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.
Good morning! A Sticky, Muggy Monday in September. 😰
It really feels like a swamp outside today. Maybe some drizzle but it’s really all about the humidity today. Autumn, what’s right? Feels more like a damp summer day.
Cloudy with rain sprinkles, humid and 63 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☔ Calm wind. The dew point is 62 degrees. The skies will clear around noontime.
Dropped my phone 🤳 twice this morning on my walk down to the express bus 🚍. My hands 👐 are wet from the sweat and I kept getting tangled in the headphones. 🎧 I should get a replacement for the Bluetooth headphones but they never have anyone in electronics at Wally World. Plus the emails keep rolling in while I walk down to the bus. 📧
I did get shopping last night at Wally World, 🍔 getting a bunch of groceries, which like every week was more expensive then last. 🤑 And they have more stuff locked up. But I like still like how they have more bulk packaged stuff then the grocery store, which means less stuff that I end up having to get rid of 🔥 or take to the transfer station for recycling. I was very happy that I was able to get hot sauce in plastic container, ♻️ as I really hate glass, as I worry about breaking it, and it takes a lot of room and weight in the recycling. Plus I’m very dubious about glass recycling. Seems like a lot of trash dumps in the woods are just full of glass. 🍾
The weekend came and went. 🕊 It was there until I blinked my eyes 👀 and it was gone. I did enjoy the relaxed final weekend trip out to Thacher Park. I enjoyed the six Saturdays I spent up at Thacher Park, and while there is one more Nature Bus 🚌 the week of September 25th, I will probably be heading up to the Adirondacks. I enjoy having a Saturday to explore the park and back roads, lay in the hammock, do some reading and hike. Saturday, I hiked over 15 miles. Sunday with the clouds and rain, I did far less hiking around.
After listening to that podcast about pack goats 🐐 my fascination with them continues. I read a book about goat farming a while back, I think it was last summer, and they seem like a useful animal on the farmstead, to say nothing about hiking. Much easier to bring on a trip then a dog, as they don’t have the water needs and browse their own forages. Plus they are great for cleaning up overgrown areas in the woods. Or at least I’ve been brandwashed by Marc Warnke. 🧠 I do remember how stinky buck goats can get when they spray themselves with urine so to attract females.
Good morning! Happy Friday, Sixty Days until Election Day. 🗳
Don’t ask how I know. Busy times this morning. And the bus is running late, as school is back in session. Apparently they are short on bus drivers, so the driver is doing the school run, then heading out to park and ride. At least he’s a fast driver, so we are making up time.
Mostly sunny and 56 degrees at the Elm Ave Park and Ride. 😎 Calm wind. The dew point is 56 degrees.
It’s a Friday and like most weeks it just flew by. 🐦 Time goes by so quickly these days with work and everything else. Sunday doesn’t look like it will be real nice so I think it will be a stay at home weekend taking the Nature Bus to Thacher Park 🏞 on Saturday. I think I want to do the big loop around Thompsons Lake Hamlet and then up to North Point. A good fifteen mile hike will make up for all the days I’ve missed in recent weeks especially the lazy Labor Day Weekend.
I got a federal jury summons in the mail on Tuesday ✉ but I was able to request a deferment until December because of work and wanting to travel in October. 🎃 I did the jury survey in February, I’m surprised only now they’re reaching out to me. December is a good month for me to do jury duty if I have too. Federal jury duty sounds like fun – they provide free water and snacks plus a per deim of $50 regardless of employment and milage reimbursement. 🏛️ Plus I usually don’t do as much camping in December although this year I’ve been thinking more about camping at Rennselearville State Forest.
Next weekend I might head out of town ⛺ although I’m not sure if with things being so mild it will be peak colors 🍁 in the Spectulator area. Maybe I should wait an extra weekend. But with gas prices falling well below $4 if the weather is good next week I might do an overnight trip and hike the beautiful Catskill Scenic Trail. It could be rainy next week, only time will tell. 🤷♂️
We might see some sunshine for a few days. Going to be fairly warm, but not that much compared to recent years. Gets dark early now, but at least it looks like will have some Indian Summer for a bit longer before it gets cold for the year.
Today. Feels like … September 5th.
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny.
Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
and
78 degrees
,62 max dew point,
7:19 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … September 9th.
Mostly clear.
Calm wind.
and
55 degrees
,
6:27 sunrise.
Friday. Feels like … August 22nd.
Sunny.
Light and variable wind.
and
81 degrees
,61 max dew point,
7:17 sunset.
Friday Night. Feels like … September 12th.
Mostly clear.
South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Kind of a dark and dreary morning. I am not moving fast, despite waking up before 6 AM and barely catching the 8:30 AM local downtown. I don’t know why, I think it’s the darker mornings with September underway. Usually though I’m good at catching the express, as I really don’t want to take the local when I can avoid it.
Overcast, with fog and 60 degrees at the CDTA Bus Stop #10595. 🌫 Calm wind. The dew point is 59 degrees. They are talking about more sun later, but first we have to wait for the fog to burn off.
I am still wearing my muzzle on the bus 😷 even though the Governor dropped the mask mandate yesterday, in celebration of the upcoming election. But if the politicians tell you not to do something, then it’s probably best to do it otherwise. As politicians primary care about getting re-elected and patronage jobs and not public health. Especially with cold season upon us 😖 it just some prudent to wear a muzzle especially in tight spaces like a bus. 🚌
The weekend is rushing towards me again, 😀 I have made no real plans for the weekend. I thought about heading out of town but maybe not. It’s a Thacher Park weekend on the Nature Bus 🐸 so that’s always a fun and easy choice that doesn’t cost anything. I’ve been thinking about doing a Schoharie trip or maybe Rensslearville State Forest in a future weekend, when I can remote work on a Friday. 💻
Today’s sunrise was at 6:25 am. The next time the sun will rise earlier then today 🌄 is in 178 days on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
The average high for today is 78 degrees. 🌡 The next time it will be on average warmer then today is in 278 days on Monday, June 12, 2023 when the average temperature will be 79 degrees.
The highest point for the sun today will be 53.4° from the horizon at 12:54 pm. 🌞 The next time the sun will be higher in the sky mid-day is in 211 days on Thursday, April 6.
Today has 12 hours and 40 minutes of daylight. ⏳ The next time the day will be longer then today is in 210 days on Wednesday, April 5.
Today’s sunset will be at 7:20 pm. The next time the sun will set later then today 🌆 is in 206 days on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
The average low for today is 56 degrees. 🌡 The next night it will be on average warmer then tonight is in 278 days on Monday, June 12, 2023 when the average temperature will be 57 degrees.
