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Post by willyp on Nov 17, 2017 3:44:13 GMT -5
I will head to camp on the 25th.to get everything out of my Blazer and bed made up. Why the bed made up ? Well at 71 that's the most important part of the camp for me ! {Ha ha}.
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Post by Dutch on Nov 17, 2017 5:39:25 GMT -5
Early Saturday morning for me.
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Post by Loggy on Nov 17, 2017 7:04:24 GMT -5
Second week likely Wednesday for last 3 days of season. First week be in VA at my fishing "camp"getting a new HVAC system.
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Post by dennyf on Nov 17, 2017 8:34:53 GMT -5
Friday morning, as always. And pancakes at the Steam Valley Restaurant in Trout Run on the way up. Pretty much the plan since 1972, with few exceptions.
Most notable one being the fall of 1977, when wife and I had parted company two weeks before Thanksgiving. Had our son for the weekend, but wanted to get outta town Saturday (huntin' buds had gone up Friday), but she refused and wouldn't take the little varmint back until Sunday afternoon.
So late Sunday afternoon I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on Rt. 15, just south of the mountain below Williamsport, with an overheating van engine. It was almost dark when I finally got to camp. Thought Friday morning traffic heading north was bad, Sunday was ten times worse.
Solved the overheating problem that Wed. night, heading for town to eat supper. Buds had headed home that afternoon, as we'd all gotten a buck Monday. All three bucks on the roof of one bud's new Blazer. I was in no hurry to get back home, since wife was moving her stuff outta the house that Saturday.
Hit a doe a mile or so down the valley from camp on the way to eat, wiped out the front end and radiator. The new radiator took care of the "runnin' hot" issue, two days later.
Despite all the gloom'n doom jabber about deer, still a fair amount of traffic heading north on Fridays.
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Post by 3212 on Nov 17, 2017 14:19:02 GMT -5
Used to do the camp thing with my older buddies who are all gone.Then a leased cabin on a trout stream.Then B and B,then motels.Now, day trips,afternoon hunts.A couple years ago near Newport on rte 322 about 11AM opening morning two nice bucks jumped onto the highway in front of me.The first one slipped and fell,the second one jumped over him and they both headed to the local strip mall.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2017 16:20:41 GMT -5
Already here I never leave
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Post by Dutch on Nov 17, 2017 19:47:42 GMT -5
Already here I never leave You hunting from the deck? |
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Post by Dutch on Nov 17, 2017 19:49:19 GMT -5
Friday morning, as always. And pancakes at the Steam Valley Restaurant in Trout Run on the way up. Pretty much the plan since 1972, with few exceptions. Most notable one being the fall of 1977, when wife and I had parted company two weeks before Thanksgiving. Had our son for the weekend, but wanted to get outta town Saturday (huntin' buds had gone up Friday), but she refused and wouldn't take the little varmint back until Sunday afternoon. So late Sunday afternoon I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on Rt. 15, just south of the mountain below Williamsport, with an overheating van engine. It was almost dark when I finally got to camp. Thought Friday morning traffic heading north was bad, Sunday was ten times worse. Solved the overheating problem that Wed. night, heading for town to eat supper. Buds had headed home that afternoon, as we'd all gotten a buck Monday. All three bucks on the roof of one bud's new Blazer. I was in no hurry to get back home, since wife was moving her stuff outta the house that Saturday. Hit a doe a mile or so down the valley from camp on the way to eat, wiped out the front end and radiator. The new radiator took care of the "runnin' hot" issue, two days later. Despite all the gloom'n doom jabber about deer, still a fair amount of traffic heading north on Fridays. Denny, we can see Rt 6 from camp, I'd have to say, the traffic isn't 25% what it was 20 years ago. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2017 20:16:54 GMT -5
Already here I never leave You hunting from the deck? Unfortunately yes.......health issues keep me close to home these days |
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Post by Dutch on Nov 17, 2017 20:33:49 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that.
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Post by dennyf on Nov 17, 2017 20:38:50 GMT -5
You're looking at Rt. 6 heading west. They have to head up Rt. 15 long before they get to Rt. 6 and not everyone going north for deer season, even goes that far north. A lot of them will go east or west on 80 when they get there, or up 14 at Trout Run. Noticed the past few years that the traffic slims down a bit once you're past some of the central counties now, like the ones east and west of Williamsport.
