1 00:00:13,530 --> 00:00:16,900 Kevin Bae: Okay, we arrived at the trail. We are at the 2 00:00:16,976 --> 00:00:21,419 trailhead for the three forks trail. It's just the parking 3 00:00:21,496 --> 00:00:26,398 areas just off the main road but the trails down there somewhere 4 00:00:26,475 --> 00:00:31,147 so we're gonna go find out so the very first thing I met with 5 00:00:31,224 --> 00:00:36,050 is a pretty deep water crisis is immediately so going to try to 6 00:00:36,126 --> 00:00:40,110 get across that log are these rocks see what happens 7 00:00:41,670 --> 00:00:45,240 Unknown: the question is can I make it across this log? We'll 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,680 find out well change my mind not to 9 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:54,180 Kevin Bae: go over the log. But I will choose the rocks I'm too 10 00:00:54,180 --> 00:00:56,400 old to fall off that log in into the water 11 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,360 Unknown: but I'm pretty sure I can make it here All right, here 12 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:03,960 we go 13 00:01:09,330 --> 00:01:23,040 all right. God bless. Come on this way. Let's see. 14 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,060 Kevin Bae: So do I jump over there and do I make it if not, 15 00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:31,650 I'm going into some pretty deep water 16 00:01:36,420 --> 00:01:42,000 Unknown: or I go this way. This is a conundrum. 17 00:01:44,730 --> 00:01:49,650 Kevin Bae: Let's go this way back over towards the lug. 18 00:01:50,820 --> 00:01:56,010 Because then the water is shallower here. Okay, go 19 00:01:56,010 --> 00:01:57,630 Godfrey. Godfrey, go 20 00:01:57,630 --> 00:01:58,620 Unknown: go go Godfrey. 21 00:02:01,890 --> 00:02:06,450 Kevin Bae: And I can for sure step right there. And Macross 22 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:10,980 Unknown: so today's hike 23 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,000 Kevin Bae: is supposed to be about a little over six miles, 24 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:24,270 maybe 6.7 or something like that. To an out and back it ends 25 00:02:26,550 --> 00:02:30,330 an area I guess where you're looking at three forks in a 26 00:02:30,330 --> 00:02:33,030 stream. That's why it's called the Three Forks trail I think 27 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:44,100 filled with these tons of huge rhododendrons that have not been 28 00:02:44,130 --> 00:02:51,570 they're not blooming yet. Probably too cold here and I'm 29 00:02:51,570 --> 00:02:56,370 also trying something new we've got a new wireless microphone 30 00:02:56,370 --> 00:03:00,990 set so this episode will probably be shorter because I 31 00:03:00,990 --> 00:03:06,240 will record as I take video and obviously as I take video that 32 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,390 eats battery I do bring an extra battery with me but I would like 33 00:03:12,390 --> 00:03:18,240 to not use it if I don't have to so this is the beginning of the 34 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:18,690 trail 35 00:03:22,230 --> 00:03:26,220 Unknown: and looks very good day it's about nine o'clock in the 36 00:03:26,220 --> 00:03:31,140 morning roughly about 50 degrees outside right now. 37 00:03:32,430 --> 00:03:34,590 Kevin Bae: I think today's only supposed to be as high as 60 38 00:03:39,030 --> 00:03:40,680 Unknown: so should be pretty comfortable they 39 00:03:53,250 --> 00:03:58,980 go so far this 40 00:03:58,980 --> 00:04:04,830 Kevin Bae: trail looks like it's also an ATV trail. Obviously 41 00:04:04,830 --> 00:04:09,510 people are riding like four wheels, four wheelers and stuff 42 00:04:09,510 --> 00:04:15,960 through here so it's kind of a wide easy to walk trail at least 43 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:25,440 here in the beginning it rained was it yesterday or day before 44 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:26,400 him remember already 45 00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:36,570 so it's a little wet. A little bit messy out here. Some puddles 46 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:45,510 hopefully won't be too bad. There's my dog drinking really 47 00:04:45,510 --> 00:04:46,440 nasty water 48 00:04:52,830 --> 00:04:54,660 got a bit of an overcast sky 49 00:04:58,950 --> 00:05:00,120 Unknown: but otherwise It's 50 00:05:01,979 --> 00:05:04,589 Kevin Bae: really a beautiful day little breezy but not too 51 00:05:04,589 --> 00:05:05,399 not too windy 52 00:05:08,910 --> 00:05:10,860 Unknown: let's go Godfrey let's go 53 00:05:14,910 --> 00:05:18,780 Kevin Bae: so it wasn't too much longer after I last spoke where 54 00:05:18,780 --> 00:05:27,390 the trail did narrow to a walking trail so I'm sure people 55 00:05:27,390 --> 00:05:30,330 could still do like mountain biking here but be very 56 