Wednesday night, we drove up to our condo in NH so that we could take our official inaugural hike of the year. Energy or not, I was determined to do a spring hike. Usually, we hike Welch\Dickey. Since I've been slowing down a lot, though, I figured it would be a little too intense for me right now so we found a shorter hike that seemed more manageable. So, Thursday we had a leisurely morning then made the 30 minute drive down to the north side of the NH lakes region for a hike on Red Hill.
The hike was a pretty gradual climb with a gain of about 1400 feet of elevation to a Fire Tower and nice view over Squam Lake. I very quickly realized that hiking uphill for a 7 month pregnant lady is HARD. I took breaks very frequently to catch my breath and Mike was very patient waiting for me. About half way up, we came to the remains of an old homestead.
Root Cellar Remains
After this mid way point, I started to doubt the logic of me making a hike this year. However, I was still determined to see what great view was in store and kept going. I'm glad I did because it was a great view over Squam Lake:
Proof That I Made It (And Proof of the Big Belly)
The Self Portrait
The way down was much easier for me aerobically, but my back and knees definitely started talking and I was happy to be back at the car after an hour descent. Not that I'm at all competitive (haha!) but even though I felt slow as molasses, I was proud to have made the round trip hike (not including our 20 minute snack break at the top) in the recommended 2 hours and 20 minutes posted at the bottom of the trail. Not bad for a pregnant lady!Wildlife was hiding during our hike....we didn't even catch a glimpse of a chipmunk. However, in the car on the dirt road just outside of the parking area, Mike saw a large bird fly across the road and stop in a tree. We stopped to take a look. It was a Pileated Woodpeaker which, according to my Audubon guide, is a rare site! Here's a great shot we got of him with Mike's zoom lens:
So, in the end, I was really happy that I made the hike. However, I've decided that any outdoor hiking that may be done in the next couple of months will be done on level ground. It was definitely a tough endeavor for me. I've also decided that those women that you hear of training for marathons and other great physical feats during pregnancy are certifiably insane! I mean, I'm pretty determined to stay physically active and even I'm admitting defeat. I can't even fathom their mindset! Geez!
