Search Results for: photo moon 2

Paw Paw and Heading North ๐Ÿพ

Good morning! Happy Saturday. Today I Head North! Cloudy โ›… and 67 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. Super mild! There is a south-southeast breeze at 13 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. ๐ŸŒฌ๏ธ That wind is roaring around, unstable weather coming. But I’m heading off the Appalachian Front shortly.

Up at six o’clock taking camp down. ๐Ÿ•” Still quite dark out. To get a jump start on the day and limit pee breaks, ๐Ÿšฝ I hard boiled eggs ๐Ÿฅš last night and will have two eggs for protein with a banana ๐ŸŒ for sugar and some peppers maybe later on. โ˜• If I decide I really need coffee I can get some in Keyser this morning. Took the tent down last night โ›บ and packed and organized as much as I could last night, including writing much of this blog post last night. ๐Ÿ“

Today will likely rain โ˜” , mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67 at six AM. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 55 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 1971. 2.0 inches of snow fell back in 1952.โ„

Today it’s off to Paw Paw Tunnel and ultimately Maryland then onward Pennsylvania. ๐Ÿšฒ The tunnel, part of the C – I Canal National Park Trailway looks neat, it’s a canal through a mountain. Sunday’s forecast looks very wet, so I don’t know if I’ll bother to go to Asaph Run in hoping to bike the Pine Creek Rail Trail after a quick overnight camp. โ›บ

It’s possible that I’ll decide to either do my overnight at County Bridge Campground or maybe if time allows, Long Pond State Forest in New York State. ๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ The later is free ๐Ÿ†“ and probably more on the route home, plus come Sunday it’s less than 2 hours home from there. If I do the later, I would probably take Interstate 80 from I 99 to I 81.

Or I could possibly overnight at the Paw Paw Campground, I’m just worried about of the drive in one day. ๐Ÿš˜ We’ll over six hours driving Interstate 81 which goes through several big cities like Harrisburg and Scranton versus the relatively quiet I-99. Really don’t want to drive more than four hours a day, with one hour play time and four hours to hike, bicycle or visit parks. ๐Ÿž

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:40 pm with sun having an altitude of 34.3ยฐ from the due south horizon (-36.5ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 5:16 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (246ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (253ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:55 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 6:23 pm, which is one minute and 24 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Full ๐ŸŒ Moon in the east-northeast (75ยฐ) at an altitude of 6ยฐ from the horizon, 232,615 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:58 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 63 degrees. The dew point will be 51 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 13 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 30 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 37 seconds over today.

Yesterday, I hiked 15 miles in Dolly Sods. ๐Ÿšถ Not a bad day but most of the day was grayer then I would have hoped. ๐ŸŒฅ Lot of haze too. Hiked in from the Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge and along much of the ridge overlooking the wildlife refuge. It was good, I visited some of the more remote places in the wilderness, though still a lot of people exploring there. Sort of hoped to make it across to the top of the Allegheny Front and maybe Bears Rocks ๐Ÿป but time was tight with the early sunset ๐ŸŒ‡, no overnight parking ๐Ÿ…ฟ signs where I was parked and simply the trail I planned to cross the Red Creek with – Dobbins Grade is low water crossng not the case this week. ๐Ÿธ Plus the beaver dam. In the evening around sunset walked the new boardwalk in the wildlife refuge off Freeman Drive. Headed back to camp, had a nice dinner and some beer ๐Ÿป, took down the tent and organized my gear.

I haven’t posted many pictures ๐Ÿ“ธ to either Facebook or the blog due to connection issues here but also because I’m trying to maximize my remaining time here in West Virginia. Time is precious. โŒ› I figure all next week I can go through my photos and start sharing them, bringing back memories of what was on my trip.

Tonight will have mostly cloudy โ˜, with a low of 41 degrees at 6am. Six degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around October 11th. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 29 degrees. The record low of 19 occurred back in 1969.

