Driving through the Wyoming sagebrush west of Cheyenne, the clouds of dust rising from the road give way to giant plumes of steam shooting into the warming sky.
This is the Jim Bridger power plant, one of the largest coal-fired power sources in the nation and an enormous emitter of carbon dioxide pollution. At the plant's edge there's a reservoir, lined with rocks and clumps of drying grass. The plant sucks up about 16 million barrels of water each day, using it to power more than million homes across six western states, all the way to Oregon.
But there's a problem that looms for the coal plant operator and the customers that rely on it for electricity. This water is piped here from the Green River, a tributary of the rapidly shrinking Colorado River. Now, amidst a decades-long drought and a shortage of water downstream across the Southwest, future conservation in the basin could mean industrial users like Jim Bridger see their water shut off, says Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart.
It does look like a nice late summer weekend. Maybe I will end up going out to Schoharie after all, but I’m too busy and it’s too long of a trip to head out to Piseco-Powley for the weekend, especially with gas prices still over $4 a gallon. Big Red has a drinking problem, plus beer and even hot dogs and hamburgers are more expensive then in past. And that boat has sailed on the weekend. Next weekend, assuming the weather is nice I plan to camp and remote work in the Speculator-area for the long-weekend.
Maybe though we will get a decent amount of rain out of today’s storm. I haven’t looked at the QPF data for today, but it would be telling if I looked around the state. I certainly don’t want to be heading north in the pouring rain, or setting up camp in the dark in the rain, especially if it’s only really one full day before turning around and heading back to Albany.
Today. Feels like … August 14th.
Isolated showers between 7am and 9am, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Partly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
and
82 degrees
,68 max dew point,
7:41 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … July 31st.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy.
Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
and
62 degrees
,67 max dew point,
6:13 sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like … August 22nd.
Mostly sunny.
North wind around 6 mph.
and
81 degrees
,63 max dew point,
7:39 sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like … August 26th.
Mostly clear.
Light north wind.
and
59 degrees
,
6:14 sunrise.
Sunday. Hot !
Mostly sunny.
Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
and
85 degrees
,62 max dew point,
7:38 sunset.
Sunday Night. Muggy !
Partly cloudy.
and
65 degrees
,65 max dew point,
6:15 sunrise.
Monday. Muggy !
Partly sunny.
and
89 degrees
,70 max dew point,
7:36 sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !
Mostly cloudy.
and
68 degrees
,68 max dew point,
6:17 sunrise.
Tuesday. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
89 degrees
,71 max dew point,
7:34 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
and
68 degrees
,70 max dew point,
6:18 sunrise.
Wednesday. Muggy !
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny.
Stick a fork into its done, as they say about summer, high gas prices and just being so busy with work makes life kind of sucky these days.
Maybe I have an attitude problem but I am just focused on making it through to 2023, saving some money up, getting closer to my goals of owning my own land. I can see the finish line at this point, and every dollar I can avoid spending and instead investing the better.
Partly cloudy and 63 degrees in Delmar, NY. Calm wind. The dew point is 61 degrees.
I decided against packing last night to head up north this weekend. I was just super tired after a long day of meetings and number analysis that stretched into the evening. I was going to go grocery shopping but it was getting late, and I just couldn’t imagine running to the store, spending a shit ton of money on food, gas and beer, then packing my gear, and then driving an hour and a half in thunderstorms and pouring rain, to set up gear in the dark and wet, for a hot Saturday with the Potholers mostly dried up, then head home back home on Sunday. I am spoiled from the pandemic, remote work, and the many long weekends I’ve spent up north. But with work load these days, it’s not a good or realistic option, as I’m sure I”ll be getting emails and texts all weekend, and it’s just not responsible to ignore them all weekend.
I am not fully discounting heading out to Schoharie for this weekend on Saturday, but I am not sure. It is still pretty expensive with the gas, and a lot of work to pack gear, and shop as I have virtually no food at home. Maybe it’s just better to stay home and just go to Thacher Park on the Nature Bus. That is a free option, that would save like $100 with inflation these days – money that could be invested for a better tomorrow. On the other hand, if I could find somewhere nice to hike, that might be fun and then camp over night at Burnt Rossman and do a swim in the morning at Mine Kill. But if I do go out there, it had to be for something novel and new — and memorable. Not spending $100 to swim in a free swimming pool, when I can use the town pool for $7.
That said, I am hoping next Friday to take off and head up north for the Long Labor Day Weekend. Probably leave at sunrise next Friday, set up camp early and possibly remote work part of the day. Saturday hike in the West Canada Lake Wilderness possibly up Pillsbury Mountain Saturday night to see the fire tower lit up for the tower lighting. From there you can see both the Wakely Tower and Snowy Mountain. I want to get clams to boil in some beer, do some floating in the Jessup River or maybe some paddling in Lake Pleasant. I don’t think there will be enough water to do the Kujamunk or even the Sacandaga River out of the lake, unless I do a lot of portaging.
Calm wind. The dew point is 61 degrees.
I was just super tired after a long day of meetings and number 
analysis that stretched into the evening. I was going to go grocery shopping 
but it was getting late, and I just couldn’t imagine running to the store, spending a shit ton of money on food, gas and beer, then packing my gear, and then driving an hour and a half in thunderstorms and pouring rain, to set up gear in the dark and wet, for a hot Saturday with the Potholers mostly dried up, then head home back home on Sunday. 
I am spoiled from the pandemic, remote work, and the many long weekends I’ve spent up north. But with work load these days, it’s not a good or realistic option, as I’m sure I”ll be getting emails and texts all weekend, and it’s just not responsible to ignore them all weekend.
but I am not sure. It is still pretty expensive with the gas, and a lot of work to pack gear, and shop as I have virtually no food at home. Maybe it’s just better to stay home and just go to Thacher Park on the Nature Bus. 
That is a free option, that would save like $100 with inflation these days – money 
that could be invested for a better tomorrow. On the other hand, if I could find somewhere nice to hike, that might be fun and then camp over night at Burnt Rossman and do a swim in the morning at Mine Kill. 
But if I do go out there, it had to be for something novel and new — and memorable. Not spending $100 to swim in a free swimming pool, when I can use the town pool for $7.
for the Long Labor Day Weekend. Probably leave at sunrise 
next Friday, set up camp early and possibly remote work 
part of the day. Saturday hike in the West Canada Lake Wilderness 
possibly up Pillsbury Mountain Saturday night to see the fire tower lit up 
for the tower lighting. From there you can see both the Wakely Tower and Snowy Mountain. 
I want to get clams to boil in some beer, do some floating in the Jessup River or maybe some paddling in Lake Pleasant. I don’t think there will be enough water to do the Kujamunk or even the Sacandaga River out of the lake, unless I do a lot of portaging. 