One of the ol' goats at our club is from the Muncy area and is in the process of moving back up there now. He's been going back up there his entire life to hunt, says they have more deer around there now, than they did 20 years ago, for example.
But yeah, traffic is nothing like it was 20 or 30 years ago, but the traffic heading up thru Shamokin Dam on the weekend, is still pretty fierce. PADOT will have their sign activated going onto the end of the Selinsgrove bypass, warning of a traffic backup ahead. Year or two back it was backed up so far on Friday morning, got off and went thru Selinsgrove.
Years ago, we left here around 7 AM on Fridays and got to Steam Valley by 8:45 and it was pretty busy. That's how we did it when my buddy was still around and we usually went up together in his truck. He's been gone 16 years, as of this past July. Last few years I've gotten to the restaurant closer to 10, sometimes noon, so hard to gauge if their early breakfast crowd is still coming in.
The one gal (Mel) has been there on Friday mornings for over 25 years, so I often ask how things are going. She says a bit slower than it once was, but still pretty busy early.
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Post by timberdoodle on Nov 18, 2017 6:39:11 GMT -5
Friday morning, as always. And pancakes at the Steam Valley Restaurant in Trout Run on the way up. Pretty much the plan since 1972, with few exceptions. Most notable one being the fall of 1977, when wife and I had parted company two weeks before Thanksgiving. Had our son for the weekend, but wanted to get outta town Saturday (huntin' buds had gone up Friday), but she refused and wouldn't take the little varmint back until Sunday afternoon. So late Sunday afternoon I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on Rt. 15, just south of the mountain below Williamsport, with an overheating van engine. It was almost dark when I finally got to camp. Thought Friday morning traffic heading north was bad, Sunday was ten times worse. Solved the overheating problem that Wed. night, heading for town to eat supper. Buds had headed home that afternoon, as we'd all gotten a buck Monday. All three bucks on the roof of one bud's new Blazer. I was in no hurry to get back home, since wife was moving her stuff outta the house that Saturday. Hit a doe a mile or so down the valley from camp on the way to eat, wiped out the front end and radiator. The new radiator took care of the "runnin' hot" issue, two days later. Despite all the gloom'n doom jabber about deer, still a fair amount of traffic heading north on Fridays. Denny, we can see Rt 6 from camp, I'd have to say, the traffic isn't 25% what it was 20 years ago. hold that thought when trying to get thru Wellsboro on a weekend!  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2017 7:01:51 GMT -5
Denny, we can see Rt 6 from camp, I'd have to say, the traffic isn't 25% what it was 20 years ago. hold that thought when trying to get thru Wellsboro on a weekend! Traffic now in Wellsboro is nothing compared to the 60's and 70's ...........used to take 45 minutes to an hour to get through the light at the diner now its just like a normal rush hour |
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Post by dennyf on Nov 18, 2017 8:52:08 GMT -5
Dutch ain't even allowed inside the borough limits of Wellsboro, so not a factor for him.
Neither am I, which is why I veer off'n 287 down by the Nessmuk gun club, head over the hills towards the airport and onto 362. Don't think I've been thru Wellsboro once this year?
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Post by bushmaster on Nov 18, 2017 9:44:38 GMT -5
Thursday night I'll move into my trailer in Burgettstown. I'll get 3 days of yote hunting in before opener.
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Post by ridgecommander on Nov 18, 2017 10:58:45 GMT -5
Friday after work. Not the camp it used to be since most quit hunting but still look forward to hanging with the few that are left.
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Post by 3212 on Nov 18, 2017 11:59:14 GMT -5
Just checked the 10 day weather forecast for my hunting area.26 to 36 degrees.13 mph winds for the buck opener.Gonna be nippy on the west facing ridge where I stand, even in the afternoon.But it will keep the drivers moving.
