Take a Hike

Posting about camping got me in the mood to post about our summer hikes. We didn't hike as much this summer as usual, but we did fit in a few classics. When we are out in the mountains together, I really can't think where else I'd rather be. Jonny and I truly hope our kids grow up loving being active and enjoying the outdoors. I think we are off to a pretty good start. Will their enthusiasm for an early Saturday morning hike last into the teenage years? Here's hoping.

 Battle Creek Falls 

We hike this one two or three times a year. It is so perfect for the kids and the water fall is awesome. Jonny took the kids alone one May morning to give me and brand-new-baby-Evy some alone time.

Battle Creek Falls...again!

Evy's first hike! On July 4th we met some of my family and started the holiday off right. I believe this was Gabe's first hike as a newborn as well. Like I said, it's a classic.

  He may look it, but Jonny is not too cool for the Moby wrap. Evy, on the other hand...

  Donut Falls 

This is another short one we try to do every year. I usually bring mini donuts to eat at the falls but forgot this time. Hot chocolate with donuts would have been appreciated on this chilly morning. There was even a mist on the trail.
Pretty cool.  

  Sometimes I call them Hansel and Gretel
while we are hiking.

 

 

  Stewart Falls

This over-3-mile hike is not an easy one for kids but they were total troopers. They did fuss a little toward the end, but we were able to distract them. (A promise of an ice cream cone on the way home kept us going strong.) Gabe was hilarious. He talked almost non-stop the entire hike. Wait, he was not Gabe on this hike, he was a tiger. And he wouldn't let us, or any other fellow-hikes on the trail,
forget it!

Oh, how I hate to see the summer go. Luckily all of these trails will be waiting for us next year. And hopefully we will branch out and find some new kid-friendly hikes. If not, Battle Creek Falls, here we come!

Happy Campers

I love camping. Jonny does too. And lucky for us, our kids happen to be happy campers as well! Before this summer we had only been camping with our kids once - last year. It was so fun (and not as tricky with toddlers as I thought it would be) so we were looking forward to more camping this summer. I wasn't sure how newborn Evy would do, but turns out she was just fine. She was calm and really seemed to enjoy the mountain air. (Plus, it was fun to snuggle with her in my sleeping bag. But not so fun with a slowly-deflating air mattress. Better than no mattress! And yes, I am that kind of camper these days.)

So we fit in four campouts this summer. (And once we had an indoor campout in the basement when our plans were rained out. S'mores by candlelight! Oh, and Gabe joined Jonny one night of Scout Camp.) One was at Bear Lake with my family and the other three were up Ophir Canyon - a perfect little oasis of a canyon just a 30-minute drive from our home. The kids would have been thrilled to go every weekend. It is amazing how much fun they can have out there with sticks and rock and dirt. Who needs toys? I love the mountains.

I tried to choose a few pictures of each camp out. Tricky! So here is a long parade of summer camping pictures. Fun times.

Ophir Canyon Trip 1: 

 We only had Jonny's phone for pictures on this one. But we had to document Evy's first camping trip!

Bear Lake: with my fam

Raspberry Shakes, of course! 

 

 I love Mom in this one. Very enthusiastic!

We tried to see how many people we could fit in Mom and Dad's Tab. I think it was 10, maybe 12?

 Playing and Boating at Bear Lake

Here are the oldest and youngest cousins chillin'. Crazy that I so vividly remember when Jordan was Evy's size.

 Brady and Gabe are inseparable.

 

Next time we will bring more shade. Yikes! 

 Scout Camp/Fathers and Sons:  
Jonny and Gabey

 This was totally awesome for Gabe. He can't stop talking about the boy scouts!

Ophir Canyon Trip 2: with Rudi

 Oh how the kids adore Aunt Rudi

Ophir Canyon Trip 3: with my Fam

Phew! Can't wait to camp again next summer. Although a crawling/toddling 1-year-old may be a bit more tricky to camp with than an infant strapped to me. I guess we'll find out...