Sunday will rain starting around dawn. ๐ŸŒง๏ธHigh near 45. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

I’m expecting a wet ending to my vacation both Saturday night and definitely Sunday for the last leg of the trip home. ๐Ÿก It’s fine, it rained โ˜” on the way down here too at least through New York. The colors probably are pretty much gone for the return trip home I would assume. Then it looks to be cold next week once I’m home. Hoping to ride to work a few more times both ways before the time change but I’m not holding out my breath for too many days next week. ๐Ÿšฒ Might even need to turn the heat back on in my apartment. In contrast, it’s been so warm in West Virginia that I only used the propane heater on Sunday evening and Monday morning โ™จ๏ธ, the rest of the week it’s been shut off and locked ๐Ÿ”’ up.

In 1956, Elvis Presley receives a polio vaccination on national TV. ๐Ÿ’‰This single event is credited with raising immunization levels in the United States from 0.6% to over 80% in just six months.

Then next Saturday is Daylight Savings Time Ends ๐Ÿ›ฅ๏ธ when the sun will be setting at 5:46 pm with dusk at 6:14 pm. On that day in 2022, we had sunny, warm and temperatures between 71 and 46 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 54 degrees. We hit a record high of 76 back in 1994.

Already thinking next week about potentially a four day trip out to Madison County. ๐Ÿฎ Probably Stoney Pond and peddle around Cazenovia and the Cazenovia – Chittenango Rail Trail and possibly some of the single track mountain bike trails at Alfred Woodford and Tassel Hill. ๐Ÿšฒ Maybe take off the Monday before Election Day for a four day weekend as far away from politics as possible. Or the following Friday is Armstice Day aka Veterans Day Observed, so if I took off either Thursday or the following Monday, it’s another four day weekend. I want to get away one more time before rifle season ๐ŸฆŒ.

North East

Not a Real Fan of Thacher Park

For many years I would never go to John Boyd Thacher State Park. I never really liked the place — I thought it was too developed — too surbanized — too packed the gills with obnoxious people. Not a place to go for relaxation or scenic views but to be run over by joggers and bicyclists while taking in the view or doing nature study.

My hatred of John Boyd Thacher Park wore off over the years.
First in 2003, I started go occasionally to the back part of the park off of Beaver Dam Road after my college class let out for the day — usually once a week. It was nice going back there, especially around the ski hill inย  the evening, as you would never see to many people back there. Mostly undeveloped, wandering around the cleared paths in the brushy woods that were full of wildlife.

Then I “rediscovered” the OSI parcel, which is some “wild” lands to the north of the park. Especially on weekdays, and to certain extend on the weekends this area is quite nice, quite and wild. Most of the surburbanites in their SUVs avoid this area for the developed parcels with the picinic tables and rails to discouage them from heading to close toย  the edge. But the OSI parcel is a totally different experience.

While I like the OSI parcel with its views, if I have other choices I’ll go to other wild lands with even fewer restrictions. I don’t like how Thacher Park closes at dusk, you can’t go for moonlit walks or camp there like on state forests. There just seems to be so many restrictions compared to other wild lands around to explore.

 Escarpment

Last full day in West Virginia

Don’t delay, time is limited! So it would seem as tomorrow at this point I’ll be heading back north again. Days go by too quickly it seems.

Good morning! Already Friday! Emotions are very different on vacation then when doing the work week thing. Mostly cloudy and 53 degrees in Canaan Heights, West Virginia. There is a southwest breeze at 12 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. This morning reminds me of a cool summer morning.

I am not as sore as I expected this morning from riding Canyon Ridge Jeep Trail ๐Ÿš™ on my mountain bike ๐Ÿšต yesterday. That road was so rough! And I was going relatively fast as time was going by so quickly with dusk ๐ŸŒ† approaching.

Yesterday was a fun but busy one. ๐Ÿšต Rode the old rail line 7 miles and 1,110 ft deep into the Blackwater River Gorge from Coketon outside of Thomas, then mostly carried my mountain bike over several waterfalls and cliff edges up the 4 ยฝ miles ๐Ÿšถ to Canyon Road Jeep Trail via Limerock Trail, a badly eroded old logging road.

Had a bone jarring ride to the Olson Firetower, and even more so on way back to Coketon. ๐Ÿ™‡Canyon Road is definitely a jeep trail with several washes, lots of mud wallows and a very rocky surface. Fun on a mountain bike but very bone jarring. Olson Firetower is an 100 ft Aeromotor tower, it’s quite tall as Firetower ๐Ÿ—ผ go and has good views from Parsons to Davis to parts of Western Maryland. Made it back to my truck at 6:20 pm a little bit before sunset.

