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Thanks! Not doing as much hiking lately due to age however, getting positive comments always helps motivate me to keep on hiking. Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks Pam! I'll have to look for that slab the next time I'm there. Wish that beautiful place was not such a long drive from North Texas! Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks Mike! Yes, camping by a creek has many benefits in addition to the supply of water. There is nothing like the sound of it as you fall asleep under the stars. I agree, being out in the wilderness is good medicine. Thanks for watching! Mark

Hello Andrew! Thanks for your comment! Watching your channel is part of the wife & I's evening routine. Going to watch the new Wind River video tonight. Having the opportunity to backpack in winter comes with a price. It's 100 degrees here in TX right now so we are anxiously waiting for the cooler months which start in October....we hope. Until then, we will just live vicariously through you and your videos. Funny story about this Arkansas hike was that it was supposed to be a 27 mile loop (Eagle Rock Loop) over 4 or 5 days. I suffered a few setbacks including a pack that was way too heavy at over 40 pounds and waking up covered in frost on the first night. My sleeping bag was soaked. So, I decided to bail on my original plan and try again at a later date. At my age - 67, I need to lower my expectations and definitely lighten the load, especially when it comes to camera gear and batteries. Speaking of cameras, I absolutely love the time lapse work you do. Maybe you should make a video explaining how you create those sequences both from a settings standpoint and in post production. Thanks again for the comment. Safe travels to you & Lacey. Mark

Hello Zach! 7 years ago Wow! Thanks for the comment. Ah yes.....Cheeseburger Time! I have kind of abandoned that gimmick because another RUclipsr that makes hiking videos has been using it far longer than I. I'll have to come up with a new gimmick (even though I kinda sorta snuck it in at the end of this recent video) I'm retired now from teaching and hope to get in a few more hikes before the legs get too old. Turned 67 last month. Take Care and if you still stay in touch with any of your Evans MS 8th grade science students, tell them I said hello! Mark

Thank you sooo much for the comment! I like how you say, "let the trail speak for itself." You couldn't have said it any better. As far as the camera, I used a GoPro Hero 11. I also used a GoPro 7 but more so for "walk bys" or stream crossings where it was mounted stationary. Most of the videos on my channel were taken using the GoPro 7 however there are some older videos that are very shaky because I used a Sony a6000 camera. Thanks again for watching and the kind compliment! Mark

Thank you Phil. Appreciate the comment!

Thanks Matt! Hope all is going well with you! Mark

Thanks for watching y'all! Had planned on doing the whole ER loop however, the combination of a pack that was too heavy (43 lbs), my age, and the wet sleeping bag made me decide to play it safe and just do the out and back. Seems like the older I get, the more stuff finds its way into my pack. Why is that? Guess we just get gear happy or maybe we want more creature comforts as the knees & back get older. HA! So many trails.....so little time. Take care and thanks again to my fellow Texas hikers! Mark - McKinney

@@mhammann57 we can relate to all of what you said. It’s hard to find the balance of comfort while hiking vs comfort at camp!! Take care!!

Thanks for watching! Appreciate the comment! Mark

Thanks David! Yes....finally! I feel the same way. I've definitely become a little too lazy as I age. :) Best - Mark

Thank you so much for your comment. That hike meant a lot to me. Best part about the hike was that (unknown to me) the auto road to the mountaintop was closed that day. When I summited, I was the only one there. Very surreal in light of the fact that I climbed the mountain in honor of him. Thanks again for watching. Mark

Sorry for the late reply. Trail from Baker to Johnson was inconsistent. Navigation was not impacted significantly though. Camping at Baker was limited. Maybe 5 or 6 depending on how much seclusion you desire and how close to the lake you wanted to be. Same for Johnson which is very open. (fewer trees). I do recommend hiking this loop counterclockwise due to the fact that the descent to Johnson is so steep. Climbing it by going clockwise would be very challenging because of the loose rock. Don't miss summiting Pyramid peak. Awesome views but can be very windy. Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks for the comment Stephen! We started from the easternmost trailhead. Just past the 39:00 minute mark in the video I explain the location of the trailhead in Allison, AR using an aerial image. The campsite with the nice waterfall was about 2 miles from where we started. It sits kind of hidden off the left side of the trail right after crossing a broad creek (the one that the waterfall is on). The creeks will probably not have as much water in the fall. The area had quite a bit of rain the day before we hiked and the creeks and waterfalls were flowing well because of it. If you wait for the cooler temps and for the leaves to change color it will be a beautiful hike. There is much more to the trail toward the northwest. Thanks again for watching! Safe travels! Mark

