May 31, 2020

Went back to church for a Sacrament meeting that was Covid adjusted. 

May 30, 2020

One more May hike to add to the awesome month of hiking in May. D and I tried a new loop. Ridge trail to the Little Deer Creek trail. It went up and around for a long 6.5 mile loop back to the Summit. Fun to be on a new trail and it was pretty. Then it rained with thunder and lightning which Baylie and I did not like. Then home for some Chinese food.  (Where our take out boxes said Muchas Gracias.  :))

I was able to hike over 60 miles in May.  Wahoo!

May 29, 2020

Good chill evening enjoying the summer evening and our backyard. Sat in the back and read a book and threw the frisbee to Baylie - it was relaxing. I love summer.

Some summer days you can just run to Richfield for a quick afternoon visit to your parents like we did yesterday.  And enjoy some Ideal Dairy punch bags while we're at it.

May 26, 2020

Found a good after Darren work hike. 3.5 miles with lots of shades of green. It was also Baylie approved. Although she would probably approve any hike.

May 25, 2020

There’s a dirt road that crosses the south part of Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold called the Burr Trail. Along this trail are the Burr Trail Switchbacks. These switchbacks give you incredible views and access to other side of the Fold and is an amazing feat of a road up the side of a mountain. My dad worked for UDOT for over 40 years so after driving this part of the road I asked my dad if he had helped with the road. He said he had a little over the years but that my Uncle Ted (my dad’s older brother who also worked for UDOT) was a big part of converting the old dangerous Burr Trail into the awesome road it is today. Kinda cool thinking of people this Memorial Day who have made things better for us to enjoy.

May 24, 2020

D and I went camping on the east side of Capitol Reef in the Waterpocket Fold area.

Things to remember - trying to order from Sunglow as they kept saying, “We actually don’t have that.”  Burr Trail Switchbacks. Finding Trinity Arch for D as he had found all the other arches.Finally hiking Upper Muley Twist. Cool view from on the white rim. Side canyon find of a cool arch. Awesome slot canyon. Camp was windy but not too windy. Realizing we set up camp at a trailhead. Finding petrified waves. Chili Fritos has become the go to camping dinner. Watching some Iron Man in the trailer. The stars and seeing the Milky Way. Driving back through the main part of Capitol Reef and being thankful the thousands of people didn’t come to the east side where we were.

May 21, 2020

Had a good hiking morning. We hiked 6 miles from Pine Hollow trailhead to the Summit trailhead and back down for a lollipop. It was just such a wonderful walk through the new green. After we made it to Pine Hollow first meadow, it was a gentle uphill.

May 20, 2020

Cam and Sadie jumping on the trampoline tonight and laughing in the dark just made me smile.

May 18, 2020

I like these days with longer sunlight. D and I took Baylie to one of my favorite meadows this evening. It’s above Tibble Fork and so pretty in May when the green comes out.

May 16, 2020

We have baby birds in our shed and I just love sitting in the backyard and listening to them chirp when mama comes to feed them. We haven’t been able to see them but we can hear them. Seems like maybe a gospel principle.

May 15, 2020

Kodachrome was be-awesome! We definitely wanted one more day. But the days we had were so great and just what Darren and I needed. Having Sadie along was fabulous.

Wednesday - left mid morning with a stop in Richfield to see my parents. It was good to see them as it has been 3 months. They were happy to see us. Found my dad puttering in the back. :). Sadie chose McDonald’s for lunch.  Set up camp in site 10 at Kodachrome state park. It was a fabulous site - would stay there again (it had a shaded picnic table and was on the outside part of the circle.) Then it was hammocking and drawing and eating crackers with spray cheese and enjoying the camping atmosphere. Dinner was chili Fritos and a not very good fettuccine alfredo. Evening had a hike to Panorama Point (2.5 miles). Flowers were scarce but coming. View was good and the sign was struggling. :). We saw the Fred Flintstone rock and found out Sadie knows who Fred flintstone is thanks to Fruity Pebbles. Then it was back to the trailer where Sadie set up some string lights and we watched Phineas and Ferb (Whalemingo and ruthless episodes) and then slept to a cold night. 