In total, rode 22.6 miles plus carried the bike the 4.5 miles up the Limerock Trail for a total of 27.1 miles for the day. Busy tiring day. ๐Ÿฅฑ I got tuckered in Tucker County WV!

If I wasn’t so dang muddy and sweaty I thought about getting dinner ๐ŸŒฏ at either Hellbenders Burritos or the Purple Cafรฉ but time was getting late and the prior was packed. After stopping at Shop and Save I went back to camp โ›บ and cooked up chicken and vegetables. Maybe today I’ll do Hellbenders if I end up back in Davis.

Today will have a chance of rain showers ๐ŸŒง๏ธ especially in the morning and otherwise mostly cloudy โ›… with a high of 67 degrees at 3pm. 8 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 30th. Might see a few breaks of sun. Maximum dew point of 60 at 5pm. Breezy with a southwest wind of 12 to 17 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 61 degrees. The record high of 79 was set in 1963. 1.7 inches of snow fell back in 2016.โ„

Heading to the Canaan Wildlife Refuge today ๐Ÿฆ and maybe hike up to the Ridge Trail at Dolly Sods. ๐Ÿšถ The thing about accessing Dolly Sods from the refuge is it closes at dusk with a risk of getting towed ๐Ÿšง so I need to be back to the truck by then. Can’t delay. Some depends on whether it rains. It’s raining a little ways north in Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania. โ˜” If it becomes really wet I could see going back to Davis and getting lunch at Hellbenders Burritos ๐ŸŒฏ then spending the afternoon at the Tucker County library ๐Ÿ’ป looking at an uploading some photos. ๐Ÿ“ธ And maybe some of the mountain bike trails in the rain. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:40 pm with sun having an altitude of 34.7ยฐ from the due south horizon (-36.2ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 5:17 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (247ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (253ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:25 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 2 seconds with dusk around 6:54 pm, which is one minute and 25 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Full ๐ŸŒ Moon in the east (88ยฐ) at an altitude of 11ยฐ from the horizon, 230,268 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:59 pm. At sunset, look for cloudy skies and temperatures around 57 degrees. The dew point will be 60 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 6 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 32 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 37 seconds over today.

Tonight will be cloudy โ˜๏ธ, with a low of 49 degrees at 4am. 12 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September th. Maximum dew point of 60 at 6pm. South wind around 6 mph. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 35 degrees. The record low of 18 occurred back in 1974.

Governor Ronald Reagan in 1964 delivers a speech on behalf of the Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater. The speech launches his political career and comes to be known as “A Time for Choosing”. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Extremism is no vice seems to be the rallying call of both political parties these days probably because all most party candidates fear in gerrymandered districts is primaries. ๐Ÿ—ณ

Tomorrow will have chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. West wind 8 to 12 mph. ๐ŸŒง๏ธ Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. 18 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 16th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 11am. South wind 6 to 13 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 55 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 1971. 2.0 inches of snow fell back in 1952.โ„

I’m now thinking ๐Ÿ’ญ about heading up to Paw Paw tomorrow to check out the Paw Paw Canal Tunnel ๐Ÿšฃ where the C&O Canal goes through a mountain in a tunnel. It’s a bit out of the way – further east than I planned on going but it would replace going to Seneca Rocks which I’ve done a couple of times but was considering alternative trails up that way. There is a National Park campground โ›บ in Paw Paw but despite being an hour closer to home, that still leaves a long trip back to the Albany. That’s why I might explore then head north to County Bridge or Asaph Run campgrounds in northern central Pennsylvania. Asaph Run is right on the Pine Creek Rail Trail so I could ride that Sunday if not too wet.

Looking ahead to Sunday, a chance of showers before 11am, then rain, mainly after 11am. โ˜” High near 50. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Typical average high for the weekend is 57 degrees.

