The Outblog blog, No. 68 for the week starting June 28, 2004.
Boondocks is about farms, rural life, and power toys.
Energy looks at high energy prices and our future.
Enviroman looks at man and the environment.
Hayseeds looks at politics and life in our nation.
Individual looks at myself and how I'm changing
Transit looks at the changing ways we get around.
Truck gives you stories and trips in my Ford Ranger.
Decided I needed to get away for some more time. Moreover, a friend I knew from the Internet, invited me over to her house, and it seemed convient to work it all around a campout. It was very relaxing and a good distresser, particularly inlight of the recent stresses put on me with my job search and struggle for a new-post SUNYA identity.
Dates: Tuesday June 29 @ 3 PM to Thursday July 1 @ 1 PM
Sawed up a bunch of firewood. Saw storm rolling in, and then it rained. Hunkered back into lean-to and remained completely dry. Had no fire that night as wood got wet, and it rained hard most of the night. Read in lean-to with flashlight, worked on laptop a little bit, and then hunkered down to bed pretty early (radio was boring, and with the rain and no fire—it got boring fast).
Got a pretty early start as I had a busy day ahead of me (unusual for camping alone—usually I poke around in the morning with breakfast). Cooked up a couple of eggs with hot dogs and cheese mixed on in them over a sterno can—slow, but it worked, and was easier and less smokey and dirty then cooking over a camp fire. Packed up, hid gear in woods and hung sleeping bag and sweater out to air out (except for expensive stuff, which I brought back to my car.
Hoped in car and went back way from there, down to Schoharie. Wanted to go through Schoharie to check out the village (long time since I've been there), and to get cheap gas. Skipped getting gas previous day, in search of cheaper gas in Middleberg. I ended up saving about 5¢ a gallon in Schoharie Mobile, but I barely made it there, having to coast down Schoharie 1a to make it there.
Next drove up to parking lot on backside of Vromans' Nose, parked there and head up the hill. A few other people around, including some friendly tourists, who I ended up chatting with for a couple of minutes. Short quick little hike up to the top, although in part it helped that I was familiar with the area and in some of the best shape of my life.
Got up to the top and spent a lot of time looking around (almost an hour and a half), studying out the terrian with my binoucolours. Very clear out that day. Beautiful Schoharie Valley, see my notes on in blog about Schoharie County and Vromans' Nose.
Hiked back down, rather quickly as I was late to my appointment to my friend's house. The car did nicely up those hills, with the engine staying cool, eventhough some of those hills on Rt. 145 are rather long, and as I was rushing, it was often in passing gear climbing those hills at 60 MPH. Probably chewed through a lot of gas, but an appointment is an appointment.
While I'm not going to entertain you with my social life, it was fun, at least once I got there and found the place. Cobleskill was both bigger and smaller then I had initally expected—it was my first time here.
I ended up leaving my friend's house at around 10 PM. That was pretty late, especially figuring that I had to travel back up to my lean-to, find my gear, put it back, and build a small fire for company. I stopped at the store (Price Chopper) first though, and picked up some goods. The moon was amazingly bright that night, as where the stars. I just remember the beauty, and the brightness of driving back on Rt 145 at night. I'm glad it wasn't pitch black.
So I return to Treadlemire Road at about 11 PM, and up the hill I go, two flashlights in hand, getting most of the help from the big 'deer jacker' light I have. Found my gear, and built a fire. I had previously prepared the fire place for this—as I knew I would get back prettty late.
All good things must come to end
it would seem. The same was true for the campout. Re-started the fire, and cooked up the rest of the eggs and hotdogs for breakfast. Sat back and finished up the book I was reading, and spent sometime taking notes on various observations of the world around me. Eventually left for home.
