Dark Park

Loaded for an overnighter in Cherry Springs, PA.  

Mark and his Wee: stopped for a wee.

Apparently northeastern PA was really devastated by Irene and Lee. I knew that the Susquehanna flooded, but was surprised at the many bridges and roads lost upstate.  We were detoured, re-routed, and turned around several times.
This stop was about 15 minutes.  It turned out to be several miles of single-lane road under repair.  Mark takes advantage of the break to chat up the PennDOT flag chick, as viewed thru my bug-encrusted screen.



Arrived at Cherry Springs close to sunset.  It seemed like Mark was all set up before I even dismounted.


The amazing amount of crap hauled on two motorcycles.  I think the tents and bedding might have already been set up at this point, so there's even MORE stuff not pictured that came along for the ride.  Somewhere in there is the new pocket rocket stove, which was all I'd hoped for.

Camp Stupid, and further happiness with the cheapie Marmot and Pakmat.
Some random things to recall with a smile later:
It was movie night across the street, so we watched a NASA film about the Apollo program with the girl who was camping next to us (she's from Allentown).  She travels with her job and packs ultralight gear so she can hit national parks around the country.
The DCNR had telescopes set up for moon and Jupiter gazing.  It was two days off the full moon, so the "dark" feature was upset: not optimal star-gazing timing. Moonset was at 4 or 5 am - I set an alarm to get a look at the stars but it was just too bright.  Nature called relentlessly all night.

Mark and I split up on Sunday morning so I could take rt. 6 back.  The iphone charger quit and the GPS powered itself down, too.  Stopped at Best Buy at the Lycoming Circle mall in Muncy, PA for a new charger.  I'd jerked around so much with no GPS or route planned that it was already about 4pm - another race against the sun.  Tentatively planned a second overnight solo but made good time home, arriving - as seems to be my pattern - with only a few minutes of daylight left.
The following day Mark I both discovered that we had ridden past the ADV PA tag location at rt80 and 93 several hours apart.
Will definitely go back to Cherry Springs during a new moon.


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Catskills Trip

Shortly after hurricane Lee, IIRC.  State Park at the top of this mountain closed.  GPS located 3 campsites in Phoenecia, NY, about an hour from here, with about an hour and a half of daylight left.
 

Two campsites in Phoenecia, NY still closed/ under water.  This one is open, but severely damaged. 

Wherever there wasn't mud, there was deep sand.  This was not fun to turn around in.

Maiden voyage of the Marmot.  This campsite was under ~ 18 feet of water a few weeks prior.  One of the two bridges into Phonecia was still closed, having also been under water for a few days.  Was fully pitched and unloaded just as the sun set.  Firewood all soaked, no fire.  Ate BD cake from a jar in the tent in the dark.


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How to get your bike hit

Park it in the middle of the road like this - really hog up as much of that blacktop as you can.  That way, a car has no choice but to knock off a hand guard and break your clutch lever.