So if I end up at Asaph Run come Sunday, ๐Ÿšฒ the plan is to ride as much of the Trail through the Pine Creek Gorge as time and weather allows. I don’t mind riding in drizzle, I have one set of dry clothes left by then but not pouring rain. โ˜” Want to leave by 2 pm so I can be pretty close to home by sunset ๐ŸŒ‡ or at least pitch blackness driving ๐Ÿš˜ in the rain. Maybe stop at Annuto’s in Oneonta and get more apples ๐Ÿ, they were good. Doughnuts ๐Ÿฉ too but I think I’ll skip them this time for health reasons, lol ๐Ÿ˜‚.

Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Buy Nothing Day ๐Ÿ›๏ธ when the sun will be setting at 4:27 pm with dusk at 4:57 pm (Standard Time). After all the money ๐Ÿ’ต I’ve spent on vacation, I won’t have any money to buy shit but I might go up to the Adirondacks that weekend to burn Thanksgiving calories ๐Ÿฆƒ and have a big fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ and maybe do some hiking. ๐Ÿšถ On that day in 2022, we had partly sunny and temperatures between 49 and 24 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 46 degrees. We hit a record high of 70 back in 2014.

Bend

Finished off the last of Annuto’s Cider Doughnuts this morning ๐Ÿฉ

Time goes by so quickly, already Thursday. I’ve been enjoying those half dozen cider doughnuts in moderation each day, as a treat each day. Not as good as when they were fresh but still pretty good.

Good morning! Happy Thursday. Mostly clear and 52 degrees in Delmar, NY. ๐ŸŒ… Calm wind. The dew point is 46 degrees.

Not a bad sunrise ๐ŸŒ… but late around 7:40 this morning. Watched a bit of it from one of the sods down the road. This morning cooking ๐Ÿณ up some eggs. Then it’s off to Thomas WV to ride some of the Blackwater Rail Trail and Forest Roads ๐Ÿšฒ and the Olson Fire Tower ๐Ÿ—ผ. Should be a great day!

Today will be partly cloudy with more clouds later ๐ŸŒž๐Ÿ‘‰ ๐ŸŒฅ , with a high of 69 degrees at 3pm. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 28th. Maximum dew point of 56 at 5pm. South wind 3 to 7 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 76 degrees. The record high of 78 was set in 1963. There was a dusting of snow in 1997.โ„

Still having a lot of trouble updating the blog ๐Ÿ“ธ in part due to the spotty cell service here. ๐Ÿ“ฑ I’m really kind of on the edge of the National Radio Quiet Zone ๐Ÿ“ป, most of the signal ๐Ÿ“ถ I’m getting is probably from Oakland Maryland bouncing through the mountains. โ›ฐ If I have time, ๐Ÿ•’ I guess I could stop by the library in Thomas to hop on the Wi-Fi there.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:40 pm with sun having an altitude of 35ยฐ from the due south horizon (-35.8ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.6 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 5:19 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (247ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (254ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:28 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 1 seconds with dusk around 6:55 pm, which is one minute and 27 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Full ๐ŸŒ Moon in the east-southeast (101ยฐ) at an altitude of 15ยฐ from the horizon, 228,387 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 7:00 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 67 degrees. The dew point will be 56 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 6 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 35 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 39 seconds over today.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒฅ, with a low of 50 degrees at 5am. 18 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 13th. Maximum dew point of 56 at 6pm. South wind around 6 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 43 degrees. The record low of 21 occurred back in 1950.

Back in 1970, Muhammad Ali faces off against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time after Ali’s three-year hiatus from evading to be drafted in the Vietnam War. ๐ŸฅŠ

Right now, a split verdict on the weekend. ๐Ÿ˜• Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 67. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Maximum dew point of 61 at 11am. Sunday, rain showers. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Typical average high for the weekend is 57 degrees.

I am thinking ๐Ÿ’ญ tomorrow – Friday of visiting the Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge ๐Ÿฆ and hiking back to Dolly Sods from the refuge. This cuts a lot off the drive plus I’ve not seen that part of Dolly Sods, and probably not the as crowded as the Bears Rock ๐Ÿป area. Then Saturday probably cross the Eastern Continental Divide down by Seneca Rocks and hike somewhere around there then north to Cumberland then probably Asaph Run Campground in Wellsboro and riding a few hours ๐Ÿšฒ on the Pine Creek Rail Trail before heading back home with a plan to arrive home by seven 7โƒฃ on Sunday. Already have clothes put out for work on Monday ๐Ÿข but I want time to knead fresh bread and unpack some of my gear and shower up before bed. ๐Ÿšฟ

Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Thanksgiving ๐Ÿฆƒ when the sun will be setting at 4:28 pm with dusk at 4:57 pm (Standard Time). On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 49 and 24 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 46 degrees. We hit a record high of 72 back in 1931.

