot and muggy, I’m starting to see black mold pop up in my apartment again. I better clean that this weekend before it gets worse. I did not sleep well at all last night despite getting to bed 🛏 a little after nine. 9⃣ Mostly because of the heat but also because so much of my life has been consumed by trying to figure out what would be the perfect 👌 bicycle 🚲 for me. More urban commuter or mountain bicycle? 🚵🚴

Today will have showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. It’s summer, I just hope Piseco-Powley Road doesn’t wash out. Partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 88 degrees at 1pm. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 73 at 12pm. South wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 85 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1988.

This morning I decided to do scrambled eggs with red kidney beans run through the food processor to make a paste and fried, with also a sauce of tomatoes and jalapeños made in the food processor. 🍳 Made a good filling meal for two breakfasts 😋 without preservatives or much unhealthy. I wanted something protein rich but limited sugar to help make up for my rough night sleeping. 🦐 Yesterday’s shrimp and rice 🍚 was good for dinner.

All electric bus 🚍 ⚡ that was running on time until we hit the construction 🚧 detour due to them once again trying to fix the on ramp from US 9W to Downtown Albany and 787. Big delays on Southern Boulevard. The air conditioning wasn’t super cranked up on the bus either, though it was reasonably cool but not as refreshing as yesterday morning on bus. I’m going to be late in the office 🏢 but I don’t care, it’s summer and I’m often early. Getting off at the Plaza and will walk in the Concourse as it’s cooler there. Might do the same as lunch time too to beat the heat. 😰

Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 70° from the due south horizon (-0.8° vs. 6/21). The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:54 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (295°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (302°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:36 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 26 seconds with dusk around 9:09 pm, which is 20 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:55 pm. At sunset, look out for rain 🌧 and thunderstorms 🌩 and temperatures around 76 degrees. The dew point will be 70 degrees. Sticky There will be a calm wind. Today will have 15 hours and 13 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute over yesterday.

It’s going to be a hot evening so I might delay my evening walk 🚶 for a while to study bicycles some more. 🚲 I need to test ride more but I’m really thinking basic mountain bike especially for puncture resistance and tubed tires for easier repair for inevitable flats. I’m willing to trade up efficiency for commute to work for better gravel and dirt road performance. ⚙ I would rather peddle harder then be off the road waiting for parts.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 11pm. Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy 🌃, with a low of 67 degrees at 4am. Five degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 71 at 6pm. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 67 degrees. The record low of 43 occurred back in 1969.

On this day in 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan appoints Sandra Day O’Connor 👩🏻‍⚖️to become the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. 🥪 That’s almost as cool as sliced bread, which is sold for the first time by the Chillico the Baking Company in 1921. It’s actually amazing to think it was so long that the Supreme Court was all male, only forty odd years ago was there any women on the court. Now if they could only get come young people on the court and less of the old white bread. 🥐 I haven’t had bread in ages, mostly as it’s a lot of more carbs and while whole grain has more fiber I generally just stick with brown rice as a durable, preservative free form of carbs to use in many meals. 🍴

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny 🌞 , with a high of 87 degrees at 3pm. Three degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 72 at 12pm. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 85 degrees. The record high of 100 was set in 1936.

I fully concede that this would be the perfect weekend for the Potholers 🏊‍♂️ or Mine Kill Pool if I wasn’t planning on test riding and hopefully buying a bicycle 🚲 this weekend. I feel like this whole process has dragged on for much too long but it’s taken me a while to figure out that I would be best off with a new rather than used or rebuilt bicycle. Then the trade offs of efficency of a road bicycle vs durability of a mountain bike 🚵 have been in my mind plus what I’m willing to spend. You know I’m the boy that looked at getting a Toyota Prius for cheap, reliable environmentally friendly transportation before settling on a big jacked up truck. I have a feeling my bicycle buying process is going that way, especially as I play through all the disadvantages of riding a bike to work over taking the bus – theft, car crashes, pollution. That air conditioning feels so good on the bus in the sweltering heat.

I will try to leave by 10:30 tomorrow to test ride more bicycles. 🔎🚲. I really want to settle on something this weekend and either take delivery or at least have it on order for next week. I am going to start at Steiner’s Sports in Glenmont, as they have more mountain bikes it seems, and then try Downtube next. If I like what they have at Steiner’s Sports in Glenmont but they don’t have it at their local shop, but I can get it at their main shop in Hudson, I am more then willing to drive down there on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. Downtube wants to charge $50 destination fee on top of the MSRP, which is reasonable but if I can save some money, that’s even more reasonable. I think I finally have a better idea of what I want.

