Nestled in upstate New York, the Finger Lakes National Forest spans 16,000 acres of diverse terrain, combining lush woodlands with expansive pasture land. Encompassing woodlands, grasslands, and glacial lakes, its picturesque landscapes and well-maintained trails attract outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The forest’s five distinctive trails wind through the scenery, revealing stunning views of gorges, waterfalls, and panoramic vistas. The forest is also home to the celebrated Finger Lakes Trail, a long-distance hiking trail extending over 580 miles. Limited free primitive and roadside camping opportunities along the roads add to the allure, providing a chance to immerse in the natural beauty for longer periods. As the only national forest in New York State, it provides a unique space for relaxation, exploration, and immersion in the captivating landscapes of the Finger Lakes region.
As people smarter than me say, wood warms you in two different ways… When you chop it and split it, and when you burn it. In this weather I actually really like chopping wood because it’s so warming burning all those calories. Feel cold? Chop wood, you’ll be warm in a few seconds. Worked well for me. Plus with an axe I can chop and split a lot more wood quickly then with a hatchet and saw.
Now, I get a $25 basic 3 1/2 lb axe from Tractor Supply with a synthetic aka plastic handle isn’t the greatest axe in the world but it works pretty good for camping purposes. I’m sure it was no more than a $20 mark up. Lol. It’s what I could get though quickly as I wanted something more efficient then my hatchet for a week mid December camping. That said I think I’d want something maybe a little heavier with a good wood handle if we’re chopping wood for heating a house or a cabin but this is just occasional use here.
That said when I own land and a house I’d probably seriously consider getting a hydraulic splitter just because it would make quick work out of firewood processing. All things considered they aren’t that expensive. But I’d also look to having a modern, efficient EPA stove even if they aren’t perfect, they do burn a lot less wood. And have a house that is small and well insulated as that would further conserve wood. Insulation is really an important thing that saves a lot of energy.
It’s not to say that the woods doesn’t produce a lot of dead and down wood but you know it’s not unlimited and no sense wasting a limited resource or producing unnecessary carbon dioxide and unnecessary work.
Good morning! Happy 7:15 AM Sunrise βοΈ! Lol, maybe back in Albany. On a cloudy day like today it was pretty dark until 7:45. Three weeks to New Years Eve 🎆. Cloudy and 24 degrees in Hector. β There is a northwest breeze at 9 mph. 🍃. Definitely a winter day, not good for sitting around. Things will start to thaw out at Friday around 10 am. 🌡οΈ
Today will be cloudy β, with a high of 27 degrees at 1pm. 11 degrees below normal. North wind 7 to 9 mph. Kind of a cold winter day although when you’re gathering firewood doesn’t seem so cold. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies with more clouds in the afternoon. The high last year was 36 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 1966. A few decades ago I might say. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2014.β
The sun will set at 4:34 pm with dusk around 5:05 pm, which is 4 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for cloudy skies β and temperatures around 26 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 7 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 47 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will be mostly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 20 degrees at 5am. Three degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical night around December 18th. Maximum wind chill around 11 at 3am; Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph after midnight. In 2017, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 24 degrees. The record low of -8 occurred back in 1988.
Bisquick biscuits for breakfast with cheese. A big pot of coffee. While it’s cloudy and occasional snow flurries I don’t think it’s that cold out compared to yesterday but maybe I’m just moving more. The best way to get warm is head out in the woods and chop wood. Much more fun than being home. 😎 Looking forward to seeing more sun though tomorrow. If it’s nice I might go up to Montezuma and Seneca Falls, that’s to be decided. It’s a bit of a drive and I’m not sure I want to drive after dark.
Yesterday I made stew for lunch and dinner and fixed up campsite a bit more. Had a good supply of wood, so I had a nice fire. 🔥 Stew was okay but I think I’d want to use other spices and maybe flour rather than Bisquick next time. Beef stewed up nicely although the pot was black from the stove operating at low with the stoichiometric ratio off causing a lot of soot. Usually propane is a very clean fuel but it can burn dirty if things are not working properly.
A lot of people were out hoping for a good final day of regular deer season 🔫 but I saw nobody dragging a deer out of the woods. Noisy though as people headed out loading shotgun shells in their guns, clinking the action especially when the one big group went out yesterday. Saw one black powder guy today but he was comparatively much quieter.
Thinking about going down to Trumansburg today just because it’s relatively close and I want to charge up the batteries and drive the truck at highway speed to make sure things are better lubricated and charged compared to idling. I probably top off the gas and also go for a walk at Taughannock Falls as I’m curious what it looks like in the winter. 🗻
It’s been a good trip so far. Cold and dark yes, but it’s December and that’s to be expected. But I have lights and heat and the long nights have improved my sleep, as I climb under the covers after shutting off the heat in my toasty warm tent. βΊ I often have trouble sleeping in the late autumn, although the red lights in my room have improved that but I still wake up a lot at home st night. But at camp I seem to sleep much better. 💤
As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until New Years Eve 🎆 when the sun will be setting at 4:44 pm with dusk at 5:16 pm. On that day in 2017, we had snow, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures between 8 and -2 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 1895.