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Post by Dutch on Nov 18, 2017 13:02:34 GMT -5
Dutch ain't even allowed inside the borough limits of Wellsboro, so not a factor for him. Neither am I, which is why I veer off'n 287 down by the Nessmuk gun club, head over the hills towards the airport and onto 362. Don't think I've been thru Wellsboro once this year? That "short cut" isn't a shortcut Denny. Have no trouble going thru Wellsboro and out 362. I can tell you the Sunday before deer season 6 was full heading west. Hard for us to make a left out of the driveway. Not even close to what is was in the 70's and 80's. Not close. Even in the mid 90's it was still pretty full. No longer. |
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Post by dennyf on Nov 18, 2017 15:50:14 GMT -5
That "short cut" isn't a shortcut Denny. Have no trouble going thru Wellsboro and out 362.
It is for me. When I first started using it 30 years ago, got behind two RVs that were going slow, coming home on 362. Took the shortcut, boy and dog both had to pee, so pulled off at the old DOT cinder pile on the straight stretch on 287 above Morris.
They diddled around there for at least 15 minutes, mostly the dog. As we were getting back in the truck, same two RVs came down 287 past us. Discounting how slow they were on 362 (they were rolling down 287), at least a 10 minute saving. It shaves almost 7 miles off my trip. Home to camp on 15 and going thru Wellsboro, 168.8 miles. Take the shortcut, 162.2 miles to camp.
You must take another path somewhere on the shortcut, than I do? When traffic is heavy going up 287, it really saves some time.
Take the left just past the road to Stony Fork on 287, then the next left and go straight. Cross the road to Stony Fork, up the gravel road past the blueberry patch (Pheasant Hill Rd), turn right onto 660, straight to go past the airport and onto 362.
Can make better time going up 147/I-180 when there isn't construction work going on, but it's longer than staying on 15. Difference is driving much faster on I-180. Longer to go down 49 to 15, usually faster, but wasn't last week with dawdlers and the cornpicker that cost me an extra 20 minutes.
And it also takes an hour from camp to the Liberty exit that way. Can make it to Liberty in an hour on 287/414 too, IF there aren't any slowpokes on the road.
BAck in the mid 60s there were a few years that 414 and 287 weren't fit to drive on, so we went up to Covington and cut across parts of 660, then down over the hill to Cornell's Plaza near Middlebury and up thru Little Marsh to 49, or took 6 into Wellsboro and out 6 to Gaines, up Long Run. Usually took us over 4 1/2 hours to get to Mills back then.
Can remember it taking closer to five hours in the 50s, when dad was driving six cylinder Mopars. I've made it to camp twice this year in a few minutes over three hours.
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Post by timberdoodle on Nov 18, 2017 16:54:06 GMT -5
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Post by Dutch on Nov 18, 2017 16:57:20 GMT -5
I've seen guys take the shortcut Denny, then passed them on 362 while they were waiting at the stop sign.
Had two cars once, one took the shortcut, the other the regular way. Wasn't worth the aggravation of those dirt roads.
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Post by dennyf on Nov 18, 2017 21:42:02 GMT -5
The dirt road is much better than it used to be. First section is now limestone and fairly smooth and wider. You go how ya wanta go, I'll take the shortcut. Depended on how fast the car using the shortcut went on it, because I know how much time it saves me and there ain't no way someone going into Wellsboro and out 362, would ever get ahead of me, unless they were going way over the speed limit. Learned about it over 30 years ago, from an old boy who lived over on 449. He came to Harrisburg fairly often for Governor's Senior Citizens Council stuff back then. In his 70s at the time and came down here in the winter for meetings, too. Stopped at my buddy's Sunoco station here one morning and ol' Herb's VW Rabbit was on the lift. January or February and snowing. He dropped it off for new tires, buddy ran him over to the Capitol for the meeting. We drove over to his place on 449 in the middle of the first week of buck season one year, to see how the guy that owned the Sunoco and his brothers had done the first two days. Dang snow squalls started up again and it turned into a proper blizzard on the way over there. Came down the road from Ulysses to 449 and soon caught up to Herb in the VW. We followed him home, asked him WTH he was doing out in the snow. He and his wife were coming back from Christmas shopping up near Buffalo, had left early in the morning while it was snowing. Didn't bother him a bit.  |
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