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January 26, 2023 Night

Good evening! Clouds ☁️ and 29 degrees for the evening walk 🚶. There is a west breeze at 10 mph. 🍃 with gusts up to 22 mph 💨💨💨. Zero chance of seeing that metroid that they are talking about unless it hits the earth with a big bang. There are 4 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Things will start to thaw out at tomorrow around 11 am. 🌡️

Probably didn’t need to go for a walk 🚶 tonight but extra steps are good and I like walking. Helps pass the time and it’s healthy.

The big forty is what’s on my mind tonight. 🎂 I mean I know it’s just a number and most people eventually hit it but it’s not something you ever give much thought about when you are young. The day will come and go like all do, and what matters is what you make of it as one step towards the future 🔮 but it’s such a big number. Been doing a lot of reading about the meaning of turning forty and I guess the best thing about being in your forties is you don’t give a rats ass what others think about you not that I ever really did.

Tonight will have a slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 26 degrees at 4am. 11 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 15th. Maximum wind chill around 26 at 5am; West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had light snow. It got down to 23 degrees. The record low of -23 occurred back in 1994.

I went to the library for the first time in several weeks 📚 mostly to use the internet, I didn’t get any books out. The library since the pandemic seems so much more crowded than the past. With my unlimited phone plan I mostly just use my phone 📱 but for coding purposes and data intensive things it’s best to go to the library. Plus cell service lately has been unreliable locally since the storm yesterday.

Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon with 32% illuminated. At 8 PM, the moon was in the west-southwest (244°) at an altitude of 30° from the horizon, some 234,343 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. 🚀 Can’t see it through the clouds. At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by July 23rd. Buckle up for safety! 💺

The moon will set in the west (276°) at 10:56 pm. The Snow ❄ Moon is on Sunday, February 5. The darkest hour is at 12:09 am, followed by dawn at 6:46 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:16 am in the east-southeast (115°) and last for 3 minutes and 12 seconds. Sunrise is 51 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 7:59 am with sun in the east-southeast (123°). Tonight will have 14 hours and 10 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 9 seconds over last night.

I filled up the water 💦 container and loaded up the propane tank to be filled after I go to the dentist and then I plan to head up to the woods to ski 🎿 and camp ⛺ on my final day of being in my thirties. I just sleep better and are happier in the woods. 🌲🌲 But first the evening walk 🚶. Also may need more coffee ☕ before I run out.

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of snow showers after noon, mixing with rain after 1pm. Mostly cloudy 🌞, with a high of 37 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 18th. Light southwest wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning, which became snow by afternoon. The high last year was 28 degrees. The record high of 62 was set in 1974. 9.3 inches of snow fell back in 1963.❄

In four weeks on February 23 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (258°) at 5:38 pm,🌄 which is 36 minutes and 21 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had mostly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 38 and 28 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 38 and 20 degrees. The record high of 69 degrees was set back in 2017.

Looking ahead, Ground Hog Day 🐻 is Next Thursday, Average High is 35 ☀️ is in three weeks, Read Across America Day 📚 is in 5 weeks, Arbor Day 🌳 is in 13 weeks, 8:30 PM Dusk 🌆 is in 14 weeks, 8 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 14 weeks, 9 PM Dusk 🌆 is in 18 weeks, June 🍹 is in 18 weeks, 8:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 19 weeks, Ugly Truck Day 🚚 is in 25 weeks, Campfire Day 🔥 is in 27 weeks, National Dog Day 🐩 is in 7 months, Columbus Day 🛥️ is in 37 weeks, Average High is 60 🍂 is in 38 weeks, Thanksgiving 🦃 is in 43 weeks, First Day of Winter ☃️ is in 47 weeks, Boxing Day 🥊 is in 11 months and 4:30 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 48 weeks.

Franklin Roosevelt's Car

January 17, 2023 Night

Good evening! Cloudy and 32 degrees in Delmar for the evening walk. ☁ Calm wind. The sidewalks are a bit icy from the freezing rain earlier and I’m sure the news media is declaring the slippery roads a dire emergency that deserves governmental action but I’m like whatever, stay home or use caution. I’m glad I ran to the store 🏬 yesterday.

The truth is with my new boots – which are finally broke in 🥾 I have decent traction on the ice and the freezing rain is kind of mixed in Delmar so it’s not super icy yet. And it’s getting warmer. I seriously thought about skipping my evening walk 🚶 but lately I’ve been on a roll with my steps 👣 and I didn’t want to have a down day. You know how those steps apps can get your butt moving.

