Stretching between Wevertown and Wells along NY 8, the East Branch of Sacandaga River offers a picturesque route hosting roadside campsites and trailheads to secluded spots. While proximity to a well-maintained state highway makes these campsites accessible during shoulder seasons and winter (with snow shovel), traffic noise can be a drawback. The river features noteworthy sites like Griffin Falls, Cod Pond, the captivating Stewart Creek, the ruins of Fox Lair Camp, the East Branch Trail leading to East Branch Falls, and scenic Eleventh Mountain. This scenic drive intertwines nature and exploration, inviting travelers to discover hidden gems along the East Branch of Sacandaga River.
I was originally planning to head up to the Adirondacks during the last week of April. I did get up there for three days and two nights, but left early due to the rain that pushed in on the Friday. I spent my Wednesday evening through Friday morning along the East Branch, exploring Fox Lair and hiking back along the East Branch Gorge Trail to Square Falls, which was under impressive. But it was one of many options I considered.
Central NY
One option I considered was a Central NY trip which would probably have started at Charles Baker State Forest in Brookfield, then gone to Stoney Pond State Forest in Nelson, maybe doing some fishing in the Chittenango Creek. I might have from there gone south to Balsam Swamp State Forest outside of Norwich or even Long Pond State Forest outside of Greene. But I ended up discarding this idea, as I’ve spent too much time in Central NY lately.
North Country
I’ve wanted to get back to the North County for some time, but it’s a pretty good trip up there. I wanted to fish the Deer River and camp possibly up at Deer River State Forest or maybe at Brasher Falls Walter Pratt Camping Area. But I know how rough the roads are up in the Deer River area, and how muddy they would be this time of year. But I bet the trout fishing would have been good up there.
Tupper Lake
Mid-last week I thought about heading up to Tupper Lake on Friday, after spending a Thursday on the East Branch. The idea would be to drive north during the rain, and enjoy the beautiful Saturday hiking Lows Ledge and exploring other areas around Horseshoe Lake / Bog River Flow. I might have also taken a trip and poked around Tupper Lake village, and on Sunday driving back stopped at Coney Mountain, or one of the many other leg-strecher hikes heading back along NY 30.
East Branch but Fish the Mill Creek and Visit Garnett Lake
Another option that was on the books earlier in the week, when Friday only looked cloudy, and the rest of the week quite nice was the fish the Mill Creek during the inclement weather on Friday, and spend the rest of the weekend hiking back at the many small trails along the East Branch of the Sacandaga River. While I wouldn’t go far, driving on Friday would top off the battery, and there are many nice little trails off of NY 8.
Good afternoon! Three weeks until the average high is 70 in Albany. 🐮 But still a pretty nice day here in the Sieamese Pond Wilderness. Blue skies and sunny and 53 degrees at the end of the East Branch Sacandaga River Gorge Trail. There is a southwest breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Sunday around 2 am. ☃️
This afternoon will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 62 degrees at 4pm. One degree below normal for Albany, which is similiar to a typical day around April 24th. Not terrible for being in the Adirondack Wilderness in the spring. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Really not a cloud in the sky. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning, which tapered off to light drizzle by afternoon. The high last year was 57 degrees. The record high of 89 was set in 2009. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1928.❄That’s the year they laid the cornerstone of the office building I work at far away from the wilderness I’m currently at.
Yesterday I kind of got stuck in the office 🏢 until 5:30 so I didn’t get on the road until 5:45 but I drove straight out to Amsterdam so I was up to camp around 7:45. I kind of had some trouble getting the lantern 🏮 started after replacing then again breaking a mantle but then I got it working after fiddling for a few minutes. It kind of was getting dark and I forgot to bring a bright 🔆 light bulb 💡 but with the flash light I finally got it going. Then I got the fire started 🔥 which really took off with some of the brush and other stuff that they had cut out for the new privy they built up at the campsite. 💩 I was the first one to use it. The lights were up and the fire going good by 9ish and I stayed up listening 👂 to podcasts until around 11:30. An obnoxious barred owl occasionally woke me up during the night with his who? Who? But so be it. 😴
Today I hiked back to the East Branch Gorge Trail aftee hiking around Fox Lair for a while which I took pictures with from my other camera. 📷 This time the trail wasn’t so icy unlike the time I tried it in 2014. 🚶 Still its a pain to find the trail head, the best way to find it is to bushwhack following the East Branch until you reach the somewhat challenging to cross Kibby Pond outlook then follow it until you spot and old woods road and then ford the creek on the rocks and look for a herd path across from the old woods road. You never leave the view of the East Branch although at one point you do get quite a way above the gorge on the herd path up a good sized mountain. I was pretty underwhelmed by the end of the trail which had a pretty unimpressive designated tent 🎪 spot and then a relatively small water falls, maybe at most 20 feet tall. Further down the trail where the gorge is narrower is more impressive.
The sun will set at 7:52 pm with dusk around 8:22 pm, which is one minute and 11 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 57 degrees. Should be a delightful evening once I get that campfire 🔥 a roaring and some good eats cooking. There will be a south breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 13 hours and 55 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 42 seconds over yesterday. Almost to the point of the the fourteenth hour day.
Tonight will rain likely, mainly after 5am. Increasing clouds 🌧, with a low of 41 degrees at 5am. Typical for tonight. Southeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2018, we had light rain in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 39 degrees. The record low of 24 occurred back in 1972.
Tomorrow will have periods of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. 🌧 High of 49 degrees at 2pm. 14 degrees below normal, which is similiar to a typical day around March 27th. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning, which became light drizzle by afternoon. The high last year was 56 degrees. The record high of 90 was set in 1990. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1993.❄
Today is definitely a beautiful day 😎 but maybe not so much tomorrow.😰 ☔ I’m going to enjoy today and tonight I guess tomorrow I’ll head home. If it’s going to pour than be followed by cold rainy weekend no reason to stay up north. I would have liked a four day weekend but I had a nice big ass fire last night and the hike back to the East Branch of the Sacandaga River Gorge is pretty nice although I have to admit I’m a little bit under impressed the falls. The trail really ends after the narrows of the gorge and the most scenic part is relatively unaccessible. But the best is yet to come of the summer …
As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Average High is 70 🐮 when the sun will be setting at 8:16 pm with dusk at 8:49 pm. On that day in 2018, we had partly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 72 and 51 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 70 degrees. We hit a record high of 89 back in 1991.
Not a particularly nice weekend on tap. 😞 Saturday, showers, mainly before 11am. High near 44. West wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Sunday, showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Typical average high for the weekend is 63 degrees.
In four weeks on May 23 the sun will be setting at 8:23 pm,🌄 which is 31 minutes and 8 seconds later then today. In 2018 on that day, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 81 and 56 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 72 and 49 degrees. The record high of 93 degrees was set back in 1964.
Looking ahead, Average High is 70 🐮 is in 3 weeks, Summer ️⛱️ is in 8 weeks, Independence Day 🇺🇸 is in 10 weeks, August 🌻 is in 14 weeks, More Night then Day 🌌 is in 5 months and Last Sunset After 7 PM 🌆 is in 23 weeks.
It was nice camping up in the wilderness this weekend on the East Branch of the Sacnandaga River. While much of the area was plunged into darkness after the high winds, the 120-volt power made by the inverter and accessory battery in my truck didn't drop a beat, staying bright all evening long.
