camping

Deer River State Forest Campsites

|

Untitled [Expires November 15 2024]

In south-western Franklin County there is a state forest with approximently 12,00 acres of land, and almost 12 miles of truck trail. Most of it is wooded and moderately hilly, with acres of swamps and rivers, with substainal access via truck trail.

Truck Trail

There are three campsites along Conservation Road, with one at Iron Bridge on the Deer River. This is a popular site, one with limited nearby firewood. You probably could drive to another portion of the forest, chop up some wood, and drive back so you have enough for camping.

Packing Up

NameLatitudeLongitude
Avery Lot Site44.7352235914112-74.4550802614741
Conservation Road Primitive Campsite44.7265204084443-74.4838001692901
Foot Bridge Site44.731452233788-74.5090540850248
Horse Assembly Area (Two Sites)44.7507488855137-74.5131752114971
Iron Bridge Site44.7190820582264-74.4799989894277
Larch Site44.730415232034-74.5048391659423
Number 744.7335461250466-74.5028504711799
Site 1044.7315799764063-74.5021705324054
Site 644.7271320391316-74.4853763854447
Site 844.7297640340073-74.4938030505511

The site is number 5, although I was only able to find sites one and two nearby. The other ones must be on other roads. I didn’t drive all over Deer River State Forest, due to the noise the hubs where making on the truck, worrying me about a potential breakdown/failure with the bad hubs.

Site Name

Parts of Conservation Road where relatively rough and potholed, but compared to some of the other roads it wasn’t all that bad.

Conservation Road

At Iron Bridge, there is a popular swimming hole. I went in both in them evening to cool off and in the morning to bathe.

Swimming Hole

Here is an an interactive map:

Terrain Map: Albany Pine Bush 1952 High Resolution
SVGZ Graphic: Tyler v. Hennepin County States

Reasons I Like Camping

|
  1. No Real Rules except for Respect of Natural World.
  2. No Schedule except the Fall of Darkness Over the Land.
  3. Get to Visit Interesting Places; Explore New Lands.

Camping in the Morning

  1. Get to Play with Fire, Sit and Watch the Campfire.
  2. Get to Burn All Your Camp Trash with Plastic Burning and Melting in the Fire.
  3. Cooking Delious Meals Over the Fire or In Dutch Oven.

Smoke and Heat Rises Into Lean-To

  1. Beautiful Moonlit and Starlit Nights in the Woods.
  2. Drinking beer and smoking cigerettes and watching the fire burn.
  3. No Time to Get Up in the Morning.

Kayak Parked

  1. Peace and quiet or music as one sees fit.
  2. Having time to read and get away from all of it.
  3. A big change in the routine.

Conservative Politics and Moving Out West

|

One of the reason I want to move out west is to move into a political environment that is more comfortable and agreeable. Living in New York and being involved in City of Albany politics, I frequently run into people that are extremely liberal and whose views are much farther to the left then I could ever accept. At least for some city political activists, I’ve been characterized as downright conservative, even if I’m generally pro-union, pro-worker rights, and pro-strong environmental protections.

Black Angus

I find it particularly painful to be categorized as a conservative outsider. I support many progressive positions, and for people to just label me as a conservative who is against progress just bothers me. I want to have a clean healthy environment, I want to have a high minimum wage, and allow people to make their own private lifestyle choices.

PA 155 Frame 4

In a more conservative area, many of core beliefs, particularly on rural issues, will be norm for the society. I may face an uphill battle in rural areas on more progressive issues like the minimum wage or clean air from big corporate polluters, but wherever one goes there still is a core progressive group that I can join up with that shares my progressive beliefs. I find it much easier to fight for a liberal cause, then against a liberal cause I disagree passionately with.

Sandy Plains

One the things I loved best about attending college in North Country of New York State was I could find like minded Democrats in the region. Many of the progressives of the North Country shared the same beliefs that I hold dear, but also where strong progressives on the major issues. Rural progressives generally where not proponents of gun control or hostile to rural issues but still cared strongly about labor rights and strong environmental protections against some of the worst abuses across our country.

What Wilderness Means to Me

|

I am often very critical of efforts to deem public lands as wilderness, as a form of statutory or constitutional protection of the lands, forever condemning motorized uses, and severely limiting other uses of the land, especially if the land has previously been farmed, logged, or otherwise changed by man. Certainly there are some unique parcels that should be preserved in such a pristine state, but many others are just wild lands to be used by man and nature alike.

Across Alder Pond

I really do not like the legal definition of wilderness. I don’t think it captures my view of the forest lands I belove, the real wilderness in my imagination. Wilderness is the state of being wild and natural, largely uncontrolled by society’s social structures. It’s a land where man is free to use, largely without the control of government dictating how it is to be used except for minimal standards to protect its quality for future generations. Wilderness is a place where you go to get away from it.

Route 312

Wilderness is any wild location in a rural area. It could be a hobby or even a professional farm, run by it’s operator. Or it could be any forest privately or publicly owned. It could be a hunting camp. It could be a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, or a state forest. It could be a wild forest in Adirondacks, a National Forest, or some other wild land. It could be a state truck trail or a back-country location. It does not have to be road-less or totally untrammeled by man, just wild and free without excessive government control and oppressive populations.

… wilderness is a place to escape, a place to get away from it all.

July

|

The warmest month is upon us, when we celebrate our country's independence and enjoy many delightful summer past-times.

July is the hottest month of the summer. It’s the month when the school children are out from school and the legislature has left Albany for the year. Hot and humid, but wonderful summer days upon us, as we enjoy long nights in the summer haze.

Campsite with Views

There won’t be any real cold days in this month. Rainy days are a rarity, although one always to be on the watch for the heavy thunderstorms that often come by afternoon. Humidity will be high, one things warm up by mid-day. Regardless, with long days, one can get up, hike up a mountain, break by early afternoon, and then enjoy nice nights. We will enjoy the wild blueberries and the wild raspberries as spend time outdoors.

Blueberries Along the Trail

July is the month when we celebrate the birth of our nation with Independence Day. Always a long weekend, it will be a nice one. We will enjoy fireworks, both legal and illegal, lighting them off, into the summer skies. We will watch the fireflies as they fill the fields at night with their flickers of light.

It will be an enjoyable month.