Albany in the Distance
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My Love-Hate Relationship with Albany Pine Bush
I have a Love-Hate Relationship with the Albany Pine Bush. It is an …
- urban unique
- wildlife preserve
The Albany Pine Bush’s strengths are are ..
- It is conviently located near the city of Albany, you can take either take a bus and walk to get there, or drive a short distance from the city
- It is a fascinating Pine Bush/sand-dune ecosystem, with fantastic views of the Heldebergs and Catskills and wildlife close to the city.
At the same time those strengths are it’s greatest weakness …
- In many ways the preserve is over-regulated and over-governed by the overbearing Albany Pine Bush Commission
- The Madison Avenue and Karner East Barriens are overused, dominated by joggers and those walking dogs
- There are too many restrictions on hunting, camping, and even hiking and nature observation — such as a ban on traveling off of trails except in the taking of wildlife.
The Adirondack Forest Preserve model might not work in Albany Pine Bush Preserve, but a hybrid model could work. The Commission should try to work more with the public’s desires and demands, and have friendly processes and policies that show that they are there to work with the public rather then restrict access.
Urban preserves are a tricky balancing act. It means easy access to yahoos and those who don’t know basic respect. There are far greater human demands compared to relatively unknown state forests, far off the beaten track.
2011 Pictures of the Year
January.
After a fresh snow fall it was a winter wonderland in the Albany Pine Barriens, a forever wild ecosystem on the outskirts of the city. It felt like one was walking through a marshmallow forest.
A cold winters day at my parents house in late January, after a long cold spell that never seemed to want to end.
February.
A icy sheen shown on the snow at Partridge Run, as I went for an afternoon walk with the dogs up there in the middle of the month.
Snowshoeing back down Bennett Hill in late February.
March.
A recently logged section of Cole Hill provided breath-taking views of Irish Hill and the Fox Kill Valley down in Berne.
What a clear spring day up at Horseshoe Clove at Thacher Park. Warmer, nicer days can’t be far way.
April.
April 9th was the first day I got out camping in 2011. Spent the day exploring Rogers Environmental Center, camped at Moscow Hill Horse Assembly Area.
It may start to warm up earlier in lower elevations, but winter is still very much a force in late April in the Adirondacks. The East Sacanadaga River on this morning looks icy and cold.
May.
There’s Albany! From my kayak. I kayaked up to Downtown Troy from the Corning Preserve.
Spring finally comes to Adirondacks by late May. Paddling around Cheney Pond, looking towards Sand Mountain in the distance, on the other side of Hoffman Notch.
June.
Kayak camping on Stockmans Island in the middle of the Hudson River. What an adventure, one I picked on a night when they had fireworks up at the Coxscake Town Park.
Oswegatchie River up in Watson’s Triangle in Adirondacks. There are few places as remote as this that you can drive on largely unmarked and rarely traversed back country roads. Watson’s Triangle is a place far of the beaten path.
July.
A dramatically cloudy day, looking down towards Tupper Lake from Mount Arab.
Cooling off at the Potholers on an oppressively humid summer’s day.
August.
Exploring Beaver Creek at the Brookfield Railroad State Forest in Brookfield, NY.
Watching the fog burn off Beaver Creek at Brookfield Railroad State Forest on a summer morning..
September.
A beautiful late summer morning at North Lake in Adirondacks. North Lake is such a jewel, especially as you head farther north on the largely undeveloped portion of the lake.
Fall was well underway, and even past peak at Moose River Plains by September 20th.
October.
Second week of October, I went up to the North Country for some leaf peeping, hiking, and kayaking. The colors may be faded in Central Adirondacks, but still were good in lower elevation parts of the Northern Adirondacks.
And later in October, I drove up to Snake Mountain in Vermont, overlooking the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks. Colors lasted the longest
And by October 30th, we had snow, actually several inches, as seen up at Lake Taghkanic State Park.
November.
In November I visited Monreau Lake State Park for the first time, and checked out the Palmerstown Ridge above the Hudson River and Spier Falls. These power lines transfer power from Spier Falls Hydro Dam over to Corinth.