It was a very typical psuedo Monday at the office 🏢. I ended up running late and catching the later local to work 🚍 and then doing the walk of shame into my office though I don’t think any the other directors caught me coming in late. I’m usually one of the first ones in as I take the express bus and then walk the Plaza before work so I’m usually in well before nine. Busy left work at 6:15 pm and it was raining hard this evening. I’m definitely noticing that the days are getting longer and are sunnier in the evening.

Tonight will have a chance of freezing rain and sleet before midnight, then a chance of rain and sleet. Mostly cloudy ⛅, with a low of 33 degrees at 8pm. 18 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 5th. South wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no sleet accumulation expected. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 22 degrees. The record low of -19 occurred back in 1957.

Tonight will have a Waining Crescent 🌘 Moon with 18% illuminated. The Snow ❄ Moon is on Thursday, February 2. The darkest hour is at 12:06 am, followed by dawn at 6:51 am, and sun starting to rise at 7:23 am in the east-southeast (118°) and last for 3 minutes and 18 seconds. Sunrise is 31 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 8:06 am with sun in the southeast (126°). Not going to be a particularly nice morning though. Tonight will have 14 hours and 28 minutes of darkness, a decrease of one minute and 46 seconds over last night.

I was reading that January 22nd is the Lunar New Year 🌑 that is the big Chinese celebration that the western press either will chew out saying it’s going to lead to bad air pollution in China 🇨🇳 or as a super spreader event for the COVID with everybody having some fun. 🎇 As because everybody in the press is a Debbie Downer about fun when it’s not America 🇺🇸. Honestly though I’m excited about the year of the rabbit 🐰. I was reading the horoscopes for the year, the complete psuedo science they are, just for fun.

Tomorrow will have a chance of rain and snow showers before 8am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 42 degrees at 11am. 10 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 6th. Light west wind increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. A year ago, we had light snow in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 34 degrees. The record high of 59 was set in 1973. 7.9 inches of snow fell back in 1891.❄

In four weeks on February 14 the sun will be setting in the west-southwest (253°) at 5:27 pm,🌄 which is 36 minutes and 4 seconds later then tonight. In 2021 on that day, we had mostly cloudy, snow showers and temperatures between 28 and 15 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 36 and 17 degrees. The record high of 63 degrees was set back in 1946.

Looking ahead, Valentines Day ❤️ is in 4 weeks, 5:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is a month away, Average High is 40 ☀️ is in 6 weeks, St. Patrick’s Day 🍀 is in 2 months, First Day of Spring 💮 is in 9 weeks, Average High is 50 🌸 is in 10 weeks, Pack Rat Day 🐀 is in 4 months, Primary Day 🗳️ is in 22 weeks, Independence Day 🇺🇸 is in 24 weeks, World Population Day 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 is in 25 weeks, August 🌻 is in 28 weeks, Constitution Day 📜 is in 8 months, Halloween 🎃 is in 41 weeks, Average High is 50 🍂 is in 43 weeks, Election Day 🗳️ is in 43 weeks, Repeal of Prohibition Day 🍺 is in 46 weeks and Boxing Day 🥊 is in 49 weeks.

Climbing the Trail

January 5, 2023 Morning

Good morning! Fog and 40 degrees in Delmar, NY. 🌫 Calm wind. I can taste the silage on the air. 🌽 Temperatures will drop below freezing at Saturday around 4 am. ☃️

I don’t know it feels warmer than that in the land of the Delmaritian ♨ but certainly darker than that. It will certainly be colder than that by the weekend but still above average. I figure they’re saving the really cold weather for my birthday 🎂. It won’t be forty out when I turn 40.

Today will have a chance of rain, mainly before 7am. Cloudy 🌧, with a high of 47 degrees at 12pm. 14 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 20th. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 38 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 1950. 8.0 inches of snow fell back in 1891.❄

I failed to go for my evening walk 🚶. I was bad, a failure and a looser. So at six o’clock I had to go to Stewart’s and get milk 🥛 so I’d have it for the all important coffee ☕ and bisquick biscuits with cheese 🧀. All the essentials in the dairy world. And you wonder why I’m so fat. I am out for my morning walk 🚶 now so hopefully once again I’ll get my steps 👣 in. Still breaking in the boots 👢.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 24.8° from the due south horizon (-46.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 3:51 pm with the sun in the southwest (232°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-southwest (239°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:36 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 22 seconds with dusk around 5:07 pm, which is 57 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇

At dusk you’ll see the Full 🌝 Moon in the east-northeast (68°) at an altitude of 17° from the horizon, 250,725 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:44 pm. At sunset, look for cloudy skies ☁ and temperatures around 46 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Tomorrow will have 9 hours and 15 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 4 seconds over today.

