While I have historically gone to the Cold River for Memorial Day weekend, I needed to get to my section of the NPT and do some maintainence. Stopped at Chef Darrel's Diner in Blue Mountain Lake on the way. Always good food, and Chef is fantastic guy. This was also the first long drive in the new car. Nothing like taking a brand new car 30 minutes down a dirt road. Guess it is a good way to break it in. Hopefully just a figure of speech.
The day was already starting to warm up as I readied my gear. I was the only car at the trailhead; unsurprisingly. Also no one had signed in at the trail register except for the DEC Trail crew earlier in the week. The first few miles were all clear due to their work. Evidence of the cutting and clearing was quite noticeable. I stopped at the spring box to fill my water bottle like usual. At the previously flooded section, the materials for the new bridge had been delivered. This was also the furthest extent of the trail crew's work. The next mile and a half looked like a hurricane had passed through. At the 5 mile mark is the junction to the Sucker Brook trail where my stewardship repsonsibility begins. I headed towards the Colvin Brook lean-to a mile away and cleared the trail to the river. From there I crossed the river and inspected the lean-to. The water damage has increased in the corner.
With the little use this spot gets, it is not at the top of the list for repair. The few who do use the lean-to take very good care of the spot. I took photos of the journal entries since my last visit and will upload them to the Colvin Brook Lean-to online journal colvinbrook.blogspot.com. This is my 21st century version of the transcribed journals at the Ouluska lean-to.
Back a the NPT I headed towards Cedar Lake. Not as much blowdownm to clear as I expected. Whatever system came through the N-S portion of the NPT between Wakely and here somehow spared this area for the most part. The next 4 miles was clearing some blowdown and digging out drainages. So tiring taking the pack on and off. By the time I get to the woodstove campsite I am almost out of gas and still have 2 miles more to go. While I do the best I can, it never seems to be enough. The hand tools cannot take care of the largest of blowdowns so reroutes are the only other option. The trail is beginning to increase in mileage with all the big S turns. winding aorund the obstacles. As my energy drops, I skip over some downed trees which can be easily stepped over thinking I will cut them the next time through. The one spring hole I dug out a few years ago was still holding good water in the catch so I filled up my water bottle again. When i would stop, the black flies would swarm around me staying just inches away from the permethrin applied force field.
A couple was at Cedar #1 lean-to, so I pushed on to Beaver Pond. I suppose one more mile I could do; I had already done 11. Surpisingly the Beaver Pond lean-to was empty except for the pile of trash left in the firepit. Reading the shelter log, I might be the first person here in 2024. The fallen branches all around the lean-to and trail also hint an no visitors since last fall. A light rain began as I set up camp. I lit a smoldering fire to keep bugs at bay and settled in for the rest of the evening. The rain subsided, but the clouds remained so not much of a sunset. I barely made it to hiker midnight before I turned in.
Did not sleep that great until the second half of the night. After breakfast I planned out my day. I would search around Beaver Pond a bit and parts of Cedar Lake which I had not explored in the past. Did a bit of fishing too later in the afternoon. The black flies by the water did not make it enjoyable. At least the day was more relaxing than the previous. Had a nice little campfire to cap off my second night.
The winds picked up and some rain came in the early morning. It stopped by the time I awoke. Slpet much better so was up early. Knwoing that rain was in order for the day, I was hoping to get some miles in before it came. I was only a mile or so down the trail before it started. Not a heavy rain, just an long annoying one. With much of the trail in need of side-cutting the little rain would soak me as I pushed through the wet undergrowth. Even when the rain subsided, the trail was still wet enough to keep me from drying off. At least it was cool, and no bugs. The first 5 miles takes longer than the seocnd 5 on the way back to the car due to the trail being an old road from woodstove to Wakely. Was back to the car by 10 am. I stopped again at Chef Darrells diner on the way out. I highly recommend his chicken fried steak.
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