I also hiked up Windham High Peak. I hadn’t been there in many years, and it was interesting to look down at Preston Hollow and Medusa, far, far below.
December.
On Christmas Day, I hiked up Hadley Mountain. While cloudy and cold, it was very beautiful.
While the pond at Thacher Park was frozen, there still is very little snow locally.
Kayaking Cedar River Flow, August 2010
The Cedar River Flow is a 3 mile dammed up river, that provides a beautiful area to paddle around in between the Blue Ridge Hills, and other mountains that surround it. There are dozens of campsites along the lake, you can paddle on around in. On August 11th, I camped up at the Cedar River Flow Camping-area in my pickup truck, and paddled around the lake, up into the Cedar River a ways beyond the end of the flow.
Hook Near Payne Brook. Where it enters the Cedar River Flow, about a 1/2 mile from the entrance of the Flow.
Across Cedar River Flow. This more open portion was a bit rougher, although the wind was pretty slack on this day. Blue Ridge is in the distance.
Wakely Fire Tower. As seen from the middle of Cedar River Flow, over Sturges Hill. I previously hiked it, and it was a nice hike</>.
South Over Cedar River Flow. It was pretty bright and glarey on the lake. I had my sunglasses on, and even had enough sunscreen on, along with the cowboy hat, but not putting sunscreen on my legs, left with me with bad burns on the legs.
Parked on Cedar River Flow. At one of the campsites. I really had to take a piss, because that’s what drinking beer does to me, and it’s pretty hard to do in a kayak, without hoping out.
Campsite on Cedar River Flow. This was one of the less nicer campsites on Cedar River Flow, causally developed and not by the DEC. The nicer paddle in campsites have picnic tables, and outhouses.
View from Cedar River Paddle-In Campsite. Quite nice, and a sandy beach for swimming and getting clean.
Edge of Cedar River Flow. This was at the campsite I pulled off at to take a piss.
Cedar River Flow Becomes Marshier. As you proceed west on Cedar River Flow, it becomes shallower and shallower, until it’s marshland. It can be a little hard to paddle if you get out of the channel, but in the channel, it’s pretty deep.
Marshy Flow and Pillsbury Mountain. This is almost the end of the flow, before it becomes all marsh, and you have to follow the Cedar River to get farther west then this.
Sturges Hills and Wilson Ridge. This is across the marshy end of Cedar River Flow, looking to the north-west.
Tougher Paddling. Soon I will find my way onto the Cedar River, which gets much easier, despite a fairly strong current on the river.
Canadian Geese. On the Cedar River Flow.
Pond Lillies on the Marsh and Mush. Not fun at all for paddling through on the Flow. That said, if I was in the channel, it wouldn’t be so hard, but I was looking for another stretch and piss spot. All that beer made for tough going in the boat.
End of Cedar River Flow. From here it’s just marshland and the river, flowing to the south west.
Paddling Thru Cedar River. The current was pretty strong, but still very much paddle-able from here.
Down Along the Cedar River. It was a pretty afternoon for paddling, but my arms where starting to feel it against the current of the river.
Navigating Oxbow in Cedar River.
Back in the Flow. The low hills of Blue Ridge and Sturges Hills follow along the landscape of the flow.
Heading East Along Cedar River Flow. Only a couple miles back to the campsite.
East Across Flow.
South Across Cedar River Flow.
Kayak in Site on Cedar River Flow. This is one of the beautiful kayak-in sites that the DEC is proposing to close to appease the environmental extermists who believe the public should have no access to public lands.
Very Basic Campsite. Still it seemed like some place that would be nice to paddle in one day with a tent.
A Quick Swim, Then Back in Kayak. This is another nice sandy beach at Cedar River Flow.
Shoreline Near Payne Brook. This is the hook that jets out into Cedar River Flow.
Kayaking Pass an Island. On the Cedar River Flow.
Island with Pillsbury Mountain. And several other mountains, looking west down towards the Plains.
Past the Payne Brook. On the Cedar River Flow. Almost back to Wakely Dam, and the drive-in campsites.
Flooded Lake. This portion of the Cedar River Flow, demostrates how very much this area was once open plains, until the DEC flooded the area shortly after obtaining the land from Gould Paper Company in 1967.
