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.
Back to work on this final Monday of August. Going to be a hot one, but I’ll be in my air conditioned office most of the day so it doesn’t matter. Then when I get home, I really need to stop beating around the bush and go shopping for food and gas for my big jacked up truck. I haven’t gotten gas since I was last in Watkins Glen on summer vacation, as I’ve mostly been staying home the past few weeks.
Partly sunny and 77 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a south breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 68 degrees. The muggy weather ends Wednesday around 3 pm. 😓
Camped over at folks house 🏡 last night. It was a nice night though hot and muggy enough I ran the fan all night long. ⚛
Today is truly a Monday. 🤪 The morning started out better two weeks ago when I almost hit a fawh 🦌 on my way back from my parents house 🏡 but the emails 📧 started rolling in at eight 8⃣ AM and then when getting on the bus 🚍 I accidentally dropped my phone 📱 trying to email and board the bus at the same time.
Fortunately my phone screen wasn’t damaged but I’ve ordered a replacement screen protector as the one I installed after getting my phone cracked and I took it off a few weeks ago. 🤳 Wake up call as they say. And here’s another email. What a headache work is these days. 🤯 At least I’m making good money, saving and investing it. Better days ahead.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
and
84 degrees
,65 max dew point,
7:38 sunset.
Tonight. Muggy !
Partly cloudy.
South wind 5 to 8 mph.
and
66 degrees
,66 max dew point,
6:15 sunrise.
Monday. Muggy !
Mostly sunny and hot.
South wind 6 to 9 mph.
and
90 degrees
,69 max dew point,
7:36 sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !
Partly cloudy.
South wind around 6 mph.
and
69 degrees
,68 max dew point,
6:17 sunrise.
Tuesday. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot.
South wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
90 degrees
,70 max dew point,
7:34 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 8pm and 2am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Maybe some showers mid week and then very seasonable weather for early September. Maybe even fall like for the Labor Day Weekend with lots of sunshine.
Today. Feels like …
September 11th.
Mostly sunny.
North wind around 6 mph.
and
76 degrees
,62 max dew point,
7:40
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
September 3rd.
Mostly clear.
Light and variable wind.
and
57 degrees
,
6:15
sunrise.
Sunday. Feels like …
August 28th.
Sunny.
Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the morning.
and
80 degrees
,63 max dew point,
7:38
sunset.
Sunday Night. Hot !
Partly cloudy.
South wind around 7 mph.
and
64 degrees
,64 max dew point,
6:16
sunrise.
Monday. Muggy !
Mostly sunny.
South wind around 6 mph.
and
86 degrees
,67 max dew point,
7:37
sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !
Partly cloudy.
and
67 degrees
,66 max dew point,
6:17
sunrise.
Tuesday. Muggy !
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny.
Chance of precipitation is 60%.
and
86 degrees
,68 max dew point,
7:35
sunset.
Tuesday Night. Muggy !
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2am, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy.
Made it to the last weekend of summer. How fast the date come and go.
Mostly cloudy and 66 degrees at the John Boyd Thacher State Park. ☁ There is a north breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 62 degrees. The skies will clear around 11 am.
I woke up last night feeling kind of sick 🤮. I think it might have been the tuna fish salad I made up with some kind of stale sweet corn 🌽 that I used in the mix. But I made the toilet 🚽 my friend and didn’t get back to sleep 😴 until much later.
I thought about going out to Schoharie but ultimately decided Thacher Park 🏞 was just an easier option. I got my lunch at work yesterday so I saved my packed lunch from yesterday and brought that today. I thought about doing North Bearpen and Roundtop but I figured that I wasn’t feeling great this morning so best to wait until the autumn colors are better. 🍁
Next weekend at any rate I’m heading up to Spectulator ⛺ to camp up there for the long weekend. I’m pretty certain that’s going to happen based on the weather. I will probably try to get set up early Friday morning where I have cell reception for work and then do some hiking in the West Canada Lake Wilderness on Saturday or Sunday of next week.
It does look like a nice late summer weekend. Maybe I will end up going out to Schoharie after all, but I’m too busy and it’s too long of a trip to head out to Piseco-Powley for the weekend, especially with gas prices still over $4 a gallon. Big Red has a drinking problem, plus beer and even hot dogs and hamburgers are more expensive then in past. And that boat has sailed on the weekend. Next weekend, assuming the weather is nice I plan to camp and remote work in the Speculator-area for the long-weekend.
Maybe though we will get a decent amount of rain out of today’s storm. I haven’t looked at the QPF data for today, but it would be telling if I looked around the state. I certainly don’t want to be heading north in the pouring rain, or setting up camp in the dark in the rain, especially if it’s only really one full day before turning around and heading back to Albany.
Today. Feels like … August 14th.
Isolated showers between 7am and 9am, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Partly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
and
82 degrees
,68 max dew point,
7:41 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … July 31st.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy.
Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
62 degrees
,67 max dew point,
6:13 sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like … August 22nd.
Mostly sunny.
North wind around 6 mph.
and
81 degrees
,63 max dew point,
7:39 sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like … August 26th.
Mostly clear.
Light north wind.
and
59 degrees
,
6:14 sunrise.
Sunday. Hot !
Mostly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
and
85 degrees
,62 max dew point,
7:38 sunset.
Sunday Night. Muggy !
Partly cloudy.
and
65 degrees
,65 max dew point,
6:15 sunrise.
Monday. Muggy !
Partly sunny.
and
89 degrees
,70 max dew point,
7:36 sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !
Mostly cloudy.
and
68 degrees
,68 max dew point,
6:17 sunrise.
Tuesday. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
89 degrees
,71 max dew point,
7:34 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
68 degrees
,70 max dew point,
6:18 sunrise.
Wednesday. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny.
