Good morning! Happy Presidents Day 👴 !

Not a very cold morning, nice camping. Only got down to the 20s last, camped in the unheated truck camper after having a nice fire last night.

Partly cloudy and 31 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. ⛅ Moderate south breeze. There is a five inches of snow and ice on the ground. ☃

I have to say, 24 hours ago I had no idea what my plans for the weekend were to be. ⛺ Forecast didn’t look that great up north with clouds and I was worried about snow 🌨 and specifically high ice packed banks.

Ended up deciding to go up to Rennselearville State Forest. 🌲🌳 I brought the sled 🛷 and the tent for dragging gear back in the woods but after some digging and cracking of the snow bank ❄ I was able to back my truck into campsite 2 on CCC Road and camp there.

I used to camp at lot at Rennselearville State Forest ⛺ but hadn’t in a number of years. For one, they logged around my favorite campsite and moved other campsites around. Then for a while camping at developed sites was only by permit. 🎫 Then those signs disappeared, probably stolen. 🔫 But also in the summer there is the state parks police gun range right up against the forest and that can be loud and obnoxious when one is seeking solitude. 🤫 Plus my big jacked up truck wasn’t easy to fit in a lot of those little campsites.

Yesterday I went for a three hour hike, along CCC Road, Scutt Road and Cheese Hill Road 🧀 then back to the pond and over the hill by the gun range. I had heard that the open space institute had bought that really scenic abandoned farm on Cheese Hill Road 🗻 but I was surprised how large that parcel was. I hope they don’t let it all revert to woods and become overtaken by trees, blocking the view. 📸

I have to say one advantage to all the cutting is the wildlife love it. 🐦 A ton of birds and wildlife out and about this morning. Just enjoying walking the woods with my binoculars and the Merlin bird app. 🔎 I only get up to this forest occasionally, I used to get up here a lot more when I was in college and still lived out in the country.