Took care of the dentist bill 🦷 I got yesterday. Last summer my insurer sent me a check for the “out-of-network” visit because my dentist screwed up the paperwork. I set the check I got aside 📎 and then waited to hear from the dentist. The bill was the same as the check, so I just online paid my dentist and deposited the check. I thought about getting the SEFCU app and doing a mobile deposit, but I don’t trust my phone is secure, 📱 that is compared to my computer that is offline a lot of time, and I keep up to date with Linux security updates.

Tomorrow is the rescheduled holiday party at work 🍪 🎄 so I’m going to need to get to the store 🏬 tonight. Been running low on groceries for a while as I did only a quick shop last week after washing my truck and returning the shit ton of beer cans that had been accumulating since spring. ♻

Tonight will have a slight chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers between 7pm and 4am, then a chance of rain after 4am. Cloudy 🌧, with a low of 36 degrees at 6am. 19 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 12th. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2022, we had cloudy skies. It got down to 26 degrees. The record low of -19 occurred back in 1996.

The weekend has slid down hill somewhat since earlier this week. 😕 Saturday, a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers between 11am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 36. But still quiet mild. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees.

Saturday I plan to join my mom at her birthday party 🎂 and then Sunday I am going up to Colonie to find some more dress shirts 🕴 and also to visit John Wolcott. I had planned on getting a dress shirt online but it’s so hard to know what size to order and it just seems like ordering online is such a gamble. I did some looking though, and maybe I should just take the risk and order one online. Sears is closed now, but I was reading online that Boscovs and Macys also sell dress shirts, and I can try one out there. I don”t want to spend a lot of money, but I do want comfortable button down collar shirts I can wear with a tie and sport-coat for work. 👨‍💼 Can’t totally look like a hillbilly on session days. 👨‍🌾

Looking ahead, next Thursday is Coldest Day Recorded in Albany 💨 when the sun will be setting at 4:45 pm with dusk at 5:14 pm. On that day in 2022, we had partly cloudy and temperatures between 31 and 6 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 33 degrees. We hit a record high of 67 back in 2020. I think it’s likely we will be closer to the 2020 record then that one from 1970 but only will tell.

Heldebergs Setting Sun

January 2, 2023 Morning

Good morning! It’s the first Monday of the New Year. As New Years Day occurred on a Sunday, this would be a holiday. It’s good because it’s a cloudy and I’m bad at getting off my ass, and I did not get out walking at 6:45 AM when it was still pitch black out. But later on it will clear out and we will have weather that will be resembling the first day of spring, until it no longer feels like that later in the week. Temperatures will drop below freezing at Thursday around 11 pm. ☃️ But even after that, it won’t feel like January for a while until eventually it does. I figure it will feel like a deep frozen hell by the time my 40th birthday rolls around, and I’ll once again be trying to stay warm under the heated blanket.

Mostly cloudy and 36 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. One week to Static Electric day, but with warm, damp conditions, I don’t expect much of a need for a static discharge strip around your arm anytime soon. 🤯 I am not prepared to be shocked anytime soon unless I touch a 120 volt line in all the rain we are expected to get mid-week. At least shit won’t dry out, so if I head out for the King’s weekend and have a big ass fire, 🔥 to make up for staying home over New Years Eve like a lame and poor duck, I won’t have to worry about burning down the woods.

Out for the morning walk 🚶 at Elm Ave Park and then I will take a shower 🚿 and then do a quick hike up Bennett Hill and then out to the folks house 🏡 for New Years Fondue 🫕 the wonderful tradition invented by dairymen who raise those Big Brown Swiss 🇨🇭🐄 to sell more cheese 🧀 in the dairy boom of the 1970s while input prices were rising and Americans wanted cheaper food during an era of inflation. But dipping bread and salty cocktail frank’s in melted dairy fat and wine is so good. I haven’t showered since Friday morning before work so I’m do for a good scrub.