Back to the Wakely Dam. As you can see, it’s already starting to get dark. By the time I’m out of the water, and cleaned up, it’s already 6:30 PM. I then go for a little drive up to the plains (an hour away), and pick blueberries.
The Wakely Dam. There are no posted weight restrictions on this dam, and people regularly bring their fifth wheel campers across it. That said, the Albany bureaucrats in the DEC wants to close off vehicular access, because they don’t believe the public should be allowed to camp on their own lands, especially not in something like a pickup truck or an RV.
Getting Ready to Pull Out. I’m camping at the site right next to Wakely Dam</>, namely site No 8.
Here is a map of the lake. The Wakely Dam is to the North, the Cedar River flows from the south in the West Canada Wilderness.
That small town feeling 🤠
You know I was thinking a bit about what I really crave — that small town feeling, the kind you get when you are in “deep rural” beyond the commuting distance of the nearest big city. Isolated, away from the problems of the big urban city. It’s possible to get “out in the country” and live in a rural area but until your past that 30 mile mark from downtown, it really doesn’t feel particularly special or unique.
The problem with the Albany metropolitan area is it’s an area of 1.1 million people. You have to get pretty far out before you’re not essentially in the suburb of Albany. While you have rural land not too far from the south-east or west, a lot of it is residential commuters back to city until you get pretty far out. It’s suburban housing between the farms and houses for much of the rural areas not far from the city.
I can travel to many of those small towns, and it’s fun to vacation there, but I do wish I could live in a place like one of those little towns. I just need to figure out how to get from where I am now to there, so I can have feeling every day.
Back from Grandma Moses Country 👵🏽🎨
You know it was worth an exploration, I tell myself even if it didn’t have the right feel for me. Pointed Rocks on the Batten Kill had been on my bucket list for a long time to hike – it’s a surprisingly long and steep hike outside of Adirondack and Catskill Park and the whole area around the Batten Kill is quite spectacular, full of birds and nature if not a pungent this time of year from the manuring. Shits gotta grow come the summer.
Good morning! Rain and 44 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☔ There is a south breeze at 7 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at tomorrow around 4 am. ☃️
Honest, I wasn’t planning on going to Washington County yesterday 🏞 but I ended up that way after looking at some houses, properties and land in Hoosic, Pittstown and Valley Falls. Rural country out that way but it didn’t have the right feel in my mind. I totally get why that former Research Services director used to live out in White Creek but that’s a bit too far away from work especially having to drive through Troy and all those other little speed traps and hick towns. 🚓 Of course he did move to Pennsylvania as soon as he could retire.
I had wanted to hike Pointed Rocks and explore the area along the Batten Kill for some time now. 🚶 🏞️ but somehow I never got up that way as there isn’t any place right nearby to camp, except maybe for the Green Mountain National Forest on the other side of Bennington. Nice country up along the Batten Kill State Forest and along NY 313, but certainly too far from Albany too commute. 🚦🚙🚗🚚🛻 There was an interesting property along NY 22 that was 20 acres of moutainside and woods, with a steep creek for micro-hydro that looked quite attractive from the road and on paper, if not for all those damn traffic lights, hick towns and NY 7 traffic cluster. Had a nice little mobile-home sized site on a ledge over the road, with a somewhat steep driveway but partially cleared. I think it was a former hunting camp. 🏠️ Looked like the neighbors would have been good, they’re distance away, have horses and a small pre-fab house. Price was good, but it’s all about the location.
And I didn’t have the natural attraction to Grandma Moses country that I have to the Heldebergs, and I don’t know anybody who currently lives out that way. 👨🚒 I’m sure if I got involved in the community, maybe became a volunteer firefighter I could make friends, but it’s still tough. 
Plus, despite all the kitsch Grandma Moses Painting, that area of state is quite poor. 🐐 But I kind of like that, those are probably good friendly people who work hard, not yuppies.
