Nobody will kid you about it being a rainy summer. But it seems like no place has been rainier in the past year then Moose Plains. For the past three weekends I spent at Moose Plains it rained. That was Moosefest 2012, last September, followed by Memorial Day Weekend 2013 and Labor Day Weekend 2013. Almost every day, during those weekends, it rained, only stopping momentarily with the sun peaking out occasionally.

Part of the reason why I spent so much time in the rain at Moose River Plains, is I was invested in an idea. Moose River Plains is 120 plus miles from home, so it seems a bit too far to go up there just on a whim, compared to say Piseco-Powley Road at 75 miles or Burnt-Rossman Hills at 55 miles, each way. Often like with Memorial Day Weekend, I get excited about the concept of visiting Moose Plains – the hell with the weather. After all, it had been six months since I had spent any time up at the plains. Labor Day didn’t seem like that much of a wash from the forecast, until it rained almost every day. And the prior year – I knew with my work schedule – that if I didn’t go up to Moose Plains during Moosefest week, in the rain, I wouldn’t be back there until spring time.

So it’s been wet. But I figured spending time at Moose Plains still was better then a day stuck at home – the hell with the gasoline burned to get up there, drive from place to place, or for that matter, to keep the lights burning brightly well into the night. But rain can put a damper into plans. Who really wants to go kayaking on Cedar River Flow in the pouring rain or hiking Wakely Mountain in the rain? Not like your going to see much in the rain, plus dampness makes everything miserable, even if you are plenty warm. Skin chaffs from moisture. So I spend my days under the tarp, reading, listening to podcasts, and watching a smoldering campfire struggle against the rain.

Finally, this past extended weekend, I got a break from the rain. There were blue skies for two and half days, although by Saturday, high clouds and haze at times kind of drowned out the sunshine. A foliage trip, there probably were more hunters on the trails then color on the trees. But as weekend progressed, so did the color. And with the chance to go out and enjoy the outdoors, I finally did get out around to see many places at Moose Plains that I longing to see for some time, once again. I spent two beautiful moonlight evenings, hanging off Wakely Dam, enjoying the stars under the bright full moon. I haven’t camped at Wakely Dam on Cedar River Flow in years. I hiked up Wakely Mountain one day, then paddle around the Cedar River Flow, then Wakely Dam, then Helldiver Pond all in one day. The next day, I camped down at Campsite 56, my favorite wilderness campsite in the plains, followed by a surprising nice day, with good foliage, which gave me a chance to visit Indian Lake, off the Indian River at Moose Plains.

But then again, by 5:30 PM, the rain came again, and once again I camping under the tarp, as the fire struggles to keep up against the rain. I guess rain is just a natural thing.

Shrug.