Seneca Lake stands as the largest among the glacial Finger Lakes within the state of New York. Renowned for its substantial size and depth, it remains entirely contained within the state’s borders. The lake has earned distinction as the preeminent locale for lake trout angling, exemplified by its role as the host of the esteemed National Lake Trout Derby. Positioned at the northern terminus of Seneca Lake, the city of Geneva, New York, commands attention, serving as the domicile for Hobart and William Smith Colleges, along with housing the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a constituent entity of Cornell University. Conversely, the village of Watkins Glen, situated at the southern extremity of the lake, boasts a notable reputation due to its association with motorsport, primarily due to the presence of Watkins Glen International racetrack, as well as its picturesque cascades.
Seneca Lake possesses an uncommon macroclimate that has bestowed it with the distinction of nurturing over 50 wineries, predominantly characterized as farm wineries. Its geographical attributes have led to the designation of the Seneca Lake American Viticultural Area (AVA), solidifying its reputation within oenophilic circles.
In terms of dimensions, Seneca Lake stretches across a length of approximately 38 miles, securing its position as the second longest Finger Lake. Remarkably voluminous, it is estimated to contain an impressive 3.81 cubic miles (15.9 km³) of water, accounting for nearly half of the cumulative water volume across all the Finger Lakes. The lake’s profundity is notable, averaging 291 feet, while plunging to a maximum depth of 618 feet. The expansive water body covers a surface area of approximately 66.9 square miles (173 km²).
Good morning! Already been a week since I left for vacation! 😲 Enjoy yourself, it’s later then you think as that old Guy Lombardo record plays. Sunday 4 pm when I make the slog home will be sooner than I think.Partly cloudy and 67 degrees at the Finger Lakes National Forest. ⛅ There is a southwest breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 63 degrees. Muggers are going to be around for a while longer but then midday we’re expecting some violent thunderstorms and rain but it will leave us with a cool and sunny weekend, though warming up nicely come Sunday.
Woke up around 6 o’clock, had coffee ☕ and some cream of wheat 🌾 with lemon juice, stevia and yogurt with a few a strawberries 🍓 tossed in for good measure. Yesterday I got a pound of clams at Wegmans in Ithaca 🦪 which I boiled about a third of them with beer 🍻 and a little bit of everything I had in the coolers and food basket including peppers, mushrooms, pearl onions, and zucchini. And some sweet corn 🌽. Hot peppers made it spicy. 🌶️ I was in bed 🛏 by 10:15 pm and I made it back to camp before 9 pm last night but mostly just by a minute or two because the corn stand I was planning on stopping at was out for the night. I had two ears of sweet corn which was fine.
Today will have showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 2pm and 4pm. ⛈ Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny🌤️, with a high of 78 degrees at 1pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 5th. Maximum dew point of 66 at 1pm. Southwest wind 10 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became thunderstorm by afternoon. It was very sticky. The high last year was 99 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1955.
Plans for today start with visiting Caywood Point and the Queen’s Castle 🏰. Then take it from there. I would like some time at camp ⛺ to enjoy more clams and beer 🍻 🦪🌽 and reading 📖 but if the storms hold off ⛈ maybe I’ll try to squeeze in an exploration of some of the northern part of the Finger Lakes National Forest or even the Black Diamond Trail which I didn’t get to yesterday. I’d also wouldn’t mind going for a swim a Cayuga Lake. 🏊♂️ But I want to be back in camp by five or so and have a relaxed dinner, as I’m tired of getting back at nine o’clock each night. Plus I need to organize things as before you know it will be Sunday and I’ll be taking down camp ⛺.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:14 pm with sun having an altitude of 64.7° from the due south horizon (-6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:46 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (288°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (295°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:25 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 11 seconds with dusk around 8:55 pm, which is one minute and 13 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:36 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 69 degrees. The dew point will be 64 degrees. There will be a north breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 25 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 16 seconds over yesterday.
Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy 🌥, with a low of 60 degrees at 6am. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 20th. Maximum dew point of 64 at 6pm. North wind around 6 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It was very sticky. It got down to 71 degrees. The record low of 43 occurred back in 1972.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 74 degrees at 5pm. Nine degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 17th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 11am. North wind 5 to 10 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became thunderstorm by afternoon. It was very sticky. The high last year was 93 degrees. The record high of 99 was set in 1955.
