Backpacking the Kinsmans in the White Mountains of New Hampshire 

6 inches from the bag. This is gold! Thanks! I've seen people doing it faster and couldn't figure out the difference.

What do you mean- get soaked? That tent was just so old that maybe it needed to be re-waterproofed, which I did at some point. That was a good learning experience!

Glad you liked it! That is a place I'd like to camp again someday.

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! 🙂

Thanks. I watched one, probably the one you mean. Good video. I added the link to the description box.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Glad it was helpful!

Ahh, Monroe. That one is high on my list! Must have been so good on that day.

Thanks! Wow, redlining. I often think how these things didn't exist years back and now people have just blown up the old limits. It's amazing what humans can do.

I love the Nemo tent for being lightweight and easy to set up. I'd kind of like a new tent but whenever I shop, I can't find anything better and the prices are crazy. So I keep on using the old Nemo!

@@RachelWhelton Thank you!

You know I just got tired of the personal questions so I don't do email stuff anymore. Feel free to post some questions on here.

Sounds like you know the region. The Jimmy trail is a level up from the Lonesome Lake trail because (1) much longer, (2) sections of large rock where you have to climb over or sit and slide, and (3) sections with water and/or ladders. I tend to lean towards caution and say keep it easy on the recovering leg. Sounds like he could do it. But should he do it? I'd pick the shortest one that is still fun.

Altra Olympus. My favorite shoes ever so far.

Yes, I would give up baked goods for one day in exchange for sleep! To be fair, they weren't the worst kind. Just doing their own thing but sound travels. I should have put my ear plugs in but I was so exhausted I was in a daze of half sleep. Eventually they let out loud yawns and went to bed.