Search Results for: photo camp 24
Northampton Campground Beach
On the Great Sacanadaga Lake. A winter photo, at normal water elevation.
Below is a list of lean-tos, campsites, parking areas, and other assets along the Northville – Placid Trail ๐๏ธ
Link to anย Interactive Map of the Northville Placid Trail.
Type | Name | Description | Coordinates |
Hand Launch | Ceder River Flow Boat Ramp | Hand Carry Launch, Ramp | 43.725826369700904, -74.47289916126694 |
Lean-To | Beaver Pond (Aka Cedar Lakes Lean-To #2) | ย | 43.625969396804386, -74.54927150370021 |
Lean-To | Carry Lean-To | ย | 43.67874488347091, -74.49549821879448 |
Lean-To | Catlin Bay #1 Lean-To | ย | 43.99801269269887, -74.39278456108421 |
Lean-To | Cedar Lakes #1 Lean-To | ย | 43.628125665037935, -74.54047323992656 |
Lean-To | Cold River #2 Lean-To | ย | 44.14251664317184, -74.13035824291548 |
Lean-To | Cold River #3 Lean-To | ย | 44.091459278051204, -74.25764175084498 |
Lean-To | Cold River #4 Lean-To | ย | 44.09139025333258, -74.25573480252505 |
Lean-To | Cold River Lean-To #1 Lean-To | ย | 44.14272737628489, -74.12984021065587 |
Lean-To | Duck Hole #1 Lean-To | ย | 44.14162687400988, -74.10693734676616 |
Lean-To | Duck Hole #2 Lean-To | ย | 44.14167686466829, -74.10654354672256 |
Lean-To | Hamilton Lake Stream #1 Lean-To | ย | 43.39741359517532, -74.45529759002217 |
Lean-To | Hidden Cove Lean-To | ย | 44.00265528819394, -74.38648026325164 |
Lean-To | Kelly Point #1 Lean-To | ย | 44.02880023617087, -74.36730798599064 |
Lean-To | Kelly Point #2 Lean-To | ย | 44.02870256717196, -74.36713034867948 |
Lean-To | Moose Pond Lean-To | ย | 44.182843382402666, -74.07364102375995 |
Lean-To | Mud Lake Lean-To | ย | 43.342671073157994, -74.45629078563864 |
Lean-To | O’neill Flow Lean-To | ย | 43.875596840936154, -74.36642623697053 |
Lean-To | Ouluska Pass Brook Lean-To | ย | 44.120221281603584, -74.18744717390932 |
Lean-To | Plumley Point #2 Lean-To | ย | 44.06559891610762, -74.32761224546002 |
Lean-To | Rodney Point #1 Lean-To | ย | 44.04140938489936, -74.35014909639557 |
Lean-To | Rodney Point #2 Lean-To | ย | 44.042976745412616, -74.34933464753136 |
Lean-To | Seward Lean-To | ย | 44.106244137686204, -74.2091536427719 |
Lean-To | Silver Lake Lean-To | ย | 43.29193545679836, -74.4237351676776 |
Lean-To | South Lake Lean-To | ย | 43.58724480971, -74.62157883837274 |
Lean-To | Spruce Lake #1 Lean-To | ย | 43.52728411257782, -74.6099246975027 |
Lean-To | Spruce Lake #2 Lean-To | ย | 43.53463062983387, -74.60808580306896 |
Lean-To | Spruce Lake #3 Lean-To | ย | 43.53712972792447, -74.60820962802477 |
Lean-To | Stephens Pond Lean-To | ย | 43.818673668554965, -74.42052487172707 |
Lean-To | Tirrel Pond North Lean-To | ย | 43.887344477557306, -74.37880062606054 |
Lean-To | West Canada Creek Lean-To | ย | 43.58698761405157, -74.61399797100106 |
Lean-To | West Lake #1 Lean-To | ย | 43.59316222884976, -74.62688668431306 |
Lean-To | West Stony Creek Lean-To | ย | 43.22474428954461, -74.26933345717664 |
Paved Parking Lot | Lake Durant Northville Placid Trail Parking Lot | Paved, 12 Vehicle Capacity | 43.84219550506574, -74.3862742856788 |
Paved Parking Lot | Northville Lake Placid Trail Parking Lot | Paved, Good Condition | 43.84213270187873, -74.38656792328511 |
Primitive Tent Site | Canary Pond Campsite | ย | 43.30513256312245, -74.4472062440692 |
Primitive Tent Site | Cedar Lake Dam 1 | ย | 43.62894580965635, -74.53639939387939 |
Primitive Tent Site | Cedar Lake Dam Tentsite | ย | 43.62937624507422, -74.53679785644344 |
Primitive Tent Site | Cedar River Flow Tentsite | ย | 43.70292480315104, -74.48713041165333 |
Primitive Tent Site | Fall Stream Tentsites | ย | 43.49661052800474, -74.53713112743992 |
Primitive Tent Site | Jessup River Tentsites | ย | 43.51246207852797, -74.57229710138834 |
