My Hike- Stewart Falls

I thought we were going to go to the Timpanogos Falls hike but the trail wasn't clear. I would have been more adventurous and tried the road less traveled. But there was a helicopter and search parties looking for a hiker who was already lost and had been missing for days. That made me a little more cautious. So we took the well-traveled trail to Stewart Falls.

My Hike- Suspension Bridge

My regular hiking buddies couldn't come on the hike today so I invited some new friends. We hiked to the suspension bridge in Sandy.

Kristi, Becca, me, Mirta, Allyson

We had a great time.

My Hike- Donut Falls

I checked off a bucket list item last week. Donut Falls! At this magical place, the mountain water falls through a hole in the rock into an ice cold pool. 

I tried two other times to get up inside the falls but failed both times. Once about 6 years ago and once last year. So finally getting in there was Awesome!

Sometimes goals and dreams take time and we fall more than once in the process, or it takes longer than we planned, but that doesn't mean we stop trying. Because one day we may stick our feet in that ice cold water, look up and see a donut hole!

Rachel edited the above picture to look like this picture below.

Hikes: Stewart Falls, Timp cave, Ensign Peak

May 18- one of our last hikes before the end of the school year. Once summer begins, our time and hikes are with our families. As it should be.

Stewart Falls

I also got a frequent hiker pass for Timpanogos Cave.

On one of the last days of school, when nothing significant was happening, Camille skipped class and hiked Timp with me.

Another hike we did as a ward family to Ensign Peak. This was in preparation for the youth Pioneer Trek.

July 26, 1847, two days after the Mormon pioneers entered this valley, Brigham Young and party climbed to this point and with the aid of field glasses, made a careful survey of the mountains, canyons, and streams. In the group were Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Ezra T. Benson, Willard Richards, Albert Carrington and William Clayton. Wilford Woodruff, first to ascend the peak, suggested it as a fitting place to "set up an ensign." (Isaiah 11:12). It was then named Ensign Peak. Subsequently, the stars and stripes were raised here.

My Hike: Horse Tail Falls

After about a month of not being able to hike together, Tanya and I made it to Horse Tail Falls. Of course. we had to go a little off-trail to find our way to a good spot to eat a snack, but we did finally find our way back to the trail.:)

My Hike: Salamandar :)

I never remember the real name of this hike but I've done it several times now.

And I never get tired of looking at Timpanogos.

Last year I bought snowshoes so that I could hike in them all this year. Well, it didn't really snow all December and January. February was hit and miss. March, so-so. 

Today we headed up American Fork canyon, hoping for snow. I put the snowshoes in the back of the car. We saw snow, but not enough for snowshoes. Yak-trax did the job just fine. In fact, we ended up hiking through mud the last part of the trail down. 

It was still a great hike. 

And could it not be with a view like this and friends like these.

My Hike: Suspension Bridge

 Suspension bridge in Draper.

I think this is also known as the Bear Canyon bridge.

It was still pretty snowy and I wore the wrong shoes, for sure. But what a view!

My Hike: Jordan River Parkway

We walked about 8 miles? on the Jordan River Parkway. We walked all the way to Bluffdale! We crossed the county line. 

It really is nice to have a trail to walk on that follows the river. And good friends to walk it with.

My Hike: Donut Falls

This week's hike was to Donut Falls. We would have had a lot more slipping and sliding if we hadn't worn our yak-tracks. 

The hike was not difficult and was very beautiful amid the snow.

There was a lot of ice and even running water. Yes, its still that warm!

Here is the donut. You can see the hole in the top and then the cave underneath. I wanted so badly to get up into the cave but we probably needed spikes and I was too chicken without them. 

And as is our fashion, we went off trail a bit before we found the right one. Oh brother!

My Hike: Spanish Fork (not the hotpots)

We were so excited to hike to the hot springs up Spanish Fork canyon. We hiked and hiked and hiked. We could smell the sulfuric odor of the springs but never saw them. Finally, at mile 4, we turned around. Back at the parking lot, we realized we took the wrong trail. (We actually realized that when we hit mile 4 and had to turn around). But in the parking lot we saw the trail we SHOULD have taken.

Speaking of the parking lot. As we were getting in the car, a biker (yes a bicyclist in the snow), approached us and asked how we got in because the gate at the bottom of the road (1 mile away) was locked.

And then we realized we were in trouble. How were we going to get out? And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the gate-keeper was standing there, next to his truck. We followed him down to the gate and he let us out. What's funny is that there were two or three car loads of people wanting in so they could get to the hot pots. So the gate-keeper decided to let people in and just lock up the next day. 

(He said he normally locks the gates for the winter a lot earlier but the weather has been so nice and there has been no snow, so people still want to hike.)

I'm sure all those people (college kids) made it to the hot pots and had a good time. The hot pots we will have to wait to see until late spring because now the gates are locked!

My Hike: Herriman

My hike this week was Yellow Fork Canyon trail in Herriman. It is really beautiful in the winter.

Ooo baby, this was a cold hike. Especially when we dropped into the little gulch valleys. 

The view is pretty though. Look at that layer of inversion. Blech.

There was plenty of snow and ice. We needed our yak-traks for sure. 

And what's a "my hike" without a little goofing around?

My Hike: Squaw Peak and Horse Tail Falls

Not to brag or anything but these two amazing ladies and I hiked Squaw Peak!!! It was hard. It was beautiful. And it took a day to recover. And it was AWESOME!

I've wanted to do this hike for a long time, but to be honest, it kind of scared me. I'd heard it was long, steep and challenging. But we did it! We stood on the Squaw Peak rock.

And had a lot of fun in the process. That's how we roll.

We also hiked to Horse-Tail Falls. Not on the same day though. :) 

I think its just as challenging as Squaw Peak. Its just not as long. 

And its gorgeous. The falls are amazing and a worthy reward for the hike!

My Hike: Bells Canyon

Fall colors up Bell's Canyon in Sandy.

All the way to the waterfall!

This is one of my most favorite places. So beautiful!!!