In my quest to camp overnight in every publicly available lean-to in New York, I found myself in the Tug Hill State Forest. I had been here a few years ago with Emily x-country skiing, but never hiked or camped. There are two lean-tos in this parcel for my 3-day adventure.
I stopped in Adams Center to pickup a sandwich for my first days lunch. I will need to remember this spot for future trips. Once at the forest I realized the seasonal road was still impassable so I headed to the plowed parking used by skiers. I signed in and made my way up the road with still some snow. The warm temps made the snow mushy and tiring to trudge through. I wound through the trails being careful to stay on my route to the first lean-to on the "electric loop".
There was still considerable snow at this northern facing lean-to. Enough to completely bury the firepit and almost obscure the lean-to. A broken shovel allowed me to carve steps in the snow for safer entry/exit into the structure. There was a fair bit of trash inside and a makeshift firepit had been cut into the snow in front.
I settled into my home for the night. Had my lunch and gathered a bit of wood. Relaxed for the rest of the afternoon by the fire and fell asleep as the sun set.
As I was departing I noticed what appears to be a hobo symbol drawn in charcoal on the lean-to. I had recently watched a video about these signs and how they communicated relevant info to other hobos.
The next day I followed the electric loop to the powerline trail used by snowmobilers to access the seasonal road. Then followed the road to the Inman Gulf trail. The temperature was cold enough in the morning to keep the snow firm under foot. Much easier. The next lean-to on Inman Gulf was quite nice. I set up my gear and collected my first round of wood.
Spent the day relaxing and poking around the immediate area. Every time I returned to the shelter I would bring back another log or branch. A few hikers stopped by during the day. Must be more popular area than I thought. The gulf trail is pretty overlooking the steep valley carved by the stream below.
Nearby the lean-to a feeder stream provided water which was preferably than melting snow like the previous day. The site faced east over the valley which would hopefully provide a nice sunrise.
I slept well again and was up early. The sun was up so I began to pack up as well. I retraced my steps back to the road. From here I only needed to cross it to be back on trail. I followed this trail back to my awaiting car.