00:05:30,330 --> 00:05:35,970 difficult there's some downed trees across the the trail it's 57 00:05:35,970 --> 00:05:41,160 a little narrower here and now it's like more of a traditional 58 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:41,850 hiking trail 59 00:05:56,370 --> 00:05:57,990 you know, I did a hike on something called the 60 00:05:57,990 --> 00:06:05,460 rhododendron trail and I didn't see any well I guess there were 61 00:06:05,460 --> 00:06:07,860 not like this. There were smaller. I saw I didn't really 62 00:06:07,860 --> 00:06:09,900 consider them rhododendrons, I thought there was something 63 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:15,210 else. These are obviously gigantic. rhododendrons the 64 00:06:15,210 --> 00:06:26,670 leaves are huge over and under and back to my dog. Let's go 65 00:06:29,910 --> 00:06:33,540 just scaling from logs 66 00:06:44,220 --> 00:06:49,620 sort of stream crossing there's like this little earthen bridge 67 00:06:52,710 --> 00:06:53,970 Unknown: over bits of a stream. 68 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:01,410 Kevin Bae: I think they've Yeah, they purposely built a a pastor 69 00:07:01,410 --> 00:07:06,030 so this doesn't get washed out. There's like a big sewer tube 70 00:07:06,030 --> 00:07:11,490 down there. We might better be able to walk through the stream 71 00:07:11,490 --> 00:07:16,440 though. I think. Now it seems we've hit an elevation where 72 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,220 we've left the rhododendrons behind and now it's just pure 73 00:07:20,220 --> 00:07:20,640 pine 74 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:28,290 Unknown: follow these little baby pine trees here underneath 75 00:07:28,290 --> 00:07:34,320 the canopy of giant pines it goes on all through the valley 76 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:39,420 they're very cool 77 00:07:44,850 --> 00:07:45,510 you're cheating 78 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,790 Kevin Bae: you should go over the top Godfrey I can acrobatic 79 00:07:50,790 --> 00:07:53,250 dog you're getting old 80 00:08:00,150 --> 00:08:03,720 more than enough of our fair share of logs to cross 81 00:08:14,970 --> 00:08:17,070 but that makes the trill interest more interesting 82 00:08:19,350 --> 00:08:21,420 especially when you trip over a route and try to kill yourself 83 00:08:21,930 --> 00:08:26,250 yeah yeah. I was always glad to catch those things while 84 00:08:26,250 --> 00:08:29,910 recording both audio and video now 85 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,500 Unknown: All right now we're starting a little bit of a climb 86 00:08:37,500 --> 00:08:39,810 up. We were going down 87 00:08:44,430 --> 00:08:51,150 Kevin Bae: still not too bad. We just try to keep the same pace 88 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:53,700 even if they're smaller steps 89 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:01,260 just keeps my rhythm going. 90 00:09:02,970 --> 00:09:07,890 Unknown: Let's kind of quiet out here today. After my hike 91 00:09:11,070 --> 00:09:14,100 Kevin Bae: during the last week of winter at the at Fort Jago 92 00:09:14,100 --> 00:09:22,020 state park you hear a few birds but not that many. I thought 93 00:09:22,020 --> 00:09:29,550 with spring underway and the fact that it's been kind of 94 00:09:29,550 --> 00:09:34,020 warm. There at least a little early. I'm still getting used to 95 00:09:34,020 --> 00:09:34,800 the weather here. 96 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:42,300 Unknown: I thought there would be more sounds of the season but 97 00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:42,870 not to be 98 00:09:45,390 --> 00:09:48,030 Kevin Bae: all you hear is me. breathing heavy 99 00:09:53,910 --> 00:09:56,610 finally starting to hear some birds and see if I shut up for a 100 00:09:56,610 --> 00:09:57,360 couple of seconds. 101 00:10:17,310 --> 00:10:21,240 So a few we are heading downhill now. So this is the incline that 102 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:25,140 I'm going to have to walk back up after we get to the end of 103 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:31,440 this out and back trail so we're going to be huffing and puffing 104 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:32,580 for a little while on the way back 105 00:10:38,910 --> 00:10:45,450 got some neat little rolling hills on the trail is pretty 106 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,790 steep going down so it's gonna be a treat going up 107 00:10:54,330 --> 00:10:58,170 but it's not that it's not a super long section of the trail 108 00:10:58,170 --> 00:11:05,280 so it shouldn't be that bad. I'll complain anyway, I'm sure 109 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:09,480 Unknown: but yes, 110 00:11:10,620 --> 00:11:13,770 Kevin Bae: I enjoy that. So here's a contradiction I enjoy 111 00:11:13,770 --> 00:11:17,580 the trails when there's inclines, even though you know, 112 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:22,410 they're hard to do sometimes. But you know, when I'm on a 113 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,670 trail is just totally flat, it just seems so boring. So I 114 00:11:26,670 --> 00:11:33,870 complain about what I like I know makes no sense. There's a 115 00:11:33,870 --> 00:11:37,980 nice drop in temperature about five degrees suddenly we 116 00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:42,390 continue to head downhill and then I always liked that feeling 117 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:47,100 because you know you're a little bit warm from the hike and then 118 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:52,350 you get to a certain Valley or whatever, and it gets in the 119 00:11:52,350 --> 00:11:57,240 temperature just drops in so it's really nice. You can really 120 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:01,590 hear the water now from the streams or creeks or whatever 121 00:12:01,590 --> 00:12:02,220 you call them 122 00:12:08,670 --> 00:12:10,740 be interesting to see I don't know if we actually go all the 123 00:12:10,740 --> 00:12:16,950 way down to them or if we have a view above them 124 00:12:22,590 --> 00:12:27,240 so I made a wrong turn. I thought the trail was a little 125 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:35,700 bit unworn. Because there are no real markings here but there 126 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:38,070 looked like there was a side trail. I thought it was just a 127 00:12:38,070 --> 00:12:41,940 side trail but I guess it's the trail right right around this 128 00:12:41,940 --> 00:12:49,170 campfire. This is where we go down should have turned right 129 00:12:49,170 --> 00:12:56,580 instead of going straight to this last bit getting down to 130 00:12:56,580 --> 00:13:02,790 the end is pretty steep. So this this is definitely a moderate 131 00:13:02,790 --> 00:13:08,220 section of the trail. While it's not you're not scrambling over 132 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:14,280 rocks, it is a really steep steep incline and kind of 133 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,680 slippery because of the leaves right now early springs 134 00:13:18,030 --> 00:13:19,290 Unknown: but we're almost down to the bottom 135 00:13:22,230 --> 00:13:26,100 Kevin Bae: so we reached the bottom Godfrey no they here 136 00:13:27,750 --> 00:13:32,220 Unknown: and you could see the rivers flowing pretty hard 137 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:36,900 Godfrey Godfrey this way 138 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,350 Kevin Bae: Mr personality always has to bark at the water market 139 00:14:01,350 --> 00:14:05,880 waterfalls, rivers streams but he can't go swimming here 140 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,020 because he will get swept away in this and then good luck to me 141 00:14:10,020 --> 00:14:15,030 to find them. We'll take a break and then head back up 142 00:14:28,710 --> 00:14:30,570 so when you get down to 143 00:14:30,570 --> 00:14:32,310 Unknown: the bottom you got a cut to the left and kind of walk 144 00:14:32,310 --> 00:14:36,810 through some of the brush the gnarly trees and then you come 145 00:14:36,810 --> 00:14:42,270 to this view which there will be pictures will be a YouTube 146 00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:46,110 video. This is where 147 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:49,110 Kevin Bae: three streams come together. 148 00:14:52,050 --> 00:14:54,510 Unknown: Really very cool. 149 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:05,100 Kevin Bae: Always start the hard climb back up but it was worth 150 00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:10,800 it that was an awesome meeting of streams 151 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:24,960 I'm still don't think this this will ever get old for me very 152 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,530 cool no ere we go climb back up now 153 00:15:31,290 --> 00:15:37,740 Unknown: so fed hike back up from the bottom 154 00:15:39,150 --> 00:15:43,860 Kevin Bae: was everything I thought it would be now we go 155 00:15:43,860 --> 00:15:49,080 back up the trail we're still got quite an incline to go but 156 00:15:50,310 --> 00:15:51,480 it's way more gradual 157 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:57,330 Unknown: and you just pace yourself 158 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:15,630 there we go even Godfreys tired you tired Godfrey think even for 159 00:16:15,630 --> 00:16:21,750 him coming up from the stream was a little bit hard 160 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:30,780 Kevin Bae: in his old bones once we get past his ankle I know 161 00:16:31,740 --> 00:16:33,060 