Today will have showers likely, mainly before 8am. Mostly cloudy with some clearing later on 🌦, with a high of 51 degrees at 4pm. Six degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 29th. South wind 7 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 47 degrees. The record high of 75 was set in 1990. 4.1 inches of snow fell back in 1982.❄
The major plan for today is to go to the grocery store and get more groceries 🛒 fairly early on. I am as shocked as anyone that it’s already Sunday again and my pantry is fairly bare, although not as bad as some weeks in part because I stopped and got a few more things on the way home when driving in on Friday, as that was when I had my dentist appointment with that mean hygienist.🦷 I am not going to put up with her abuse, she was abusive in that dentist chair how she treated me. I am going to cancel my next appointment and see if I can reschedule with my usual dental hygentist Hamid.
I might head out to Coeymans to do some more poking around later on the back roads. 🛻 That said, I’ve checked out many of the listings, and I’m kind of tired after all the driving and exploring yesterday. Hell of it is because I decided to head up to Washington County to hike, 🚶 never made it down to southern Rensselaer County to explore some of the homes and properties around Lebanon Valley that are for sale. The thing is down there, you’re getting into the Taconics ⛰️ which are quite nice, but land prices go up there, and you start mixing with a lot NYC pukey-pukes down that way. Get south of the Berskshire Spur Thruway and there is some shit ton of NYC money that way, thanks to the Taconic Parkway. Not only is land is expensive, you know who is going to be living next door, people closer to Elliot Spitzer who is responsible for the burn ban, then some dirt-farming goat-rising good ol’ boy. 👛
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:04 pm with sun having an altitude of 46.3° from the due south horizon (-24.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 5.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:28 pm with the sun in the west (263°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (269°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:05 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 54 seconds with dusk around 7:32 pm, which is one minute and 10 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous 🌔 Moon in the south (172°) at an altitude of 75° from the horizon, 241,964 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:06 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 45 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 12 hours and 4 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over yesterday.
Another work week ahead, 👨💼 back to being a professional rather then a cowboy-hat wearing good ol’ boy or so I play on the weekends. One more week until the long Easter Weekend when I’m hoping to get to the Adirondacks to camp 🏕️ and have a big ol’ fire 🔥 with flames mostly less then 3 feet high and not too much plastic, because you know the burn ban and stuff. 🤣 Ah, New York State. I should bring my .22 rifle and make some noise too while I’m up in the wilderness. It’s been too long since I’ve spent much time in the woods. 🌲
Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌃 , with a low of 31 degrees at 5am. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 30th. West wind around 8 mph. In 2023, we had light rain in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 28 degrees. The record low of -08 occurred back in 1900.
As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 when the sun will be setting at 7:30 pm with dusk at 7:57 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 48 and 34 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 55 degrees. We hit a record high of 87 back in 2010.
Going to be a beautiful Saturday for a drive out in Rensselaer County 🛻
Get your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure and whatever comes my way.
Good morning! Happy Saturday. Going to be a beautiful start to the weekend for doing some driving around. Partly cloudy and 39 degrees in Delmar, NY. ⛅ There is a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. 🍃. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Monday around 2 am. ☃️ I do wish I could go out camping, but things are going to be muddy after the rain, plus I’m thinking a week from next Thursday of heading up to the Adirondacks for a three-day weekend, assuming they don’t get a shit ton of snow up north in the meantime or it’s pouring rain all Easter weekend. 🐇
Things are going better since I’ve been doing more research 🛖 on housing options, and realizing I have to be more flexible on my thinking — even if it means a longer commute then is ideal to live rural. 👨🌾Spending a lot of money on gas ⛽️ and burning through cars 🚗 every 8-10 years ain’t fun, but I may have to push closer to 35 mile commute rather then the less 30 mile commute I was going for. The thing is in 8 years from my next car purchase in 2025, I’ll have built up my solar system and there will be far more options for electric vehicles. 🔌 I really like some of the options for modular cabins, especially the smaller ones built to code for residential use at a factory and delivered to the site with full interior built. Right now I’m quite enthralled by the Zook Settler and similar style small-one floor code-compliant pre-built residential cabins. I am thinking one floor, no basement, smallest size for a smallest possible electrical and heating demand. I like the wood-walls, that won’t sure the dirt like drywall, and the metal roof for fire safety and insurance savings, lest an ember fall on the roof.
