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It is a place I wouldn't mind visiting again and again. Glad you got up there and had a nice time.

@@RachelWhelton Thank you. Whats cool is that we stumbled upon it by accident. We had no idea that we would find a collection of huts/bunks deep in the woods.

Awesome, thank you!

Thanks so much. I am mostly off the crutches now and starting physical therapy. I hope to camp in August!

Thanks, yes, that place is so nice. I would like to visit there again.

The Cog Railway address is 3168 Base Station Road, Crawford, NH, 03583. If you use that address, you will most certainly pass by the Upper Falls on your approach. There is a wooden kiosk at the side of the road that says Water Safety. And you can notice it because there are clearings at the side of the road where so many cars have pulled off to park.

@@RachelWhelton thanks

I believe that is the Mountain Hardware women's Air Mesh sweater. It is super lightweight and feels like it might be "cheap" but I eventually came to love it and now I have three versions of it. I guess I like the crew neck best but it also comes in a zipper neck and this hoodie version. Seems to always be on sale and I'm not sure if it is in further production or not. I like that it weighs so little, is warm, and thin enough to layer up.

@@RachelWhelton Thanks!

Hey, Thanks. Right now I am the Queen of Crutches. But yeah, I hope to get back out there eventually. Thanks for the positive energy.

Yes, I agree. And even if we can buy their same gear, if we don't really need it, then it is kind of a waste of money that could be spent on travel. Thank you for the nice comment.

🙂

Thanks for the kind note. I am on crutches and doing the ice/compression/brace thing. My MRI is later this week. I'm lucky to be able to take a lot of rest right now, as during previous injuries I had a job and couldn't just lay down most of the day. It will be a while before I want to hike again but I am starting to look forward to some car camping and hopefully some kayaking. For now I'm enjoying following some ultra-trail races like Western States Endurance Run. Those athletes are amazing and the trails are cool.

Wow, thanks. That is very good to know you still love it after 3 years. I think this sturdy of a tripod is life-changing for somebody who has lived forever with wobbly and weak tripods. I wish I had this years ago.

The first tip is that being out there is much more terrifying when you are safe at home. When you actually go out there, your brain goes into "deal with it" mode and you focus more on small chores and beautiful scenery. I've gone through phases of fear. I try to study the fear and make a plan. One year a bear came to my house and made very feel afraid. I learned all about bears and watched loads of videos. Eventually I had a plan for what I would do when I saw a bear. Funny enough, it is more likely for me to see a bear in my town in NH than while out in the White Mountains. I build escape plans into my plans. If ever it doesn't feel right, I will leave. I give myself permission ahead of time to turn back, give up, lose the reservation fee, whatever. I try to avoid getting to places that would be hard to leave. Slipping and getting hurt is a real possibility, as it is one of the most common causes leading to the need for rescue. But that is what rescuers are for. Honestly they want to help us when necessary. They want us to prepare, try to self-rescue, avoid dire conditions and bad weather. But ultimately they understand hikers may get injured and need help - and that can happen whether you are solo or in a group! I have the Hike-Safe card. I have a Garmin, etc. And in this case I was able to get down before my leg decided I needed crutches. ha ha... Just start small and work your way up.

Thanks for checking out my vids. So many hikes to choose - so many cameras can do a pretty good job.

I was afraid of the idea of a police-like ranger coming to give me a ticket and tell me to leave. I realize now this was overly fearful. I am now very fond of Rangers and think of them as the most knowledgeable and helpful people out there.

Awesome. It's because of all the nice comments I keep this old video up here. I am glad it is still helpful.

Tricky question because on every trip I am (usually) using more than one camera. Before bringing the big camera, I often used only my GoPro and iPhone. The big camera makes the difference at night for the astrophotography.

@@RachelWhelton thanks for the response. I was noticing you zooming in on some shots and was wondering if it was a smaller camera with a zoom. I’m looking for something other than my GoPro and iPhone for longer distance shots like that. Hope the knee feels better. Thanks again!

The mountain that took me out for the summer! Not fair.

Thank you so much! Tomorrow I see the orthopedic doctor. For now I am doing a lot of limping and laying around!