Then the other thing I need is grocery shopping. 🍏 🍄 With the blueberries I got at the farmer’s market on Wednesday I have enough of a grocery haul to make it to the weekend, but things are starting to get a bit low and I want to maintain a nutritious, diverse and tasty diet. 😋 I worry if I let my pantry get too bare then I will start going for less healthy calories.

Looking ahead to Sunday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, 🌥 with a high near 79. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Maximum dew point of 70 at 12pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 84 degrees.

Looking ahead, next Friday is National Nude Day 👱 when the sun will be setting at 8:33 pm with dusk at 9:06 pm. It’s when my dentist appointment is. 🦷 I’ll wear clothing though when I get my teeth cleaned. At least that’s when I think it is. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 85 and 65 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. We hit a record high of 99 back in 1995.

I am hoping that National Nude Day is one that I can get out of town, for the weekend. Maybe just Schoharie County but I could also see the Potholers 🏊‍♀️ as it’s been a while since I’ve spent a few nights in the wilderness. Hopefully with a bicycle to ride too. At this point I’m trying to save money, and Schoharie might be better for just two nights, and it would be good to improve my swimming skills. Heading up mid-day on Friday is no guarantee that I’ll get the House Pond Campsite for easy access to the East Canada Creek for floating and walk to the Potholers. I haven’t done the Mine Kill Pool in a long time, I don’t recall if I ever made it out there in 2022 or not.

Photo.2013.06.15 17.31.39

The weekend forecast keeps trending to rain 🌦️

Use it or loose it as it sometimes come down to vacation. It’s a three day weekend beyond the two I’m taking off. The solitude time away from the internet and radio news will be nice even if more of the weekend will be spent under the tarp by the heater then out swimming 🏊.

Good morning! Happy Thursday. Partly cloudy ⛅ and 57 degrees in Delmar for the morning walk. 🚶 There is a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 54 degrees. The skies will clear around 10 am. Still looks pretty wet to the west.

Out walking 🚶 this morning, I am almost packed for camping 🏕, though I am waiting to load my kayak 🛶 as I don’t want it to fill with rain. While I need to unpack the Cream of Wheat 🌾 I’m thinking that will be breakfast 🥣 with some blueberries. Shower 🚿, double check my list 📃 and then hit the road around 8:30 – 9 o’clock. I want to get more fresh food 🍏 on the way up and some sparklers 🎇.

Today will have a slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Partly sunny 🌦, with a high of 78 degrees at 4pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around June 11th. Maximum dew point of 58 at 11am. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 84 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1988.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:57 pm with sun having an altitude of 70.7° from the due south horizon (-0.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.1 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:53 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (297°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (304°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:35 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 27 seconds with dusk around 9:09 pm, which is 25 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:56 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 70 degrees. The dew point will be 56 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 21 minutes of daytime, an increase of 25 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃 with a low of 54 degrees at 5am. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around June 5th. Maximum dew point of 56 at 6pm. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm after midnight. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 66 degrees. The record low of 40 occurred back in 1961.

On this day in 1967, The People’s Republic of China tests its first hydrogen bomb 🐼/strong>𸰠. It would be one of the world’s few powers with access to the devestatingly powerful hydrogen bombs.

As I was noting, the weekend looks wet. 😞 Friday, howers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 70. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Saturday, showers, likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 67. North wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. . Maximum dew point of 61 at 11am. Sunday, showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Maximum dew point of 60 at 10am. Juneteenth, there is a chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Typical average high for the weekend is 80 degrees.

One month 📅 from now will be Cow Appreciation Day 🐂 when the sun will be setting at 8:33 pm with dusk at 9:05 pm. The average high temperature is 34 degrees, with a record high of 61 in 1895.

Drag Line

This past year I spent 37 nights camping in the wilderness 🏕

This past year I spent 37 nights camping in the wilderness 🏕

Places I Camped in 2021

While this was less then the 63 nights I did in 2020, with remote work winding down and more in-person meetings and events happening in Albany, I ended up not getting out as much as I did the previous year. Still 37 nights camping is still a lot of time in wilderness.

It was a lot rainier then some summers, so that also made it harder to get out of town for long weekends. When I did go camping, and I wasn’t remote working, I tried to make it a priority to find more-remote areas without cell service, so I could get solitude without the constant buzz of the phone. Plus I tended to stay in one campsite for two or three days, to avoid the hassles of taking down and setting up camp.

