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Pennsylvania Day ðŸ›Ēïļ ðŸŪ ðŸšķ‍♂ïļ

I was up by 5 am a half hour before my alarm went off but I was ready to hit the road for Pennsylvania a little after six. Put in $75 in the SuperDuty, at a shady Elmira gas station moved the needle a half tank up and headed down to Lambs Lookout.

Found a good farm stand 🍆 on the way down, passed my share of stinky ðŸ’Đ hog and cattle 🐄 farms on the way, at least one burning barrel putting out lots of black smoke and plenty of other rural homesteads that obviously burn their garbage. 🐐 PA really is a different country. But I got zucchini and onions 🧅 so I’m as happy as a pig in shit. 🐷 Absolutely a beautiful weather ☀ïļ day for driving 🚗 around Penna enjoying the country air, you dirty hick. Amazing how different the country is when you leave the Finger Lakes behind.

Just hiked the first one of the Blackwell Triple Crown – Gillipse Peak. ðŸ—ŧ Chimney Rock is next. Go for a bike ride on the Pine Creek Gorge Trail ðŸšē north of Slate Run. ðŸĐķ Then driving West Rim Road ðŸŒē, Barbor Rock and if there is a time a beer 🍚 and burger 🍔 at the Burning Barrel Bar, because it’s Pennsylvania. And we like our dioxins and furans and stinky plastic fires, lol 😂. Maybe visit that nature preserve outside of Ansonia and be on Interstate 99 by eight ðŸ•Ģ and to the Glen Dairy Bar ðŸĶ by nine or so. Glipsie Peak is definitely a good leg ðŸĶĩðŸŧ stretcher, Chimney Rock is said to be a lot harder.

Thematic Map: Major State Touring Routes
Map: Sand Lake

Damp and cloudy start to the day ☁ïļ

It was raining when I first got up but quickly stopped before I got up and ran to the bucket shitter. Reheated coffee, sitting by the propane heater as pancakes cook down.

Cows are by this morning, licking 👅 the salt lick block. It was werid, a salt block was actually in my campsite when I arrived, I tossed it back in the field. ðŸŪ Rain has cleared up but there is only times of sun. ☀ïļ Supposed to be more sun by afternoon.

Heading over to East Ithaca today ðŸšē ðŸšķ‍♂ïļ to do some biking, hiking along some of the nature preserves ðŸļ out that way. Trying to visit some new, interesting places. Then I need to get some supplies before heading back to camp. 🏕ïļ I thought about bringing the kayak but it’s a very windy day and Cayuga Lake would be choppy. And it’s too cool to swim. I should try to get some water at a state park along the way. â›― Maybe top of the gas tank on the truck as tomorrow is Pennsylvania day. Looking forward to doing the Blackwell Triple Crown. Want to get back to camp fairly early tonight as tomorrow will be a long day.

Walking through a cow pasture, wandering around the woods in the drizzle as a stoned poney 🐎

Humming along with Harry Nilison’s Everybody’s Talking, snapping photos, I’m going to where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain. Reading, giggling, dreaming. Bigger than the SuperDuty!

Maybe not the nicest day ever but so far not a washout. 🌧ïļ A bit of rain showers briefly earlier and I hung out in the truck cap 🚛 and watched a video or two, did some reading 📚. I actually wanted a quiet ðŸŦĒ day to do some reading and later some fishing. ðŸŽĢ Time to just hang out and study the wildflowers ðŸŒļ and anything that captures my imagination on the library apps on my phone. Listen to music ðŸŽķ and while the rain holds off maybe lay in the hammock.

Not every day of vacation needs to be crazy,  ðŸĪŠ there is nothing wrong with listening to Karen Dalton as the drizzle falls out of the sky. ðŸĐĩ Are you leaving for the country? 🐐 I guess I just got to be careful adn not slide and fall in any of the cow plop. I actually really just wanted at least some quiet days like this on vacation, and while more rain is possible if not likely this afternoon into evening, so far it hasn’t been a complete washout.

The clouds, rain and staying parked for two days should really test out the camper and solar system. ⚡ No leaks on the cap so far, but we’ll see with the rain. Since fixing the loose wires and bolt yesterday, the electrical system and solar seems to be working good on the SuperDuty including the starting battery ðŸŠŦ gauge. So I’m happy with that. The nice thing with the truck having the remote start is If either the starting or accessory batteries get too low, I can hit the key fob and the truck will idle for 15 minutes and then shut down automatically, without me even having to climb out the bed or from my chair. Good if we got real hard rain. The forecasts very from light rain to 2-3 inches of rain, especially in the evening. A lot depends on just how the patterns come and go.

The good news ithe forecast has improved for the first half of the week. Tuesday continues to look like a go for the Blackwell Trip Crown, Pine Creek Gorge and Lambs Overlook. ðŸšĻ Monday I want to get to bed by 9 PM or maybe earlier, and be up at 5 AM the next morning, and on the road by 6 AM to Pennsylvania. It’s going to be a long day, but I have good headlights on the SuperDuty and Glen Dairy bar is open until 10 PM. As long as I”m back to the Glen by 9 PM it won’ t be pitch black. I figure if I get on the road by 7:30 or at least before 8 PM from the Ansonia area of the Pine Creek Gorge, especially after getting a beer at the Burning Barrel bar, ðŸŧ you know because, burning barrels and stinky hillbilly incense freedom. Then head north on PA’s newest section if i-99 and take that north to NY 414 – beaver Dams in Corning back to Watkins Glen.

I have wood put away for a campfire tonight, ðŸ”Ĩ depending on how cold and damp it is. I might end just spending the evening reading in the truck, it all depends on the weather, as the evening might be the wettest part of the day. But relaxing, hanging out at camp was kind of my plan 🏕ïļ for at least some nights here on summer vacation. ðŸĶĨ There are just some days I wanted to devote to just relaxing and not running from place to place. Sometimes I swear summer vacation seems like running from one state park to another. Yesterday, I was might cheesed ðŸŠĪ out about them now charging to park at the Upper Black Diamond ðŸ”ļ rail trail lot at Taughannock but it’s dumb as I have state park pass, and I could tap it on the machine, and it made it easier and quicker when I went to Taughannock in the afternoon. It was absolutely packed at the park yesterday, I really did not enjoy the crowds at all. 🧑‍🧒‍🧒 It was still a lot of fun though paddling on Cayuga Lake.

Tomorrow I am planning on Ithaca. Depending on how cold and wet it is and how much propane heat I use, I might need propane from Tractor Supply ðŸŪ and posslbly more weed to smoke. 🚎  Thinking of hiking some of the trails up at Cayuga Heights. Not sure if I am going to bring the kayak or not ðŸ›ķ, might be fun to go for a paddle at the end of the day from Stewart Park. Not going to due to the Arboretum or Cornell necessarily this year, I’ve done that plenty in the past. At 4 pm, I need to get to the library so I can connect into the office over the VPN and monitor the work order system. â›― Want to top off the tank in the SuperDuty and get groceries tomorrow, so I am all set for the Pennsylvania trip and if I am by a roadside farm stand, get zucchuni, though I’m sure I’ll pass By one for certain on Tuesday down in Pennsylvania. Or maybe not! 🍆 I do want to get more zucchuni for sure.

Map: Cowee State Forest
Terrian Map: Pittstown State Forest