@@RachelWhelton feel better soon and good luck 👍🍀

Thanks. Nice place there.

Hi Rachel, Heidi and I met you at the 4000 footer awards ceremony. We have been wondering how you were doing after watching the Mansfield video. I know how it feels to get injured on a hike (I tore a tricep tendon from my right elbow 2 years ago - 2 surgeries before I could even be allowed to ride a bike). We are hoping your knee recovers soon and you are back doing what you enjoy!! Best wishes from Richard and Heidi!😍🌄🥾🏕

@@RichardH01075 Hi! Thanks for thinking of me. Wow, a tricep tear and surgery sounds rough. Walking around on crutches inspires people to tell me all their stories so I've been hearing a lot of injury/recovery stories lately. Partial MCL tear but no surgery required so I am just taking it slow. Almost off crutches now at home but if I go anywhere I need them. Physical therapy soon and the doctor says I'll be hiking by the end of summer. I'm working on a little video documenting the process. Hopefully I'll be able to do some easy car camping by August. For now I am happy for any small progress and time spent in the garden. Thanks again and hope your summer is going nicely. ☺

That is hard for me to answer because I don't have personal experience. But generally I see the people of Maine as open minded and warm hearted. So I hope the answer is yes.

So true!

My pleasure

Yes I did.

@@RachelWhelton Thanks!

Went to the doctor today as my knee is possibly getting worse. Got a referral to the orthopedic doctor, who said to call back Monday to schedule. I am hoping for a low key diagnosis and no drama. Still can't believe this happened!

Thanks for the sub! The little dog is happy I canceled my trip to Baxter State Park to stay home and lay down. I might be unable to hike for a while so possibly doing more camping videos. I really want to do them BETTER!

Thanks. Hope you have a great time out there! It's so beautiful.

Keep food in your car. That is really what it means. Don't worry. I also keep my food in a sturdy plastic bin in my car because one time a mouse went into my car and ate part of a loaf of bread! A bear won't come up to your site if you are cooking. It's just when food is left unattended that problems arise. Also keep all trash in your car or put it into the trash bin. Basically go to sleep with a cleared picnic table. You'll be all set! Have a great trip!

@@RachelWhelton Thank you! Appreciate the feedback and loving the videos.

Thanks. Yes, it's rough to face injury and realize your entire summer plan is crashing. As I write this my car is packed for Baxter but I don't think I am getting in and driving off. My knee is limpy gimpy and I might just have to stay home until I can walk normally. The curse of reservations lives on!!!!

I love these memories with the vintage gear. This kind of adventure suits the soul.

So there was no Jimmy whatsoever? I wonder who named the trail. There should be a book called History of the Trails.

@@RachelWhelton A "History of the Trails" would be a welcome bit of mountain history. I have an active interest in local history and have served on the board of the Franconia Area Heritage Council for a number of years. I first heard about Fishin' Jimmy in a sermon preached one Sunday morning here in Franconia and sought out a copy of the book to read. Because it was written with reference to real local landscapes and buildings, and using real local family names, I thought it might be actual history presented in an interesting narrative style. According to the book, "Fishin' Jimmy's real name was James Whitcher." So I talked to local people, especially those likely to remember people with the last name Whitcher, and visited cemeteries looking for a "James Whitcher", but all to no avail. Finally, I telephoned a relative of Annie T. Slosson and learned that the story was almost certainly historical fiction. Annie wrote several such stories -- for example, a similar short story referencing the famed "snow cross" visible on Mt. Lafayette from Franconia village as the snow is melting in spring, about a boy named "White Christopher", apparently another historical fiction. Anyway, I have always assumed that the trail was named Fishin' Jimmy because of Annie T. Slosson's short story published under that title. Annie Slosson was related to William C. Prime (her brother-in-law), another writer, who had a home in Franconia. He had a fishing lodge built for himself on the east side of Lonesome Lake before it was acquired by the State of New Hampshire. Eventually, the old fishing lodge was torn down and the AMC built its own hut at the current location. The kinship between Annie Slosson and William Prime, his original fishing lodge on the edge of Lonesome Lake, and the fact that the Fishin' Jimmy trail leads from Lonesome Lake, all drive me to the conclusion that the trail was named after the character in Annie's short story.

