cold

Good Morning, Happy Frigid Tuesday.

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Good Morning. Happy Tuesday. The recent cold spell continues, with a stiff breeze. The spin-masters want you to either believe it’s the fault of climate change or that climate change doesn’t exist, but I think that’s kind of a mistake to over-think it too much. It’s just the coldest time of year in Albany. This week and next week, on average is as cold as the climate gets year around. And it’s not that cold historically speaking. The upside: it’s bright and sunny out.

Really Not a Lot to Talk About. Granted it’s a bit weird to be getting back into the groove, and dealing with the shit I have to deal with at work once again. Then again, I was looking at my last pay-stub from the year, and realized my hard-work pays off at work. It’s kind of nice that I can afford a fairly middle class life, unlike so many of my peers who got caught up in the last recession.

84 Days Until April. I know that’s a long time away, but I do look forward to the warmer weather. Easter is late this year, and that week I hope to spend a portion of it out in the wilderness, doing some camping, probably in the Finger Lakes, although I am flexible. Probably jack up my truck then, although I am always weighing the options and figuring out what I really want to do. It will be fun rolling on 35s …

Started Researching My Summer Road Trip. I am thinking of exploring the national forests in Virginia and West Virginia. I think I want to see Skyline Drive and Blue Parkway, but also spend the bulk of the week in the back-country, doing roadside camping. It looks like I will have to plan to overnight during the trip down there. I am thinking of camping at a state campground near Harrisburg one night, and then on the way back, maybe camping in Allegheny National Forest – even if it is a bit out of the way.

Walking Along the Trail

Cold, wintery weather continues I muse about some random parts of life during the bus ride to work.

41 Degrees

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Today’s average high is supposed to be 41 degrees.
Much warmer then the cold weather of recent.

Snowy Day!

41 degrees may not be warm
but it’s warm enough to be melting the snow.

Watching the Snow Melt

Exposing the bare ground
and showing the first signs of spring.

Frame 59

It may be cold and snowy today,
but spring is most certainly just around the corner.

Camping at Stoney Pond

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Stoney Pond State Forest is located in the highlands between Morrisonville and Cazenovia, and includes a camping area that requires a free permit in the summer. I camped there on November 7, 2010 on a very cold morning.

Sunrise

Waking up truck camping in November meant morning came real early, especially because I had to get going with night approaching fast. This was campsite number eight under the morning light. All of the campsites at Stoney Pond had these great round fire rings.

Camping in the Morning

Walking Through The Woods. There isn’t much in the way of leaves on the trees right now.

Percent of Population that Works in Construction

Frost on the Leaves.

Frost on the Leaves

Truck Camping. In the morning, having my cup of coffee and getting ready to face the day’s adventures. I need to get a table, so I don’t have so much clutter on my tailgate — there are no picnic tables at Stoney Pond.

Truck Camping

Icy Ruts. It was that cold in the morning that muddy ruts up there iced up.

Frosty Morning

Outhouse. In the summer months they also have port-a-poties down by other campsites.

Outhouse

Campsite 8. This is where I camped at, as seen from the road. I liked this site a lot because it was well set back.

Campsite 8

Campsite 4. Another really nice campsite, although a bit closely spaced.

Coldest Day of the Year in NY State

Path Down to Stoney Pond. There is a road that goes down to Stoney Pond for those wanting to launch a boat into it.

Path Down to Stoney Pond

Stoney Pond. On on side, there is a sandy beach/boat launch.

Riding along the Old Chenango Canal

Campground Roads. There is no charge to camp here, although they want you to call the forest ranger for a free permit in the summer to control usage.

Campground Roads

Campsite 1. Not a very nice campsite, but I guess if you want a drive to place where you can camp, and other 15 sites are full, it can be used.

Icy River Road

Maps.

Here is a map of the Stoney Pond Camping Area.

Riding along the Old Chenango Canal

Here is the State Forest Map.

Stoney Pond

Arterial photo of the area.


View Larger Map

February

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They say the darkest time of the night is just before dawn. The harshest part of winter is now upon us, the month of February. If there ever is a month of the year that is just nasty and terrible, it must be the month of February. This month is cold and wintry, following the previous two and half months of cold winter weather. It’s not fun.

Snow Covered Woods

February is the month when the cold breeze seems the coldest. It’s when the salt on the cars and the roads seems the harshest. It probably is not the harshest weather of the year, as already the days have gotten somewhat longer, and we are past the coldest days of the year, but it still seems like winter continues to have us in it’s fangs. Our heating bills will continue to be high.

Traffic Jam

February is going to be a tough month for all of us. Maybe Merle Haggard should have sung, If We Make It Through February. The only upside to this month is that once we make through February, it will be March which will eventually lead to a thawing out in April. The grass in April will be brown, and burn bans a-high, but then things will green up and the beauty of spring will return in May.

Snowy State

February is just a single month. It’s not the nicest month, but as all things come and go, it must come to a pass. Look at the upside — it’s the shortest month of the year! Maybe the Ground Hog this year, for the first time, will actually be right and say no to six more weeks of winter! Let’s make it through February and towards nicer weather in the spring.