Rensselear

Fifties at night, seventies in the day ๐Ÿ‚

Its been amazing weather even though most of the leaves are done in the High Country but also quite quiet without the crowds. And it doesn’t get dark until around seven here but the mornings are quite dark too. But I’m enjoying it.

Good morning! No idea on the day lol, I’m on vacation. Those camel ๐Ÿซ milkmen with their fast letdown can do their thing without me commenting. ๐Ÿ˜‚ Partly cloudy and 56 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. There is a south breeze at 7 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. No need for the propane heater either this morning or even last night.

Today will be partly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 70 degrees at 3pm. 12 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 27th. Maximum dew point of 55 at 5pm. South wind 7 to 9 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. It was somewhat humid. The high last year was 73 degrees. The record high of 77 was set in 1963. There was a dusting of snow in 2005.โ„

Going to be another absolutely beautiful day in West Virginia today. โ˜€ Riding my bike about 7 miles along the Canaan Loop Road today to the Table Rock trail, ๐Ÿšฒ which is a mile further to a scenic rock ledge high above the Red Run and across from Mozart Mountain with the Otter Creek wilderness in the distance. Photos ๐Ÿ“ธ at some point but probably not today, see the next paragraph lol. I could drive the road but it’s narrow and steep and probably rough – and I figure I would likely see far more on the bicycle where I can stop ๐Ÿ›‘ wherever without worries of leaving my truck parked on a blind curve. Alternating driving and bicycling slash hiking from camp every other day. ๐Ÿšถ

I wouldn’t mind getting back to camp โ›บ fairly early mid afternoon and laying back in the hammock and reading ๐Ÿ“– for a while. Just some quiet ๐Ÿคซ time in the wilderness. There is so little traffic on the road and I need some down time on my vacation. Then maybe around dusk, ๐ŸŒ† like after dinner, I’ll ride up to the top of Canaan Heights and watch the sun set as I ride back to camp.

I haven’t done so good uploading photos ๐Ÿ“ธ to the blog this week as often my cell service is weak and it requires a better signal ๐Ÿ“ถ then on Facebook. I have posted a lot more on Facebook and will post more when I get back home. Same thing with blog updates. I’ve been busy and cell service is so patchy. I was surprised that even in the village of Davis I have only one or two bars off service and it’s not reliable for uploads. ๐Ÿ‘†

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 12:40 pm with sun having an altitude of 35.4ยฐ from the due south horizon (-35.5ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 8.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 5:50 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (248ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (254ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 6:29 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 1 seconds with dusk around 6:57 pm, which is one minute and 27 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Full ๐ŸŒ Moon in the east-southeast (115ยฐ) at an altitude of 19ยฐ from the horizon, 227,069 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 7:01 pm. At sunset, look for mostly cloudy skies โ˜ and temperatures around 68 degrees. The dew point will be 55 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 8 mph. Tomorrow will have 10 hours and 38 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over today.

Yesterday rode all around Blackwater State Park, the Blackwater River single track from WV 32 to the park, looped back through the village and did the part of Camp 70 Road not in the Little Canaan WMA. ๐Ÿšฒ While Camp 70 Road is closed to bikes for the season, due to hunting season. Lots of great views l my other camera. Colors are faded but the views from the park ๐Ÿž and Lindy Point was great. ๐Ÿ“ธ Sat down at the river front park, and then got a few supplies and head back to camp โ›บ.

The only grocery shopping options within 35 miles of Davis is Shop and Save Express and Dollar General ๐Ÿช – that is roads with many hairpin turns, no matter which direction you go – Keyser WV, Oakland MD and Elkins WV are the nearest towns with a full size supermarket each about equidistant from Davis. Surprisingly though Shop and Save Express may be small by modern standards ๐Ÿ›’ (1/3rd size of the Greenville Tops) but it’s clean, modern, decent selection with lots of produce and reasonable prices. In general, groceries are a fair bit cheaper in West Virginia then the same in New York. Certainly much better than what you would find in the Adirondacks. ๐Ÿฎ Got the milk, ice, paper towels and coffee โ˜• I needed so so I wouldn’t run out before the trip is done.