Saturday/Sunday April 24-25: Two Nights on East Branch

I started out my travels in late April on the East Branch Sacandaga River along NY 8, near Fox Lair. On Saturday, before arriving to camp, I hiked along Hope Falls Road and back to lower and upper Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday, I hiked around Fox Lair, sat down by the river for a while, did some fishing. Had a big ol’ fire. It was cold but also kind of spring-like.

Sunday was kind of cloudy but not to wet

Monday April 26: One Night on Sacandaga River/Speculator Tree Farm

Monday I drove up to Speculator to do remote work at the library and the town park/beach with my laptop. I set up camp at Campsite 17 and in the evening after work, I hiked along Old NY Route 8B, spending some time along Austin Falls and heading back to camp before it got too dark. Tuesday I worked up in Speculator, before heading home. Things were still very brown and gray in the Adirondacks, although I ended up stopping along the Mohawk River in Rotterdam and hiking on the bike trail before dark, and it was much greener down there.

Thursday to Saturday May 13-15: Three Nights on Sacandaga River/Speculator Tree Farm

Thursday morning I got up early and drove up to Speculator before 9 AM to work remotely. I worked until lunch time in Spectulator when I drove down to Campsite 17 and set up camp and worked from there. Worked all day on Friday from camp, mostly sending emails from the hammock although I also edited a report I was working on with my laptop at the table, and grabbed some files a colleague needed off the server over the VPN. Knocked over the lantern, smashing the glass and breaking the the neck on it. On Saturday I hiked back along Robb Mill Road and some of the side trails in the Conservation Easement. Sunday, I drove up to Watch Hill on Indian Lake, hiked that, while there was a constant threat of thunderstorms, so I did it fairly quickly.

Sacandaga River below Austin Falls

Sunday May 16: One Night Camping Near Mason Lake

After hiking Watch Hill I ended up camping at Mason Lake. I also spent some time walking around the Indian Lake/Lewey Campground, just seeing what was there I was hoping being a Sunday I could get a campsite near Mason Lakke, but no such luck. Ended up camping at Campsite 5, a ways from the lake, although in the evening I did walk down to the lake. I did have cell service where I was camping, but it was spotty, so come Monday morning, I headed back to Speculator for work. The black flies were bad camping there, until well after dark I spent most of the afternoon hiding under the screen tent. In the morning, once the sun was up and the tent was down, I was booking out there because the black flies were intense.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday June 17-19: Three nights Camping at House Pond Campsite

Junteenth Weekend, a new state holiday. Piseco-Powley Road was rebuilt, and I spent a lot of time down at the swimming hole there. I was working remote on Thursday, but I left home after work and drove north before dusk. Spent a lot of time cooling off in East Branch by the campsite, laying in the hammock and relaxing. Saturday I spent kayaking at Lily Lake, but none of the lilies were out. Sunday I spent the balance of the day the potholers.

Reading ?

Friday, Saturday, Sunday July 8-10: Three nights camping on Hope Falls Road

After quite a run of rainy weather, we had part of weekend that wasn’t super wet. Also, many weeks in the summer, I preferred to just stay close to home, and catch the Nature Bus and spend Saturdays exploring Thacher Park for free. Friday was a personal day – I had a eye doctors appointment. Then I went north and set up camp at Hope Falls Road. Saturday, I hiked back to Ferris Lake and Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday, partially in the rain, I hiked back to both lower and upper Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday evening back at camp, it absolutely poured. I was originally planning to work remote on Monday and maybe Tuesday in Speculator but the weather was so wet, I decided against that.

Friday July 23: Overnight at Cherry Ridge

Heading out to the Finger Lakes, I overnighted at Cherry Ridge at Charles Baker State Forest in Madison County. It was a stop over after leaving home after work. Noticed how much sway there was in front end of the truck, and the tires were getting loud as they were warn and cupped, grew concerned that I might have issues later on. Eventually in December I replaced the tires, the worn rear shock bushing. and bad sway links. I was dealing with some real anxiety issues at that point. But I had a little fire, then retired early to bed and then took camp down early in the morning and headed west to Montezuma Wildlife Refuge and the state Audubon Preserve.