Then get an EPA-certified, efficient wood stove and a small heat pump and use one of the bedrooms as a mechanical room — for batteries, split-phase inverter, well pressure tank, and maybe eventually a washing machine and computer equipment. 🔋 If I get serious about the map making business, I might eventually get an used plotter. I am thinking the heat pump can be used when I’m not there to keep things from freezing in winter. ♨️ Wouldn’t run much though, as I’d keep the temperature low on the heat pump in the winter, 🌨️ and the thing is a cabin built to 2018 federal energy standards, as required by NY State, passing blower efficiency tests, 🌬️is going to have minimal heat loss. I am going to need a quality gasoline generator like a Honda, which will have remote start, which can be triggered off inverter on low battery, which can keep things from freezing up in winter if I’m away for an extended time. Plus as much as I personally loathe air conditioning, the climate is warming 🌎️ and it sure would be nice to come home to on that sultry summer nights, especially when the batteries are full and it makes sense to be keeping the cabin cold rather then wasting the solar energy. 🧊 Use a standard electric refrigerator and probably a gas stove converted to use propane — and in winter, sometimes use the wood stove to atop. If I’m only using propane for the stove, I can get away with 30 lb propane tanks, that I can throw in the pickup and get filled at any propane retailer rather then paying a big truck to come out there and be dependent on one supplier. That said, it’s going to be a lot of money, but I’ve saved for a long time, done well in the markets. What I’m building is far smaller then your typical suburban home and will consume far less energy, especially fossil energy.
Today will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 54 degrees at 5pm. Nine degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 5th. West wind 5 to 8 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 51 degrees. The record high of 82 was set in 1990. 13.4 inches of snow fell back in 1956.❄
At any rate, that’s all fun and games, 🕹️ though first I have to find land that I love ❤️🔥and is a good fit for me. The commute thing sucks, but I want to find a place that feels like and will be my home for the rest of my life. 🚗 I am exploring Rensselaer County today, not because that’s necessarily where I will move, as I’m biased towards the Hilltowns of Albany County, but as far as birds eye distance goes 🦜 there’s more remote country, closer to work then in the Hilltowns, being that work in Menands. 🐐 The roads kind of suck and traffic in Rensselaer County, (Hoosick Street and NY 7) but as a property owner, the conservative politics of land of Joe Bruno would suit me well. 😃 What’s good for my business, as I like to say, might not necessarily always be good for myself. Not only do I want to look at a list of parcels I’ve seen listed in Hoosick Falls, Petersburg and Grafton, I also want to explore some of Petersburg State Forest for mountain biking, hiking and camping 🏕️ 🥾 in the future. It’s fun to drive the back roads.
Solar noon 🌞 is at 1:05 pm with sun having an altitude of 45.9° from the due south horizon (-25° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 5.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:26 pm with the sun in the west (263°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (269°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:04 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 53 seconds with dusk around 7:31 pm, which is one minute and 10 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter 🌓 Moon in the southwest (215°) at an altitude of 73° from the horizon, 239,018 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:05 pm. At sunset, look for partly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 50 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Tomorrow will have 12 hours and 4 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 54 seconds over today.
For the Easter weekend, 🐰 as I was noting, I really want to get out of town to go to the Adirondacks. The burn ban doesn’t apply to small campfires, and I don’t think it’s going to be bone dry up north at that point based on the forecast. 🔥 Plus I really want a good fire to help myself sleep better 🛌 and burn up some of the accumulated papers. I have nothing but disdain for the burn ban, but I understand the fire risk this time of year, as I know how easy it can be set your yard on fire, and as a future property owner I don’t want that to happen. 😐️ You can say what you want about New York State, but it pays my bills and it’s my home. Building standards mean I will end up with a quality, energy efficient building even if I have my views on the gun laws and open burning restrictions. Happy March 16th.
Tonight will have showers, mainly after 2am. 🌧 Low of 41 degrees at 6am. 14 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 22nd. Light southeast wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2023, we had partly cloudy skies. It got down to 32 degrees. The record low of -1 occurred back in 1916.
One month 📅 from now will be Average High is 60 🌷 when the sun will be setting at 7:40 pm with dusk at 8:08 pm.