Today will be partly sunny 🌞, with a high of 48 degrees at 1pm. 14 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around March 22nd. I believe that is called spring, which appears for now to be coming early, but I don’t think we can stick a fork in winter yet. ⛄ But who knows about skiing on Martin Luther’s birthday weekend. Always so cold, but maybe not this year. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. A year ago, we had mist in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. The high last year was 49 degrees. The record high of 61 was set in 1890. 7.1 inches of snow fell back in 2014.❄

Today got to boil my muzzles 😷 and then hang them to dry. I find boiling them with soapy water 💦 helps to get them clean and tightens up the fabric to keep the COVID away. I got the latest and greatest COVID boosters and flu shots but I hate doctors 🏥 and have zero interest in getting sick. Now if they could only bring back work from home 🏡 though I’m not sure I’d want to pay for the extra heat and electricity in these inflationary times.

They’re back in town this week 👨🏻‍💼 so I also have to iron my shirt and polish my swanky dress shoes and black steel toe boots. I wear the black boots back and forth to work through the snow, rain and muck and to prolong the life of my increasingly worn out dress shoes which I probably will need to replace later in the year. I mostly keep them for wearing in office at my desk for comfort and those odd times I get summoned over the Capitol or go over there to snag some soggy salmon or chicken dipped in that werid sauce rich people like so I save my packed dinner for a later date. But that doesn’t happen much these now that I’m Deputy in Research, it’s mostly behind a computer reading 📖 backgrounds and running stats. 🔢 But the security guards 💂 say I look swanky and less like a hillbilly when I wear my blazer and tie.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:00 pm with sun having an altitude of 24.5° from the due south horizon (-46.4° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. See I know a little trigonometry, mainly because I did some shadow analysis of that movie theater for Save the Pine Bush. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 3:48 pm with the sun in the southwest (231°). 📸 Keep that in mind photographers, especially today with it clearing out. The sunset is in the west-southwest (239°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:34 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 23 seconds with dusk around 5:05 pm, which is 52 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Gibbous 🌔 Moon in the east (97°) at an altitude of 39° from the horizon, 244,259 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 5:41 pm. At sunset, look for partly sunny skies 🌃 and temperatures around 45 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Tomorrow will have 9 hours and 12 minutes of daytime, an increase of 52 seconds over today.

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers after 4am. Increasing clouds 🌧, with a low of 34 degrees at 12am. 16 degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 7th. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 13 degrees. The record low of -14 occurred back in 1970.

A picture perfect weekend on tap. 😎 Well, by January standards, as the winter thaw continues. Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 39. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Typical average high for the weekend is 33 degrees. But we know what is next, it will come, and it will be ducking cold. Yet, for now I’m enjoying the heat being off, and still comfortable in a t-shirt inside, and a vest outside. You can probably guess what t-shirt that is. That said, I probably should buy one of those Palpation Nation shirts with the guy AI-ing a cow on it, so I can be cool like the interwebs, and actually wear that one to work on a casual summer day. But as I’ve been telling myself for two years now, I don’t buy shit like that even if I probably would wear it a lot.

As previously noted, next Monday is Static Electric Shock Day 🧼 when the sun will be setting at 4:41 pm with dusk at 5:11 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly cloudy, freezing rain showers and temperatures between 36 and 19 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 33 degrees. We hit a record high of 62 back in 2008.

Most of the Ways Up the Sand Dune

This past year I spent 37 nights camping in the wilderness 🏕

This past year I spent 37 nights camping in the wilderness 🏕

Places I Camped in 2021

While this was less then the 63 nights I did in 2020, with remote work winding down and more in-person meetings and events happening in Albany, I ended up not getting out as much as I did the previous year. Still 37 nights camping is still a lot of time in wilderness.

It was a lot rainier then some summers, so that also made it harder to get out of town for long weekends. When I did go camping, and I wasn’t remote working, I tried to make it a priority to find more-remote areas without cell service, so I could get solitude without the constant buzz of the phone. Plus I tended to stay in one campsite for two or three days, to avoid the hassles of taking down and setting up camp.

Saturday/Sunday April 24-25: Two Nights on East Branch

I started out my travels in late April on the East Branch Sacandaga River along NY 8, near Fox Lair. On Saturday, before arriving to camp, I hiked along Hope Falls Road and back to lower and upper Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday, I hiked around Fox Lair, sat down by the river for a while, did some fishing. Had a big ol’ fire. It was cold but also kind of spring-like.

