Trip Report/Photos from Gandalf
For our second hike in the Lakes Region to get away from snowy trails we went up to Red Hill. It’s a short hike to a fire tower overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake. It’s only 1.7 miles to the summit but it has 1,370 feet of elevation gain so I’d call this a moderate hike.
The weather was perfect with sunny skies, blue skies and temperature nearing 70. It was our first hike this year when we could wear shorts! There were about a dozen dogs enjoying the trail and it turned out to be a great hike.
The trail was completely snow free. It was a fairly easy 1.7 miles to the summit. At the summit, we had an awesome view of Lake Winnipesaukee. There were a few people in the fire tower so we decided to have lunch first until everybody left. What a view from the fire tower! Lakes all around and peaks arrayed to the north along the Sandwich Range – a fine reward for so easy hike. We saw Mt. Shaw and Black Snout that we climbed last Saturday and could even see Mt. Monadnock far south.
Later on the evening we had dinner with GO members Kevin and Scott at Lemon Grass in Center Harbor. It was great reconnecting over delicious Asian fusion cuisine. Next time you climb Red Hill, grab a bite to eat at Lemon Grass before you head home. If heading east, it’s behind the plaza after Meredith Village Savings Bank [i.e., the sign is difficult to see].