he'll be sailing on through again 162 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,050 Unknown: this uphill climb that's what they say. 163 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:45,930 Kevin Bae: It's cliche 164 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:59,760 water break time how fast can a dog drink one liter of water 165 00:17:01,710 --> 00:17:06,480 pretty quick. Okay, we are officially over the worst of the 166 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:14,370 incline. As you can tell by my steady breath. Now it's just the 167 00:17:14,370 --> 00:17:18,750 endurance trip on the way back hour and a half more might stop 168 00:17:18,750 --> 00:17:21,600 and about 30 minutes to give Godfrey a water break 169 00:17:25,109 --> 00:17:26,069 Unknown: and then we'll be done 170 00:17:37,350 --> 00:17:39,210 Kevin Bae: I don't think I could ask for a better hike right now. 171 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:45,750 Or please. Even with my super tired dog, he must be tired. 172 00:17:45,780 --> 00:17:47,490 It's rare for him to be this slow 173 00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:57,540 so it has gotten really quiet again out here 174 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:01,410 Unknown: Not a peep 175 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:10,050 Kevin Bae: just the sound of Godfreys breath, my feet and 176 00:18:10,050 --> 00:18:15,390 some tinnitus. So I stopped a little earlier than I planned 177 00:18:15,390 --> 00:18:20,400 to. But I made I also made better time than I planned. So 178 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,830 we gave Godfrey his water break by the liter of water he just 179 00:18:25,830 --> 00:18:32,040 took in and it should be okay till we get back because there's 180 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:36,600 that one stream at the end which and all those puddles I'm sure 181 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:41,610 he's gonna drink out of which leads to sometimes a Montezuma's 182 00:18:41,610 --> 00:18:49,740 Revenge later on. Here's a note when you're hiking and you're 183 00:18:49,740 --> 00:18:53,910 sweating and then you take your pack off to give your dog a 184 00:18:53,910 --> 00:18:57,300 drink when you go to put it back on. It is friggin cold unless 185 00:18:57,330 --> 00:19:00,210 you're in the middle of summer because it's like still probably 186 00:19:00,210 --> 00:19:04,950 about 60 degrees here. So I didn't realize that I go to put 187 00:19:04,950 --> 00:19:09,510 it back on and who is like taking a dip in a cold shower or 188 00:19:09,510 --> 00:19:10,230 cold bath 189 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:22,620 you can smell the pine in the forest today. I didn't smell it 190 00:19:22,620 --> 00:19:31,260 earlier when we were walking down to three forks maybe it's 191 00:19:31,260 --> 00:19:34,500 the sun hitting the Pines now or something I don't know I really 192 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:36,210 smell it. Pretty strong 193 00:19:48,660 --> 00:19:51,660 some of these views just looking through the forest are 194 00:19:51,660 --> 00:19:52,440 spectacular. 195 00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:07,020 This part is definitely cool. I've never walked through such 196 00:20:07,020 --> 00:20:13,680 thick forests of rhododendrons. I know I'm repeating myself, but 197 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:19,560 it's cool. It seems sort of like almost like a movie set. It's so 198 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:33,060 thick. I think about the only thing I'm concerned about now is 199 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:40,140 crossing that initial stream when we get back. Because 200 00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:44,040 jumping from rock to rock with fresh legs is one thing. But a 201 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:49,980 57 year old man jumping from rock to rock, after seven miles 202 00:20:49,980 --> 00:20:55,830 of hiking is another question. I know I'll get across just how 203 00:20:55,830 --> 00:20:56,760 wet will I get 204 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:10,140 to be continued. So now we've left the walking trail and back 205 00:21:10,140 --> 00:21:14,340 to the area where ATV ATVs 206 00:21:17,130 --> 00:21:18,120 Unknown: apparently roam 207 00:21:21,990 --> 00:21:25,830 Kevin Bae: means we're not too far away, then comes the dreaded 208 00:21:25,830 --> 00:21:26,910 stream crossing. 