Combining blogs

It's time to combine thie hiking blog back into Lisa and I's main blog. This makes one less thing to keep up to date, most people want to see both anyway, and it makes it easier to copy everything to my journal. This will be the last post to this blog. All future blog entries will be here.

Twin Lakes

The Twin Lakes hike was really pretty. It's definitely fall and the leaves are starting to change color. The clouds were out for the first hour and half, after which the sun came out and said "check out these colors!".

Lisa really has an eye for a great picture.

Sydney's just plain cute. The way she talks, walks, etc.

And I thought Silver Lake was pretty walking around. The view from above gives better perspective. Of course, Tanner was sleeping about this point. Another picture comes later with the sun out.

Twin Lakes was pretty cool, but definitely had been partially drained. You can see the sun starting to come out.

It was so warm before the sun hid in the clouds that I left my sweatshirt in the car. This is Lisa's kindness letting Darth Sydney wear hers.

Nanny's eyes just make you stop whatever you're doing. Sadly, her spitfire attitude and hilarious nature means you need to be on the guard. Here? Just sweetness.

Tanner has a history of not eating his lunch when we go hiking. He takes his share, stacks the crackers, walks around with crackers, then rubs them around in the dirt.

Another view of Darth Sydney. No red paint on the face.

Tanner had eaten all his mini M&Ms, so Sydney shared a few. After three or four, the hands went on the hips and no more M&Ms were allotted.

Isn't she the prettiest thing you've ever seen? Hey...stop checking out my wife!

This was funny. After I got her to stop for a picture, she said "take a picture with my eyes looking this way". She's got a mind for good pictures. Silly bug.

It was fun to hike down with the sun out of the clouds.

A nice couple asked if we wanted a family picture. I love these.

Personally I think my best picture yet. The lake is gorgeous, the bold evergreens contrast the yellows and light greens of the aspens.

I can't get over the beauty of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Sydney and I were hopping, skipping, and jumping on the way down the trail. It always makes Tanner and Natalie laugh.

Fall.

Logan Canyon - Crimson / Riverside Trail

Since my brother-in-law Eric's birthday was Tuesday and mine was Saturday, we went up to Logan to celebrate at their place. We were planning all week on doing a hike in Logan Canyon, but on the way up, it was pouring. We drove up through quite a bit of rain and pulled up to the map showing the trail heads. It had just barely stopped raining, and the clouds looked good, but the clouds were moving pretty fast. We decided we'd just start up and be able to turn around if need be. We hiked for an hour and a half and had a couple drops when we were almost back. Lisa called it "the birthday miracle". Paul took Tanner on his shoulders so I put Sydney in the backpack halfway through and we all had a great time. We started up the Crimson trail, then took the turnoff down to the riverside trail and followed it back to the cars.

The men looking over the map.

Grandpa and Tanner. The best of buds.

Just the start of the pretty colors up in Logan Canyon.

It's definitely fall. It was so gorgeous.

These are my favorite flowers. Any time I see them, they have to be added to the blog.

Grandma in the dense forest.

Sydney and I having a good time.

Everyone wants in on that action!

Nature at its best.

A soft, fuzzy guy we found on the way.

Nanny loves leaves, then sometimes forgets that she's not just handed food.

It was weird seeing puffy white clouds then dark forboding clouds every twenty minutes.

The snake Grandpa found. Tanner is enthralled by anything Grandpa does.

Brave Sydney holding the snake.

Summer colors vs. fall colors

Did I mention Tanner likes Grandpa?

I think I did.

Sydney's pretty good about all the photo shoots at pretty locations. It's sad the lilly filled pond can't be in focus too.

Oh Nanny Boo! Lisa loves these shots with the kids looking up. They're pretty cute.

Willow Heights

Hike: Willow Heights
Location: Big Cottonwood Canyon

Willow Heights is gorgeous. Big Cottonwood Canyon becomes more and more beautiful as we get to explore more and more. This hike really takes the cake though. Willow Heights doesn't have an obvious marker from the street. You go up 12.1 miles from the mouth of the canyon, and there's a 35 mph sign on the left side, with a small area to park on the right side (just enough for a small line of cars). There's a rock that shows the trailhead just slightly past the 35 mph sign, with a sign to describe the hike thirty feet up the trail. It's about a 600 ft elevation gain, over 3/4 mile (one way). As beautiful as the area around the lake is, the scenery around the hike is more beautiful. The pictures tell the story of our hike.

The rock marking the trailhead to Willow Heights.

Tanner fell asleep early on the hike on the way up.

The trees are just gorgeous. I love the occasional pine tree that accents the beauty of this hike. You see more pines as you make it up the trail.

The lake and surrounding area is gorgeous. I wish the pictures weren't washed out. We definitely want to do this hike again. It was a little steep at times on the way up, so Sydney held my hand for five or ten minutes on the way down to keep from slipping.

There was a slight breeze, but I always love the reflection of mountains and trees on the water.

Lisa, as always, packed a yummy lunch for us. This time she packed a garbage bag for us to sit on, so when the kids rearranged and dropped their food, it wasn't rolling around in the dirt.

Tanner finally woke up halfway through lunch when I took the backpack off to get some rest.

Lunchables were lots of fun for the kids, keeping things clean and easy to eat.

Tanner and I went for a little walk before we headed back down.

As always, Sydney didn't want her picture taken on the way up, but was modeling once we got there.

Sydney's just a treat to photograph.

Nanny isn't a huge fan of leaving hats on, but she left it on during lunch for a little bit.

He was awake during lunch. Well...mostly.

Sydney loves using her hands to more fully explain her point.

What a cutie!

Sydney loves hiking. If we bring treats, she says she "out of energy" before we start walking to see if Lisa will budge on treats before lunch. She's always satisfied with granola bars on the way up and happy to have treats after lunch.

These are my favorite flowers. They're all over Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Nanny decided she was getting ready for a little nap. Her superpower of not taking naps wasn't going to hold up long. She fell asleep after a few minutes on the way down.

Well...if Nanny won't wear it...

A beautiful hike all the way. The canopy is so beautiful.