Throwback Adventure – The Rocks – New Hampshire

I have decided to return to posting new “Throwback Adventures” after taking time to re-post some of my favorites with Shadow. This has been a therapeutic process for me to share. We are devastated that both Shadow and Buster have both passed, but find peace knowing we can continue to remember them through our “Throwback Adventures”. They were amazing boys and are forever in our hearts.

In October 2017 Shadow, Wilma, My Mom, and I Adventured to The Rocks in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. This was the first time we discovered The Rocks, but also had numerous Adventures to The Rocks in the summer of 2018. The Rocks is a 1400 property that contains a Christmas Tree farm with views of the Presidential Range. The Rocks is also an educational and conservation center and has trails throughout.

We had a lovely Adventure to The Rocks. The Rocks is such a unique spot as you find a Christmas tree farm with gorgeous mountain views. We explored and snapped our usual endless photographs. Viewing these photos made me smile remembering Wilma’s constant desire to play with Shadow who often engaged with her, while on some occasions dashed away from her energy. She was obsessed with her big brother and it was always adorable to see! Our visits in the summer occurred when we were up in the area working at the Inn in the Mountains. You may have seen some of the summer photos in my past post on Bethlehem. The Rocks is definitely one of a kind. We look forward to returning in the future (Rating: 4).

August 19, 2020 – Kancamagus Highway – New Hampshire

Today Wilma and I Adventured to the Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Kancamagus Highway is made up of 34 miles of scenic highway which incorporates numerous sites and locations, including: camping, hiking, and scenic spots. It is also known for the rushing Swift River. The Kancamagus Highway is especially popular during the Fall months when leaf peepers frequent the area.

We had a wonderful Adventure to the Kancamagus Highway. We visited Sabbaday Falls, the Albany Covered Bridge, Lower Falls, Rocky Gorge, Lily Pond, Lincoln Woods, several scenic overviews, and the Lovequist Pond Loop. We have been to all these locations before, but it has been some time that we visited some of them. We arrived at 6am and except for Lincoln Woods were able to avoid the crowds, quite surprised and pleased to see fewer visitors then at any of our previous visits. Wilma was thrilled with the rocks, hiking, and exploring, and I could not get enough of the beauty and great exercise. It was one special day, and we were both exhausted by the time we headed home. I decided to do a collage of all of these locations below, although will only include limited photographs of the Albany Covered Bridge as I blogged about it individually. It warms my heart to know that I first discovered the Kancamagus Highway with Shadow and Buster, and will continue these Adventures with Wilma. If you have any questions about these locations, or photographs please reach out to me in the comments, or through the “contact” form on the menu. We love the White Mountains of New Hampshire (Rating: 5).

August 7, 2020 – The White Mountains – New Hampshire

Yesterday Wilma and I Adventured to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The White Mountains are a mountain range that cover a large part of New Hampshire, and also a portion of western Maine. The White Mountains include 48 peaks at over 4,000 feet. The White Mountains are popular for skiing, hiking, and ATVing.

We had a spectacular Adventure to the White Mountains. I set my alarm for 3am (yikes!) to get an early start on our day-trip. We visited some of our favorite spots, and enjoyed every minute! We did some hiking, waterfall chasing, and relaxed at some of our preferred scenic spots. It was our first time in the Mountains since we lost Shadow which made me very sad. So glad we had so many Adventures with both Buster and Shadow in the endless beauty of the White Mountains. Furever precious memories! ❤️

Since we have Adventured to and blogged about all of these locations previously I decided to write my blog differently today. Below you will see each location with photos and videos, and two or three sentences about each. I have placed the waterfalls in their own category as many of my visitors are waterfall fanatics. In addition I will add the link to my original post so you can click on that if you are interested in reading more. Feel free to ask any questions about these Adventures through the contact form or in the comments. The White Mountains are definitely one the most beautiful spots in New England!

The Basin/Pemi Trail
The Basin/Pemi Trail is a gorgeous location filled with cascades and waterfalls. It can be crowded during the summer months as is a magnificent place to cool down and relax. I discovered this location with Buster, Shadow, and My Mom and it quickly became one of my favorites.

Links from previous blogs on the Basin/Pemi Trail:
https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/7860

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/710

Ammonoosuc Lake Trail
Ammonoosuc Lake Trail is one of my favorites, although short it is quiet, and gorgeous! I first discovered this Trail when working weekends in the White Mountains with Shadow and Wilma. Not easy to get a kayak there but that sure would be magical!

Link from previous blog On the Ammonoosuc Trail: https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/987

The Basin-Cascades Trail
The Basin-Cascades Trail can be found at the Basin, and eventually connects to other trails including Lonesome Lake. It is filled with waterfalls, and cascades, and has gorgeous mountain views. I discovered the Trail with Shadow and just love it!

Links from Previous blogs on the Basin-Cascades Trail
https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/710

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/7860

Kinsman Falls
Kinsman Falls is located on the Basin-Cascades Trail. I especially love Kinsman Falls as it is unique, you can get close with a climb, and I discovered it by accident. It is generally a quiet location, and is very peaceful.

Links from previous blogs: (Kinsman Falls was not blogged about individually in these blogs but included in the location)

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/710

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/7860

Baby Flume
Baby Flume is located in the Basin on the Pemi Trail. The water flow is great although it is a short cascade. Again, it is not one I would declare a waterfall, it is listed as so!

Links from previous blogs: (Baby Flume was not blogged about individually in these blogs but included in the location)

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/7860

https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/710

Boise Rock
Boise Rock is not overly appealing, but if you are into rocks and geology it definitely is your place. I have special memories posing with Buster there, on a trip we had knowing he would not live long due to a terminal diagnosis. The area around Boise Rock provides lovely views of the Mountains, especially in the fall.

