Balsam Swamp is a sprawling state forest that stretches almost 5.5 miles east-west across 4 towns. The area is very rural, and the landscape surrounding the State Forest is predominantly forested. Balsam Swamp State Forest is comprised of a mix of native hardwood forests, hemlock swamps, and conifer plantations. There are no designated recreational trails on the forest, but there is ample opportunity for self-guided day hikes to explore the diversity of habitats represented on this State Forest. Additionally, the western section of Balsam Swamp State Forest is adjacent to Five Streams State Forest to the south.
The main attraction of this forest is Balsam Pond. The impoundment is approximately 152 acres and is a popular destination for fishing and paddle boat sports. Balsam Pond is a warm water fishery that contains a mix of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, brown bullhead and sunfish. Tiger muskellunge have been stocked in the past with the last stocking occurring in 1995. However, there have been very few reports of anglers catching any of the adult tiger muskies. A shallow gravel boat launch is suitable for launching small fishing boats.
A small rustic camp ground is also located at Balsam Pond. Camping spaces are available at no cost on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is no running water or electricity. A fire ring, outhouse, and picnic table are provided for each camping space. A sign on Balsam-Tyler Road in Pharsalia designates the entrance to the boat launch and camping facility. This is a carry-in carry-out facility. Please do not litter.
It’s running late but so am I. Some of it is my fault, I didn’t get a real early start and I rode my bike to the store first for groceries. I needed more fresh fruit for the coming week and more rice and beans so I could cook prior to vacation.
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Partly sunny and 71 degrees at the Elsmere. NY. Calm wind. The dew point is 67 degrees. The muggy weather ends Sunday around 2 am. 😓
I tell you I might have been better riding Blackie to work rather then catching the bus, 🚌 seeing how late it’s running today. But I decided to go to the store, stock up my pantry 🍑 🍏 🍌 with lots of fruit and veggies 🌶 🫑 🍄 and also rice and beans. 🍚 I soaked black beans and will cook them tonight, followed by red beans tomorrow so I can bring them out on vacation. Vacation starts on Friday. 🏊♀️
Today will have a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 86 degrees at 4pm. Two degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 68 at 10am. West wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 88 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1963.
I am going to build an updated list of everything I need to pack 🎒 as it seems like my packing list has gotten very out of date in recent years and it means I sometimes forget things, especially as my equipment and tastes have changed for camping.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:02 pm with sun having an altitude of 67.1° from the due south horizon (-3.8° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:44 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (291°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (298°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:24 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 16 seconds with dusk around 8:56 pm, which is 57 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (214°) at an altitude of 26° from the horizon, 241,681 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:38 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 74 degrees. The dew point will be 67 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 46 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 55 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight I am going to a public hearing about yet another development in the Albany Pine Bush 🌲 🌲 🦋 with the hope of getting home early enough to pack some of my clothes tonight 💼 and maybe go through one of the supply boxes in my truck to get it organized. Tomorrow, I want to do bulk of my packing, as Thursday I need to run to the store for rope and a few more miscelleanous things, and the more I do early and double check the less ✅ I think I’ll be likely to forget.
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃, with a low of 63 degrees at 6am. Typical for tonight. Maximum dew point of 67 at 6pm. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 61 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1976.
On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan goes electric as he plugs in at the Newport Folk Festival, signaling a major change in folk and rock music. 🎸The crowds boo and his. Not very respectful. In 1993, The Saint James Church massacre occurs in Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa. Liberals use it as an excuse to take away people’s gun rights in Australia, 🔫 which weren’t protected by an active gun culture or second admendment like in America.
A summer weekend ahead, going to be hot especially Friday through Sunday. 🏖️ Saturday, a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Maximum dew point of 69 at 10am. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Maximum dew point of 58 at 7am. Typical average high for the weekend is 84 degrees.
Looking ahead, next Tuesday is August 🌻 when the sun will be setting at 8:17 pm with dusk at 8:47 pm. On that day in 2022, we had hot, partly sunny and temperatures between 89 and 69 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. We hit a record high of 101 back in 1933.
In my forties I fully expect to loose one or both of my parents to advanced age. It’s something I realize is inevitable as is probably me settling down and traveling less. It’s sad to think of the coming loss and change ahead but I should try to enjoy as many memories as possible before it’s forever gone.
At the same time I’m going to be moving into my second decade with my company, and God willing, I will continue to move forward and upward with a six figure income which with inflation these days doesn’t seem like what it once was. But it’s wonderful having gotten the private corner office, a division to oversee with all those responsibilities and the ability to participate in management decisions.
Every day I see the age creeping into my face, the gray in my hair both from experience and years of worry and struggle. No life follows a perfectly straight path upwards, I’ve had my downs too. Yet thanks to my healthier lifestyle in a physical sense I feel younger than I have in years.
I keep noticing how much taller and thinner I look now that my BMI pretty much is now in the healthy range. I keep noticing how much heavier other are and how much overweight and obesity is common in America today, almost entirely due to diet.