Primitive Tent Site | Kelly Point Tentsites | ย | 44.02910364406153, -74.36670207204214 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose Pond Tentsites | ย | 44.18274441156179, -74.07408240028583 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 01 | Live | 43.72667672123972, -74.47410026642402 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 02 | Live | 43.72665150100841, -74.47331107300782 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 03 | Live | 43.725959512295866, -74.47389996564202 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 04 | Live | 43.726067692208126, -74.47423264719026 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 05 | Live | 43.725563790898704, -74.47417512282912 |
Primitive Tent Site | Moose River Plains Campsite 06 | Live | 43.72522313374867, -74.47458303719159 |
Primitive Tent Site | Mud Lake Tentsites | ย | 43.59647433847274, -74.61354076182431 |
Primitive Tent Site | O’neill Flow Tentsite | ย | 43.87567135918534, -74.3666467203306 |
Primitive Tent Site | Rock Lake Campsite | ย | 43.265591839994535, -74.41543516012669 |
Primitive Tent Site | Salmon River Tentsites | ย | 43.907925071619914, -74.38530801916977 |
Primitive Tent Site | Shattuck Clearing Tentsites | ย | 44.08679657756681, -74.26368397541134 |
Primitive Tent Site | Silver Lake Tent Site | ย | 43.29112770008321, -74.4240469986026 |
Primitive Tent Site | Spruce Lake Tentsite | ย | 43.53695545329776, -74.60818912022354 |
Primitive Tent Site | Tirrell Pond North Tentsites | ย | 43.88594343639596, -74.37834897628142 |
Primitive Tent Site | Trailside Campsite | ย | 43.2716741112023, -74.43107546264162 |
Primitive Tent Site | Wanika Falls Tentsites | ย | 44.19944690357389, -74.05663862305364 |
Primitive Tent Site | West Lake Former Caretaker Clearing Tentsites | ย | 43.59389874347195, -74.62560220247346 |
Primitive Tent Site | Whitehouse Campsite | ย | 43.373430193527696, -74.43578942968477 |
Primitive Tent Site | Whitehouse Campsite | ย | 43.37406302094423, -74.43516794694158 |
Primitive Tent Site | Woods Lake Campsite #2 | Fire Pit, Water Front Campsite | 43.25071034607129, -74.31177480398298 |
Primitive Tent Site | Woods Lake Campsite #3 | Fire Ring, Water Front Tentsite, Scenic View | 43.250888826581715, -74.31104030228295 |
Primitive Tent Site | Woods Lake Campsite #4 | Fire Place, Water Front Campsite, Nice View | 43.251811433787196, -74.3092782205918 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Benson Road Parking Area | 8 Vehicle Capacity | 43.24745928673895, -74.31187044250609 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Chubb River Bridge | ย | 44.2628824981147, -74.01364844250504 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Moose River Recrieation Area | Northville-Placid And Cedar River Trails | 43.726457025366315, -74.47386984656715 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Norhtville Placid Parking-Haskells Rd | ย | 43.45841038153893, -74.52201705350714 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Northville Placid Trail Parking Area | 6 Car Interior Parking Area | 43.21330828950083, -74.2083824784703 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Northville Placid Trail Route 28n Parking Lot | ย | 43.97584466308438, -74.39296138679799 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Tarbell Road Shoulder Parking Lot | ย | 43.984346733793245, -74.39813014848872 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Wakely Dam | ย | 43.72640808237045, -74.47425964611213 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Wakely Mountain Trailhead Parking Lot | 1250 Sq Feet | 43.732197733217824, -74.47253968128065 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Wakely Pond Accessible Fishing Dock | ย | 43.737643556916666, -74.46542853470272 |
Unpaved Parking Lot | Wakely Pond Accessible Launch | ย | 43.738042554833534, -74.46399313053813 |
Decided to head out for a night of winter camping ๐
It’s such a glistening and beautiful winter day here at the State Forest. I wish I had cross country skis after mine got worn out, snapped, then chopped up burnt last winter. So much fiberglass in those skis, and they held up for 20 years, but like all things, they don’t last forever.