Sunday was kind of cloudy but not to wet

Monday April 26: One Night on Sacandaga River/Speculator Tree Farm

Monday I drove up to Speculator to do remote work at the library and the town park/beach with my laptop. I set up camp at Campsite 17 and in the evening after work, I hiked along Old NY Route 8B, spending some time along Austin Falls and heading back to camp before it got too dark. Tuesday I worked up in Speculator, before heading home. Things were still very brown and gray in the Adirondacks, although I ended up stopping along the Mohawk River in Rotterdam and hiking on the bike trail before dark, and it was much greener down there.

Thursday to Saturday May 13-15: Three Nights on Sacandaga River/Speculator Tree Farm

Thursday morning I got up early and drove up to Speculator before 9 AM to work remotely. I worked until lunch time in Spectulator when I drove down to Campsite 17 and set up camp and worked from there. Worked all day on Friday from camp, mostly sending emails from the hammock although I also edited a report I was working on with my laptop at the table, and grabbed some files a colleague needed off the server over the VPN. Knocked over the lantern, smashing the glass and breaking the the neck on it. On Saturday I hiked back along Robb Mill Road and some of the side trails in the Conservation Easement. Sunday, I drove up to Watch Hill on Indian Lake, hiked that, while there was a constant threat of thunderstorms, so I did it fairly quickly.

Sacandaga River below Austin Falls

Sunday May 16: One Night Camping Near Mason Lake

After hiking Watch Hill I ended up camping at Mason Lake. I also spent some time walking around the Indian Lake/Lewey Campground, just seeing what was there I was hoping being a Sunday I could get a campsite near Mason Lakke, but no such luck. Ended up camping at Campsite 5, a ways from the lake, although in the evening I did walk down to the lake. I did have cell service where I was camping, but it was spotty, so come Monday morning, I headed back to Speculator for work. The black flies were bad camping there, until well after dark I spent most of the afternoon hiding under the screen tent. In the morning, once the sun was up and the tent was down, I was booking out there because the black flies were intense.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday June 17-19: Three nights Camping at House Pond Campsite

Junteenth Weekend, a new state holiday. Piseco-Powley Road was rebuilt, and I spent a lot of time down at the swimming hole there. I was working remote on Thursday, but I left home after work and drove north before dusk. Spent a lot of time cooling off in East Branch by the campsite, laying in the hammock and relaxing. Saturday I spent kayaking at Lily Lake, but none of the lilies were out. Sunday I spent the balance of the day the potholers.

Reading ?

Friday, Saturday, Sunday July 8-10: Three nights camping on Hope Falls Road

After quite a run of rainy weather, we had part of weekend that wasn’t super wet. Also, many weeks in the summer, I preferred to just stay close to home, and catch the Nature Bus and spend Saturdays exploring Thacher Park for free. Friday was a personal day – I had a eye doctors appointment. Then I went north and set up camp at Hope Falls Road. Saturday, I hiked back to Ferris Lake and Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday, partially in the rain, I hiked back to both lower and upper Tenant Creek Falls. Sunday evening back at camp, it absolutely poured. I was originally planning to work remote on Monday and maybe Tuesday in Speculator but the weather was so wet, I decided against that.

Friday July 23: Overnight at Cherry Ridge

Heading out to the Finger Lakes, I overnighted at Cherry Ridge at Charles Baker State Forest in Madison County. It was a stop over after leaving home after work. Noticed how much sway there was in front end of the truck, and the tires were getting loud as they were warn and cupped, grew concerned that I might have issues later on. Eventually in December I replaced the tires, the worn rear shock bushing. and bad sway links. I was dealing with some real anxiety issues at that point. But I had a little fire, then retired early to bed and then took camp down early in the morning and headed west to Montezuma Wildlife Refuge and the state Audubon Preserve.

Saturday July 24: One night Tent Camping Along Backbone Horse Trail at Finger Lakes National Forest

I knew arriving at the Finger Lakes National Forest on a Saturday would mean many campsites would be taken, including the site I wanted. I ended up tent camping at one of the primitive sites off Potomac Road. It was a one night deal as I prefer camping in the truck shell and I saw the people in the campsite I wanted leave, so I quickly grabbed that campsite in the morning. Ended up breaking one of the elastic straps in one of the tent poles, I still need to repair it.