I’ve changed a lot in my life over the past six months, mostly what I eat but also more steps, more bike riding, taking the stairs. Yet I’m still not satisfied with the results despite my much too large clothes. I wish I had more strength and energy, less aches and pains at times. I still don’t like how much fat is around my waist line, though my face and shoulders are a fraction what they once we’re. I’ll keep tweaking my diet, continuing to discover new healthy and interesting options, and find new ways to exercise and burn calories in ways that I find enjoyable and not too harsh.
People often inquire about the comparisons between West Virginia and Upstate New York. In reality, there aren’t significant differences when you take everything into account.
A large portion of Northern West Virginia’s terrain, particularly in the Monongahela and George Washington National Forest regions, shares many similarities with the Green Mountains, especially the eastern part of the Lake Champlain Valley. The landscape is broken up by moderately tall mountains with narrow river-carved passages. However, the ridges in West Virginia are notably steeper than those in the Green Mountains, and the roads that ascend them are much more winding.
These winding roads, consisting of both dirt and blacktop, traverse the mountains. The valleys in West Virginia remind me a lot of certain parts of the Green Mountains – they have fertile valleys, steep hills, and encompassing mountain ranges. Some peaks even closely resemble the Green Mountains. In some aspects, this region brings to mind Cattaraugus County, with its scattered hills and valleys.
A noticeable distinction is that the valleys in West Virginia are marked by chicken and turkey farms, with minimal beef and nearly no dairy farming in this area of the state. The lack of milk processing plants and the presence of a large frozen chicken processor in Moorefield contribute to this difference. The chicken farms are similar in function to dairies but differ in appearance, often featuring long steel barns instead of the traditional red ones. Corn, widely planted in these valleys, is processed on-farm into chicken feed. Turkey farms follow a similar pattern, though their barns are typically one-story and more open than those for chickens. While the chicken barns didn’t emit any noticeable odor at this time of year, the turkey farms had an earthy, slightly pungent smell, though nothing akin to the aroma of dairy farms.
Heading further into the uplands, you’ll mainly find hunting camps and vacation homes. To the north of the forest lies coal-rich land marked by strip mines that supply the hungry Mount Storm Coal Plant. Rural homes dot the area, including farms and timberlands leased to hunters for coal-related activities.
The accents in northern West Virginia aren’t overly pronounced. They lean more towards Appalachian in nature, similar to what you might encounter in the rural parts of eastern New York State. Hunting is a common activity, as small game season for squirrels and rabbits is currently open. In essence, there’s not much that deviates from the landscape and people you’re familiar with in Upstate New York.
All in all, for a New Yorker, particularly one hailing from Upstate New York with ample exposure to rural areas, the differences between the landscapes and the people won’t be substantial.
Maybe I need to invest in a better seat for my bike after riding the sometimes rough Catskill Scenic Trail which gets progressively rougher the farther east you get on it. Plus Betty Brook Road isn’t just rough in the truck it’s pretty bad on one’s mountain bike too.
Good afternoon! Mostly sunny ☀ and 78 degrees at the Middleburgh. Calm wind. The dew point is 58 degrees.
Today to be easy on my butt I’m going to ride on NY 30, 🚲 poke around Middleburgh and farm stands, maybe hike Vromans Nose 👃 and then hit up Mine Kill Pool 🏊♂️ before heading back to camp. ⛺ What can I say I’m butt hurt. I really need to think about getting a softer seat with memory foam. The current seat isn’t bad on black top but on the gravel it hurts after a while.
This afternoon will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 83 degrees at 5pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 3rd. Maximum dew point of 58 at 12pm. Calm wind. Warmer than yesterday. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 97 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1955.
Warmer today hopefully better at the Mine Kill Pool. 🏊♂️ Should be quiet there as no festival today. But first I have to get moving. I’m moving slowly it’s hot outside but also so nice lying back on the hammock. I am almost tempted to stay here all day but I also want to ride, stock up at the farm stands and swim. 🌽 I’m out in Schoharie for a reason, not just to lay around all afternoon.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:05 pm with sun having an altitude of 67.5° from the due south horizon (-3.3° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:47 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (292°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (299°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:28 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 18 seconds with dusk around 9:00 pm, which is 53 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the west-southwest (240°) at an altitude of 25° from the horizon, 247,052 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:43 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 77 degrees. The dew point will be 60 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 14 hours and 49 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 50 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 60 degrees at 6am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 20th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 8pm. Calm wind. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 69 degrees. The record low of 45 occurred back in 1985.
On this day in 1967, today was the start of 12th Street Riot In Detroit, one of the worst riots in United States history begins on 12th Street in the predominantly African American inner city. 🔥 🚨 🤜 It ultimately kills 43 people, injures 342 and burns about 1,400 buildings. Nothing like the 2020 disorder and the crap played up by conservatives, though I still like Jason Aldean.
Looking ahead, there are 7 weeks until 6:30 Sunrise 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:18 pm with dusk at 7:45 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 83 and 56 degrees. Going to make the morning walk dark again. Evenings too! Better for getting to bed early though. 🛏 Typically, the high temperature is 77 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1931.