Last night was a beautiful moon lit evening. ๐ŸŒƒ Rode about 7 miles round trip on gravel then back another 1/2 miles on the Allegheny Trail to one of the sods, ๐Ÿšฒ turned off the light and looked at the stars for a while. โœจ It was a great evening, stayed up to half past ten ๐Ÿ”Ÿ which is super late for me but the mornings are super dark in West Virginia.

When I got back I fried up pumpkin – oatmeal biscuits with lots of pumpkin spice and ginger ๐ŸŽƒ which was a nice treat to end the day. ๐Ÿช Laid back for a while in the hammock before retiring to sleep for the night.

Tonight will be mostly clesr ๐ŸŒฅ, with a low of 46 degrees at 6am. 15 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 16th. Maximum dew point of 54 at 6pm. South wind around 6 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It was humid. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 20 occurred back in 1952.

In 1962, in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Adlai Stevenson shows photos at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council proving that Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba. ๐Ÿš€ Sounds like scary times.

I tell you all day yesterday with all that garlic and onion rice ๐Ÿ’ฉ I was blowing up bathrooms left and right. I kind of overdid the spices on that one but it tasted so good when I was tired and hungry ๐Ÿ˜‹ last night after drinking ๐Ÿป a beer. Oh well I’m on vacation. I sought out porta potties rather than inside toilets ๐Ÿšป for just that reason. It was fine and now I’m over it.

Right now, a split verdict on the weekend. ๐Ÿ˜• Saturday, rain showers in the morning then becoming sunnier sunny, with a high near 69. Maximum dew point of 62 at 11am. Sunday, showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 60%. But by then I’ll be back in Penna on my way back home. Typical average high for the weekend is 57 degrees.

I am thinking Asaph Run campground on Saturday night โ›บ and then riding as much of the Pine Creek Rail Trail ๐Ÿšต I can before I have to leave, probably by around two. Which will become three. 3โƒฃ But the thing is I will be tired ๐Ÿ˜ด by then and with the early sunset and deer ๐ŸฆŒ in rut I don’t want to drive too much in the pitch black. I have clothes set out for work on Monday so I should be good on that front. Of course it depends on how wet Sunday turns out to be. โ˜” I’m fine with driving in the rain but biking in the rain is less fun. Plus driving in the rain ๐Ÿ›ป after dark is something I would like to avoid.

Looking ahead, next Wednesday is Average High is 55 ๐Ÿ‚ when the sun will be setting at 5:50 pm with dusk at 6:18 pm. Not many more days of riding the bike ๐Ÿšฒ home from work. ๐Ÿข On that day in 2022, we had partly sunny skies, and quite warm, with mist in the morning and temperatures between 69 and 54 degrees. Albany hit a record high of 78 back in 1950.

Heldebergs

Today was a great day up on Canaan Mountain โ›ฐ

Morning started out cold and so was the evening but tons of sunshine by midday and beautiful deep blue skies with temperatures in the low sixties by afternoon.

Good evening! Clear and 45 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. Calm wind. The skies are full of stars. โœจ

It was a nice day though it started out cold โ„ with a hard frost. As the previous night it was cold and I got here late, spent the morning pitching the tent and setting up camp for the week, gathered firewood ๐Ÿ”ฅ , then a nice lunch of salmon ๐Ÿ  , broccoli ๐Ÿฅฆ and onions. ๐Ÿง… Dinner was rice and lentils with too much garlic and some beer. But I enjoyed most of all was the many cups of coffee โ˜• โ˜• โ˜• and eggs and vegetables. ๐Ÿณ I mean the hard boiled eggs and banana ๐ŸŒ limited piss breaks on the way down but I was all for having a real breakfast this morning.