Sunday-Saturday July 25-31: Six Nights Truck Cap Camping Along Backbone Horse Trail at Finger Lakes National Forest

My summer vacation was the Finger Lakes National Forest. I decided to stick close to camp for much summer vacation, not rushing too much from place to place, spending a lot of afternoons at the Watkins Glen Pool, doing some paddling in Seneca Lake and Cayuta Lake, hiking in Texas Hollow and Sugar Hill State Forests. Did a lot of reading and laying back in the hammock. The campsite I stayed at didn’t have cell service, so it gave me a much needed to respite from the internet for a few days. Had some nice fires, drank some beer, and got away from it all.

Summer Vacation Seems So Distant Now

Thursday, Friday, Saturday August 12-15: Three nights at House Pond Campsite with Clams and Sweet Corn

After summer vacation, I decided to take a long weekend — four days — up to Potholers, namely the House Pond campsite with lots of sweet corn, clams and beer. I can still taste the clams and beer, and I had plenty of them to eat over the weekend — they were breakfast, lunch and diner. But it was nice laying back in the hammock and swimming in the swimming hole by that campsite. I also hiked along old Edick Road and to Edick Road Campsite 1, which is way off from the main road, and then down to the ledge. Hiked back to House Pond, which was difficult as there was a lot of blow down from a storm earlier in the summer. Spent much of Sunday at the Potholers and then watched the sun set from the Kane Mountain Firetower. Didn’t bring the kayak this time.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday August 26-28: Three nights (again) at House Pond Campsite

With another warm week ahead, I decided to take off Friday and Monday off for one more week up at House Pond. This time I spent more time at Potholers, walking up there each afternoon, besides spending a lot of time at the swimming hole near this campsite. Did some fishing up House Pond, and a lot of drinking and reading from the hammock. Read yet another book about writing code in Python and Kristen Kimbell’s Dirty Life about farm life. I bought a large truck intertube for floating, but once I got to camp and started to setting up I realized I didn’t have an air pump with me, so I couldn’t use it while camping.

East Canada Creek Below Edick Road Ledge

Friday, Saturday, Sunday September 3-5: Three nights at Hardwood Hill at Perkins Clearing

Friday, September 3rd was the final day of remote work – Labor Day Weekend. I got up early, drove to Speculator before 9 AM. I started working from Speculator Library but with my phone having hotspot service and cell service, mid-day I drove up to Hardwood Hill. This time I made sure to inflate my intertube before heading up north, and I spent Saturday evening until well after dusk floating in the Jessup River off of Jessup River. Then I drove to Sled Harbor after dark, hoping to catch a glimpse the illuminated Wakely Hill Firetower, but I could not see it as it I couldn’t find the good views of the tower from the road after dark.

Saturday September 11: One night at Betty Brook

Decided to do a weekend trip out to Schoharie County to hike the Catskill Scenic Trail south of Grand Gorge through the deep notch where NY 30 runs. Hiked down to Hubbell’s Corners from Grand Gorge then went for a very cold swim at Mine Kill State Park. Mine Kill pool was open late this year due to opening late at the beginning of summer. Water temperature was 58 degrees. Sunday I also went for a quick swim at Mine Kill Pool again. Still very cold.

Into the Notch

Saturday September 18: One Night at House Pond

On September 18th, I drove up to Piseco-Powley Road to camp for three nights, four days. Spent one night at the House Pond Campsite, which I set up in the pouring rain, and spent time floating in the my new rubber intertube. It was a nice day once he rain stopped but the water was very cold. But it was nice laying back in the hammock that evening, although prior to dusk there was a lot of deer flies around and biting.

