Peek-a-Boo Canyon, Spooky Gulch, Capitol Reef, and More

**Ridiculously lengthy travelogue about some ridiculously beautiful places to follow.  Reader, beware.**

A long October weekend with no school...where to go and what to do?  Those are questions to be pondered, right Brooklyn?

After watching Newsies, our family nearly bolted for Santa Fe, but ultimately decided to stay closer to home, having found a great hotel deal in Richfield.  We opted to take the scenic route through American Fork Canyon, and found the perfect place for lunch along the Alpine Loop.

Annika was more interested in the stream than her sandwich.


As we continued to explore, we found this amazing natural spring coming right out of the rock.

Unsurprisingly, Jason found a fairly ambitious hike for our family.  It's a good thing we didn't immediately disclose that we were headed to a lake nestled on the far side of that distant ridge. 

Still a ways to go.

The views were pretty incredible.

At last, we made it to American Fork Canyon's Silver Lake.  Total out and back distance, 4.5 miles, with 1400 feet in elevation gain.

Well-done, Talia!

Believe it or not, Jason and I hiked Silver Lake many years ago with our good friends, Brad and Eliza.  Their eldest was less than a year then, and we were newlyweds with no children at all.

Here's a happy Annika on the way down.  The cause of her elation?  Rescuing a lost dog named Gunner who we helped reconnect with his owners.  She was so excited that she galloped like a pony most of the way down the mountain.  Good thing she's easier to hold back than Gunner was.

The next morning, it became obvious that temperatures had dropped below freezing overnight.  That's one frosty field!


Exploring the icicles.


Looks like Elsa visited with her magic touch.

Continuing on our way, we drove deep into Grand Staircase-Escalante, then turned off and drove another 26 jarring miles down Hole in the Rock road before finally reaching our parking lot.  We ate lunch in the dirt beside our minivan, then set off on foot for another mile down this high-clearance 4WD road before finally reaching our trailhead.  I'm sure the kids wondered where in the world we were taking them.

At last, the trail started to drop down into a hidden canyon.

At this point, Annika got some stern lectures about the importance of listening to Mom and Dad.  Oh, and some explicit instructions about not jumping down rock faces.

We want to keep those cute little piggies safe!

Plenty of cairns to lead the way.

The kids would have been delighted to stay and play in God's sandbox all day.


Thanks to some online research, we had our sights set on something different: Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch.  With just a week until Halloween, how could we resist?  Peek-a-Boo Canyon came first.  Getting up and in was the trickiest part.  Even with moki steps dug into the rock, it was a little slippery.  Thankfully we had Jason to give us a boost.

After that, it was adorable watching the kids all work together to help each other through the corkscrew obstacles.

Just a few weeks earlier, Talia had been invited to a birthday party at a climbing gym.  I wonder if the practice helped.

Talia gives Eli a hand...

...while Brooklyn provides a boost from below.

Sometimes it's hard to believe these places are real.

Winding our way through the maze.

Looking up.

That's a unique way to straddle the canyon.

Yeah, Daddy Jason was mighty happy to be back scaling the red rock.

I think Brooklyn would tell you that this was a hike worth taking.

Jason peers down from the top.  Peek-a-boo!

After exiting, we hiked for while until we reached Spooky Gulch.

Talia wore the right shirt for the occasion.  Here she is at the entrance.

Pretty narrow!

They weren't kidding when they said that Spooky is a bit of a squeeze, not well-suited for the claustrophobic.

But wow, those bumpy walls are fascinating!  Annika called them ghost poops.

Working my way through.

Think thin!

At last, the exit.  As you can see, the kids were ready for a rest.

Rejuvenate quickly, because it's a climb out!

Nothing like discovering favorite places with my most favorite people.  Thanks to you all for taking a chance and exploring with me.

After two days of intense hiking, we knew we'd better give the kids a bit of a break on Saturday.  We let them sleep in, then finally tried out the swimming pool.  Between the pool and free breakfasts, Fairfield Inn is a win for our family, especially with Lance's awesome discount.


After our relaxing morning, we hopped in the car...

...and drove to Capitol Reef National Park.

Up until this point, I'd felt a little disappointed about missing fall.  The aspens in American Fork Canyon had dropped their leaves already, and the slot canyons don't boast much in the way of foliage.  It wasn't until we reached the tiny town of Fruita that we found autumn.

This tree was positively magnificent. The perfect spot for a picnic and frisbee.

After lunch, the kids agreed to a short hike.  I think they were feeling particularly agreeable since we'd just picked up a few homemade pies from the Gifford House Store.

The trail starts with switchbacks and a climb, but you get some pretty overlooks right away.

The Cohab Canyon Trail takes you to this lovely canyon located atop a mesa.

More sand, of course.  At one point we caught Annika putting fistfuls of it in her hair.


Aren't these canyon walls fun?  I had to work hard to keep Jason from shimmying his way to the tip top.

Brooklyn was halfway there before I called her down.

Better than a jungle gym.

Careful, Annie Mae!

In case you are lost, the highway is to the right...


but you'll have to hike all the way through.

Walking out to the north overlook, it was easy to forget that a steep drop off was just ahead...

...until you got to the edge.  What a lovely view of the resourceful and rugged community of Fruita.

  
After our hike, we had an important job to do.

Eat pie!

Mission accomplished.

Before leaving Capitol Reef, we took the Scenic Drive.  Sometimes a sun roof is positively awesome.

Yup, we are just going to have to come back.


Thanks, Omy, for safely taking us to such magical places, washboard dirt roads and all.

It was a trip we will always remember.