So based on the latest forecast, I face a bit of a dilema when it comes to my multi-state road trip that was originally planning to go down to Pennsylvania to West Virigina to Virigina and travel along a ways of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The problem I face is the forecast is expected to be quite bad for the first half of next week due to Tropical Storm Nate which is expected to drop as much as 2 inches of rain on West Virigina between Sunday and Wednesday — mostly on Monday but a front will keep the skies cloudy and possibly somewhat damp through Wednesday. I camped out too many cold and wet days over the summer into the fall, and I”m hardly excited to repeat that again.

I have two options for the week. The first is I could try to postpone the trip for a week. That might work fairly well, but it’s also a gamble. The third week of October is often much cooler then the second week, and the risk of unexpected snow storms, especially in the most rugged part of West Viriginia where I am planning on going increaes. No guarantees of better weather next week either. Plus the following week I don’t have Columbus Day Weekend off, so I would have to use an extra vacation day.

The second option is just to carry on my trip as planned, and expect a very wet period to startout the trip. Monday would be wasted and maybe Tuesday and Wednesday might not be perfect, but maybe it will be less rainy and cloudy as predicted. Of course that’s a gamble, remember I took a summer vacation when it rained nearly every day.

The third option is to change my trip plans all together to a different part of the state/country. I could do another trip out to Western NY, spend some time exploring and camping at various state forests in Allegany and Cattaargus County. Except for Monday, the forecast out in Western NY looks pretty good. Maybe later in the week head down to Allegheny National Forest then south for a night at Hicks Run Campground in Elk Country. That might be pretty in autumn to see and hear the elk out in their rut. I would have to reach out the DCNR and have them email me a camping permit or maybe stop by their regional office. But that could be done. Alternatively or maybe afterwards, I could go south almost to West Virigina and camp at Ohiopyle State Park. I’ve always been interested in that park, ever since a hunter I ran into last autumn was telling me how beautiful it was. And then maybe a night or two in West Virigina? I mean if I’m driving home, assuming I have enough energy, I could drive all the way back to Albany in one day, but that would be tiring, and I worry about dozing off at the wheel. I guess I could overnight again at Aspah Run or County Bridge campgrounds outside of Wellsboro — as I had originally planned.

I have options. Now just to pick one. Soon. As I have to pack tomorrow night if I’m planning on leaving for next week.