Looking ahead to Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 81. ☀ Southeast wind around 6 mph. Maximum dew point of 62 at 8pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Average High 70 🎑 when the sun will be setting at 7:43 pm with dusk at 8:11 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny, rain showers and temperatures between 73 and 55 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 79 degrees. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1953.
1) Air conditioning on my truck has been blowing overly cold on Friday, I was shivering at times on the way out, had to turn it down.
2) Eat too much ice cream especially on Sunday with the large maple walnut Sunday, had an upset stomach, felt anxious and couldn’t get to sleep from the sugar as I don’t normally eat any food with added sugar.
3) Not getting enough sleep as I’m trying to pack too much in every day.
4) Ran out of propane after breakfast this morning. Too nice of a day to go to Ithaca to get propane so I’m just going to have to suck it up and cook the salmon, onions, potatoes, sweet corn and farm fresh big tomatoes on gbr fire tonight. And so eggs and coffee on charcoal tomorrow for breakfast. I was planning on going to Ithaca tomorrow anyways.
It looks like the second half of the week for vacation is going to be decent though not perfect. 👌
Today, paddle Seneca Lake it’s very calm, then Watkins Glen pool, 🏊♂️, Glen Dairy Bar, get water, maple syrup, propane and beer. Lake should be very calm!
Thursday, Trumansburg, swim in Cayuga Lake, 🏊♂️ and Taughannock State Park, Black 🖤 Diamond 🔹 Trail and maybe Ithaca if I can’t get propane in Watkins Glen today.
Friday, I might stay in camp or just do the short drive over to the Queen’s Castle 🏰 on the lake which is a free National Forest Boat Camp Ground on a point on Seneca Lake that is nice to just sit down by and Ride my bike around the National Forest and read. 📖
Weekend looks nice TBD, probably Ithaca on Sunday – maybe Robert Treman or kayak 🛶 Cayuga Lake around the canal and Ithaca area. Saturday who knows, maybe Sugar Hill bike and hike then Watkins Glen pool.
Today. Feels like …
September 11th.
Sunny.
South wind 3 to 5 mph.
and
76 degrees
,53 max dew point,
8:28
sunset.
Tonight. Feels like …
August 20th.
Partly cloudy.
South wind 7 to 14 mph.
and
60 degrees
,
5:59
sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like …
August 28th.
A slight chance of showers between 1pm and 2pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny.
Southwest wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
80 degrees
,61 max dew point,
8:26
sunset.
Thursday Night. Feels like …
July 15th.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
South wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
and
63 degrees
,62 max dew point,
6:00
sunrise.
Friday. Feels like …
September 17th.
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Partly sunny.
South wind around 11 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
and
74 degrees
,65 max dew point,
8:25
sunset.
Friday Night. Feels like …
August 26th.
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Partly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 60%.
and
59 degrees
,
6:01
sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like …
September 19th.
Mostly sunny.
and
73 degrees
,59 max dew point,
8:24
sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like …
September 9th.
Partly cloudy.
and
55 degrees
,
6:03
sunrise.
Sunday. Feels like …
September 14th.
Partly sunny.
and
75 degrees
,58 max dew point,
8:23
sunset.
Sunday Night. Feels like …
July 15th.
A chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 30%.
and
63 degrees
,60 max dew point,
6:04
sunrise.
Monday. Feels like …
September 14th.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
75 degrees
,67 max dew point,
8:21
sunset.
Monday Night. Feels like …
July 31st.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.
Maybe we are day past the official full moon but turning onto Potomac Road from Searsburg Road, the moon rise was most impressive and so large looming over the pasture lands. Not sure if it’s a super moon but it certainly was super from the angle I was viewing it high from the Hector Backbone looking down towards Cayuga Lake.
Good morning! What day is it? Hump Day, of course. Mostly sunny and 62 degrees at the Finger Lakes National Forest. There is a south breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 53 degrees. Cool start to the morning, I got chilled through wearing shorts and t-shirt, had to get my hoodie on to warm up. The cold is delaying my start this morning but I want to leave fairly soon as today is the calmest forecasted day of the week and I want to go paddling 🛶 and swimming 🏊 on Seneca Lake before the wind picks up later.
Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 76 degrees at 4pm. Eight degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 11th. Maximum dew point of 53 at 9am. South wind 3 to 5 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 89 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1975.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:14 pm with sun having an altitude of 65.3° from the due south horizon (-5.5° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:48 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (289°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (295°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:28 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 12 seconds with dusk around 8:58 pm, which is one minute and 10 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:39 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 69 degrees. The dew point will be 54 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 7 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 29 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 12 seconds over yesterday.