Saturday July 24: One night Tent Camping Along Backbone Horse Trail at Finger Lakes National Forest

I knew arriving at the Finger Lakes National Forest on a Saturday would mean many campsites would be taken, including the site I wanted. I ended up tent camping at one of the primitive sites off Potomac Road. It was a one night deal as I prefer camping in the truck shell and I saw the people in the campsite I wanted leave, so I quickly grabbed that campsite in the morning. Ended up breaking one of the elastic straps in one of the tent poles, I still need to repair it.

Sunday-Saturday July 25-31: Six Nights Truck Cap Camping Along Backbone Horse Trail at Finger Lakes National Forest

My summer vacation was the Finger Lakes National Forest. I decided to stick close to camp for much summer vacation, not rushing too much from place to place, spending a lot of afternoons at the Watkins Glen Pool, doing some paddling in Seneca Lake and Cayuta Lake, hiking in Texas Hollow and Sugar Hill State Forests. Did a lot of reading and laying back in the hammock. The campsite I stayed at didn’t have cell service, so it gave me a much needed to respite from the internet for a few days. Had some nice fires, drank some beer, and got away from it all.

Summer Vacation Seems So Distant Now

Thursday, Friday, Saturday August 12-15: Three nights at House Pond Campsite with Clams and Sweet Corn

After summer vacation, I decided to take a long weekend — four days — up to Potholers, namely the House Pond campsite with lots of sweet corn, clams and beer. I can still taste the clams and beer, and I had plenty of them to eat over the weekend — they were breakfast, lunch and diner. But it was nice laying back in the hammock and swimming in the swimming hole by that campsite. I also hiked along old Edick Road and to Edick Road Campsite 1, which is way off from the main road, and then down to the ledge. Hiked back to House Pond, which was difficult as there was a lot of blow down from a storm earlier in the summer. Spent much of Sunday at the Potholers and then watched the sun set from the Kane Mountain Firetower. Didn’t bring the kayak this time.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday August 26-28: Three nights (again) at House Pond Campsite

With another warm week ahead, I decided to take off Friday and Monday off for one more week up at House Pond. This time I spent more time at Potholers, walking up there each afternoon, besides spending a lot of time at the swimming hole near this campsite. Did some fishing up House Pond, and a lot of drinking and reading from the hammock. Read yet another book about writing code in Python and Kristen Kimbell’s Dirty Life about farm life. I bought a large truck intertube for floating, but once I got to camp and started to setting up I realized I didn’t have an air pump with me, so I couldn’t use it while camping.

East Canada Creek Below Edick Road Ledge

Friday, Saturday, Sunday September 3-5: Three nights at Hardwood Hill at Perkins Clearing

Friday, September 3rd was the final day of remote work – Labor Day Weekend. I got up early, drove to Speculator before 9 AM. I started working from Speculator Library but with my phone having hotspot service and cell service, mid-day I drove up to Hardwood Hill. This time I made sure to inflate my intertube before heading up north, and I spent Saturday evening until well after dusk floating in the Jessup River off of Jessup River. Then I drove to Sled Harbor after dark, hoping to catch a glimpse the illuminated Wakely Hill Firetower, but I could not see it as it I couldn’t find the good views of the tower from the road after dark.

Saturday September 11: One night at Betty Brook

Decided to do a weekend trip out to Schoharie County to hike the Catskill Scenic Trail south of Grand Gorge through the deep notch where NY 30 runs. Hiked down to Hubbell’s Corners from Grand Gorge then went for a very cold swim at Mine Kill State Park. Mine Kill pool was open late this year due to opening late at the beginning of summer. Water temperature was 58 degrees. Sunday I also went for a quick swim at Mine Kill Pool again. Still very cold.

Into the Notch

Saturday September 18: One Night at House Pond

On September 18th, I drove up to Piseco-Powley Road to camp for three nights, four days. Spent one night at the House Pond Campsite, which I set up in the pouring rain, and spent time floating in the my new rubber intertube. It was a nice day once he rain stopped but the water was very cold. But it was nice laying back in the hammock that evening, although prior to dusk there was a lot of deer flies around and biting.