Thanks for the comment! Sorry to take so long answering your question. The silver mat was cut from a roll of something called "Double Reflective Insulation" found at Home Depot. Very light and has many uses. On cold nights I put it under the tent. I also use it in the vestibule of my tent to have a clean place to kneel getting in and out. Very versatile, lightweight, and not expensive. The bubbled plastic layer between the foil covering makes it comfortable for sitting/laying/kneeling on the ground. It's not quite enough padding to sleep on, at least for me. Hope that helps. Thanks again! Mark

Awesome, thanks for the info!! @@mhammann57

Thanks for the comment! Hoping to return someday and hike the northern area of the Gila River. Safe travels! Mark

Thank you for the comment! Yes, beautiful country indeed! Mark

Thanks for the comment Mike! The Great Basin hike will always be one of my favorites. I checked out your channel and was impressed. Great variety of destinations including many I have never heard of. And the time lapse stuff is really cool! Wish I had a catchy name for my channel like you have. Funny...we have almost an identical number of subscribers with you beating me out by 3! And you did it in a fraction of the time it took me. Keep up the great work. Thanks again for watching. Safe travels! - Mark

Thanks for the comment & view Jimmy! It's hard to stay away from the woods for very long. Hopefully I'll have more opportunity after I retire in a few months. Mark

Appreciate the comment @ervinslens! Nothing like wilderness to find peace & serenity. Getting harder and harder every day. Thanks again! Mark

Thanks y'all! Here's to an adventurous new year to our fellow YouTubin' hiking couple from Texas. Mark & Cheryl

Thanks Matt! Best to you and family in the new year! Maybe time to dust off the boots & backpack and requalify for your hiking merit badge! Safe travels! Mark

@@mhammann57 thanks hope your New Years was good as well. Actually hiked the buffalo river trail up in Arkansas in November and it was cold hahaha. I’m working on planning a big bend trip for April!

Thanks for the comment! Definitely keep that on your bucket list. We would like to have hiked a couple more miles east along Caney Creek but that campsite was too hard to pass up. Maybe try again during peak fall colors in late Oct/early Nov. Hope your new year is filled with exciting new adventures and beautiful places to explore in the great outdoors! Mark & Cheryl

Thanks for the comment VIDEOAC3D! And thank you for confirming what I have always believed, that musical scores only detract from the true sounds of nature be they loud and thundering like the Stillwater or as a gentle small stream. I want to return to the Stillwater and experience it during spring melt like you did. I wonder how it was last spring when they had the historic floods in the area. Probably impossible to get anywhere near it. Safe travels and thanks again for watching. Mark

Thanks for the comment! Nice to know the videos are being watched as far away as the Philippines!

Thanks for the comment CwB! The communication device is a DeLorme (now Garmin) InReach for Smartphones that can send simple messages or SOS in emergencies. It is an older model that can connect to a smartphone for mapping and custom texting. I have since replaced in with a Garmin InReach Explorer+ which does not require a smartphone and has more features. Thanks again for watching! Safe travels! Mark

Thanks for the comment HL2! Total miles was about 12 for the three days (3 + 5 + 4). I hope you have the chance to do the hike - or any hike in the Smokies. It is truly a beautiful place, especially if you can go in the cooler off season when the colors are at their peak, the bugs & humidity are gone, and the campsites aren't as crowded. Views of the surrounding landscape open up after some of the leaves have fallen. Safe travels and thanks for watching! Mark & Cheryl

@@mhammann57 Thank you for writing back. Looking forward to watching more of your adventures.

Thanks Crypto! Appreciate the comment!

Much appreciated Mark! Focusing on nature's sounds & scenery is exactly what I try to accomplish. The idea of STILLNESS will be a guiding influence in future projects. Thanks and safe travels!