209 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:31,650 Unknown: See how it goes 210 00:21:38,310 --> 00:21:45,720 Kevin Bae: back in the thick for the dendron country. So I'm 211 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:50,220 trying something new here with this new tiny wireless 212 00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:55,320 microphone. The reason I'm doing it is because when I hike, I do 213 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,460 use it, I have this little recorder. And I set it up. And 214 00:21:59,460 --> 00:22:02,670 then I just hit record and I walk and I hike and I talk. But 215 00:22:02,670 --> 00:22:07,800 then when I get back, I have like three hours of audio to go 216 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,540 through to edit and chop out you know majority of the silence 217 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,980 because does anybody really want to hear 60 minutes of leaves 218 00:22:17,130 --> 00:22:21,690 being crushed under my feet? Yeah, bad enough. Nobody wants 219 00:22:21,690 --> 00:22:27,840 to hear me talk. So I got these cool little tiny wireless 220 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,310 microphones that have a little dongle, that hook that connects 221 00:22:32,310 --> 00:22:36,720 to the bottom of your phone USBC if you have an iPhone, an older 222 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,230 iPhone, and you have a lightning port, there's one you can get 223 00:22:40,230 --> 00:22:42,930 with the lightning port or you can get one for have like a 224 00:22:42,930 --> 00:22:52,230 combo pack that has lightning, USB C and A for a camera, hot 225 00:22:52,230 --> 00:23:00,930 shoe and mini plug out. It has like noise cancelling. And 226 00:23:00,930 --> 00:23:06,210 they're just these really tiny circular microphones that are 227 00:23:06,210 --> 00:23:10,020 magnetic, they'll stick to pick up these little tiny magnetic 228 00:23:10,020 --> 00:23:12,180 mounts, and they're almost invisible 229 00:23:21,090 --> 00:23:25,680 so this way, only record the times when I'm taking some 230 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:31,650 video. It'll make it easier to string things together, I think 231 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,610 and then just make it one solid recording, I won't have to 232 00:23:35,970 --> 00:23:41,700 instead of chopping it up. It's more putting it together. And 233 00:23:41,700 --> 00:23:43,620 it'll be easier to I think 234 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,140 Unknown: match pictures 235 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,900 Kevin Bae: to the audio if you're using a modern podcast 236 00:23:51,900 --> 00:24:00,000 app because the way I have this podcast set up is there are 237 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:07,080 chapters and chapter images. So when the chapter changes, the 238 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,760 image changes who you know I ideally I would have a picture 239 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:16,170 like right now you would see a photo of Godfrey walking on the 240 00:24:16,170 --> 00:24:18,570 trail in front of me because that's what's in front of me 241 00:24:18,570 --> 00:24:21,420 right now while I'm talking and that was my original idea but it 242 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:25,950 was just too cumbersome to try to match up the photos to what I 243 00:24:25,950 --> 00:24:34,230 was talking about. So I'm gonna try it this way. See how that 244 00:24:34,230 --> 00:24:34,680 goes 245 00:24:40,140 --> 00:24:43,440 when you want to take the long way around, stay out of the mud. 246 00:24:46,830 --> 00:24:48,630 The answer to that is no clearly. 247 00:24:53,820 --> 00:24:57,780 Unknown: Go Go, go move it 248 00:25:03,929 --> 00:25:06,389 Kevin Bae: We're getting near the end because I can start to 249 00:25:06,389 --> 00:25:13,319 hear some cars which means the stream crossing is coming I 250 00:25:13,319 --> 00:25:16,649 don't know if I'll record it trying to get across that or not 251 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:24,060 don't know if I want that kind of comedy 252 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:30,960 special behavior 253 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:49,200 so there is the stream the cars above the stream let's see what 254 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:50,700 kind of racks I can have across 255 00:25:56,490 --> 00:25:58,410 there's clearly nothing there so I have to go this way 256 00:26:13,980 --> 00:26:15,150 get across here 257 00:26:20,820 --> 00:26:21,600 Unknown: Okay, let's go 258 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:42,660 Kevin Bae: gotta get across here. Pretty. Yeah. You're still 259 00:26:42,660 --> 00:26:44,280 spring in the old man step 260 00:26:52,410 --> 00:26:59,280 that concludes this hike the exciting part of this hike. Head 261 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:05,580 on over to the casual hike.com hit up the donate button if 262 00:27:05,580 --> 00:27:11,610 you'd like anything you heard or saw. And God great. I will catch 263 00:27:11,610 --> 00:27:12,390 you up next week.