The Mountains Are Calling & I Must Go

So, Utah is rad - I've lived here most of my life and continue to be amazed by its beauty.  Over the past few years we have done a little bit of hiking with the kids.  This year, with so many activities canceled, and a lot of our favorite places closed, getting outside on a trail has suddenly become one of our favorite things to do.

One afternoon I decided we had been home long enough.  Tim was in Ogden with the big kids so I packed up the littles and we headed to the Y trail.  It may have been a little ambitious for our first hike of the season, but these two troopers made it to the top.  It took a few bribes, including the promise of a drink at each of the 12 turns, but they did it.  When we got to the Y, they were amazed at how big it was, and that they actually made it so high.  They love looking up at the mountain when we are driving around Provo and talking about the time they hiked all the way up.  This will always be one of my favorite hikes with these two.

While we were off hiking, Tim, Brycen and Gayle found a new area of Ogden to explore. 

Some of our best explorations have been close to home.  We love living so close to the Provo River Trail, and this spring have spent a lot of time walking those paths.  It's perfect for a Sunday stroll...

Or an outing with friends...Luke's and his buddy Sonny were really missing each other, so we decided a walk on the river trail was a great place to let all of the kids get together and play.  

Ruby is always thrilled when she can hang out with GiGi

Take II with these fun friends

After the steep hills of the Y mountain trail, I decided that we better find something a little tamer for our next adventure.  I have been wanting to hike to the Draper Suspension Bridge for quite some time and was excited when we were finally able to make it happen.  The kids and I go on a lot of hikes while Tim is visiting the big kids, so we were all super excited to have him with us. The trail was perfect - not too steep, and plenty of views and details for the kids to explore. 

And the bridge was awesome!!

While looking for a trail that wouldn't be too busy, I found a map for Bridesmaid Falls in Provo Canyon.  I was a little surprised when the directions led us to the parking lot for Bridal Veil Falls, but we quickly left that busy area and turned onto the Bonneville Shoreline trail.  It was the best trail, not too steep, beautiful views and a lot of shade.

About the time the kids were getting tired, we spied the waterfall in the distance.

We finally arrived at the waterfall and could see a trail that would lead us closer to the base.  There was a lot of shale and loose gravel and it seemed like it might be too much for me and the two kids.  But, Luke was insistent that we make it all the way to the water....so, we decided to hike up the rockfall where everything seemed to be a lot more secure.  We made it, and it was beautiful, and a nice hiker even offered to take our picture so we could remember our triumph.  And then, we realized that we had to get back down.  Not going to lie, as I looked at the trail, then the rockfall, neither seemed like a great option and I started to wonder if we had gotten in over our heads.  There had only been a few other hikers on the trail and by the time we started down, we were pretty much alone.  Luckily, Luke figured out how to crab crawl, and did a great job making it to the bottom.  Coaxing Ruby down was a little more interesting.  She was so scared of falling, and got more nervous every time a rock moved.  I finally convinced her to crab crawl, and then did a combination of holding her hand, and hiking beside her until we made it back to solid ground.  I was super relieved that we made it down without any issues, and really proud of my two little mountain goats.  

Once we made it to the bottom I took this picture to try to show how precarious it had been for us to get to the bottom.  It doesn't quite do it justice, but trust me, it was a rough descent. 

It's been several years since we have hiked to the Payson Grotto - in fact, we think the kids were probably babies the last time we went.  One of the best parts about this hike is the drive to get there - over the years I have spent a lot of time in Payson Canyon and it is really one of my favorite places.

Right as we were ready to start hiking, our friends that were driving up the canyon saw us and stopped to chat.  Their kids got out of the car and everyone had a great time playing in the river.  

This trail is so short, but the payoff is amazing!