Sunday/Monday September 19 & 20: Two Nights at Powley Place

On Sunday afternoon I drove further up Piseco-Powley Road to Powley Place to do some camping and paddling on the East Canada Creek. Monday I hiked back to Goldstream Falls then carried my kayak down to the East Canada Creek and paddled down to the first rapids, portaged past that to the second main rapids. The beaver dams were relatively low this time, due to water levels being higher then other times when I’ve paddled the East Canada Creek. Laid back in the hammock, did some reading and looking out over the campsite on these mild, starry nights. Also did some floating down the East Canada Creek

Friday, Saturday, Sunday October 8-10: Three nights camping at Betty Brook

I took off the Friday before Columbus Day Weekend to hike Bear Pen Mountain in the Western Catskills. It was the start to a very colorful weekend. Betty Brook was nice, but it was good I got there relatively early — around 4 PM on Friday as the other campsites were quickly taken. On Saturday, I drove down to Stamford and hiked more of the Catskill Scenic Trail from Stamford for Bloomville then visited a friend in Summit. Sunday I hiked along Betty Brook Road to the snowmobile trail up Burnt Hill, then hiked over the dirt roads on Burnt and Rossman Hills, enjoying the leaves and wildlife. Hiked back  to camp and laid back into the hammock well into the evening, which was quite mild. Sunday I hiked from Grand Gorge to Stamford on the Catskill Scenic Trail.

Saturday, November 6: Camping at County Bridge Campground Pennsylvania

Originally I was planning to get new tires put on my truck prior to going to West Virginia,  trip that was postponed multiple times. Ultimately I decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just wear out the tires and go for the trip. I hadn’t decided on where I was going to go until I was on the road, and ended up going to Binghamton, then down to Pennsylvania for my first night camping. It was a cold first night — got down to 14 degrees.

Sunday/Monday November 7-8: Camp Run West Virginia

The first two nights I spent at Camp Run Primitive Campground at Miles, West Virginia which is located in a wash on the backside of Shenandoah Mountain. On Monday of that week I hiked up over Shenandoah Mountain, and watched the sun rise over Camp Run Lake. Tuesday morning I drove over through Judy Gap then up Spruce Mountain and hiked up that. In the afternoon I hiked up Seneca Rocks, something that had long been on my bucket list to do.

Quiet Walk Along Camp Run Road

Tuesday, November 9: Camping at Canaan Heights

On Tuesday night I camped up in Canaan Heights / Table Rock outside of Thomas WV. I was going to stay multiple days but hearing a lot of wheel bearing noise in my truck, I decided it best to head north on Wednesday and see if I could either make it home or get the truck fixed. The wheel bearing burned up by the time I got up to Lock Haven but was able to get it fixed that day and head north to County Bridge.

Wednesday, November 10: Camping at County Bridge Pennsylvania

The second time camping at County Bridge it wasn’t as cold.  I had a fire and retired to bed fairly early. But come the morning, neither the camp stove or the heater was working. I thought I might have have run out of propane. Then packed up in the morning on Veterans Day and headed north to Chenango Forks State Park, which I wanted to explore. I then stopped at Price Chopper, got some groceries and headed up to Long Pond State Forest for two kind of cold and chilly, damp nights.

Thursday/Friday, November 11-12: Camping at Long Pond State Forest

After spending the balance of Veterans Day, Thursday at Chenango Forks State Park, I camped for two nights at Long Pond State Forest. I was still having problems with my camp stove and heater, so it was kind of cold but I was able to find enough firewood to make do, and had some quiet evenings listening to the radio and just hanging out. Friday was pretty rainy, but I made due — beat having going back home. The fires were smokey but they were warm enough. And it beat being home.

Dusk in November

Monday/Tuesday December 20-21: Camping at Stoney Pond State Forest

I thought about getting out of town after Thanksgiving but the weather did not cooperate. Then my truck’s repairs and tires got dragged out to mid-December. I decided to take he week off before Christmas to go camping. I was thinking about Central New York and then the Finger Lakes, but ultimately made it no farther then the Finger Lakes. Saturday was pouring rain, and then Sunday was bitterly cold. And my camp heater and stove were malfunctioning. But ultimately I was able to get it working, after much fiddling at camp. I camped two nights at Stoney Pond, spending Tuesday poking around Cazenovia. Tuesday was very gray, and Wednesday was snowy. Wednesday I drove to Hamilton and hiked part of the Chenango Canal Trail.

Wednesday, December 22: Camping at Moscow Hill Assembly Area

My final night camping in 2021 was the Moscow Hill Assembly Area at the Charles Baker State Forest. I decided to camp there as it was more sheltered from the wind and snow, and in case we got more snow, I figured I wouldn’t have to worry about the snow, as the county highway isn’t that far away. They were expecting high winds and low windchills, but it turned out not to be too bad. I thought about staying another night on Thursday, but the weather for Thursday looked sunny, and wanted to do some hiking, plus I wanted to be home for Christmas Eve for a family Christmas Party.