Mine Kill State Park, nestled in the picturesque Schoharie Valley, provides a scenic vantage point overlooking the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project by the NY Power Authority. The lower reservoir is a fishing haven, stocked with trout, walleye, bass, and more, catering to motor boating, kayaking, and water skiing. The park features an Olympic-sized pool, wading pool, and diving pool, free for the public to use (no fees are collected at this park due to hydro plant subsdies). Swim lessons are available in summer. Warm weather pursuits include hiking, mountain biking on the 8-mile trail network, and soccer on regulation fields. The park’s namesake, Mine Kill Falls, an 80-foot cascade through a gorge, is accessible via overlook platforms and the Long Path trail. Winter brings snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling opportunities.
The coming week looks fairly unsettled but quite mild, but not too hot. Maybe a nice weekend next week? But this work week looks a bit stormy, so I will have to take it day by day.
This Afternoon. Feels like … September 8th.
Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy.
Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
77 degrees
,66 max dew point,
7:11 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … August 20th.
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 60. West wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
60 degrees
,
6:36 sunrise.
Monday. Feels like … September 14th.
A chance of showers, mainly before 7am. Partly sunny.
Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
75 degrees
,61 max dew point,
7:11 sunset.
Monday Night. Feels like … September 17th.
A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy.
Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
52 degrees
,
6:37 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … September 11th.
A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
76 degrees
,65 max dew point,
7:09 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Feels like … July 15th.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
63 degrees
,65 max dew point,
6:38 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … August 14th.
A chance of showers before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 82. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
and
82 degrees
,69 max dew point,
7:07 sunset.
Wednesday Night. Feels like … August 26th.
Showers, mainly before 8pm. Low around 59. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Good afternoon! That water in the Mine Kill Pool is so cold.
It’s just so tough to swim in 60 degrees water. I can do a few laps before my muscles get hardened up from the cold.
Partly cloudy and 77 degrees at the Mine Kill State Park. There is a west-southwest breeze at 11 mph. . The dew point is 66 degrees. The skies will clear tomorrow around 11 am.
Did some nice hiking yesterday. I hiked the Windham Path outside of Windham – a scenic nature trail right outside the village and then did the Catskill Scenic Trail – a lightly traveled rail trail between Grand Gorge and Hubbell’s Corners, through the deep gap where there headwaters of the East Branch of the Delaware River run. I wasn’t planning to drive through Windham but I ended up going that way as I got gas in Durham and got on the wrong road heading up over the ridge.
I always forget how big and dramatic the mountains are in the Catskills around Windham as I rarely get up this way – and the places with the good camping on backcountry roads tends to be relatively flat. I like the mountains a lot but my feelings about the Catskills and all of New York State are kind of mixed. I just feel like taxes are so high in New York State and the state really likes to punish rural communities.
I was hoping to camp at Duck Pond again but that campsite was taken. So I ended up camping on Betty Brook. I kind of like that campsite, it’s fully off the grid and is small so it’s easy to light and set up although it’s always a bit of a challenge to get Big Red backed in between the trees. It got pretty muddy as I decided to take Red up Burnt Hill Road from Blenheim and that section is kind of rough. Muddy too, Big Red will need a bath this week.
Looking Glass Pond was drained, so no fishing while I was up there, although there was a dad and their kid working a trap line harvesting muskrats along the shore line when I was walking there. Got sweet corn and veggies at Shauls and then went for another swim. But alas the water is so cold so it’s hard to swim.
But this work week looks a bit stormy, so I will have to take it day by day.
There is a west-southwest breeze at 11 mph. 
. The dew point is 66 degrees. The skies will clear tomorrow around 11 am.
– a lightly traveled rail trail between Grand Gorge and Hubbell’s Corners, through the deep gap where there headwaters of the East Branch of the Delaware River run. 
I wasn’t planning to drive through Windham but I ended up going that way as I got gas in Durham and got on the wrong road heading up over the ridge. 
as I rarely get up this way – and the places with the good camping on backcountry roads tends to be relatively flat. I like the mountains a lot but my feelings about the Catskills and all of New York State are kind of mixed. 
I just feel like taxes are so high in New York State 
and the state really likes to punish rural communities.
It got pretty muddy as I decided to take Red up Burnt Hill Road from Blenheim and that section is kind of rough. Muddy too, Big Red will need a bath 
this week.
so no fishing while I was up there, although there was a dad and their kid working a trap line 
harvesting muskrats along the shore line when I was walking there. 
Got sweet corn and veggies at Shauls and then went for another swim. 
But alas the water 
is so cold so it’s hard to swim.
