Stewart’s

I am thinking about taking the first week of November off from work ⛺

I’ve been doing a lot of study of the maps of the Loyalstock State Forest in the Endless Mountains Country of Pennsylvania, namely World’s End State Park. I could get a permit for a back country site – it’s certainly easy enough with the DCNR online website. That wouldn’t be too far compared to West Virginia and I’ve only briefly stopped at World’s End once coming back from Pennsylvania. There are some interesting looking trails and vista’s out that way. That said, this time of year I have to worry about snow and ice and there might be a fire ban in the forest as there often is seasonally in Pennsylvania.

Another option I’ve been considering is getting a permit for Hicks Run and camping down at Elk State Forest to hear the buggle of the elk and watch the elk graze. I might also stay a night or two at the Austin Dam primative campground which is a ten dollar donation to the not for profit that runs it. Might even be even more remote country than Loyalstock. Then there always is the possibility of a night or two at Asaph Run which is ten bucks and kind of too smushed together for my liking but is nice being close to the Pine Creek Valley Rail Trail.

Truth be told it’s been two years since I’ve been to Pennsylvania and I’d like to get back. I like seeing the Pennsylvania hick towns and the wild country boys that live out there. Everything in Pennsylvania has a very different land ethic – its about working the land and conserving it for generations to come. Plus I like seeing the all the burn barrels, burb piles and all the redneck shit only legal in Pennsylvania. Life just is wilder in the back roads of PA in the hills and the hollows, between the gob piles and abandoned old towns.

But that’s only one option. I kind of don’t want to go too far. Gas prices are kind of high and while I’m paranoid about my increasingly loud tires and that bad shock bushing, both which I will replace soon. Plus if I stay in New York State I can strap on my back tag, put on my shotgun and go for a walk in the woods. I still want to get out to Cazenovia but unless I get a camping permit, that’s only three nights. Plus I’m not big into campground camping. I like to have big fires, burn things, drink beer and listen to music good and loud. Not behave neighborly like one should in a campground.

For that I kind of like the Finger Lakes National Forest. I know you say not again! But I like how you don’t need a permit so no planning for stays up to two weeks. There are many fields and forest to wander around in and if it snows the roads are plowed. I like being able to set up camp and stay in the same place for a full week. I wouldn’t mind checking out the Western Finger Lakes but then the issue becomes where to camp, unless I want to go down to Allegany County. Or I guess Sugar Hill could split the dime – maybe some of the more westerly forests.

I’ve also thought about Cazenovia or Brookfield and then heading down to Chenango County to Balasm Pond in Pharsalia and then maybe to Long Pond in Greene. Some nice rural country out that way and it’s been a long time since I’ve been out that way. 2014 probably.

Mom suggested that I consider New Hampshire but that state kind of gives me bad vibes. I just don’t think of it being on vacation to drive around, searching for a spot to park my big jacked up truck and then navigate through crowds of people all wearing cashmere LL Bean sweaters to climb a mountain. Or camping in some crowded campground with a shit ton of rules. I’d rather just have my space to do my thing. If my choice is New Hampshire or staying home, might just stay home and save the money.

I don’t know, I should probably take off that first week of November before it gets too cold. Otherwise I’m going to loose a bunch of time at the end of the year. I certainly do want to do a few more trips though before the end of the year. But I don’t know – my truck is falling apart, my budget is broke and I’m not doing well emotionally. I want to get away, but every day becomes such a struggle. Maybe though some quiet time in the woods will do me some good and get me out of the rut I’m in, struggling every day to just keep my head above water.