Trails and Races

With the school year wrapped up, first thing to do is...hike!  It's never hard to talk Eli into climbing Ensign Peak with me.

I sure adore spending time with this gentleman.

While my kids will hike with me after eight, these amazing ladies are the ones I can count on to run/walk at 5:45 in the morning.  While I may not love getting up that early, getting to chat with Sonja and Julie is totally worth it.

Isn't this rainbow stunning?  God must like the Avenues.  Plus, it happened to be Pride Week.

As much as I love hiking with someone, I'm also happy hiking alone.  One morning I had some free time, but no one could join me up Bells Canyon.  I'm so glad I went by myself!  The air was amazingly clear.

Also, the creek was roaring with all the spring runoff.  I came to see one waterfall, but got treated with falls the entire way up.

Lower Falls.

Upper Falls.

The granite rock faces are so majestic as well.

I'd hoped to hike all the way to the Upper Reservoir, but in the end there was so much snow that I lost the trail.  I found this old bridge, but it didn't lead to anywhere identifiable.

I love to hike, but I'm not postholing for miles.

Finally, my inspiration.  With permission, I took a photo of/for this octogenarian who hiked all the way to the Lower Falls.  (It's steep!)  Four decades from now, I want to be just like him.

This man inspires me as well.  As mayor of Hyde Park, Charles was forced to deal with the challenge of a community facing a severe water shortage. Hopefully this new water tank will offer better protection in the future.

Just as the lovely is this trail that Charles and Susie have helped develop.  Jason sure enjoyed getting to hike it with them while up in Logan one day for a work assignment.

Last but not least, Girls on the Run!  Or better said, Girls (and their Dads) on the Run.  Annika participated in Girls on the Run all spring.  When the time came to choose a running buddy, she wanted to run with her pa.

The big race was held at Sugarhouse Park.  With so many participants, it was more of a walk than a run, but they still had a great time.

Best Dad ever!  Real men may wear pink, but the realest men rock the unicorn headbands too.

Right now I'm missing all these folks!  Jason is at an AIA conference in Chicago, Annika and Eli are at Hummel Day Camp in Nebraska, Talia is at FSY at the University of Utah, and Brooklyn is gone all day at ISSI (Intermountain Suzuki Strings Institute) in Draper.  I can't wait for our family to be back together again.