Link from previous blog on Boise Rock: https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/5042

Wiley Pond
I first discovered Wiley Pond with Shadow, Buster, and My Mom, and have one of my Mom’s brilliant photographs framed from this location. It is scenic spot that has a short trail, and has other trail beginnings. This especially is great for those who want to appreciate the gorgeous scenery and are not able to hike.

Link from previous blog on Wiley Pond: https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/3920

Saco Lake Trail

This Trail is located right on the road across from AMC Lodge on Route 302. It is very short, but provides some fun walkways above the Trail. We love it as it is unique, and picturesque.

**I took a video but it did not seem to take – darn!

Link from previous blog on the Saco Lake Trail: https://wordpress.com/post/adventuresofshadowandwilma.com/734

October 20, 2018 – Lincoln Woods – New Hampshire

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 is from one of my favorite places to Adventure – Lincoln Woods. I discovered this gorgeous hiking location with Shadow and Buster, and had numerous trips with Shadow and Wilma. Special memories flow through my mind from Lincoln Woods. Please see below for my original post including photographs and videos.

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Lincoln Woods a location in Lincoln, New Hampshire, along the Kancamangus Highway. We have been there before with Buster, and with My Mom. Lincoln Woods is a scenic area with many trails that enter the Pemigewasset Wilderness of the White Mountains. It is one of the first stops on the East side of the Kancamangus Highway.

Shadow, Wilma, and I had a refreshing Adventure to the Lincoln Woods trail. We have been there in just about every season, and it is one of the most extraordinary trails I have found, maybe even my favorite location for an Adventure. The area is absolutely gorgeous, beginning with a suspended bridge, to trails along the Pemigewasset River to streams along the way, to splendid mountain views, to scenic trails throughout. I would guess I have been there about five times and each time am awed by the beauty.

On today’s hike I was overjoyed to find another bridge across the River, as on our last visit Shadow almost did not make it across the suspended bridge. He appeared quite unstable with the swinging of the bridge and completely froze about halfway across. Therefore, I was extra pleased to find an alternate route. This alternate route also provided us a new and scenic angle of the River and suspended bridge. After crossing the bridge and enjoying the views we headed on our hike. Highlights of today’s Adventure included: time at the River’s edge, for some digging, and rock climbing, some sips from the streams along the way, colorful fall foliage, and and magnificent mountain views along the trail. It was a very cool day, but our hiking kept us warm and enthused. Although crowded this time of year the many trails helped mask the numerous number of tourists. One of those Adventures that I really cannot put into words, as you MUST Adventure this incredible location. As you might guess I would recommend a Fall visit in the colorful foliage of New England. I will include photographs from various trips we have taken and may add some on the future (Rating: 5).

Yesterday, October 20, 2018

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August 2018

March 2018

LW 2018 March

October 2017

October 2014

Art photo 2

Throwback Adventure – Arethusa Falls – New Hampshire

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 Arethusa Falls in the White Mountains. This was a gorgeous Falls, and in addition we discovered a side trail that allowed us to view smaller Falls, as well as some fresh water sips and dips for Shadow. Forever precious memories! Please see below for my original post including photographs and a video.

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. Many of these Throwback Adventures will include our Buster, who was known for his crazy tail, his happy howl, and his zest for life. We miss him dearly…he is forever in our hearts! In some cases you will also see journeys that occurred before our little lady Wilma became part of our family, as in our Throwback Adventure today.

In June 2017 Shadow and I had a breathtaking Adventure to Arethusa Falls in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Arethusa Falls, sometimes referred to as Tuckerman Falls, is sourced by the Bemis Brook. It is almost 200 feet in height and is one of the tallest waterfalls in New Hampshire. The trail to Arethusa Falls is approximately a three mils round-trip hike. Part of the Trail is paralleled by the Bemis Brook Trail while following the Bemis Brook, and leading you past the Bemis Brook Falls and Coliseum Falls. It is a popular area for hiking, and ice climbing in the winter months.

One of the most amazing Adventures I have ever taken was this hike I took with Shadow to Arethusa Falls. I remember the trail to the Falls was clearly labeled, filled with rocks, a bridge or two, and other hikers along the way. The main trail was not very inspiring, but the elevation gain was definitely a good work-out. I was super impressed with my rockstar Shadow, (nine at this time) as unlike me, he did not miss a beat!

Upon arrival at the Falls we were immediately drawn to the massive height at the Falls. It was thin in depth,and musical in sound, as misty water streamed over the rocks. We hoped from rock to rock finding a nice place to rest, enjoy the waterfall, and eat a little snack. It was definitely one of the most impressive waterfalls I have seen, and the experience of an exhausting hike made the Adventure even better. We relaxed and enjoyed the Falls for awhile before heading back on the main trail.

On our return trip we cut over to the Bemis Brook Trail. The Trail over to the Bemis Brook Trail was quite steep. I actually remember sitting down and scooting to make sure I did not fall. Upon arrival at the bottom we were pleased at the site of a lovely waterfall, before following the Brook and spotting at least one other waterfall along this trail. There were places for Shadow to swim and drink from the brook. The mountain water was pure in color, gorgeous, and magical in sound. It was so fun to find this side trail as I believe I did not know about these other lovely waterfalls before heading on this journey. This lovely trail completed a day of absolute Perfection! I would highly encourage you to visit the magnificent Arethusa Falls and the Bemis Brook Trail. I will forever remember this special Adventure with my Shadow. Please see a quick video and some photographs below. (I am hoping at a future date I will be able to get the longer video to download) (Rating: 5)

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):

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 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

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)