Agreed! Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks Andrew. Interesting that the area was your old stomping grounds. I've always had a hard time defining how the west is different than the east. Both have their own beauty but I've struggled to find the words to describe the uniqueness of each. Maybe young and dramatic vs old and serene. Hmmmm....have to keep working on that. Thanks for compliment at 3:50. Would love for you to post a video on creating the night sky time lapses that are so incredible in your videos. I want to work those in to future videos. Some of the darkest skies in N America are 8-10 hours west of me near Big Bend NP. Thanks again for watching and safe travels!!! Mark

You're right! Only met one other person in three days. Thanks for your comment! Mark

Thank you Khera! Love the "feet" icon! Mark

Thank you Jay for the compliment! Just wish Smokies were a little closer to me in Texas. If they were I'd go every weekend. Mark

Thanks to my fellow Texas hiking RUclipsrs!

Appreciate the comment David! Covid put a kink in several plans to hike but it couldn't keep us off the trail for long. Thanks for watching! Mark

The effort to make sure a campfire is completely dead out takes more effort than some are willing to invest. Careless fools! Great Smoky Mountains video should be uploaded in next couple of weeks. Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks for the advice John. You're right, Mt. Washington can become dangerous if not prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. Glad you enjoy the videos! My next video (Great Smoky Mountains) should be uploaded soon. Thanks for watching! Mark

I guess real hikers burn their thumbs a lot! Ha! Thanks for watching and I hope you can check this hike off your list soon. Safe travels! mark

It can get busy however, we were there on the W, Th, & F of Thanksgiving week. It was a little busy on that Friday. Avoiding weekends and holidays when school is out might be wise. I learned of the area from a hiking video by David Gray (not the musician). Unfortunately, he hiked the area during a drought and didn't have the beautiful scenery along the streams like we did. Campsite reservations had to be made online ahead of time. Hint: Alum Gap site 4 is awesome - right on the rim. Someday I'd like to go back and hike trails on the east side. Fall/winter is our favorite time to hike because the views open up after the leaves have fallen. Thanks for watching! Mark

Thanks Michael. Will check out your channel. Looks like we visit a lot of the same places! Just got back from Great Smokies. Gotta get to work on that video. Safe travels! Mark

Thanks Randy! Appreciate the comment!

This is absolutely the best time of year to hike this trail. Colors will be at their peak in a week or two. Safe travels!

Thanks Zoomdak! If you don't stop to take in the scenery you can make the out & back in less than an hour from parking lot. Plan for at least twice that because you'll want to stop and enjoy. Water flow is best in late spring/early summer due to snowmelt. Safe travels!

Distance about 1 mile round trip.

@@mhammann57 Thanks for the info!

Might add that the hike to Woodbine Falls at end of video is a separate hike that originates from same area. It is a little longer. Best if you hike to the overlook for the falls at sunset when light hits the water.

@@mhammann57 excellent to know, appreciate it!

Thank you Jaqueline! The forest service decided to conduct a controlled burn at McGee Creek to reduce chances of a wildfire. It looked pretty bad last fall - like walking in a charcoal forest. Hoping it recovers soon since its my go to for a weekend trip to the woods from my home in N Texas. Safe travels!

Thank you and that's very useful information. We live in NE Texas, too and were planning a trip there very soon. We might reroute on that note. Thank you again

Wanted to update you on McGee Creek. I was there a couple of weeks ago and the area has recovered nicely. We hiked from the upper parking lot to wildcat canyon and it didn't appear to be affected very much by last year's burn. In fact, I think the burn may have only affected the SW part of the area along the West Branch Trail. This time we stayed at campsite B3 instead of our preferred site at B5. Also, there wasn't any water except for in the main streams (Bugaboo Canyon & Little Bugaboo Creek) so take lots if you overnight. Hope you can get the chance to go before things start warming up this summer and the bugs return. You can find an excellent topo map at ouachitamaps dot com. Safe travels! Mark

@@mhammann57Thank you for this information! We're waiting on a little warmer weather and are going to camp there. We're so ready to just get our backpacks on and go! Thanks again!

Thanks for comment Matt! I would love to go late summer/early fall for the weather and lower numbers of mosquitoes. Have to wait until I retire from teaching I guess. Safe travels!

Nothing beats a Jetboil for preparing dehydrated backpacking meals and coffee. I get fast boil times with minimal fuel use. A model called the MiniMo is my go to for most trips.

Thanks Keith!