We have really been trying to get out and take advantage of the beautiful weekend weather here in Oregon. Two weekends ago we hiked up to Wahclella Falls and had a great time so this past weekend we decided to hike Latourell Falls.While I knew that this hike was going to be more challenging I didn’t expect it to be quite as much of a challenge as it was for me.
When choosing a hike I was looking for something that was had an elevation gain no more than 550ft and was between 2-3 miles round trip. Well, Latourell Falls hike has an elevation gain for 540ft and is 2.4 miles round trip. I thought this would be the perfect hike! Well it was a great hike but shortly into it (I’m talking about a half mile in) it really started to kick my ass. Who knew a 540ft elevation gain was really a lot more than I thought? To top it off the hike begins at a higher elevation than the Wahclella Falls Hike and add in that I’m a week further along in this pregnancy which also makes hikes more challenging.
Anyways I brought my hiking polls with me just in case I decided that I might need a little extra support and when we reached the half mile point and I realized we still had to go up and up and up before we started to go down (a little more up) and then down, down, down I decided that it was time to take them out. Looking back at things I should have started with them from the beginning because it this hike started with a pretty steep incline right from the start, at least there are lots of switch backs; if we had been in VT doing this hike we would have been going straight up!
By the time we reached the half way point I was slowly treking along behind Neil who was wearing Edith. Feeling proud that at nearly 22 weeks pregnant I was out there hiking but also feeling a little embarrassed at just how slow I was going and remembering back to the 10-15 mile hikes that Neil and I used to do back in VT where to be quite honest the trails were considerably harder in comparison.
We completed the hike and it felt great but let me tell you that all future hikes will be ones in the easy category with a 400ft or less elevation gain because while I managed to do this hike I know that as my pregnancy progresses that hikes categorized as ‘easy’ are a better option for me!
Q: What are you favorite types of hikes? Have you hiked in Oregon?
P.S. This is the link to the hike we did around Latourell Falls.
Weekend Snapshots: Latourell Falls | Naturally Family
[…] Read my full post about our hike over on Running With Tongs. […]
I’m just about to write about my experience of hiking so far in my pregnancy – I’m only 15 weeks along, but hiking got harder right from the start, even before I knew I was pregnant. I feel great and totally normal on flats and downhills, but the slightest uphill makes my heartrate skyrocket and I have to walk sooooo slowly to be able to keep a conversational pace. Even walking up the stairs in my house leaves me gasping for breath!
It’s crazy how even if you feel fit before pregnancy how that all can change so quickly! We have stairs to go to the main living area in our house and going up and down them I am going slower and slower each week.
Have you guys been up to Mount Rainier yet? I hear Edith Creek Basin calling your (well, your daughter’s) name! http://www.pacificcreststock.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/creek.jpg
We haven’t yet but it’s on our ‘to do’ list although it probably won’t be until next Spring. I think we will have to visit Edith Creek Basin! Thanks for sharing!