Finger Lakes National Forest

Nestled in upstate New York, the Finger Lakes National Forest spans 16,000 acres of diverse terrain, combining lush woodlands with expansive pasture land. Encompassing woodlands, grasslands, and glacial lakes, its picturesque landscapes and well-maintained trails attract outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The forest’s five distinctive trails wind through the scenery, revealing stunning views of gorges, waterfalls, and panoramic vistas. The forest is also home to the celebrated Finger Lakes Trail, a long-distance hiking trail extending over 580 miles. Limited free primitive and roadside camping opportunities along the roads add to the allure, providing a chance to immerse in the natural beauty for longer periods. As the only national forest in New York State, it provides a unique space for relaxation, exploration, and immersion in the captivating landscapes of the Finger Lakes region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes_National_Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/fingerlakes
http://www.cnyhiking.com/FingerLakesNationalForest.htm

August 1, 2018 Morning

Good morning! It’s already August 🌻. Two weeks to Altamont Fair Opens 🎡. Yeap. Summer is rapidly coming to a close. I don’t mind that much, I like hunting season and November camping. There is nothing quite as beautiful as the stark blue skies on the land and in the woods in November.

Cloudy and 68 degrees in Hector, as I lay back at the hammock, listening to the local country music station, thinking about my mid point of the vacation. ☁ It’s humid but with the breeze and relatively low temperatures as I lay in the hammock doesn’t feel half bad. There is a south breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 67 degrees. There was some sun for a while this morning, but it’s come and gone, and without the sun the low voltage disconnect has killed the light strings.🐄 There is the light smell of cattle in the air, but then again I’m camping across from a cow pasture. Haven’t seen the cows yet this morning though.

It’s the hump of the vacation but at least for this morning it looks like the rain will hold off. 💦At some point I’m going to get a book out of my truck📘 and read for a while then I may go fishing at Foster Pond. 🎣 I’m not convinced we are going to get much rain today but without the sun I’m probably going to have to start the truck or go for a drive as the UV filtering through isn’t going to be enough to charge the battery.🔋 Plus I think I would like to go to the Watkins Glen library to get the latest podcasts and catch on the news and alike using my laptop. 💻 I also want to visit a winery that I met at Finger Lakes Wine Day at the Capitol which is nearby but maybe not today.

Today will have a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Cloudy 💦, with a high of 78 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal. Maximum dew point of 69 at 11am. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 87 degrees. The record high of 101 was set in 1933.

I don’t know how much rain we are going to get, but I tell you I’m prepared should it rain later. I collected up firewood for tonight and it’s under the tarp. 💦 I will probably head into town then and see if I can get on the internet at the library. 💻

The sun will set at 8:26 pm with dusk around 8:58 pm, which is one minute and 10 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for clouds ☁ and thunderstorms ⚡ and 74 degrees. The dew point will be 67 degrees. There will be a south-southwest breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 12 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 9pm. Some storms could be severe, with hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain. Cloudy ☁, with a low of 67 degrees at 5am. Six degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 68 at 6pm. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2017, we had mostly clear skies. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 64 degrees. The record low of 45 occurred back in 1976.

Already starting to think about my November trip. 🚗 Probably for that one I may stay one night in the Finger Lakes National Forest then head west to the Western Finger Lakes and Southern Tier. I think I would camp at some of the state forests in Allegany County for a few nights, do some small game hunting. I might also want to visit the Zoar Valley and maybe Letchworth State Park. I might do an overnight at Stoney Pond and then visit Montezuma when the birds are migrating.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Altamont Fair Opens 🀼/strong>󸐠when the sun will be setting at 8:07 pm with dusk at 8:38 pm in the Finger Lakes. Before eight back in Albany. On that day in 2017, we had rain, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 79 and 64 degrees. Temperatures start dropping as we head into August. Typically, the high temperature is 81 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1959.

July 31, 2018 Night

Good evening! I guess July will be over in less than an hour, as I sit back relaxing. Soon it will be August. Cloudy and 71 degrees at the Finger Lakes National Forest in Hector. ☁ There is a south breeze at 9 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 65 degrees.

Laying back in the hammock, the breeze actually makes it feel fairly cool despite the mugginess. 💨While the rain is holding off, at some point though it will come and I’ll retire to bed.

I thought it was a pretty good day, even though I wasn’t planning on going back to Ithaca, but I thought I needed propane. Hiking at Buttermilk Falls State Park was fun, as it’s been a few years since I’ve been there as parking the big truck there is tough, and I especially enjoyed exploring Lake Treman, which was quiet.🐸 The dam and the trail with stone stairs around it was quite impressive. You don’t realize how many projects were built by the CCC workers across the Finger Lakes.🚧 Robert Treman swimming area seemed warmer today and I got chance to get cleaned up and got water. 🏊

Tonight will have a chance of showers, mainly after 5am. Cloudy ☁, with a low of 69 degrees at 3am. Seven degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 67 at 2am. South wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2017, we had mostly clear skies. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 62 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1964.

Tonight will have a Waning Gibbous Moon 🌖 with 83% illuminated. The moon will set at 10:15 am. The Last Quarter Moon is on Friday night with t-storms is likely then showers is likely. The Strugeon Moon 🌝 is on Saturday, August 25th. The sun will rise at 5:59 am with the first light at 5:27 am, which is one minute and one second later than yesterday. 🌄 Tonight will have 9 hours and 32 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 10 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 3pm and 4pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 4pm. Cloudy ☁, with a high of 79 degrees at 4pm. Three degrees below normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 12pm. South wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was humid. The high last year was 87 degrees. The record high of 101 was set in 1933.

I’m going to take it hour by hour tomorrow, figuring out what to do with the weather. 🕔 I may go to Watkins Glen and swim in the pool if it’s not too wet. Might also hike on some of the trails in the National Forest too. 🚶🐄

In four weeks on August 28 the sun will be setting at 7:47 pm,🌄 which is 40 minutes and 24 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2017 on that day, we had patches of fog, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 75 and 50 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 78 and 58 degrees. The record high of 98 degrees was set back in 1948.

Looking ahead, Labor Day Weekend Begins 👨‍🏭 in a month away, More Night then Day 🌌 is in 8 weeks, Halloween 🛥️ is in 3 months, Election Day 2018 🗳️ is in 14 weeks, Average Night Below Freezing 🌌 is in 15 weeks, Christmas 🎅 is in 21 weeks, New Years Eve 🎆 is in 5 months, New Years Day 2019 🎉 is in 22 weeks, 36th Birthday 🎉 is in 26 weeks and Election Day 2020 🗳️ is in 118 weeks.