Good afternoon! Partly cloudy and 26 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. โ There is a north breeze at 10 mph. ๐. The trees are still covered with snow and there is something we haven’t seen in a long time — blue skies. There is a 6 inches of snow on the ground. โ ๏ธThings will start to thaw out at Wednesday around 1 pm. ๐ก๏ธ
It is remarkably beautiful out today. ๐ Cold but beautiful. Yet that’s to be expected camping in the winter up in the mountains. The good news is the road is nice and solid this time for camping, so not playing in the mud or getting wet. The snow is frozen fairly solid, but also is light in fluffy. If I had skis, this would be almost ideal weather for skiing. ๐ฒ After lunch and finishing setting up camp ๐ and gathering firewood ๐ชต I plan to ride some of CCC Road and maybe go down to the OSI Parcel ๐ธ to look at the snow covered mountains. Then come back to camp and have a good fire. ๐ฅ
This afternoon will be mostly sunny ๐, with a high of 29 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal. North wind around 11 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 33 degrees. The record high of 57 was set in 2016. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2004.โ
Solar noon ๐ is at 12:11 pm with sun having an altitude of 30.8° from the due south horizon (-40.1° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 10 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐ starts at 4:31 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (241°). ๐ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (248°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 5:13 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 8 seconds with dusk around 5:42 pm, which is one minute and 18 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ The best time to look at the stars is after 6:16 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ and temperatures around 27 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 11 mph. Today will have 10 hours and 6 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 23 seconds over yesterday.
One thing that’s nice about this time of year ๐ is we are definitely picking up more daylight in the evening, which makes it not as long at camp. That’s good as the nights can drag on. Going to be fairly cold but not super cold by the campfire for tonight, and I will have a nice fire.
Tonight will be mostly clear ๐, with a low of 18 degrees at 4am. Three degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 15th. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 1am; Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. In 2023, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 13 degrees. The record low of -13 occurred back in 1978.
Looking ahead to next weekend, the following Saturday is Clean Your Computer Day ๐งน when the sun will be setting at 5:23 pm with dusk at 5:50 pm. On that day in 2023, we had mostly cloudy, mild, rain showers and temperatures between 51 and 34 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 35 degrees. We hit a record high of 53 back in 1955.
My urge for camping ๐ got the best of me โ
You know I’m happier in the woods than in any city, next to the fire burning things and having a good ol time. I knew last night was gonna be cold but it turned out not that bad though today will be cooler. Worked out good bar some issues with the camp stove last night and forgetting salt for the icy campsite and I’m glad to get away even if it’s just one night.
Good morning! Happy Sunday. Mostly cloudy with some snow flurries and 30 degrees at the Rensselaerville State Forest. โ There is a south breeze at 9 mph. ๐. The current wind chill is 22.
