John Boyd Thacher State Park, is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world. Even as it safeguards six miles of limestone cliff-face, rock-strewn slopes, woodland and open fields, the park provides a marvelous panorama of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. The park has volleyball courts, playgrounds, ball fields and numerous picnic areas with nine reservable shelters. Interpretive programs are offered year-round, including guided tours of the famous Indian Ladder Trail. There are over 25 additional miles of trails for summer hiking and mountain biking, and winter cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and snowmobiling.
Good morning! Suddenly it’s Monday in the world of six dollar a gallon diesel. 💵
In the era of $4.30 gasoline, who would have ever thought I’d be saying I’m glad I drive a gasser rather than a diesel. The cost of freedom just ain’t what it once was.
Drizzle is becoming rain and 52 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☔ There is a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 47 degrees. 0.12 inches of rain is expected before it ends tomorrow around 2 am.
How precise of a number though I don’t have a rain gauge 🌧️ though I’m getting wetter on my morning walk 🚶 than I had hoped. Almost didn’t do my morning walk as I was dragging my ass and honestly haven’t have breakfast yet 🥞 but I’m moving ahead. It is just wet, probably too wet to have my phone out and be blogging.
It was a nice weekend, beautiful weather. 🐜 No black flies which were a plus though I got a pretty good tan, burnt my hand a bit grabbing a hot can top out of the fire Friday night, and the weekend ended too quickly and it’s off to work shortly. But there is a whole summer season ahead. 😎 We just need to get through black fly season this year.
Knowing how obnoxious black flies can be, I am not sure how much time I will spend this spring into early summer in the Adirondacks. 🏕 Plus I expect a fairly busy spring this year with work, and no remote work. I am thinking I should go for less buggy places, but maybe I’ll change my mind when summer’s heat finally arrives. 🏊♀️ I do look forward to spending some time with that truck tube, just floating down stream. ⭕
Besides being really busy with work 👨💼 gas prices really just take a bite out over everything — as does food and supplies for traveling. Even beer is more expensive these days. 🍺 And I swear that I have another wheel bearing giving hints of a problematic future, I swear I heard a squeak or two when I pushed the truck hard around corners coming home. So that’s out there. I need to have an oil change on the truck at some point soon, I may have them put in the on lift and rotate the wheels to see if they can figure out which wheel it is and have it replaced before it burns up or gets to the point it’s really getting chewed up and I have a break down.
A chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds.
Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
49 degrees
,
5:46 sunrise.
Monday. Feels like … April 9th.
Showers likely, mainly after 8am. Cloudy.
Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
56 degrees
,
7:58 sunset.
Monday Night. Feels like … May 13th.
A chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Cloudy.
Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
47 degrees
,
5:45 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … April 28th.
Mostly cloudy.
South wind 3 to 8 mph.
and
65 degrees
,48 max dew point,
7:59 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Feels like … May 16th.
Showers, mainly after 2am. Low around 48. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
and
48 degrees
,
5:44 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … April 15th.
Showers. High near 59. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Two nights on the East Branch Sacandaga River came and went what seemed like much too quickly. I miss doing the long weekends but between work and the weather it didn’t seem like it was going to cooperate.
Partly clear and 66 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a southeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃.
I thought long and hard about going up to Stewart Landing or maybe Piseco Powley Road south of the gate 🚧 but ultimately settled on my ordinary choice for kicking off the summer travel season – East Branch Sacandaga River. 🏕️ Campsite 5 which is good during muddy spring due to being gravel and elevated and without nearby trees or grass to the large stone fire ring so fire risk is low.
It really is rare these days that I head out of town for only two nights, especially since the pandemic. ⛺ But with remote work done, and work busy this time of year it’s hard to get away for more than a weekend. 🏢 Maybe in the summer there will be a chance to be remote occasionally but I have my doubts. 💻 Stupid to require in person work though all the time, especially when there is downtime and with laptops and cellphones there is the ability to work from wherever. Senate still does hybrid, especially on non session days.
It was a nice weekend although certainly Saturday morning was chilly when the sun came up and so did the breeze. 🌬️Sunday had less wind but still was rather cold. All weekend was quite clear which was kind of nice, as the nights were quite starry. ✨
Friday night I got up to camp ⛺ around 7:30. While the day was quite windy by dusk the wind 🍃 had slackened and the ground was damp enough and with the temperature failing I had a small fire 🔥. None of those crazy fires I sometimes have to kick off the summer season. Had less stuff to burn as I was green and went to the transfer station ♻ and did the recycling thing two weeks ago. 💦 Plus I wanted to keep the fire small enough it could be easily soaked and made cold to the touch before bed. 🛏 During the summer months I’ll usually let the coals burn themselves out but not when so dry.
Saturday I started the morning with a road hike 🚶 not wanting to be up to my waist in mud 👢 and because often walking along the East Branch is a good place to see wildlife. I hiked down to the Cod Pond Parking Area, some three miles east, exploring old alignments of NY 8 and the abandoned concrete bridges. 🚘 I tell you, parts of that old road were so narrow – most of the fully intact bridges couldn’t have been more the 15 feet wide at most. The old road wasn’t paved, probably just a carriageway. Saw a red tail hawk, pine warbler Blue Jay and heard but didn’t see a gobbler. Stopped down by the river a few times, saw a salamander swimming in the river. I’ve heard the East Branch doesn’t have a lot of fish due to the significant fluctuations in water levels – in the summer it’s common for the river to all but dry up. Explored the Shanty Brook trailhead and campsite but didn’t cross the East Branch to hike the trail, even though with my muck boots and the low water levels I probably could.
