Lunacy Outdoor adventures with portables.

[Cuckfumbustion]

Portables allow for vaping further from home. We all like outdoor photos and like to hear stories about different places and experiences on the way.

A walk in the local park on your lunch break or place of local interest or that summit you finally conquered.

One of my favorite overnights excursions happened the previous weekend.

I bike around 40 miles from home with a backpack to state lands, so that I could bike 2 hours further north to the Erie Canal in CNY and bike as much as I could and bike back home in the late evening. Did not know entirely what to expect when I arrived in the area. I only had a bivy, ground cloth and rainfly and a thermarest pad.

JACKPOT! Not only did I find a site, But a site that did not have a car space to park near it and it had a lean to setup waiting for me.

I lazily threw my rainfly over the top and the bivy underneath. Closing camp would be a no-brainer.

The fireplace will get revisited this fall.

The park leading up to the Erie Canal trail near East Syracuse NY.

Miles of canal level flat land. A welcome sight after leaving the hills in the Finger Lakes.

That was essentially the turn around point. I folded my Z-rest pad into a thick seat under that tree's shade and rested and stretched out heavily. Being greeted by passerbys taking VC breaks in between.

Roughly 60 miles between me and my desktops and getting back to being civilized again.

 

[momofthegoons]

@Cuckfumbustion I love this idea for a thread! And cannot wait to get back up to the cottage and out on the boat so that I can contribute.

What a tranquil little spot you found. I'm assuming this isn't a multi camp site area and you had it pretty much to yourself?

 

[Cuckfumbustion]

What a tranquil little spot you found. I'm assuming this isn't a multi camp site area and you had it pretty much to yourself?

Almost, There is a State land that is known to trailer owners as free but hard to get to. It is off of a truck trail road that is near a few other sites that are even less trailer friendly. I did have a site that was nearby that was occupied by a trailer and my site was visible from the road but on a bend of the road that no car could safely park at. A few cars drove by in the evening, then tranquility.

I'm near the highest point of the hill where their is a runoff stream close enough that I was able to pump water from. I do want to spend some actual hike and bike time in that land and it's hiking trails and the regions beyond that. This place is an ideal overnight starting point for other locations if you are getting there with a mountain bike.

There is enough of the Erie Canal bike trail completed to get me to other desired places. Like say the ADK. Which has been a long term goal of mine.

@momofthegoons I'm looking forward to seeing where the boat takes you. And any of you for that matter.

 

[momofthegoons]

I didn't end up getting out on the boat as much as I'd hoped this summer. So we'll have to wait on those adventures till next summer. We took the boat out this weekend. It's been an off summer for me....

But we did manage to have a bit of fun last week. There is a river in northern Michigan called the AuSable. It's a famous trout fishing river and people come from all over the world to fish it. There's an old lodge there that has a little restaurant and is a hot spot for anglers. It's also a real nice place to check out the river with lots of little spots to stop and take a toke or two.

 

[momofthegoons]

Hit the river again today for a while. Stopped for lunch and while we were waiting for our food....

 

[Squiby]

Awesome case MotGs!

What is it's original purpose and where did you find it!

 

[momofthegoons]

Awesome case MotGs!

What is it's original purpose and where did you find it!

It's a leather case for sunglasses. It has a magnetic closure which is great because it holds the dab tool in place as well.

I believe it came with a pair of sunglasses I bought a long time ago.

 

[Squiby]

I wondered if it may be an eyeglass case. Yours seems to be particularly functional. I love finding items that can serve a new life with a different purpose.

 

[Cuckfumbustion]

Along the ADK hiking trail and the FLT in CNY there are Lean-to's usually built by volunteers. Mostly for thru-hikers for overnight stays. The footbridge has some trail markers for the FLT, ADK and volunteers. Hope to actually fully hike between the two lean-to's at some point.

 

[momofthegoons]

there are Lean-to's usually built by volunteers.

Looks a bit like the areas my daughter camps in around upstate New York. Although the lean to's she used were a bit more 'rustic.'

My idea of camping, these days, is a bad pillow at the Holiday Inn. I think it's okay to say that my camping days are over.

However, in the day, I camped in some pretty interesting places. We would try not to stay at campgrounds and usually didn't use a tent. I've woken up to snow on my sleeping bag more than once.

 

[Kellya86]

Camping for me, has to be a little more homely...
The kids wouldnt like to really rough it...
But I would...

 

[Cuckfumbustion]

Don't know your full situation with the kids. @kelly86. Maybe they'ed would like a day hike to a potential site someday? Or just see how they like walking parks and if they get curious about the surroundings. Feel them out if they really had a good time.

There are different levels of roughing it and getting closer to an more outdoor setting with all the modern trappings. Some people have collapsible mini-campers and will pick more of an RV friendly State park with water hookup, Cabin rentals, Wi-fi, etc. and check out the area at their leisure.

Only know about this indirectly because of Rick Steaves and other sources.. But there are a lot of century old walking paths between towns in your country that offer interesting vistas.

Looks a bit like the areas my daughter camps in around upstate New York.

Are they ADK hikers or know the region? That was in the Finger Lakes region of NY. The Catskills and Adirondacks regions are even more remote due to the terrain and the roads being fewer and farther between. The Erie Canal region is where it gets flat. One State park is along the edge where theglaicer barrier stopped and receded. Also responsible for a lot of 'unique areas' that have different plant life and water makeup etc.

@momofthegoons I wonder what more 'rustic' sites you might be referring to. I noticed the lean-to's are more like cabins in Vermont. Even glass windows and an upper berth for those showing up in the wee hours not to disturb anyone in the main room. Those trails are decades old.

 

[momofthegoons]

I wonder what more 'rustic' sites you might be referring to

I was mistaken about it being upstate New York. It was Katahdan, Maine.

 

[Kellya86]

It's funny, you speak to people for 2 years on fc....

But you get to know them at the vapor asylum...

I didnt have you down for this @Cuckfumbustion....

When summer returns I may take the kids on more of an adventure.... not to a campsite..