It was raining pretty hard when I was about to leave home this morning but then it’s stopped. It was a very pleasant ride in, I shed my rain coat to avoid getting dripped in sweat like I was when I rode in last week. It was a nice ride in, maybe though I was listening to the radio a bit too loud but things very noise level as I leave home then ride along and under the interstate highway. With the tires installed properly, and the new tire on the back, I have a pretty solid ride, and since topping off the front brake, it stops well, though maybe I could use some BrakeKleen on the front rotator to stop the squeal. I think without the freezing weather, I shouldn’t have the air bubble issues I always have in the winter.
So I called and am having the spray-in bed-liner put in my truck next Friday. I was glad they were able to get me in right away, and the price is definitely reasonable. I will confirm the details about them properly masking the bed lights and pulling other hardware before spraying when I get there but the reviews of the place are good, so I think it will be good. I just want the protection of a bedliner before the camper shell goes on my rig. I worried they couldn’t get it done before May, but that’s silly – I still have the panademic-era mindset of everything being back ordered. Then it’s just waiting for the truck cap.
This weekend after Mom and Dad’s anniversary party in Coeymans, I am going to stop at Lowes and get a longer M7 bolt to mount the CB radio to the top of the dash. I have the mounting bracket from the old truck, I might need to drill another hole in the bracket but the M7 bolts on the center console that hold the center speaker on the fancy SuperDuty trucks mount to a bracket that is tied to firewall, and can more then hold a radio without interfering with the airbag. I check the radio is still low enough that it doesn’t impact the view out of the windshield much but puts the CB radio up high where it is easy to interact with.
I am still balking about the bedliner for the SuperDuty, continuing to spend too much time last night thinking about cost of building my new rig which will only last a set period of time, soon enough to be worn out but much enjoyed in the mean time.
This morning I will call ADK Off-Road to see if they can do the bedliner for Old Smokey. 🛻 Just needs to get done by the end of May, so I’m hopeful they can do it. I checked out the reviews, and it looks like they do a good job prepping the bed, masking off and removing hardware and screws, and putting a good durable coat on that should last for the lifetime of the truck. I do get nervous about them doing so much surgery on a $60,000 brand new truck, but from what I’ve read and heard about them, it seems like the Patriot Liner is a quality product. My last truck had Bullet Liner from Capital Protective Coatings but unfortunately they aren’t doing it anymore. It’s a cost but it needs to be done before the cap is installed. If not there is another shop that does Onyx or Zeibert does RhinoLiner but nobody likes RhinoLiner and the reviews for Zeibert suck.
The other day, I noticed my front tire was on backwards on the bike, 🚲 so I pulled it and reversed it this morning, though once again I had issues setting the bead on the tire, but at least this time I didn’t blow the tube in the process, though I had to remount it twice. Also topped off the rear tire, the patched tube on the new tire has been fine but I do want to get another tube at Walmart as I like to keep a new spare on the bike and a new spare at home, even if I do run patched tubes whenever necessary. I also bled and topped off the front brake fluid as the front brakes were very soft, always have issues with the brakes in the winter, as the cold weather causes the fluid to slip around the pads and gets air past the pads. Maybe I need new pads in front again, but I think it’s more that I had air bubbles in the line from the cold and salt of winter.
Riding in this morning, hopefully beating the rain. ☔ I’ll bring my rain coat. Should be a decent afternoon, and just going short sleeved to work today being a Friday and non-session day. Cornmeal pancakes 🥞 with shredded onions and spinach and some oatmeal and whole-wheat flour to make rounded meal. 😋 Too much coffee, ☕ and certainly more when I get to work, iced, as the banana peanut butter 🍌 coffee that is the flavor of the month at work is pretty awesome. Iced is great this time of year too even if I concede all that sugar and cream ain’t the most healthy. 🫃🏻 But I’m riding my bike to work to burn some calories. 😂
Last night I did the Save the Pine Bush planning zoom 📹 from the Noonan Preserve along the rail trail and saw a bald eagle 🦅 as I was looking out over the Norman’s Kill. It was pretty cool. Tomorrow morning, I want to visit the Pine Hollow Arboretum to see more signs of spring, 🌸 then the afternoon is Mom and Dad’s anniversary party in Coeymans, which I plan to follow by hiking back to Hannacroix Falls and then a hike to Coeymans Creek 🐦 at the WMA on NY 144 to see what wildlife and spring signs I can see there. Should be a nice weekend, more rain is expected for Sunday. It guess it help green things up a lot. 🌷 Cool to start next week but not real cold. Won’t need the heat. I was very happy to see last month’s electric and gas bill was only $68. That’s a true sign winter is coming to a close. Need the money for all my toys with the SuperDuty, that eats everything in my cash pocket, gas included. ⛽
This evening, I found myself reclining in the bed of my SuperDuty, buffered from the cold steel by a salvaged rubber mat. Above me, the stars shifted behind the flickering warning of a distant thunderstorm, a quiet backdrop to the mental inventory of a life in transition. As I sat there playing with the bed lights, the reality of my next big chore loomed: the spray-in bedliner. It is a biting, begrudged expense—essentially “pissing money down a tube”—yet it is the final tax on a dream of durability.
