Franconia Trails Ridge Hike

[shsiong]

yesterday, i went on a day long hike with fellow members of the running club (about 16 of us total) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. we did the Franconia Ridge Loop (9 miles). it was pretty much my first time hiking - i don't usually hike for hiking's sake - maybe walk up/down some trails here and there when i'm out in a state park or something. although i was interested in going, i didn't originally sign up for it, not knowing what to expect and thinking it'd be too intense for me. well, it definitely was an intense hike - it was ~ 4000 ft. vertical climb up a mountain. no dirt trail paths we were climbing up either. lots of stones and large rocks all the way up and 95% of the way. let me just say that my knees were definitely talking to me during the hike, as well as my butt. thank goodness we had good weather - very moderate, about 60s with some breezes. if it had been hotter or humid, i doubt i could've made it. i kept thinking about how great it'd feel to reach the top of the mountain (which would mean no more climbing up!) - but every time we reached a peak, there would be yet ANOTHER peak to climb. sob, sob. we did get to rest every now and then so it wasn't too bad. but when you are climbing 3 hrs. up and hiking down a steep rocky path for 3 hrs, you are SO looking forward to a long shower and your cozy bed at home. we had lunch once we reached the first of 4 peaks. our organizer even brought some wine! i only had a few sips since i figure if i get sleepy and disoriented easily, having a glass of wine while i'm climbing up and down a mountain was NOT a good idea. thanks to some great advice i got from friends before the hike, i was well prepared. went to Trader Joe's the night before and stocked up on bottled water, trail mix, beef jerky, etc. even brought some peanut M&Ms and a small can of triple espresso with cream. i know, the espresso was overdoing it but in case i was incredibly tired, i would NEED a caffeine kick. hey, whatever it takes to make sure i can make it back! ;-) didn't end up needing it though. since we were warned to prepare for weather ranging from 50-80, i brought a lot of clothing just in case. i ended up wearing shorts, sleeveless T and a windbreaker. it gets really windy and somewhat cold up in the mountain tops so i was very grateful we were recommended to bring a windbreaker. i wore my hiking boots (which i actually wear to trek around the snow during the winter). some people were extra prepared and brought comfy shoes to change into after the hike - was very jealous since i didn't bring a pair. i had seen a pair of athletic Merrel sandals once that were SOO comfy. was tempted to buy them but didn't. now i'm kicking myself. next time i see something like that, i'm going to snatch up a pair at the first opportunity. we all had dinner later in N. Woodstock at the Woodstock Inn. Many people had the steak they were craving during the hike. I'm not much of a steak/meat person so I opted to salmon instead. However, by the time we had dinner (about 9pm), I was very sleepy and didn't have much of an appetite. Didn't get home until past midnight. Since I woke up early to leave the house by 6:45am, I was exhausted. Immediately after a much needed shower, I dove into bed and slept very, very well.
I would go hiking again - but not for a long while...