Throwback Adventure – Lonesome Lake – July 2017

In remembering our Shadow I decided to re-post some of our favorite Adventures on our “Throwback Adventure” Thursdays. Shadow had amazing solo Adventures, Adventures with Buster, and Adventures with Wilma. He was one lucky boy! The post today was our Adventure to Lonesome Lake, probably my favorite solo Adventure with Shadow. The hike was challenging, and arriving at the Lake was spectacular. I remember being so impressed how I could not keep up with my nine-year-old Shadow. We enjoyed walking around the Lake and appreciating the spectacular scenery. Upon completing this journey Shadow celebrated with a happy roll. Forever precious memories! Please see below for my original post and photographs (three photographs have been added on this re-posted blog):

I will have sections of my blog that I will title “Throwback Adventure”, and will plan on posting them every Thursday. These are journeys we have taken before I started the blog, but are well worth sharing.

In July 2017 me and Shadow journeyed to Lonesome Lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. (Wilma had not yet joined our world). Lonesome Lake had been on my “must explore” adventure list, and we found a perfect day to venture on this hike. Lonesome Lake is a body of water that is located in Franconia Notch in the White Mountains, just south of Cannon Mountain. You can only reach this Lake by a hike, which creates a magical journey. There was some reconstruction on the trail, so we were directed toward an alternative route. The trail was a tough trail for me, but it seemed to be quite effortless for Shadow. He was nine at the time (now ten) and did not miss a beat. Upon arrival we hiked around the Lake, and Shadow enjoyed cooling down with numerous dips in the Lake. It was very crowded at the Lake, but yet there was little traffic on the trail around the lake. There was an AMC hut located at the Lake which provided snacks, bathroom breaks, and even lodging. This hut was not dog friendly, but we were able to wander around and check out the area. Heading back from the Lake, was of course a breeze. My only disappointment in this hike was I imagined a more accessible beachfront where you could relax and enjoy sitting by the Lake. However, it was very crowded, no sandy shores, and hard to find little outlets to the Lake. Luckily this was not a barrier for Shadow who was able to sneak in many swims. I absolutely love a hike that leads to a landmark that cannot be reached otherwise. Definitely a memorable day of hiking, and adventures. (Rating: 5)

Relaxing and Rolling after an amazing day:

Weekly Video/Photo

If you regularly follow my blog, and the weekly/video photo I would recommend skipping on to paragraph three, specific to this week’s video/photo. I have decided to add a weekly video/photo section to my blog. This blog will display a video or photo, usually highlighting an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments.

So if you have followed my blog from the beginning you will know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year later we welcomed little Wilma into our world.

Today’s feature is a photograph of Shadow and Wilma at Cathedral Ledge State Park in Conway, New Hampshire. We visited Cathedral Ledge State Park in the summer of 2018 on a hot summer day. Although a bit skewed by the protective fencing, I love this photograph. It is one that appears Shadow and Wilma are enjoying the spectacular panorama. It was a beautiful location with wonderful views of the region. You can read more about this visit by typing Cathedral Ledge State Park in the search box. Here they are on yet another Adventure in the White Mountains.

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Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph of Ripley Falls near Bartlett in Crawford Notch of New Hampshire. Ripley Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen, very tall and just magnificent. Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Ripley Falls in the summer of 2018 when I worked at an Inn in the White Mountains. You can read more about this Adventure by typing “Ripley Falls” in the search box. Definitely a spectacular Adventure that I will remember forever. It is always hard to capture a waterfall with a photograph, but this one was a pretty good attempt, combined with my posing Adventurers!

Ripley Falls

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph from the Wiley Pond area in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This location is absolutely beautiful and a place I always stop when nearby. This photograph was taken in the summer of 2017 when Wilma was still a little puppy! If you would like to read more about this location you can type in “Wiley Pond” in the search box. Many wonderful memories at this gorgeous spot.

