Return, Day 1 and 2

 I got an early start yesterday morning to try and beat the heat. Philadelphia was expecting 90 degrees with high humidity. I skirted the edge of the Poconos as I headed toward Allentown then thru the Delaware Water Gap park. When I got to the other side, in Milford, PA, the temperature and the traffic had increased considerably. When I turned north on 209 at least the traffic decreased.

  Just outside of the Catskill park I turned onto county road 3 and found some nice twisty bit of road. There were three full size harleys behind me and they seemed to have a tough time keeping up with me. Having the curves on gps in a heads up position really gives you confidence in what is coming up ahead.  They gave a honk and a wave as they turned north on 28 where I headed down t take a look at the Ashokan Resevior.  The Catskill park is beautiful and I had a good time trying to get lost. I found a seasonal only road, county road 16, that approached Platte Cove from the south east. It's a challenging climb up a ravine. Watch out going up that road, in some places its only 10 or 12 feet wide. I had planned to stay at the Woodland Valley campground outside of Phonecia, but it was only 2:30 and I was still wanting more so I made a push north to the Adirondack.

  Once out of the Catskill park I left almost all of the holiday traffic behind. I was getting very hungry and drooling every time I passed the smell of a backyard Memorial Day BBQ. I decided to stop at an Applebee's in Johnstown and get my own holiday burger.

  When I made it to the campground on the Sacandaga River the ranger station was empty but for a note to stop by the caretaker's site for any permits. They were having a campfire out back and told me to pick a site and they would register in the morning. They'd be open at eight. I picked a spot, set up the tent, snapped some pics of the river, and set the alarm for 5. So another early start, another beautiful day.

 

  The temps started out cool at 55 and didn't really start to rise until ten. The roads in the Adirondack are not as challenging as the roads I saw in West Virginia but the views were just as beautiful. I wound my way thru the park. I met a big turtle that refused to be saved from the road, he would crawl back onto the road each time I pushed him onto the shoulder. I gave up and let him take his chances basking in the sun on the asphalt.

I'm typing this up in a Starbucks in Plattsburgh. I think I'll check the map now, make some calls, and decide if I'm going to Vermont or skip it and try to find a hostel in Montreal.