Consisting of one of the highest hills above the Schoharie Valley, the 860-acre Dutch Settlement State Forest is crossed by the Long Path and has a lean-to, off of Treadlemire Road in Middleburgh. The village of Middleburgh is roughly 5 miles down Cotton Hill Road from here.
Cotton Hill State Forest is nearby Dutch Settlement State Forest and is commonly confused — as the summit of Cotton Hill is in Dutch Settlement State Forest and not Cotton Hill State Forest, which was acquired first. Part of the long path runs along Cotton Hill State Forest.
Sometimes a nice quiet afternoon with nothing scheduled up in the wilderness is nice. My thermometer in the lean-to says we are at 41 degrees with blue skies with a few clouds in the distance. A pretty nice afternoon. Earlier today I had to do some calls and emails for work but that’s the great thing about the smartphone. Those little battery packs have helped me keep my phone and Bluetooth speaker charged, so I was able to listen to the radio all morning long. I have good FM radio and decent cellphone service up here.
Started reading a book about America’s relationship with the east and how cultural misunderstandings have underscored many of the wars that are nowadays viewed as mostly pointless.
I got to say even with the sun, it’s pretty darn cold up here. I know it’s still March, but I had hoped that the weather would be fairly mild. Built a fire this morning so I would have a bed of coals to warm my hands on. I could use the propane heater, but I’m not totally sure how much propane is left in the big tank. I know the tank is relatively low, because hauling a 20 lb tank up a mountain — even a relatively short distance from the parking area, would be a bear if mostly full. Plus fire is more fun.
Looking for a nice clear evening with a low around 30 degrees. The lack of wind will be nice although up here on the mountain, we will probably have a light breeze. Mostly clear, good for viewing stars, with the Waxing Crescent Moon about 4/5th illuminated rising a little before 10 pm. Should be a pleasant evening, even if it is a bit chilly.
Good morning folks from the Cotton Hill Lean-to. Cloudy and the thermometer says it’s 29 degrees. Slight northwest wind. 46 degrees and sunny later, assuming the persistent clouds push off. Who knows, this front has been taking its precious time. Sunset is around 7:17 pm and it will be a clear night with temperatures expected around freezing.
Got up a little earlier than expected when I heard a car alarm going off in the valley below, so I hiked down to the car and got the food out and brought it back to camp. The truck seems fine, although I didn’t start it up. Plugged in one of the cellphone charger batteries into the truck. Swapping them out to keep my cellphone and Bluetooth speaker charged.
Made some eggs for breakfast. Planning to stay at camp all day, as I don’t want to leave my gear unattended nor carry it back down then back up the hill again. I have a book I will read today and just hang out. Tomorrow I might hike over to the Cliffs of Middleburgh. It depends on how early of a start I get.
I see bits and pieces of blue sky so I’m helpful it will warm up soon.
Good evening. Kind of a frigid evening in the wilderness, with my thermometer saying it’s 31 degrees and the wind still whipping around, although not as blustery as earlier. It is mostly cloudy this evening but will clear out by morning and drop to 25 degrees by morning. The wind will die down, which will make it feel less cold. Lots of blue sky by morning and temperatures in the mid 50s. Not bad for March.
Crouched over the fire with the big buddy roaring away on my butt. The fire has been perked up but still the wood is wet and punky. Cold enough I couldn’t use the splitter on the propane tank, so the lantern is running on a disposable tank — which I have a refill adapter for and when it fails, I found out the tanks are recyclable at most state parks.
Nice to be back in the wilderness next to fire, despite the cold. But it is March so cold is to be expected. Warmer weather is coming in a few weeks. Indeed, nine weeks from tonight will be the start of Memorial Day Weekend with an average high of 73 degrees as the unofficial start of summer kicks off.
Sunrise tomorrow is at 6:43 AM with clear skies and possibly some nice views of the Waning Crescent Moon in the southeast.
