After Big Red 🛻
Every time I look back at Big Red I find it hard to believe that those days are rapidly coming to a close. So many memories and trips taken with Red, so many hours of paranoia and fear not at all rational and many days and nights spent in the wilderness. It’s hard to believe in my mind that it might be coming to an end next year when I retire Big Red and get a new truck.
It’s possible – and maybe quite likely – I could get another year out of Red especially with some maintenance and parts. Change the transmission and transfer case fluids, replace the belts and spark plugs. Get new shocks and struts, replace upper ball joint – already done the lower ones, the bushings and some of the other equipment. It probably would be fine for a while there after and that’s the frugal thing to do. But I make good money, I’ve had Red for 14 years now, and I want something smaller and easier to drive I think – that’s better on gas. But I also like the big truck for hauling all my gear. Want something new and modern so I can drive out west – Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri – explore and I’m not sure I trust Big Red even if I get caught up on the maintaince. It’s kind of a rust bucket now and it will be even worse after a harsh winter.
At one level I’m set on getting a Toyota Tacoma 4×4. Something small but with a six foot bed for camping. But easy to take down the trail and get it tight campsites. But with so much gear these days could I fit everything in the cap? Things would be so much tighter than in my big jacked up truck. I might get the off-road package as I don’t want to mess with a lift kit but also want good stable performance for rough forest roads but maybe not rock climbing. Truth is that I rarely bottom out my truck though it’s certainly possible to high center even a lifted truck on a snow bank in the remote Adirondacks. Trust me I know from first hand experience.
That said, I’ve been reading about the latest generations of Toyota Tacoma 4x4s and while they are pretty solid, reliable builds, they have had more issues lately with the latest generations of engines and 8-speed automatic transmissions. The Tacomas you can still get with a six-speed manual transmission and I think I’d would almost prefer that for both winter driving and going through the mountains for engine breaking. I really want to spend more time in West Virginia, the Appalachians and the Adirondacks in the coming years. The Tacomas are also assembled in Mexico with cheap Mexican labor though the quality is supposedly high but I do prefer supporting union labor. And there is the question of tarrifs.
Other issues I’ve heard is that they aren’t real fuel efficent despite their small size. You might as well get a full size truck some argue. The seventeen gallon tank means more stopping for gas, especially when climbing mountains and rough dirt road in remote country which sucks as you have to plan more ahead so you don’t run out of gas.
Another option I’m considering is getting a 3/4 ton long bed 4×4 work truck either a Chevy or a Ford. I kind of prefer no frills and even those trucks have nowadays have cruise control and air conditioning. Just a regular cab, they heat and cool faster and have less room for clutter plus so much room for camp gear and it would be useful some day when I settle down to my homestead. But fuel economy and size are issues. Want something small enough and economic enough if I eventually am forced to commute by automobile again. Big Red just ain’t easy to drive except on the open road. Also maybe this kind of truck is best bought used from state agency or power company surplus or other fleet vehicle. Save a lot on depreciation and there are certainly a lot of fleet vehicles like this available used.
Maybe I should look at the domestic manufacturers again. For the most part except my extreme anxiety, Big Red has been good and reliable bar the wheel bearing but that’s ordinary wear. But you hear such bad things about the domestics these days with their modern fuel savings for government compliance designs. They say cars have only gotten worse recently, especially the domestics. The 3/4 ton trucks have fewer compliance restrictions and are built heavier, so I feel like they’re a better option if I choose ultimately to go domestic. But bad on gas if I decide to go that way. And big and hard to drive down narrow trails and in the city.
I don’t know. I have time to study and think.
Hokey Homesteaders 🐐
One of the things that annoys me the most about the whole topic of homesteading and farming more generally is the hokeness that is promoted around it. That somehow “back-to-the-land” is old fashioned, that it’s cute and beautiful, some kind of romantic vision rather then a reality of mud and manure, pests and chemicals, scientific knowledge about how ecological systems work.
Certain products and technologies make sense in rural areas for rural uses. Like tractors and plows, manure spreaders, all kinds of farm implements and tools. But that doesn’t make it hokey or old fashioned. Some very old technologies have a role on a modern farm, sometimes old equipment is paid for and works well. Sometimes old practices are worth taking a second look at because they worked well in the past and are still relevant. And others should be left in the past. Certain clothing just makes sense while working in the barn, especially during cold weather. Certain products are durable and can withstand the harsh farm conditions.