 

Thursday. Hammock morning while D hiked to Angels Palace. After breakfast we spent the day along Cottonwood Road. First hike was Cottonwood Wash and then Lower Hackberry Canyon. Things to remember - Sadie’s animal facts, finding rocks, stay left at the first of the hackberry hike (or you’ll go the wrong way and find lots of cow poop), amazing snack spot on a sand bar where D played the song Kodachrome that I had never heard before and liked, walking through the water and mud barefoot (Sadie did not like that at all so D gave her a piggyback ride to the sand bar), and Darren picking up a thin black thing to then realize it was a worm. :). On the way back to camp we stopped at grosvenor arch. For dinner we decided to drive to Tropic and ended up grabbing stuff from Rustler’s Restaurant and eating it in our trailer. Evening hike for me to Angel’s Palace where I walkie talkied to D and Sadie down below. More phineas and ferb and another cold but doable night. Oh - and the stars! You have got to look at the stars in the middle of the night. Sigh.  

 

Friday. Surprise suggestion by Sadie to hike to Angel’s Palace. We definitely took her up on the offer and all three of us enjoyed the awesome views together. Sadie and I discovered if you take apart a juniper berry thing that it smells good but is sticky. Back to camp we packed up as the gnats started to come out. We pulled out to then ditch the trailer at the start of Skutumpah road where we drove in to hike Willis Creek. Quite a few cars at the trailhead but the crowds weren’t too bad. We only went a mile in before turning around as the narrows seems done. We had such a good time on this hike and Darren was more impressed this time than the first time. Then we grabbed the trailer and went home through antimony and koosheram with a stop at The Hot Spot in Salina for some delicious homecut fries. That was a good trip. Darren and I could have definitely stayed another day. 

 

Cottonwood Wash hike - 3.5 miles. south trailhead 14.1 miles down cottonwood road. (North TH was about 13.) We started from the south trailhead and walked up to the north trailhead and then beyond a bit as that is where the narrowest part is. You could make it a short hike by just going from the north trailhead north through the narrows and back. It would maybe be 3/4 mile. I was glad we did the longer way and definitely do south to north. Then we walked back on the road. 

Lower Hackberry hike - we went about a mile in and back. Trailhead is 24.3 miles down cottonwood road. Go down into the wash and go right upstream but stay to the left. You walk through sand for a bit then up the canyon and you hit water. We took our shoes off and went a little ways only where we found a good snack spot where we chilled for awhile and just enjoyed the scenery and solitude. Next time we would like to go farther and have water shoes. 

Willis Creek hike - trailhead is 6.1 miles down Skutumpah road. Parking on the right and cross the road start the trail.

May 10, 2020

Happy Mother’s Day to me. We had a good evening being all together. We had a Mother’s Day bbq plus some game playing. A little Kubb, a little Spikeball, a little jokers and marbles - gave me lots of smiles. Kenz made a cool GIF for me. I love it. Plus K and T brought carrot cake cupcakes for dessert and they were delicious.

(Rylie, Camrie, Tanner, Kenzie, Angee, Sadie, Mason)

May 8, 2020

On today’s hike we found an old boom box. We found it amusing and I thought I just might see Star Lord somewhere near searching for an infinity stone. :)

May 7, 2020

This morning I took Sadie and Jessie for a little hike up AF canyon. We met Tamara and Becca for a great time in the mountains. We hiked the Granite Flat Connector trail. Such a fun morning adventure and so nice to be in nature. The girls played on the logs in the river by the group site which of course is way fun.

(Sadie, Jessie Elswood, and Becca Bell at Granite Flat Campground)

May 3, 2020

Woke up to rain. Perfect way to start a Sunday morning.

Had a great Come Follow Me discussion.  Perfect way to start a Sunday afternoon. 

Had dinner and played Jokers and Marbles with the Randalls plus brownies. Perfect way to end a Sunday.

May 2, 2020

Sadie and Darren are movie and TV watching buddies.  It's fun to see.  Their latest is watching the TV series "Timeless".  Before that it was "Lost in Space".  Also the Harry Potter movies and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

It was a K and T drop by evening with some game playing.  I like those evening.

May 1, 2020

Good hike to the First Hamongog up Schoolhouse Springs.  It is so uphill for two miles but for some reason the green and granite at the hamongog make it worth it.

Also got up Dry Creek again this week for some exercise.  I felt quite accomplished at making it to the first meadow in 30 minutes. 30:48.  :)