It really is too far to know how things will look for the start of my October vacation, though it’s currently tilting towards a weather pattern similar to this weekend — rainy and cold. But maybe not so wet, especially if I head south but the high country of West Virginia is going to be cool regardless.

I am still learning on a trip to West Virginia, though if it’s rainy next weekend, I might just drive down to County Bridge Campground in Pennsylvania, overnight there and head straight down to Canaan Heights. Driving in the rain is a bummer, but it’s better then camping in the rain, and to be truthful a good portion of both days would be driving regardless, due to the distances involved. And if it’s nice there is still the bulk of the week to enjoy in the Canaan Heights.

I am going to set up a base camp there, and while some days I’ll probably head out from camp with my truck, a lot of trips from there I will bike or hike from there. This time though I’m not going to cram in as much of West Virginia or Virginia as possible but would prefer shorter day trips getting to know the local area better. I need to locate my Monongahela National Forest Map, I think it’s with all my other paper maps.

Of course if it looks like snow is likely, then I’m taking West Virginia off the table. Likewise if it looks like the bulk of the week will be rainy or even cloudy, I will reconsider the mountain state, as I’m not going to drive super far just to camp in miserable weather. That said, I might stay in New York State, or possibly do a hybrid trip between the Finger Lakes and Wellsboro, PA to do the Pine Creek Rail Trail (and camp at Asaph Run Campground for a night or two).

Being that we are already looking at the third week of October, I doubt I would reschedule my trip plans regardless of the weather. But it could be a shorter trip, closer to home, if you consider under 200 miles each way to be closer to home. I could do an Adirondack Trip or the Tug Hill trip I mentioned before, though I would prefer to camp somewhere I can stay as many nights as possible. And it not be somewhere I can go anytime, like the Schoharie County or the Southern Adirondacks.

I don’t know, I’m watching it day by day.