Though not completely unexpected, yesterday was a pretty dreary and cold day with fog and drizzle most of the day on and off. No sun really at all, which left the batteries fairly depleted – I started up and idled Red for a while, not that I exactly prefer to do that as it wastes gas, encourages the engine to burn oil and knock a bit. And at idle I in cold, I find it hard to get the engine fully warmed up unless I idle it for quite a while, just to top off the starting and accessory batteries.
I can’t argue it’s been the best weather days the past few days, with the rain and drizzle but it also was not a wash out. This morning is cloudy and cold, 🌥️ but I keep seeing blue in the skies and have hope the sun will come out and it will be decent enough at least by afternoon to paddle either Horseshoe Lake or maybe Bog River Flow. 🛶 I’d really like to do the later, and it would be good for the truck to charge up the batteries to drive that two miles or so. But first I want sun.
Yesterday, I rode out to Pine Pond to the end of that road, 🚲 and then out Otterbrook Road which becomes Town Line and ultimately Massawepie Lake Road as you head through the Conifir – Emporium Conservation Easement. Certainly the logged area with the young timberlands, mostly hardwood, is much more rich with wildlife and color compared to much older Forest Preserve lands. Then in the afternoon I came back, had lunch, pounded a beer or two, smoked some more pot, laid back in the hammock for a while until some dude in an RV and electric motor bikes asked if I was planning to stay for a while as he really wanted my campsite. 🏕️ I pointed out several other campsites were avaliable, though it seemed like he wanted a larger site on the lake – he said he had more family coming. I don’t know I just thought it was rude, even if he complemented me for my flags and being a good patriot. While I’m hardly a tent 🎪 camper, RVs kind of annoy me, they’re too soft and suburban for my tastes with padding and appliances like at home.
Rode over to Bog River Flow – the Lows Lower Dam, and got a flat front tire. 😲 Fortunately, it took air and the fix-a-flat in the tube re-sealed it up on the second inflation. Both of the tires are shot on my bike, full of cracks and holes, so it seems especially on stone dust roads, it’s prone to losing air. I do carry a spare tube, air pump and other tools at all times. I re-inflated the tire, and I was off again. Rode back down to Horseshoe Lake, sat at the fishing dock for a while, then rode out along NY 421 to the hill where it leaves the lake. 🏞️ NY 421 is not just rough as fuck on you’re big jacked up truck, it’s pretty damn rough on my mountain bike too, especially as I needed to get that front tire even harder.
Rode back to camp, locked my bike up and hiked out along the railroad tracks to where the cross the Bog River Flow. I looked at the train schedule, 🚂 and they’re done for the year, so no risk of running into a train on the tracks. Usually run only on Sundays, with last weekend being the last one. I heard a train from Lows Ledge on Columbus Day but I’m not sure it even went north of Sabbatist. And I did that Railroad Bogie truck on the tracks mid-day Columbus Day, inspecting the tracks, but it seems they’re pretty much done for the year.
I had hoped to paddle the Bog River Flow – Hitchens Pond to Lows Lake/Grass Pond but it didn’t happen yesterday, as all day was pretty cold and gray. Mercury wise, yesterday was warmer but we saw no sun. This morning has had breaks of sun, and it’s clearing to points north and west, and it appears the blue is pushing south but it’s only been breaks of sun ☀️ so far today. Which I am okay with paddling on a 50 degree day, as long as the water is calm and sun is beating down. But maybe despite being right on Horseshoe Lake and near Bog River Flow, it won’t be good enough weather to paddle. It’s mid-October, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but last week was so warm in comparison.
Last night was the Save the Pine Bush Zoom Meeting, which went good from camp. I made a big pot of beans and rice up, and later on had a campfire 🔥 until close to 9 PM but I was pretty tired after a few more Budwisers and hits on Just Peachy. 🍻 Wasn’t a real cold night, but I just was tired, and having finished off Richard Thayler’s Nudge audio book, I didn’t have much additional to listen to, so I decided to retire to bed, in part to avoid dipping the battery too low and having the auto shutdown switch on. Still it was a nice quiet evening, and by early morning you could see the waning crescent 🌒 moon and the stars before more clouds pushed in around sunrise.
Eggs 🥚 this morning, walked along a bit more of the rail tracks, been reading, catching up on the news, 📰 and just hanging out hoping for some sun and blue skies and maybe some warm. Sitting by the heater helps but I’d rather be out and doing stuff. Even if it doesn’t get warm enough to paddle, I will ride later on and explore.