There is a common modern delusion that vehicles are assets to be managed for depreciation. In reality, a truck is pure consumption, a machine destined for a landfill in fifteen years. But it is a consumption with a noble purpose. We don’t buy these machines to preserve value; we buy them to reach the vast, unpaved spaces of America that a bus or a bike simply cannot touch. This truck is the entry fee for a decade and a half of dirt roads, scenic vistas, and small towns that smell of paper plants and dairies.
The financial sting of the SuperDuty is real—writing a cash check for a heavy-duty rig leaves a visible dent in any net worth calculation. Between the recent market volatility of the Iran War and the looming costs of the camper shell and electrical gear, the “pain of price” is a constant companion. Yet, as the markets recover and the truck stands largely paid off, that pain is beginning to fade into the background. In a few months, the cost will be a mere blip on the radar, a necessary hurdle on the path toward a larger goal.
That goal is a simple, off-grid retirement. I look at this truck and I see the bridge to my next chapter. It is the tool that will carry me until I file for my state retirement in fourteen years, when I finally trade my rundown apartment for a cabin in the wilderness. While I still have the physical strength to homestead, I want a life away from the commercialism and the reach of government workers—a place for fires, livestock, guns, and no utility bills.
Some people look at my income and suggest a different path: a plastic house in the suburbs and a sensible, aging sedan. They prioritize the appearance of wealth and the safety of the status quo. I prefer my current trade-off. I’ll keep the modest apartment and the “expensive” truck because they offer something suburban life never could: immediate access to the wild. I don’t have the off-grid cabin yet, but with this SuperDuty, I have the next fifteen years of weekends spent living that future in the present.
Seriously though, it sure seems like a crap a lot now that I eat healthy, and it seems like such a waste of materials not to be capturing that as compost but instead sending it all to landfill. Outhouses are great in sense they provide local disposal, but at same time, you're still not recovering the nutrients in the waste.
The opening of the Moose River Plains Camping Area is an annual ritual eagerly awaited by Adirondack backcountry enthusiasts, usually occurring in mid-to-late May. The timing is dictated by the “mud season” thaw, as the DEC and local highway departments must ensure the 28-mile seasonal recreatonal highway system can support vehicle traffic without being destroyed.
While the main gates at the Inlet and Cedar River Flow (Indian Lake) entrances typically open in unison just before Memorial Day weekend, there is often an early-season exception. The Town of Indian Lake frequently opens the eastern portion of Cedar River Road—the paved and gravel section leading up to the Flow—a few weeks prior to the interior gates. This allows early access to the Cedar River Flow day-use areas while the deep interior of the Plains remains protected.
The logistics of “opening the Plains” is a collaborative heavy-lift. The Inlet and Indian Lake highway departments, in close consultation with the DEC and local volunteers, spend weeks clearing winter blowdown, grading washboard sections, and cleaning out culverts. Their goal is to stabilize the roadbed against spring conditions, which often include deep ruts, soft shoulders, and lingering frost heaves.
Campers arriving for the early season should be prepared for more than just muddy roads. From the opening through mid-to-late June, the black fly population is notoriously intense. These biting insects thrive in the damp, warming woods, making head nets and bug jackets essential gear until the black fly season ends.
Access to specific side roads often lags behind the main thoroughfare. Rock Dam Road and the stretch of Otter Brook Road south of the Otter Brook bridge typically remain gated until they dry out, often not opening until Independence Day weekend. Furthermore, travelers should note a permanent change to the landscape: Otter Brook Road is now closed to motor vehicles southwest of the Falls Pond outlet. This section has been decommissioned for cars and is now reserved exclusively for hikers and mountain bikers trekking through from the smaller “Indian Lake” in West Canada Wilderness. Beyond there, the trail to Horn Lake is by foot only.
In the world of truck customization, there is a common rite of passage: buying a half-ton pickup and immediately installing a six-inch lift to accommodate a set of 35-inch tires. I’ve been there myself with my old rig, “Big Red.” While the aesthetic is undeniable, the reality of living with a heavily modified half-ton rarely lives up to the fantasy. If you crave height, capability, and reliability, the truth is simple: stop trying to make a half-ton something it isn’t and just buy a Heavy Duty (HD) truck.
The primary argument for the HD platform—whether it’s a Ford Super Duty, a Ram 2500, or a Silverado HD—is factory engineering. To fit 35-inch tires on a half-ton, you generally need a massive lift kit that stresses the vehicle’s geometry. These kits often lead to premature wear on ball joints and bushings while significantly degrading ride quality. Conversely, most HD trucks can run 35s natively or with minimal adjustment. Many models, such as the Ford Tremor, even offer 35s as a factory option. Because these trucks are engineered from the ground up to handle large diameters, you maintain a calibrated speedometer, proper suspension geometry, and the peace of mind that comes with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Furthermore, the mechanical simplicity of an HD truck is a major advantage for those who actually use their vehicles. While half-tons rely on Independent Front Suspension (IFS) with complex CV joints, trucks like the Ford Super Duty utilize a solid straight front axle. While you still have U-joints to maintain, a straight axle is inherently more robust and nearly impossible to knock out of alignment under normal conditions. You trade a bit of IFS ground clearance for a driveline that is built to endure.
