Good evening! Clear and 58 degrees at the Labrador Hollow Overlook in Apulia Station. There is a south west  breeze at 18 mph. That breeze does make it somewhat colder then what the mercury would suggest. 

Today was a good day. It started out at dawn hiking at Clark Reservation and ended at Labrador Hollow. Some what cool in the morning and evening but still beautiful weather for the third week of October. We are moving into a rainy and generally cloudy but very mild period over the next few days with temperatures expected to reach 80 on Wednesday, which happens to be October 19th. The moon shadow off of Jones Hill into Labrador Hollow is pretty neat for sure. I really should come up here on a full moon here for sure. 

US Route 20 through Lafayette was pretty congested, but I think that had to do with the leaf peepers. The colors are pretty good at this point in the hills south of Syracuse but I still don’t think they are peak at Green Lakes. 

The sunset wasn’t that great compared to the last time I was up here but I wanted to hike somewhere I could watch the stars and not get kicked out at dusk. Plus once the full moon gets higher in the sky, I won’t need the flashlight much descending the mountain. A lot of people on the mountain tonight but slowly people are filing out. But I think between the moon and clouds the stars won’t be that great. But at least I’m in the wilderness. 

I hate how state parks kick you out at dusk. That’s why I’ve always preferred lightly developed campsites in the backcountry or wilderness camping as I did on Labor Day Weekend. I think most state parks are over developed, and indeed I enjoyed the rugged wilderness characteristics of Clarks Reserve. It’s not a real large park but it certainly is a treasure. 

Tonight will be mild with increasing clouds, with a low of 50 degrees at 12am. 11 degrees above normal. Not bad for October. South wind 11 to 14 mph. The record low of 25 occurred back in 1978.

Then tomorrow we enter that long and cloudy period for the foreseeable future. Although the latest models predict decent weather for a while on Tuesday. We will have isolated showers before 10am, then scattered showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high of 71 degrees at 4pm. 11 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 59 at 5pm. South wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. The record high of 88 was set in 1947.
In four weeks on November 12 the sun will be setting at 4:43 pm (Standard Time), which is 1 hour and 37 minutes earlier then tonight. Even in Western NY, the sun sets so early by mid November. The average high is 49 degrees, and the record for that date is 68 degrees was set back in 1909.

There are 24 days, 2 hours and 31 minutes until the polls close in NY State on Election Day. That time can’t come soon enough. I want to be free to camp and travel as I please, hunt and spend as much time as I want in the wilderness. I do miss nights in the woods, with a good cooked meal next to the campfire and the Big Buddy Heater warming my buttons. I can build some nice shelter with the tarps to get out of the wind and the lantern and electric lights will keep the campsite bright.