I decided to take option 3 and do a quick overnight trip to Rennselearville State Forest. โบ I think I’m going to take down camp soon and then head home before the front comes through and brings snow squals with strong winds and it’s cold enough the roads will ice up. I kind of wanted to do two โ๏ธ nights but I decided it’s not that far if it ends up being one night. It is probably my best chance to get away a bit, next weekend I’m busy with the Reszin documentary and it looks even colder. โ Winter has arrived as we enter the coldest part of the year. Little worried too that I’m starting to get a bit of a chest cough, you know the one that’s been going around. I’m hoping it’s just a breathed in too much smoke last night.
But first a second pot of coffee โ. Few snow ๐จ flurries around and I shouldn’t procrastinate but the morning turned out nicer than I had expected with blue skies and a fairly slack wind. Enjoyed the last of the Mariaville Farm Bacon ๐ฅ from local hogs on sale by Farmer Alice at For the Love of Bacon with the eggs ๐ฅ and veggies this morning. ๐ It’s a treat with camping. Wasn’t sure if I was going to get the camp stove working, regulator is giving me trouble again. Wasn’t working at all last night. I slept with it to keep it warm last night and fiddled with the connection and dipped in rubbing alcohol and now it’s working again. Going to add a propane line filter and maybe pick up a second regulator to avoid problems in the future ๐ฎ.
Today will snow showers likely, mainly after noon. Partly sunny ๐ฆ, with a high of 35 degrees at 9am. Two degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around February 9th. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph becoming southwest 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. A year ago, we had light snow. The high last year was 30 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1932. 9.0 inches of snow fell back in 1999.โ
The wind is what concerns me. Some forecasts are talking about windchills especially tonight around 0 degrees. I am not sure I want to be camping out in, plus my camp stove has been acting up in the cold. I’m having issues again with the campstove regulator getting jelled up and plugged with dirt and condensate. I think when I can get home this week, I am going to order a second regulator for the campstove, plus another Big Buddy filter. My other propane stove, whose burners ultimately burnt out a second time, had a few issues with this occassionally but this new stove I got last summer has constant issues now that it’s cold, though oddly not all on the Christmas trip to Madison County, though I stored it in the warmth of my truck. Though if the Big Buddy filter works like it does with the Big Buddy Heater and the lantern, I expect smooth sailing going forward. It’s good to have back ups.
Solar noon ๐ is at 12:06 pm with sun having an altitude of 26.1ยฐ from the due south horizon (-44.8ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 12.2 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐ starts at 4:03 pm with the sun in the southwest (234ยฐ). ๐ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (241ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:47 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 18 seconds with dusk around 5:18 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent ๐ Moon in the southwest (216ยฐ) at an altitude of 29ยฐ from the horizon, 226,294 miles away. ๐ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:53 pm. At sunset, look for snow ๐จ and temperatures around 29 degrees. The wind chill around sunset will be 16. โ๏ธ Breezy, 22 mph breeze โ from the west with gusts up to 44mph. Today will have 9 hours and 26 minutes of daytime, an increase of one minute and 33 seconds over yesterday.
I am worried enough about the possibility of white out conditions driving home that I want to be on the road by 11 AM. I am going to sip my coffee, then take my campsite down before it gets too late. I could for a walk, and the road is hard enough for a bike ride now, but I think I’d rather just head home and avoid the risk of driving on snow-covered roads. Its not like I am on the other side of the earth — it’s a 21 mile drive that takes roughly a half hour, as most of the road is 55 MPH bar Clarksville and Rensselearville. I’m right on a plowed dirt road, and 1,000 feet from asphalt so I’m not worried about being snowed in, but driving home on those hills in snow and ice, could be kind of miserable.
Tonight will be partly cloudy ๐ค, with a low of 17 degrees at 4am. One degree above normal, which is similar to a typical night around February 11th. Maximum wind chill around 9 at 3am; Breezy, with a southwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Other weather reports are calling for a wind chill closer to 0. I don’t mind such cold when I’m in the truck protected from the wind, but during the evening next to campfire that would be downright cold, I’m afraid. Wind worries me more then cold, as it sucks the heat away from your body. That said, my gear is really good for camping down to about 10-15 degrees, much colder then that at night in my unhreated truck cap it gets cold. In 2023, we had light snow in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 19 degrees. The record low of -20 occurred back in 1957.
