Fun fact: I’m what some people would consider a “hardcore” Lord of the Rings fan. As a child growing up in the typically flat lands of Finland and Florida, my eyes always grew wide in wonder at the descriptions of traversing mountaintops, battling orcs, and facing countless dangers through rain or shine with a band of merry, trusted companions. Well my dreams came true in a way during the week we spent preparing for our annual Squam Ridge Race.
The race is a fun for all ages 12 and 4-mile run through the lower Squam ridge. There’s a lot of behind the scenes magic that goes into pulling it off. Amongst the gathering of materials, counting of inventory, and general madness, I got to participate in the marking of miles. At 5:30 am, my fellow AmeriCorps members Danielle and Adel dragged me out of bed and the three of us began packing our backpacks for the long day ahead. Loaded up with hammers, staple guns, boxes of nails, and mile markers, we met up with our facilities manager Katri and made our way to Burleigh Farms. The sun rose over the lake in bright hues of red and orange, the trees seemed to be glowing in the golden light, and we were blessed with a roadside view of a family of moose (first moose sighting!) standing in an open field.
The day was off to a great start and our spirits were high as we parked and began the 12-mile trek that would take us down Route 113, up Mt. Percival, and down to Mt. Livermore with a final circle around the cow pasture. Our roles in this Fellowship of the Ridge naturally fell into place. Danielle was our navigator and medic, Adel was our technician and motivator, I was the melee muscle, and Katri was our knowledgeable wizard who taught us everything we needed to know and sent us on our journey.
Like any fantastical adventure, it was slow going with lots of stopping. Halfway through the day the clouds rolled in and began unleashing buckets of rain. Our daring trio persisted still, keeping each other going with words of encouragement and dreams of warm drinks and pizza waiting at home. Finally, as the sun began to set, we made our final descent down the mountains. Darkness crept in and as we reached our last half mile, Katri (our very own Gandalf) appeared with a bright light to bring us home. Overall it took 14 hours to complete our 12-mile quest. We were sore and tired but smiling and proud of what we’d accomplished. The Ridge Race was a smashing success and a joyful occasion for everyone involved.
As I write this now, the longer adventure of being here in New Hampshire with the Squam Lakes Association is coming to an end. I’ve hiked endless miles and mountains, explored around the lake, interacted with countless people, and formed bonds with my fellow AmeriCorps members and the staff here. Squam has chipped a special place into my heart and I’ll always look on my time here with a warm nostalgia. I’m not sure what the future holds, so I’ll take a cue from Bilbo as I end my last conservation journal.
And she lived happily ever after… to the end of her days.
Qiyah is wrapping up her half-term of service with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps- totaling over 900 hours of service with the Squam Lakes Association! We appreciate Qiyah's uplifting attitude and attention to detail. You can read more about Qiyah here.