@@musar03580 Great! You could write the book! 🙂

OK. Thank you for the info.

I didn't bring the poles that trip. Husband thinks they would have helped. I am not sure due to the bizarre intensity of slipperiness of that spot. Of course now, in retrospect, I wish I had gone down the steep way I came. But who knows. It will be a long June as I limp around waiting for tissues to heal.

Thanks. I am quickly becoming too old myself! Sometimes I see 80 year old ladies on the trail and I always think to myself "Nope - that will not be me." I'm just enjoying the thrill while it still makes sense and then in the next decade, I'll enjoy the great outdoors in another way. Thanks for the nice comment!

Thanks. Yes, husband also insists falling would have been less likely if I had my poles, which I almost always use. But I'm not sure in this case. It was so incredibly fast, slicker than ice. Anyway I will get back to using my poles. Every little thing helps I guess. So wish I could undo that one step!

You bet! I don't re-watch many of my videos except that I do watch the waterfall ones at least once a year. It reminds me times like this are rare. You need that hot day. And now my kids are older so these videos are memories of times not repeatable. Glad you got something out of it too!

Thanks 👍 It turned out to be quite the memorable experience. The biggest takeaway for me is to stop underestimating the benefit of "out-and-back" trails. If I could rewrite history, I'd take the steep trail back down again because it was a known entity, and dry. I learned a lot to help me on future hikes.

Thanks for checking in. It was very cool to meet you guys. Listening to your training was like reading a good book. My knee is slowing mending, as I was able to walk my small dog (in slow motion) today without pain. Katahdin will have to wait; but I'll still be trying out your apple crisp with coconut milk recipe in the great outdoors. 😊 Have a great summer of guiding!

It certainly is a memorable hike! I underestimated it. They say the Hell Brook Trail is even steeper.

Glad you enjoyed it! It adds to my fun to make the vid.

Multi-day trip - Good adventure! I love my short trips and respect the multi-day efforts every time I get to hop in the air conditioned car and head home to a shower and my own bed. The knee is mending and I feel half lucky and half unlucky! Truth is we can get hurt doing anything and your body will fall apart if you do nothing. So all we can do is be careful and keep living life.

Thanks. Yeah, the kayak is sitting here and I've cleaned it off several times. But I need my knee to work to load and unload it. Next week is car camping and I plan to do it as a recuperation effort. Thanks for the well wishes. 🏕️

Oh! Rain! That must have been a bold effort as well, to get across all those rocks in the rain. Nice meeting you on the hump! I sure wish I had that same weather on this trip. 😆

That is how I saw it with tennis. But it's different with mountains somehow. Ed Viesturs (I think it was he) tries to explain it in one of his books. The guy told him it was likely he would die if he kept hiking the tallest mountains in the world but he said the factors were not as random as statistics alone might suggest. But that was regarding death. So I guess he probably fell down once or twice. ha ha ha.... At least I wasn't trampled by a moose.

Thanks so much! 😊 The knee is on the mend. I'll be in rocking chair mode for a while but still playing with the camera while I do it.

I still love Altras for everyday life. But on the trail I have (since last Fall) switched to these Keen Evo Boots. They were less than 100 bucks, possibly because they seem to be doing a re-design (new model costs a lot more). So far I have not needed the gaiters and only once in a while have to get a pine needle out of the boot. I like that the boots are waterproof. They are definitely longer lasting than the Altras and not much heavier. So I guess the only doubt is that I wonder if the sole is as sticky (to the rock) as my old Altra sole. I think they are both Vibram. I need more time to figure it out.

@@RachelWhelton I had some Keen hiking shoes and always felt they didn't have a good grip. In Merrell boots now but they have a lot of miles so need replacing.

The Mountains keep her young

Hiking has been my answer to difficult injuries (which I got from running and tennis). Hiking seems so gentle and mild (at my pace). This hike reminded me that you can get hurt and even die from a random mis-step or bad luck. My injury history makes it a complete unknown as to whether this is a couple weeks or multiple months of slow progress back to strength. Might just be watering the garden for a while. Hopefully both of us can become strong again. We are older but we have to strengthen in some way to avoid deteriorating in every way!