Still I’m glad I got away for one day. Just a night in the woods puts a smile on my face. Despite the woods being wet from rain we’ve had, it was cold enough up here in the State Forest that ground was frozen solid and was able to have a good fire. I’ll head home, get unpacked — it’s not that much stuff for one night — and shower. Maybe go for a bike ride this afternoon or down to the library if conditions aren’t too harsh. Or maybe cook up a big pot of chicken soup, especially if I’m not feeling good. I am thinking my next trip will be Presidents Day to Moscow Hill Horse Camp in Madison County, but we’ll see. Get some nice weather, and maybe I’ll head back to the wilderness sooner for a weekend trip, like during my 41st birthday weekend, though winter is tough. Next weekend will be too cold it appears, plus the Reszin documentary.
Looking ahead, next Sunday starts the Coldest Week of the Year ๐ฌ when the sun will be setting at 4:57 pm with dusk at 5:26 pm. Martin Luther King ๐ weekend is early this year. On that day in 2023, we had snow showers, cloudy and temperatures between 33 and 30 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 61 back in 2006.
Places I Camped in 2023
While this year was a rainy one, and it rained during many of my trips, I was able to get out for 53 nights in the wilderness — mostly fairly close to home but I also did a trip down to West Virginia in late October with several trips to the Adirondacks, Central New York and summer vacation in the Finger Lakes.
Martin Luther Kings Day โ January 14-16 (2 nights)
To start out my camping adventures in 2023, I drove out to Charles Baker State Forest and Brookfield Horse Camp. There wasn’t a lot of snow — just a dusting but it was a fun weekend, topped off by a beautiful sun-full glittery hike up Tassell Hill after a hoar frost. Explored Lost Pond and several of the trails in the middle of state forest.
40th Birthday โ January 27-29 (2 nights)
For my fortieth birthday, I took off the Friday leading up to my 40th birthday to cross country ski and winter camp at Rensselaerville State Forest. It was a beautiful weekend with lots of blue skies, sufficient snow for skiing but not so much that was a ton of snowmobiles out on the trails.
Presidents Day โ February 17-19 (2 nights)
I decided for Presidents Day Weekend to do another trip out to Charles Baker State Forest and Brookfield Horse Camp. Slightly more snow then last time but again largely a snow-less winter, with some nice days for hikes through the various truck and horse trails. I hiked around much of state forest, especially the more southern part of the forest.
Easter Weekend โ April 7-9 (2 nights)
On Good Friday through Easter I camped at at Rensselaerville State Forest. The snow was gone and it was fairly mild though at times it was a bit cool. Spent a fair amount of time walking around and exploring the new OSI Parcel that has been recently added to state forest and is still largely open fields with sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains.
Duck Pond Trip โ May 5-7 (2 nights)
The first Friday in May I took a half day from work and headed out to Schoharie County to camp at Duck Pond at Burnt-Rossman Hills State Forest. Originally the plan was to camp two nights at Duck Pond, hiking along the Long Path and exploring the state forest and then on Sunday hiking the Catskill Scenic Trail. That part of the trip changed when driving along Duck Pond Road the low tire pressure light came on I found a pallet nail in my truck tire. I was able to top off the truck tire and then change the tire when I got home and got the nail pulled and plugged. But it wasn’t the best way ever to end a trip early.
Overnight at Cole Hill – May 13-14 (1 night)
After visiting the folks on Mother’s Day Weekend, I decided to do a quick overnight hammock camp on Cole Hill State Forest in Berne. Nothing fancy or formal, it was as much a way to test out sleeping in my hammock with the bug screen. Kind of a chilly night, I took camp down fairly and headed home early in the morning.
