East Branch Sacandaga River

Stretching between Wevertown and Wells along NY 8, the East Branch of Sacandaga River offers a picturesque route hosting roadside campsites and trailheads to secluded spots. While proximity to a well-maintained state highway makes these campsites accessible during shoulder seasons and winter (with snow shovel), traffic noise can be a drawback. The river features noteworthy sites like Griffin Falls, Cod Pond, the captivating Stewart Creek, the ruins of Fox Lair Camp, the East Branch Trail leading to East Branch Falls, and scenic Eleventh Mountain. This scenic drive intertwines nature and exploration, inviting travelers to discover hidden gems along the East Branch of Sacandaga River.

April 25, 2019 Afternoon

Good afternoon! Three weeks until the average high is 70 in Albany. ๐Ÿฎ But still a pretty nice day here in the Sieamese Pond Wilderness. Blue skies and sunny and 53 degrees at the end of the East Branch Sacandaga River Gorge Trail. There is a southwest breeze at 5 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Sunday around 2 am. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

This afternoon will be mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 62 degrees at 4pm. One degree below normal for Albany, which is similiar to a typical day around April 24th. Not terrible for being in the Adirondack Wilderness in the spring. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Really not a cloud in the sky. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning, which tapered off to light drizzle by afternoon. The high last year was 57 degrees. The record high of 89 was set in 2009. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1928.โ„That’s the year they laid the cornerstone of the office building I work at far away from the wilderness I’m currently at.

Yesterday I kind of got stuck in the office ๐Ÿข until 5:30 so I didn’t get on the road until 5:45 but I drove straight out to Amsterdam so I was up to camp around 7:45. I kind of had some trouble getting the lantern ๐Ÿฎ started after replacing then again breaking a mantle but then I got it working after fiddling for a few minutes. It kind of was getting dark and I forgot to bring a bright ๐Ÿ”† light bulb ๐Ÿ’ก but with the flash light I finally got it going. Then I got the fire started ๐Ÿ”ฅ which really took off with some of the brush and other stuff that they had cut out for the new privy they built up at the campsite. ๐Ÿ’ฉ I was the first one to use it. The lights were up and the fire going good by 9ish and I stayed up listening ๐Ÿ‘‚ to podcasts until around 11:30. An obnoxious barred owl occasionally woke me up during the night with his who? Who? But so be it. ๐Ÿ˜ด

Today I hiked back to the East Branch Gorge Trail aftee hiking around Fox Lair for a while which I took pictures with from my other camera. ๐Ÿ“ท This time the trail wasn’t so icy unlike the time I tried it in 2014. ๐Ÿšถ Still its a pain to find the trail head, the best way to find it is to bushwhack following the East Branch until you reach the somewhat challenging to cross Kibby Pond outlook then follow it until you spot and old woods road and then ford the creek on the rocks and look for a herd path across from the old woods road. You never leave the view of the East Branch although at one point you do get quite a way above the gorge on the herd path up a good sized mountain. I was pretty underwhelmed by the end of the trail which had a pretty unimpressive designated tent ๐ŸŽช spot and then a relatively small water falls, maybe at most 20 feet tall. Further down the trail where the gorge is narrower is more impressive.

The sun will set at 7:52 pm with dusk around 8:22 pm, which is one minute and 11 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 57 degrees. Should be a delightful evening once I get that campfire ๐Ÿ”ฅ a roaring and some good eats cooking. There will be a south breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 55 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 42 seconds over yesterday. Almost to the point of the the fourteenth hour day.

Tonight will rain likely, mainly after 5am. Increasing clouds ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 41 degrees at 5am. Typical for tonight. Southeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2018, we had light rain in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 39 degrees. The record low of 24 occurred back in 1972.

Tomorrow will have periods of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. ๐ŸŒง High of 49 degrees at 2pm. 14 degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical day around March 27th. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning, which became light drizzle by afternoon. The high last year was 56 degrees. The record high of 90 was set in 1990. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1993.โ„

Today is definitely a beautiful day ๐Ÿ˜Ž but maybe not so much tomorrow.๐Ÿ˜ฐ โ˜” I’m going to enjoy today and tonight I guess tomorrow I’ll head home. If it’s going to pour than be followed by cold rainy weekend no reason to stay up north. I would have liked a four day weekend but I had a nice big ass fire last night and the hike back to the East Branch of the Sacandaga River Gorge is pretty nice although I have to admit I’m a little bit under impressed the falls. The trail really ends after the narrows of the gorge and the most scenic part is relatively unaccessible. But the best is yet to come of the summer …

As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Average High is 70 ๐Ÿฎ when the sun will be setting at 8:16 pm with dusk at 8:49 pm. On that day in 2018, we had partly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 72 and 51 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 70 degrees. We hit a record high of 89 back in 1991.

Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. ๐Ÿ˜ž Saturday, showers, mainly before 11am. High near 44. West wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Sunday, showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Typical average high for the weekend is 63 degrees.

In four weeks on May 23 the sun will be setting at 8:23 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 31 minutes and 8 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 81 and 56 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 72 and 49 degrees. The record high of 93 degrees was set back in 1964.

Looking ahead, Average High is 70 ๐Ÿฎ is in 3 weeks, Summer ๏ธโ›ฑ๏ธ is in 8 weeks, Independence Day ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ is in 10 weeks, August ๐ŸŒป is in 14 weeks, More Night then Day ๐ŸŒŒ is in 5 months and Last Sunset After 7 PM ๐ŸŒ† is in 23 weeks.

 Looking at the Lake

Driving Along NY 8.

During the shoulder season of the year — when there is snow on the ground or a high risk of snow and ice — the East Branch of the Sacanadaga River is my place of choice to camp. I’ve always enjoyed the scenery of this rural highway through the Adirondack Wilderness. Some pictures of this highway …

 Near Griffin On NY 8

 NY 8

 NY 8

 Route 8 In Wilcox Lake Wild Forest

 Road Summit Eleventh Mountain

And a short video of part of the drive from Fox Lair to Baker Mills …