I spent a lot of time getting camp set up for the week, โ›บ organizing gear and food. Laid back in the hammock for a while. It’s vacation, and this year I’m determined not to spend every waking hour rushing from point A to Point B. It’s not like I’m planning fewer adventures but I’m trying to explore more what is close to camp but have previously overlooked then the crowded tourist trap kind of places like Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods and Seneca Rocks. I’ve been to all those places many times before, no reason to go back. Truth is though I kind of want to go back to the Dolly Sods ๐ŸŒพ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒณ but I don’t like the crowds or the rough steep road up there and it’s a bit out of the way. I guess I’ll decide later in the week.

Did a leisurely bike ๐Ÿšฒ ride along a portion of upper Canaan Loop Road and then hiked down to Blackwater Falls State Park ๐Ÿž spending some time at the scenic overlooks before hiking back through the mountain and giant laurel lined trail. With the giant laurel so tightly growing in Canaan Heights there wasn’t much of a chance of loosing the trail.

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 30 degrees at 5am. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Colder then Albany but also tomorrow will be warmer than back home. Lots of sun too. In 2022, we had mist in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It became humid as the night progressed. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 19 occurred back in 1981.

I’m starting to upload photos ๐Ÿ“ธ but with spotty cell service I’m having trouble. You might have to wait until next week to see more photos of my adventures, though I might upload some to Facebook in the meantime. Plus I’d rather be out doing fun things then messing around with social media on vacation.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous ๐ŸŒ” Moon with 76% illuminated. The moon will set at 4:17 pm. The Hunter ๐Ÿน Moon is on Sunday, October 29. The darkest hour is at 12:40 am, followed by dawn at 7:01 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:33 am in the east-southeast (105ยฐ) and last for 3 minutes and 1 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 12 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 8:09 am with sun in the east-southeast (112ยฐ). Tonight will have 13 hours and 17 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 43 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 69 degrees at 3pm. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. A year ago, we had light rain in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 59 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 2017. There was a dusting of snow in 1962.โ„

The plan for tomorrow is to drive down to Davis ๐Ÿ›ป then to Blackwater Falls State Park and hike out to Lindey Point. Then poke around the village, ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ and then ride Camp Seventy Road along the Black River to Canaan Wildlife Refuge. Then get milk, ice, coffee grounds and paper towels at the Stop and Shop Express or Dollar General, the only real choices you have here.

Today in 1973, President Richard M. Nixon agrees to turn over subpoenaed audio tapes of his Oval Office conversations. ๐Ÿ“ผ Nowadays politicians rarely tape themselves in preparation for writing books in retirement ๐Ÿ“ though apparently George Romney’s son is a profilic journal writer.

While so far every night I’ve camped has been below freezing in the High Country, there are 3 weeks until Average Night Below Freezing back in Albany ๐ŸŒŒ when the sun will be setting at 5:06 pm with dusk at 5:33 pm (Standard Time) here in West Virginia. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 49 and 36 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 50 degrees. We hit a record high of 69 back in 1964.

Hang Gliders Cliff Ridgeline

I’m tuckered out ๐Ÿ›

Good day but a busy one with all that driving down from County Bridge Campground in Blossburg Penna to Cumberland Maryland, riding bike for 23 miles of the Chesapeake and Ohio Trail along with part of the Great Allegheny Passage then finally heading down to Canaan Heights WV. What a day, and there was still some daylight to set up camp too though

Good evening from West Virginia! Mostly clear and 43 degrees in Canaan Heights, WV. ๐ŸŒ  Breezy, ๏ธ16 mph breeze from the northwest ๐ŸŒฌ .

Got to camp around 6:30 pm in West Virginia, was a bit worried as the first few campsites I drove by where taken and I noticed a new sign on the way in that said camping at Designated Sites Only. โ›บ That said all of the old sites are still in service and have been improved a bit by the forest service and new sites added. It was a cold Sunday night, I had plenty of choices in the other eight or nine unoccupied sites. The nearest campsite to where I am id more than a third of a mile away.

Totally my fault, lol, ๐Ÿ˜‚ I wanted to maximize my time riding bike ๐Ÿšฒ on the Chesapeake and Ohio Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage Trails before heading down to Keyser to get supplies and ultimately head to camp. Didn’t help though that Waze had the wrong address programmed into it for Tractor Supply. ๐Ÿšœ I wanted to make sure I had a full propane tank for the next six nights as especially tonight I’m working the heater hard to stay warm – too late to find wood for camp, plus I’m dog ๐Ÿถ tired. Probably will retire to bed shortly in my truck though honestly I don’t want to sleep too soon as it’s going to be a long night and the sun rises late in West Virginia this time of year. 7:30 am tomorrow.