Sunday/Monday September 19 & 20: Two Nights at Powley Place

On Sunday afternoon I drove further up Piseco-Powley Road to Powley Place to do some camping and paddling on the East Canada Creek. Monday I hiked back to Goldstream Falls then carried my kayak down to the East Canada Creek and paddled down to the first rapids, portaged past that to the second main rapids. The beaver dams were relatively low this time, due to water levels being higher then other times when I’ve paddled the East Canada Creek. Laid back in the hammock, did some reading and looking out over the campsite on these mild, starry nights. Also did some floating down the East Canada Creek

Friday, Saturday, Sunday October 8-10: Three nights camping at Betty Brook

I took off the Friday before Columbus Day Weekend to hike Bear Pen Mountain in the Western Catskills. It was the start to a very colorful weekend. Betty Brook was nice, but it was good I got there relatively early — around 4 PM on Friday as the other campsites were quickly taken. On Saturday, I drove down to Stamford and hiked more of the Catskill Scenic Trail from Stamford for Bloomville then visited a friend in Summit. Sunday I hiked along Betty Brook Road to the snowmobile trail up Burnt Hill, then hiked over the dirt roads on Burnt and Rossman Hills, enjoying the leaves and wildlife. Hiked back  to camp and laid back into the hammock well into the evening, which was quite mild. Sunday I hiked from Grand Gorge to Stamford on the Catskill Scenic Trail.

Saturday, November 6: Camping at County Bridge Campground Pennsylvania

Originally I was planning to get new tires put on my truck prior to going to West Virginia,  trip that was postponed multiple times. Ultimately I decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just wear out the tires and go for the trip. I hadn’t decided on where I was going to go until I was on the road, and ended up going to Binghamton, then down to Pennsylvania for my first night camping. It was a cold first night — got down to 14 degrees.

Sunday/Monday November 7-8: Camp Run West Virginia

The first two nights I spent at Camp Run Primitive Campground at Miles, West Virginia which is located in a wash on the backside of Shenandoah Mountain. On Monday of that week I hiked up over Shenandoah Mountain, and watched the sun rise over Camp Run Lake. Tuesday morning I drove over through Judy Gap then up Spruce Mountain and hiked up that. In the afternoon I hiked up Seneca Rocks, something that had long been on my bucket list to do.

Quiet Walk Along Camp Run Road

Tuesday, November 9: Camping at Canaan Heights

On Tuesday night I camped up in Canaan Heights / Table Rock outside of Thomas WV. I was going to stay multiple days but hearing a lot of wheel bearing noise in my truck, I decided it best to head north on Wednesday and see if I could either make it home or get the truck fixed. The wheel bearing burned up by the time I got up to Lock Haven but was able to get it fixed that day and head north to County Bridge.

Wednesday, November 10: Camping at County Bridge Pennsylvania

The second time camping at County Bridge it wasn’t as cold.  I had a fire and retired to bed fairly early. But come the morning, neither the camp stove or the heater was working. I thought I might have have run out of propane. Then packed up in the morning on Veterans Day and headed north to Chenango Forks State Park, which I wanted to explore. I then stopped at Price Chopper, got some groceries and headed up to Long Pond State Forest for two kind of cold and chilly, damp nights.

Thursday/Friday, November 11-12: Camping at Long Pond State Forest

After spending the balance of Veterans Day, Thursday at Chenango Forks State Park, I camped for two nights at Long Pond State Forest. I was still having problems with my camp stove and heater, so it was kind of cold but I was able to find enough firewood to make do, and had some quiet evenings listening to the radio and just hanging out. Friday was pretty rainy, but I made due — beat having going back home. The fires were smokey but they were warm enough. And it beat being home.

Dusk in November

Monday/Tuesday December 20-21: Camping at Stoney Pond State Forest

I thought about getting out of town after Thanksgiving but the weather did not cooperate. Then my truck’s repairs and tires got dragged out to mid-December. I decided to take he week off before Christmas to go camping. I was thinking about Central New York and then the Finger Lakes, but ultimately made it no farther then the Finger Lakes. Saturday was pouring rain, and then Sunday was bitterly cold. And my camp heater and stove were malfunctioning. But ultimately I was able to get it working, after much fiddling at camp. I camped two nights at Stoney Pond, spending Tuesday poking around Cazenovia. Tuesday was very gray, and Wednesday was snowy. Wednesday I drove to Hamilton and hiked part of the Chenango Canal Trail.

Wednesday, December 22: Camping at Moscow Hill Assembly Area

My final night camping in 2021 was the Moscow Hill Assembly Area at the Charles Baker State Forest. I decided to camp there as it was more sheltered from the wind and snow, and in case we got more snow, I figured I wouldn’t have to worry about the snow, as the county highway isn’t that far away. They were expecting high winds and low windchills, but it turned out not to be too bad. I thought about staying another night on Thursday, but the weather for Thursday looked sunny, and wanted to do some hiking, plus I wanted to be home for Christmas Eve for a family Christmas Party.