Heading up to Moose River Plains yesterday, NY 28 buckled southwest of Old Forge and was blocked with a massive traffic jam. I was in a rush to get to Moose River Plains, lest I not get a site. DiFonnio’s Grocery in Old Forge was absolutely packed and the hamlet was a giant traffic jam. But at least when I got to Moose River Plains, I got a campsite.
There were actually quite a few different campsites ๐๏ธย options open when I got to the Plains. My fear that everyone would get up here on Thursday night and the campsites would be taken was ill founded – despite the fact that Cedar River – Limekiln Lake Road is still closed east of Summer Stream for the culvert/bridge replacement – delayed after a construction truck fell through a different culvert. Or so I’m told by Matt Beal.
I ended up at the Kenwalls Campsite No 80 a short distance from the Moose River bridge, the “Big T” and Lost Ponds. Last night I didn’t do a drunken stumble along Ice Pond Trail and run into a black bear ๐งธ after dark and too many beers, like happened, I don’t know, camping up here Independence Day, what was it, 2018 or 2019. I think the last time I came to Moose River Plains was in September 2019, I just didn’t like the rough roads with old Big Red, he wobbled too much over the rocks and ruts and I worried I would break a CV Joint. I don’t think I have that excuse with the one-ton SuperDuty with solid axles. Ride the quality was solid, but the road is still pretty damn rough. โฝ I don’t want to talk about fuel economy on those rough dirt roads, or that hour I spent stuck on NY 28 when it was blocked yesterday.
Honestly today I am having a better day, ๐ชฐ the deer flies and mosquitoes are far less numerous now that I have the screen tent set up and I actually used a bunch of DEET. Yesterday was just ungodly hot and humid, and deer fly were swarming all day both inside and outside of the screen tent. Honestly it is what is. Drizzle and clouds all on and off on this Independence Day but I’ve stayed away from drinking ๐ป all day to save beer for later and tomorrow, though I admit the ice will probably be completely shot come tomorrow. ๐ง I got two bags of ice – one at DiFonnio and then I ended up stopping at the Inlet General Store before I came in, realizing my mistake.
Mistakes were made yesterday though in the heat and humidity and the deer flies biting like crazy. I should have drunk less alcohol and smoked less weed, ๐ป but yeah it was so hot and miserable setting up camp. I should have gotten a more shady site away from the marshes and all the bugs, but I wanted the sun for solar, and the sand to walk in my fake crocks along the road, and not be far from the Moose River for chilling ๐ down. Oh yeah, so I wanted to see what was happening with the battery relay between the two truck batteries, and was pushing random buttons on the CD-XY60 control and locked ๐ it into a mode I do not understand that says “Set” so no more automatic switching between the accessory and start batteries by the alternator and solar panels until I can get back to civilization and download the manual. I was pretty pissed about that, as the sun beat down even if I don’t really need to be charging the starting battery with the solar or the accessory batteries with the alternators. I ended up pulling the wires from the control in the unknown state it was in, and just manually twisting and untwisting them as needed. ๐ชซ I thought about going back to Inlet to connect to the internet ๐ถ and get the manual to fix it but it’s 12 miles of rough dirt roads each way. And maybe get more beer, ๐ป but I am staying away from the drink today at least until dusk when I have a rip roaring fire ๐ฅ at dusk. Assuming it doesn’t rain. ๐ฎ Deputy Forest Ranger came by, didn’t get his name, I was kind of stoned and didn’t say much, but he said I could get rid of trash at the Inlet Transfer Station if I didn’t want to bring it home. I didn’t say anything, โป๏ธ but I get a deposit on the aluminum cans, the rest of that crap will certainly get burnt either here or the next time I camp, and the random hunks of aluminimum and metal, mostly left by others, ๐ฅซ I’ll drop off a recycle bin at home. Much rather turn it into carbon dioxide – ain’t nobody within a mile of this campsite in wilderness then let it sit in a landfill a million years.
But there is more. I decided to ride my mountain bike I don’t know, maybe down to Otter Creek Bridge but then I decided to ride a bit further, maybe to the Falls Pond Trailhead or I don’t know Sqauw Lake. The already bent derailuer that was giving me issues, I over down shifted โ๏ธ and not only bent but snapped into two pieces when it got caught in the spokes. I was planning to and knew that my hand straightening of the derailuer wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t appreciate it getting snapped 8 miles from camp and being out of commission today through the rest of the trip and probably most of next week until I get the part. ๐ Back to busing it work on Tuesday. Who know what the weather is going to be next week, probably was going to have to bus it regardless. Sucks. I don’t know if I broke any spokes but I’ll inspect it more once I’m home. I really should get a back rack for my truck to carry my bike, ๐ฒ rather then loading it into the bed of my truck on top of the gaer, which I am sure is how it derailuer got bent. Sucks I got to pull the chain again too, I hate messing with those quick links, but I think I’m learning the technique now for pulling and setting them with needle-nose pliers, though I should get a good quality quick link tool ๐ช to make my life easier.
This morning I waded around in Moose River from Kenwall to where the Otter Creek joins it, ๐โโ๏ธ and then hiked along the Beaver Lake Trail back to Otter Brook Road. The Moose River has a nice solid, sandy but also rocky bottom that is really good for wadding. I would have wadded all the way up the Moose River to the bridge, but it gets deep where the Otter Creek joins the Moose. Found some wild blueberries ๐ซ along the Otter Creek Road. ๐ง Ice is melting quickly so I got to use up much of my pershibles today into tomorrow, as everything remaining outside of eggs ๐ฅ and certain vegetables ๐ฅฆ that are in coolers are unlikely to survive the trip home. I’ve been avoiding beer too until late to ration it out over the next few days. I should have gotten more beer when I was in Inlet yesterday, but with the stress of the traffic jam and my fears I wouldn’t get a campsite, I kind of hurried back to get a campsite. There actually was quite a few campsites avaliable. That said, I’ve spent a lot of money on this trip, and drunk ๐ฅด too much beer already.
I had such a rough day yesterday with the bike, the solar control module, the hot sun and the deer flies I almost thought ๐ญ about going home on Independence Day or cutting my trip short on Sunday. But I think I can make it up here until Monday, though I think the ice will be gone, as will the beer and they are talking rain for Monday. ๐ง๏ธ It’s fine, I got to swing by the office and start a robo job call๐ย at 5 PM for the big man at work. I should have brought my laptop with the VPN but it’s in the office, so I need to swing by it but I can get there by 5 PM and then I told Mom and Dad I’d join them for a belated Independence Day dinner ๐ on Monday. Then it’s back to work on Tuesday, on the bus as the bike is broke.