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Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph from our October visit to the Rocky Gorge on the Kancamangus Highway. Since I had blogged about the Rocky Gorge previously, I did not blog again on this visit, however, definitely could not resist sharing this Fall photograph of Shadow and Wilma. Although you can not see their sweet faces, I love the Fall colors, and a photograph where they are actively checking out the view. We cannot get enough of the beautiful New England Fall!

shadow and wilma kancamangus

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph of Shadow and Wilma at one of our favorite locations, Lincoln Woods. We had many Adventures over this recent Columbus Day weekend, including Lincoln Woods. I decided not to blog about these locations (as I have blogged about them previously) , but include several photographs in our Tuesday Video/Photo section. You can read more about the fabulous Lincoln Woods by typing in “Lincoln Woods” in the “search box”. It is definitely a special place in the White Mountains. Here are Shadow and Wilma, checking out the view:

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Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph of Shadow at one of the smaller waterfalls on the hike that leads to Arethusa Falls. We were thrilled to find several smaller falls along our trek to the the main feature. Shadow was able to dip in the water, drinking from the cold, fresh Beavis Brook. This was definitely one of the most amazing Adventure I have gone on, and it is a day I will always cherish. You can read more about our hike by typing in “Arethusa Falls” in the “search box”. Enjoy this photo from one of the smaller highlights of the day.

Arethusa falls Shadow

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a selfie of Wilma and I at Kinsman Falls in the White Mountains. This is definitely one of my favorite selfies with Wilma, and was taken at one of my favorite trails (although a much better one of Wilma and I then the actual Falls). Kinsman Falls is a gorgeous waterfall, which I have hiked to on two separate occasions, twice with Shadow, and once with Shadow and Wilma. You can read more about this Adventure by searching “White Mountains” or “The Basin Cascades Trail” as I have included this spectacular waterfall in two blogs. We sure do LOVE the White Mountains!

Kinsman Falls

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a photograph of Shadow and Wilma in the Wiley Pond area in Crawford Notch of the White Mountains. This photograph was taken in March 2018. I absolutely LOVE this location and was so excited to see this spot in winter, a totally different season then we often are out exploring the mountains. Although the Fall and Summer colors are much more vibrant I still found this spot spectacular, the scenery so varied from other seasons. Our Adventure this day was in celebration of Wilma’s first birthday! A good excuse for a day of Adventures! You can read more about this Adventure by searching for “Wiley Pond”, definitely a must-see spot in Crawford Notch.

Weekly photo

August 19, 2019 – Lost Pond Trail – New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Lost Pond Trail in Goreham, New Hampshire. The Lost Pond Trail beings at the AMC Visitor Center, and is officially part of the Appalachian Mountain Trail. It follows the Ellis River and ends at Lost Pond, providing distant views of Mount Washington.

We had a wonderful Adventure to the Lost Pond Trail on a warm summer morning. We headed out early, planning this as our feature Adventure on a day full of many. The Lost Pond Trail began across the street from the AMC Visitor Center. It was marked with a sign, before beginning down a boardwalk, and across a marsh. Immediately there were spectacular, jaw-dropping views. This reminded me exactly why we journey on long drives for day trips to the White Mountains, like Lost Pond.

From the boardwalk the trail veered toward the right following the white and blue blazes. The trail paralleled the Ellis River, often from high above. On several occasions we headed over and through the River, cooling down in the clear River water. There were yellow wildflowers, bright mushrooms, and berries along the trail. Some sections of the trail that had boardwalks and small bridges, and there were continual rocks throughout. At one point I thought I had taken a wrong turn as the trail started gaining elevation, but soon after this gain we spotted Lost Pond from the distance.

Upon arrival at Lost Pond Shadow and Wilma posed on a rock as they checked out the views. From there we traversed down the side of the Pond, lots of large rocks, making for an interesting hike. The views were beyond picturesque the pond scattered with rocks, lilies, and breathtaking mountain views. Shadow loved his swims, and water-sitting, while Wilma continually hopped on rocks. She sometimes threw me off-balance with her athletic, and unexpected jumps. This place was so absolutely beautiful words really cannot explain. I loved that the trail followed the River, providing opportunities to wade, and lead to the beautiful Lost Pond with glorious views. The trail was very quiet, and on several occasions I thought I heard some animal voices in the distance. The only downfall was that a good portion of the trail was close to the main road, providing sounds of vehicles zooming bye. However, I can definitely say this was one of my favorite White Mountain hikes. So glad we took the trip to the Lost Pond Trail (Rating: 4.5)