After such a run of wet and bad weather we finally got a break and I got away from town. Awesome, although I will say that the pool is cold with the low dew point and the breeze. But it was great for hiking Platts Rocks then riding 26 miles round trip or the Catskill Scenic Trail. That said, I’m beat after all that bicycling, I barely want to hit the pool. But it’s fine, I got a shower and some pool time in and it will be closing for a bit and then be time to head up to camp.
Good evening! It’s been a pleasant day. Mostly sunny and 78 degrees at the Mine Kill State Park. There is a northwest breeze at 9 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 55 degrees.
Lol where to start! 😂 Last night turned out much better than forecasted so I ended up deciding to ride out to the Bender Mellon Preserve 🍉 and hiking around that for nearly an hour, exploring the outside parameter trail and taking a bunch of pictures after deciding 📸 the trail wasn’t so wet yesterday and the skies were interesting. Then I decided to ride out to Voorheesville, down Main Street then out past the Voorheesville High School and library then down the rail trail to Adams Place then snaked through the subdivisions back home. 🐍 By then it was late for packing for camp but I got some done like filling the water container and some other things but won’t say that I didn’t stay up late sitting out back and still had a bunch to do in the morning contributing to me not leaving until 9:30 am.
On my way out I realized I forgot toilet paper 🚽 and paper towels. Both are good for camping. What I ended up doing was going to Tops in Greenville and buying paper towels for both purposes. They’ll be good for both. Then I took NY 81 out to Oak Hill which is still closed west of there.
With the detour I ended up deciding to head over to Prattville and checking out Pratts Rock. What a beautiful day. 🏞 Finally got to the Catskill Scenic Trail in Grand Gorge at 12 noon, rode until 1:45 when I got to Hobart at 1:40 pm when I stopped at the park for a while 🚲 and headed south almost to South Kortwright but turned back as I wanted to be back to my truck as close as possible to 4 pm so I could shower 🚿 and cool down in the pool. 🏊♂️ Then off to camp at Betty Brook most likely though if the campsite on West Kill Road is open I might stay there.
Tonight will be mostly clear 🌃, with a low of 54 degrees at 5am. Nine degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 12th. Maximum dew point of 56 at 7pm. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening. Going to be a cool evening especially here in the mountains. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 65 degrees. The record low of 45 occurred back in 1981.
Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon with 22% illuminated. At 5 PM, the moon was in the south (185°) at an altitude of 51° from the horizon, some 249,518 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. 🚀 At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by January 28th. Buckle up for safety! 💺 The moon will set in the west (273°) at 11:05 pm. The Strugeon 🐡 Moon is on Tuesday, August 1. The darkest hour is at 1:05 am, followed by dawn at 5:08 am, and sun starting to rise at 5:41 am in the east-northeast (61°) and last for 3 minutes and 17 seconds. Sunrise is 56 seconds later than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 6:22 am with sun in the east-northeast (68°).Tonight will have 9 hours and 9 minutes of darkness, an increase of one minute and 48 seconds over last night.
Tomorrow will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 83 degrees at 5pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 3rd. Maximum dew point of 60 at 5pm. Calm wind. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. It was humid. The high last year was 97 degrees. The record high of 96 was set in 1955.
I’m undecided about my plans for tomorrow. 💭 I still want to get to the farm stands of the Schoharie Valley 🌽 🍅 but I also kind of want to set up camp ⛺ and not have to secure it or take it down tomorrow. Plus I don’t love driving that rough Betty Brook Road, it’s tough on Big Reds aging suspension. 🚲 That said it could be a fun filled day. I might cycle from the Rest Area to Middleburgh, then poke around the village, get ice cream 🍦 then hike Vromans Nose 👃 and turn hit up the farm stands, head back to Mine Kill Pool and swim some more before camp. Monday I will park in Stamford, ride down to Bloomfield and maybe hike not drive Utsaythana followed by a swim at Mine Kill before going out to see the folks before vacation which starts Friday.
In four weeks on August 19 the sun will be setting in the west-northwest (288°) at 7:55 pm,🌄 which is 34 minutes and 33 seconds earlier then today. In 2022 on that day, we had hot, mostly sunny and temperatures between 89 and 58 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 82 and 61 degrees. The record high of 92 degrees was set back in 1899.
Looking ahead, Work Like a Dog Day 🐩 is Next Saturday (not likely to happen on vacation), Last Sunset After 8 PM 🌆 is in 3 weeks, National Dog Day 🐩 is in 5 weeks, Autumn 🍂 is in 2 months, Daylight Savings Time Ends 🛥️ is in 15 weeks, Veterans Day 🇺🇸 is in 16 weeks, Regular Deer Season in Southern Zone 🦌 is in 17 weeks, Small Business Saturday 🛍️ is in 18 weeks, Average High is 40 🌨 is in 20 weeks, Earliest Sunset of the Year ⌛️ is in 20 weeks, Tea Party Day 🐍 is in 21 weeks, Days are Getting Longer ☀️ is in 5 months, Festivus 🍖 is in 22 weeks, Bacon Day 🥓 is in 23 weeks and Bacon Day 🥓 is in 23 weeks.
