This year, prior to camping season, I am going to get myself a pair of inexpensive farm muck boots to use while I’m out in the wilderness. Don’t get my wrong, I like my insulated hunting boots, but there is no way in hell I’m going to wear $100 huntin’ boots around a campfire where I could accidentally melt or burn ’em by getting too close to the fire on a cold night.
But at the same time, I really need something that is waterproof, especially if I plan to spend more time up at the Finger Lakes National Forest or other high-elevation, shallow soil area where the mud and muck is intensively deep. Work boots don’t cut it when your dealing with mud that is ankle deep. And deep mud, is just part of spending time in the woods, just like it’s part of time spending time on a farm.
While I haven’t packed my truck yet, I am continuing to think through my long-weekend coming up in the Adirondacks.
A few general things I’m thinking about:
Four Nights, Five Days
Based on the current forecast I would leave on Wednesday after work, set up camp that evening, then move camp sometime mid-week, so not be at any one campsite more then 3 nights per DEC regulation. I thought about heading up through the Adirondacks for the park of the week to the St. Regis Canoe Area or even as far north as Deer River and Massena, but that would mean I would end up spending a lot of my trip driving, rather then enjoying the wilderness.
A Few Day Hikes
I would like to do some day hikes. Probably one of the hikes would be back to Auger Falls which is often really raging this time of year, most likely from the backside of the falls. I am also thinking of hiking back the East Branch Gorge Trail, which hopefully this year won’t be icy, or if it does I should bring my ice crapons. I’m also thinking of maybe hiking back along the Oregon Trail which follows the Stewart Creek or maybe hike back to Pine Orchard from NY 8. It would be nice to do at least one hike, where I can walk right from my campsite — so no driving at least or two days. The solar panel should keep the camping battery well charged, especially if it’s sunny.
A Day Around Camp
If I had a nice sunny day, it would be nice to stick around camp for a day, just to sit back, read, study nature. No rush to go anywhere, no camp to take apart or secure. Just relax with a book in the hammock, listening to music. Assuming it’s sunny, I won’t have to worry about the battery, as the panel will continue to charge throughout hte day.
Some Fishing
I haven’t spent much time fishing this year, mainly because I don’t like driving anywhere and I’ve been busy, but it would be nice to see if I can get some good brookies or rainbow. For best result, I would probably be best off to Mill Creek outside of Garnet Lake, although the Sacandaga River might also work, but I doubt it’s been stocked at this point.
Easter this year is April 21st, which as Easter holidays goes is one of the latest possible dates. I am thinking about making Easter week my first big trip of the year, as by then the snow should be gone in most parts of the state, and the weather moderated to the point where the average high most days is around 60 degrees. While it’s likely that the leaves won’t be on the trees, and the mud-season closed roads will still be closed, the weather is likely to be quite pleasant this time of year.
Usually my employers give off Good Friday, and it’s usually a relatively quiet week in the office, so I could take off Wednesday and Thursday, and have a four or five night, five-day trip if I returned back on Sunday. An easy option would be to go out to Madison County, possibly on that Tuesday night after work, camp at Cherry Ridge State Forest, then head out Stony Pond State Forest for a few nights. I do a bunch of trout fishing on the Cazenovia Creek and some of the other local creeks out that way, and do some hiking, assuming it’s not too muddy.
Another option I’ve thought about that would be nice, but a much longer drive is to head up to the North Country, around Malone and Massena. I’ve talked about doing that as a trip for years, but it has yet to happen. It’s kind of a long drive, and I really don’t like having to drive that far, and some of those roads up around Massena are pretty rough and can be kind of muddy in the spring. I also worry about getting stranded for some reason and that very remote country. But the Deer River looks like it would be a blast to fish. Plus I haven’t been up that way in a long, long time.
I am two and half months out from this trip but I should continue to think about my options and plan for my adventure. Could be a very nice kick-off to a nice spring trip before all the black flies are out and biting away.
It seems like I often go to the same places a lot and camp at the same campsites year after year. ⛺ But the truth is there is only so many places that offer roadside camping near the Albany area that have the destinations I want to visit and the wilderness experience that I so truly treasure.
I should probably find new ways to spend my weekends, new places to explore. 🌌 But sometimes a canned experience – one that is predictable – and easy to plan for is best. New destinations require me to plan and have to be aware of the risks of the unknown.
After giving it a great deal of thought I decided against taking Friday off to head up to the Adirondacks. 🗻Instead I think I will work Friday and pack after I get home and leave first thing Saturday morning. 🎒I kind of wanted to camp for two nights when I went all the way to the Adirondacks⛺ but I don’t want to camp in the rain by a smoky wet fire. 💦I’m going to do some fishing and hiking plus a nice night by the fire. 🔥I haven’t been up to the Adirondacks since December so I look forward to kicking off my summer camping season up north.