Memorial Day Weekend at Cole Hill โ May 20-22 (2 nights)
This year I decided to eschew the Adirondacks and Greene Mountains for Memorial Day Weekend due to the black flies, my desire to look at bicycles, and work I had to do on the Saturday morning leading up to the holiday weekend. I decided to hammock camp again Cole Hill State Forest in Berne. This was a three-day two night trip, so it it gave me a chance to bring more gear up the mountain, set up a more formal camp. Cooked on the fire, hiked around the forest. It was a warm weekend, but I enjoy the solitude, along with having good cell service for listening to podcasts and watching videos.
Juneteenth Weekend on Piseco-Powley โ June 15-20 (4 nights)
To kick off summer, I did my usual Juneteenth weekend camping trip, tacking on some days on the Juneteenth Holiday Weekend. It was a bit of a cool and rainy weekend to kick off summer, one that would actually be followed by many cool and rainy weekends where I would stay home. Camped at House Pond for the first three nights, spending time down floating in the tube on East Branch while the final night I camped up at Powley Bridge site and kayaked along the East Branch. Really, like often is the case, the best weather was the day I took down camp.
Catskill Scenic Trail Trip โ July 22-24 (3 nights)
After several months of researching and visiting various bike shops, I finally got a mountain bike. I decided it would be fun to do as much of the Catskill Scenic Trail as I could before my summer vacation got underway. Actually did quite a bit of riding and hiking that weekend — started out hiking Pratts Rock’s then riding from Grand George to Hobart. Sunday, I rode from Fultonham to Middleburgh on NY 30, doing a quick climb up Vromans Nose, then stopping at the farm market then going to Mine Kill State Park to swim. Monday I rode from Hobart down to Bloomville, getting caught in a major thunderstorm and downpour a few miles north of Bloomville with no shelter in sight. The trail became super boggy, then I went to Mine Kill State Park for one more swim, and then out to folks house for Sunday dinner a day later then usual.
Finger Lakes National Forest โ July 28 โ August 6 (9 nights)
Every year for nearly a decade and a half I’ve been doing summer vacation out in the Finger Lakes — camping in the National Forest and exploring as much as possible during my days there. The past few years I’ve been driving there on a Friday, to get a better campsite before they’re taken by the weekend campers. This year was no exception. With Blackie, my mountain bike, I did nearly all of the bike trails in the near vicinity, from the Black Diamond Trail to the Cayuta Valley Trail to Dresden – Penn Yan Canal Trail. Kayaked on both Cayuga and Scenic Lakes, swam many days at Watkins Glen State Park and Taughannock State Park, explored the Cornell Campus and Botanical Gardens on my bike. Got some good ice cream at the Spotted Duck, explored the Geneva Waterfront along with the Cayuga-Seneca Canalway. Some rain but compared to the wet summer that was, this was a pretty good week.
Piseco-Powley โ House Pond Campsite โ August 18-20 (3 nights)
The next few weeks for rainy and by the time I got away for one more long weekend, it promised to be fairly nice weekend but turned out to be fairly cool and cloudy with some rain. Back at the House Pond Campsite, did some swimming in East Branch, but with the mercury in the 60s most of the weekend, I didn’t spend a lot of time in the water. Hardly what I had dreamed when the I planned the weekend. Rode Blackie up to Goldmine Stream Falls and relaxed down by the falls for a bit, also sat down by the swimming hole off of the Old Edick Road Snowmobile Trail, watching the rain fall, bemoaning the wet and cold weather. Still it was good to get away for a bit, and I did do a fair amount of reading in hammock, under the protection of the bug net, as the bugs were bad after such a wet summer.