Tonight will be clear with a low of 27 degrees at 4 am. ๐ŸŒ‰ Winds will die down as the night progreses. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 39 degrees. The record low of 20 occurred back in 1969.

Tonight will have a First Quarter ๐ŸŒ“ Moon with 61% illuminated. At 8 PM, the moon was in the south (181ยฐ) at an altitude of 25ยฐ from the horizon, some 226,951 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. ๐Ÿš€ At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by April 11th. Buckle up for safety! ๐Ÿ’บ The Hunter ๐Ÿน Moon is on Saturday, October 28. The darkest hour is at 12:41 am, followed by dawn at 6:59 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:30 am in the east-southeast (104ยฐ) and last for 2 minutes and 59 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 12 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 7:56 am with sun in the east-southeast (111ยฐ). Tonight will have 13 hours and 12 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 44 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be sunny โ˜€ with a high of 59 degrees at 3pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around November 1st. Northwest wind 9 to 11 mph. A year ago, we had sunny skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 63 degrees. The record high of 81 was set in 1947. 0.5 inches of snow fell back in 2002.โ„

Looks like I picked an excellent week for vacation. โ›บ The director was jokingly giving me a hard time for once again canceling a vacation day and then taking another one off, but it was worth it looking at the forecast. I just kind of wished I had packed more then three or four t-shirts as they may be what I’m wearing with the warm weather. Almost bought a West Virginia t-shirt at Walmart earlier today.

It wasn’t perfect on Saturday though. Day one, the drive down to Pennsylvania was rainy the first part of the trip, โ˜” maybe more misty and drizzle not difficult driving, lots of color along many parts of Interstate 88, Warren Anderson’s expressway. ๐Ÿ‚ Some places were past peak but others had excellent color.

Got Cider Doughnuts ๐Ÿฉ ๐Ÿ, apple cider and apples at Aunnoto’s in Oneonta. The doughnuts while not quite warm where still very fresh and exceptionally good, especially the first one I had fresh in the parking lot. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to all that sugar and fats in doughnuts but I felt like it had an out of this world taste. ๐Ÿ˜‹ The cider was decent but more tart than I had imagined. Probably the breed of apples pressed. The apples I got where quite good I’ll be enjoying them throughout the trip.

Came much closer to runnung out of gas then I want to admit on the way down to o Binghamton ultimately getting gas in Harpursville. โ›ฝ Put in over 25 gallons of gas in a truck with a 26 gallons tank. ๐Ÿคฏ Hoping to get gas as close to the Pennsylvania to avoid higher prices with the high Pennsylvania gas tax but it turns out gas was more expensive in the Binghamton area then the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. $4 a gallon gas, added $100 to the vacation bill. The good news is filling up there I avoided getting gas until I reach the Mason Dixon line, actually south of Cumberland for $3.35 a gallon. โ˜บ Vacation costs money ๐Ÿ’ต and my vacation is quite frugal so I shouldn’t bitch about gas prices too much.

The County Bridge Campground is still only $10 a night through New Years Eve ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ธ when the PA DNCR is doing away with self registration honor pay in favor of online reservations with the out of state fee, reservation fee and whatever the rustic campground fee works out to be. Not such a great deal then for one night but whatever it’s not like I stay there much. Still ten dollars a night is a steal these days with inflation, especially as that’s what it cost I believe back in 2010. Obviously subsidized by all those fracking leases, though the fracking money is drying up for the commonwealth now.

In four weeks on November 19 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (244ยฐ) at 4:31 pm (Standard Time),๐ŸŒ„ which is one hour, 32 minutes and 59 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2022 on that day, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 39 and 21 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 48 and 31 degrees. The record high of 71 degrees was set back in 1921.

Looking ahead, 7:15 AM Sunrise โŒ›๏ธ is in 7 weeks, Days are Getting Longer โ˜€๏ธ is in 2 months and Christmas Eve ๐ŸŽ… is in 9 weeks.

Mountains