Long day yesterday, I didn’t get back to camp ⛺ until nearly 9:15 pm as I was in Geneva until after 8 pm and stopped in search of clams, Greek yogurt and milk at Tops in Waterloo. 🏪 But still the sunset is pretty late in the Finger Lakes but by the time I was past Ovid heading into Lodi it was definitely approaching dusk. 🌆 That said the open landscape helped a lot keeping things from being too dark as I drove back to camp. But regardless I was tired 😴. I was so fortunate to see last night’s moon rise.
Rode from Seneca Lake to Kueka Lake yesterday via the Kueka Outlet Trail. 🚲 Touched both lakes with the wheel of my bicycle. It’s a lot quicker of a ride then when I walked it. Poked around Dresden and Penn Yan for a while 🏫 I was very impressed with the Downtown on Penn Yann, it was largely untouched by urban renewal 🏗️ and still had many vibrant small businesses and shops. 🍬
I ended up driving 🚘 back to Penn Yan after getting Frozen Custard 🍦at the Spotted Duck 🦆 because I decided I had to visit the Penn Yan old fashioned bulk candy shop. I was going to get fudge but ended up getting black chocolate 🍫 peanut 🥜 brittle that I’m saving for a future day. That place is a throwback not many places like that anymore, especially on Main Street. Reminded me of the old Blue Churn in South Westerlo I used to go to as a kid before it burned down. Spotted duck blueberry Blue Fluer custard was good, the Carmelt caramel custard was amazing. 🍦 Maybe it’s vacation FOMO but who knows when I’ll ever get back to Penn Yan again.
The ice cream was wonderful 🍦 and the two scoups – duck egg 🥚 sized each, wasn’t too much but the sugar fueled a full out anxiety attack in my mind and kept me roaring with crazy 🤪 energy well into the evening though by 11 pm enough sugar burned off I was okay. Truth is I’ve been having a wonderful vacation ☺ but every time I consume any quantity of non natural sugar I get so sick 🤮. But I’ll probably get a small ice cream at Glen Dairy Bar again tonight and remember the crazy thoughts in my head are just that. But not a mega large dish 🍨like on Sunday. Go for the quality not the portion. I don’t know if it’s my fear 😱 of the calories and getting fat, knowing how bad sugar is for you, or something else but my mental health is so much better the farther I stay away from added sugar. I’m fine eating delicious fruit all day long 🍇 🍏 🍑 but give me ice cream and a few minutes later I’m super wound up.
With all that energy, I drove up to Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva, 🏊♂️ hoping to get a swim in the lake and a shower 🚿 the later I did but I had forgotten they a few years back had replaced the life guarded beach 🏖 with a kids splash pad due to the pollution on the lake from blue green algea. Hell of it is, this part of state has been cool and relatively dry so not a lot of water pollution this year compared to many years. But I also wangtted to do the Cayuga – Seneca Bike Path 🚲 from Geneva to Waterloo, as much to say I did it. And to use time up. 🌽 Not a lot of exciting view along it, some view of both the Old Erie Canal and the modern barge canal, lot of marshland, corn and soybean fields. Poked around Waterloo for a while 🇺🇸 and visited the Civil War monument. 🦳 Ended up going to Tops in Waterloo on Mound Road, you know the one next to Seneca Meadows landfill and getting milk, plain non fat yogurt not Greek as they’re out, and a small two servings bag of salmon. Made it back to camp by nine o’clock, wasn’t super dark out at that point and had a fire 🔥 until eleven.
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃, with a low of 60 degrees at 6am. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 20th. Maximum dew point of 54 at 8pm. South wind 7 to 14 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 64 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1976.
Cool this weekend with temperatures running 9 degrees below normal but otherwise sunny. 😃 Then again it’s always cooler in the Finger Lakes compared to Albany records. Good for bike riding, maybe not so great for swimming 🏊. Saturday, mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Maximum dew point of 59 at 8am. Sunday, partly sunny, with a high near 75. Maximum dew point of 59 at 7pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Average High Falls To 79 ️Degrees ⛱️️️when the sun will be setting at 7:46 pm with dusk at 8:14 pm. On that day in 2022, we had rain and temperatures between 90 and 66 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 80 degrees. We hit a record high of 98 back in 1953.