But that doesn’t explain the whole story of the hokeness. Some of it is branding, indeed many farmers see a lot of benefit as selling their products as natural and bucoloic. People want to envision land as green with happy farm animals and nature, it cna sell a lot of products. Still, I think it can get a bit silly, and make it seem like homesteaders and farmers are backwards, anti-modern, and not up on the latest of technology, even if in many cases they have long adopted many technologies that make sense on a modern homestead or farm. And this kind of market discounts homesteading and farming as being boutique. I really don’t necessary embrace it.
Morning folks from the wilds of Schoharie County 🌫️
It’s kind of a cold and damp November morning here at camp along the Betty Brook, 🌫️ but the rain pulled out during the overnight hours and is not expected to restart until later. I am thinking I will head to Shauls in a bit, maybe do a hike up Vromans Nose if the rain holds off. I also put the Catskill Scenic Trail on he list of possibilities but I doubt I’ll be heading that far south, and more rain and wind is expected later on today.
I don’t have a lot of gear to take down but I also took a puff from the magic dragon this morning, 🐲 and it’s not raining so I want to take my time, even if it is a bit cold and damp in the woods, but it’s the last morning I’ll probably spend by Betty Brook this year, as snow, ice and cold are coming. 🏕️ After Thanksgiving, there is the East Branch Sacandaga in the Adirondacks to camp by then probably Madison County once regular season closes down the second week of December. It was good to get away for at least one night and hike Bearpen. I like Bearpen Mountain, it’s remote and quite though that logging road a good climb in parts. The nice thing is it’s outside of Catskill Mountains so you avoid the crowds. 🚶
It was a good day yesterday hiking Bearpen Mountain. ⛰️ I had the summit all to myself all the time I was up top but passed a dog walker heading up the mountain and a long bearded man with ginger wife hiking up the mountain on way home. Homesteaders had to think! I got back to my truck, head down the mountain in my truck via Mosquito Point. 🛻 Did a quick hike up Pratts Rock for the very November looking view as gun shots rang out from across the other side of the valley. 🔫
I wanted to camp off of West Kill Road but that site was taken so I drove up to Betty Brook Road. 🌃 it was getting dark by the time I got up to camp to get set up. Gathered firewood in the virtual darkness, fortunately there was a bit of light, the previous campers left a lot of wood, and I had a big bag of burnables to get shit started. 🪓Fried up some onions and beans with cornmeal for dinner. Forgot to get olive oil again at the store. I was going to get it on Friday but it seemed like it was real pricey at Hannaford.🔥
I got propane yesterday at Tractor Supply in Greenville, then onions, bananas, milk and eggs at Bryant’s, which in recent years has been a Tops though it seems like still sell a lot of Best Yet! Independent grocer products. 🛒 I don’t know I didn’t buy anything processed. Always a bit horrified that I might run into somebody I knew from High School, though everyone I saw there seemed like elderly old man, good ol’ boys and homesteaders. Small town personalities! I am so removed from that all having spent so many years working in the city. 🧑🌾 I mean someday I want to be back out doing the country thing, but that werid Christian-backwoods thing is a bit much for me. I like my goatee but I’m not sure I could do the whole big duck-dynasty beard thing.
Changes ahead
Many good things are happening in my life. It’s a really exciting time, now that I’m well in my forties.
But I spend a lot of time looking, observing all the things I’m also soon to leave behind. Things are getting better but it’s not without loss.
Enjoy Watching Youtube Videos about Agriculture
I enjoy watching Youtube videos about agriculture and farming, because it’s interesting to see how the land and it’s management come together to produce the food we all eat and enjoy. It’s fun to learn about the technology, the techniques, and the people that make it happen. Many people aren’t aware how technologically advanced agriculture has become, or how much goes into protecting the soils and resources for generations to come.
Changes in the shadows 🍂
One of the things I notice about autumn evenings is how much the sun angle has changed. The sun is lower place throughout in the day but come evening they are most pronounced. It’s kind of a special time, one to embrace before darkness, at least in my mind.
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I was thinking it was almost a year since I was camping up at Canaan Heights in West Virginia. I remember the autumn feel down there in the evening both when doing evening rides on Forest Road 13 and that evening I watched the sun set from Canaan Valley WMA.
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Especially on very clear autumn evenings like tonight with deep blue skies offsetting the autumn colors of the trees. After a warm autumn day… Soon to be chilly autumn evening. How fast time comes and goes.