Came back to camp, 🥪 had a grilled cheese sandwich, a few beers and took a a nap. In the afternoon I hiked up the East Gorge Trail to the falls at the end. Flushed out a turkey 🦃 but didn’t see if it was a Tom. Not a lot of water 💦 coming over the falls for spring time, although the East Branch varies a lot even with a little rain and the past few days have been dry. Read 📖 a book about Great American Hunters, hiked down through the ruins of Fox 🦊 Lair and the tannery around dusk, 🌆 but didn’t see a lot of wildlife. Came back to camp and around dusk had another small fire. 🔥
Sunday morning was remarkably cold but it warmed up quickly 🌞 without the wind. Made corn bread pancakes 🍳 and took down camp. Truth is I kind of too the morning slow, as I didn’t want to hit the trail until afternoon time when the spring turkey hunt was done for the day. Hiked back along Georgia Brook, was hoping to get back to Cotter Brook Swamp and maybe Pine Orchard but that Georgia Brook bridge was in bad shape. 🌉 Hiked a bit further back on Georgia Brook trail but it was swampy and the valley was deep, so after a bit of nature observing, walked back to the truck. Then hiked along the east side of the Sacandaga River up to Auger Falls via Old NY 8A. Then headed home.
I might have stayed longer up north, 👕 but I had to run to the laundromat to clean my work clothes and do work stuff when I got home. Worked 2 hours from the laundromat then the library until dark when I finished up my work projects. I probably could have done some of that up north, but I didn’t have cell service and things kept popping up for work after I got back into reception. 📲 Just a busy time at work.
Over the past few months I’ve stuck around town, and I’ve not spent much time out in the hill towns. Living in the city sure is convient with the buses and not having to drive anywhere, but I do miss the vast open spaces of the countryside. Something about going up to Partridge Run and driving around the Switzkill Valley reminds me of the land I used to explore much more frequently and loved more in my younger years.
I just enjoy the mountains, the vast open spaces, the lack of people, population and pollution. I like looking down at the hills, the quiet, wilderness. I like being able to go for a stroll, and not seeing anyone else, enjoying a land that is largely wild.
I don’t like living in the city, but I do like the money and the convenient of urban living. Walking is much healthier, and the bus is so convenient in bad weather. But I do look forward to the day when I can finally move out of the city and get out of Albany. One day that will come – but I have to keep working hard and saving money for a better tomorrow.
May 1st and spring turkey 🦃 starts Sunday. I’m heading up north this weekend, I might check out Moss Island on Sunday and then take NY 5S and NY 162 home. Should be cold enough at night to keep the black flies down but after today the wind should slack and not be quite so cold.
Today. Feels like …
April 11th.
Sunny.
Northwest wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.
and
57 degrees
,
7:54
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
April 11th.
Mostly clear.
Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
and
35 degrees
,
5:49
sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like …
April 21st.
Sunny.
North wind 7 to 10 mph.
and
62 degrees
,27 max dew point,
7:55
sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like …
April 14th.
Mostly clear.
North wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.
and
36 degrees
,
5:48
sunrise.
Sunday. Feels like …
May 6th.
Sunny.
Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
and
68 degrees
,37 max dew point,
7:56
sunset.
Sunday Night. Feels like …
May 4th.
A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
The plan is to head north after work. Things are mostly packed up and I have groceries and a plan where to park today and then head right to camp after work.
Sunny and 37 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌞 There is a northwest breeze at 11 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 21 mph 💨💨💨.
Another blustery red flag 🚩 spring day. But the wind should die down this evening 🌃 and the weekend quite nice. Cold enough that I don’t expect a lot of black flies up north – I’m not bringing the screen tent 🎪 but I will pack DEET. Probably no camp fire 🔥 tonight due to the wind but maybe tomorrow a small one if things aren’t too windy and dry up north.
Figured out a good place to park 🅿 and catch an express bus downtown without the hassles of parallel parking which I am so out of the habit of doing since the pandemic. I think this will work based on what I read in the internet. Gives me the option to avoid the Thruway at rush hour if traffic is heavy. 🚘
Bought eggs and sausage for breakfast 🍳 up at camp. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that. Today was oat meal for breakfast 🥣 which was good with lots of fresh, well frozen fruit.
Fueled up this morning, ⛽ gas price was more than listed on the sign. Gas prices are escalating again due to Russia cutting off natural gas to counties that support Ukraine 🇺🇦 and when you don’t have natural gas you switch to oil 🛢. Still better than a lot of gas prices.
I can bitch a lot about inflation 📊 but I make good money 💵 and I like to travel. Sure I’d like to invest more but I also need to live and pay the bills. My portfolio is growing well and I’m in better shape than a lot of people. I will be able to own my own land eventually.
The 24 largest towns in New York State are located either in the Adirondack Park or the North Country. The Town of Webb (Old Forge, Western Adirondacks) is the largest town in landmass in New York State, at 452.28 square miles of land. The 25th largest town, as far as landmass is Southhampton in the South Fork of Long Island, home to the Hamptons.
Population-wise, these large area towns are generally under-populated, the notable exception is Southhampton, as of the 2010 United States Census, the town had a total population of 56,790. In contrast, Webb has only 1,807 year-round residents, Long Lake has 711, Arietta has 304 and Ohio has 1007 residents.