Labor Day at Perkins Clearing – September 1-4 (3 nights)
I took the Friday off before Labor Day to get a jump on the holiday season travel, and set up camp at the site I really enjoy up at Perkins Clearing overlooking the mountains. Did a fair amount of riding along the various dirt roads of Perkins Clearing, including over to Mason Lake and on Sunday rode most of the way to the Spruce Lake Trailhead, though didn’t make it there in time as I got a bit of a late start as I spent the balance of the day reading and swimming in the Jessup River Bridge swimming hole. Labor Day, I rode around the Spectulator Tree Farm, doing a large loop, through the tree farm, past the north end of Elm Lake, then down to Austin Falls and Old Route 8B. I had hoped to get ice cream, but by the time I got to the ice cream shop they were out of soft-ice cream, and there was a long line. Summer was dragging to a close.
September Trip to Rensselearville State Forest โ September 15-17 (2 nights)
With time being fairly tight and the weather only so-so I decided to do a two night trip close to home out in Rennselearville to ride some of the gravel trails, explore the OSI Parcel further and just enjoy an early autumn weekend camping.
Columbus Day at Rensselearville State Forest โ October 8-9 (1 night)
Columbus Day Weekend was cold and rainy for the first half of the weekend, but the Sunday heading into Columbus Day was nice, so I decided to head out to Rensselaerville for a quick overnight at the campsite on CCC Road. Leaves were late this year, so not a lot of color, but it still was nice to get away for a night and ride some of the trails around.
West Virginia Trip โ October 21-29 (8 nights)
The banner trip of the year was my trip down to West Virigina. While it started and ended in rain, it was a very enjoyable trip with lots of new adventures this year. Camped the balance of the week — 6 nights in Canaan Heights — doing day trips from that area. Overnighted one night driving down at County Bridge Campground in Pennsylvania, and a on the way back camped overnight at Long Pond State Forest in New York. Adventures in West Virginia included hiking at Dolly Sods, mountain biking at night in the sods of Canaan Heights, riding up and hiking to Table Rock, exploring Blackwater Falls State Park on the mountain bike, MonPower Mountain Bike Park, Thomas Rail Grade and the Olson Firetower. Rode part of the Great Allegheny Trail through the Cumberland Passage, and the two sections of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canalway, including the Paw Paw Tunnel.
Stoney Pond โ November 4-7 (3 nights)
A little over a week back from West Virginia, I headed out to Madison County to ride the Tassel Hill Mountain Bike Trails at Alfred Woodford, the Chenango Canal Trail in Hamilton and Erie Canalway from Chittenango to Green Lakes State Park and then to Canastota and Wampsville. The first night was cold at Stoney Pond but the subsequent nights were quite pleasant and mild.
Prospect Mountain – East Branch Sacanadaga โ Buttermilk Falls/Hudson Special Management Area โ November 24-28 (3 nights)
Strangely enough, I had never been up Prospect Mountain. So I decided the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) to hike up Prospect Mountain, and then spend the next two nights camping on East Branch of the Sacandaga River. The Saturday and Sunday was fairly cold, so I ended up spending the bulk of day hanging around camp, doing a bit of hiking around Fox Lair. Sunday, evening around 8 PM it started to sleet, then snow, then rain, Monday morning, it turned into a white globby snow, and I ended up taking down camp fairly early after discovering I was out of propane and then spent much of the day exploring the Hudson River Special Management Area – Buttermilk Falls.
Stoney Pond – Charles Baker โ December 21-26 (5 nights)
On the days leading up to Christmas I decided to take a second trip to Madison County. I was originally planning to camp two nights at Stoney Pond then two nights at the Charles Baker Horse Camp but my family’s holiday plans were cancelled due to illness in my family, so I ended up staying an extra night at the horse camp, through the day after Christmas. On Friday, I rode the Erie Canalway from Canastota to East Verona, nearly to Rome. On Christmas Day I rode around many of truck trails at Charles Baker with my mountain bike, leaving my face splattered with mud. Many of the days were fairly cold and cloudy, but that’s too be expected in late December. Still it was a special way to spend Christmas.
Cooking Dinner
It was a cold start camping up at Moscow Hill Campground -- but the heater was nice and warm. I love how the Big Buddy Heater throws out a lot of heat almost instantly, much better then trying to get a fire started on a cold morning.
Taken on Saturday December 28, 2019 at Charles Baker State Forest.