Annual Timp Hike

I try to hike Mt Timpanogos once a year. It is a beautiful hike and close to home so it is always fun. This year I had two co-workers join me, Toni Carlson and Julia Stanger. It was an a great day. We hiked up the Aspen Grove side and down the Timpanooke side. This way we got to enjoy both sides of the mountain. I have never hiked it this late in the year so that was also fun. The fall colors were amazing. I learned a couple things too, there is no water anywhere this late in the season (I was not prepared for that) and there is a lot of dead grass. I think the wild flowers make for a more scenic hike but the autumn leaves were a great sight.

We got to watch the beautiful sunrise while we hiked up the Aspen Grove side.

 I did not take very many pictures. I felt really horrible all day hiking. I hadn't eaten since lunch on Friday so my energy was low. My stomach still wasn't happy so I focused on hiking mainly. I forgot how steep the Aspen Grove side is. It is steep!

We made it to the top. The weather was pretty much awesome all day except from the saddle to the top. It was so windy.

 It was really hurt when I tried to brush it out after the hike. Here is our group minus Moki.

 Here is our goup inside the shack and Moki is almost cooperating.

Summit selfie.

 Almost back to the saddle. Moki was not very cooperative for pictures.

 The way down we enjoyed the most amazing fall colors. It was also nice that it was not very steep.

Overall a great day on the mountain. I loved spending the day with friends from work and participating in one of my favorite activities!

Cross E Ranch

I didn't have any adventures planned the weekend of the 22nd of September and I woke up wanting to take my nephews to a pumpkin patch. I think I am so ready for fall, like so ready! Luckily they were free in the evening and I was able to take them on an adventure for a few hours. I decided to try out Cross E Ranch. It was a pumpkin patch that was kind of close to their house. It was awesome!!!! We loved it.

First we had to see how many pumpkins tall the boys were.

 There was so many fun activities at this place. There was a blow up trampoline, a corn pit, corn maze, four big slides, a bouncy ball area, a hay maze, animal petting, rubber duck races. I am sure there were more. That is just the stuff I saw. We didn't have time do do even all the stuff we saw.

The corn pit was a hit. We buried Andrew.

 Emerson went swimming in it:)

 And di lots of jumping!

 Andrew wanted a picture with all of the signs you can stick your head through. Emerson wanted nothing to do with them.

The slide was HUGE and so fun. Emerson loved it even though he looks scared to death in every picture. Andrew loved it too. They did the slide over and over for a very long time.

 We went on a fun little hay ride. They took us out to see their cattle and told us the history of their ranch. Emerson is so CUTE!!!

 Then we needed some food. They had delicious homemade caramel apples and doughnuts. So yummy!

After we ate we headed to the corn maze. They actually have three corn mazes. We did the shortest/easiest one.

 The only picture of me with the boys.

 I got the wagon because I wanted to pull Emerson because he was tired and had played so hard. That idea backfired because he wanted to pull the wagon. I can't quite say no to this face!

 He was so cute pulling it.

The corn maze was fun but while we were in it the sun went down and the mosquitoes came out with a passion. It was insane. And so ANNOYING!!!! After we got out I was running for the car. Then Andrew reminded me that I said we could do the slide one more time. So I let them. But those mosquitoes were so bad. We probably all had 50 bites each by the time we got out of there. Seriously so frustrating.

We had the best time. I was so glad I took the boys. It made my week and weekend. I just love spending time with them. They are the BEST!!!!

Is it Table Rock or Table Mountain?????

Last winter when I was playing basketball with friends someone mentioned there was a really cool hike in Idaho I needed to do. It is called Table Rock. I put it on my list of things to do and finally had a weekend to make it happen. Luckily for me Amber is always good for an adventure even on short notice. We loaded up the car when I got off Friday and headed to Driggs Idaho.

We camped at a campground really close to the trailhead, which was nice. Since we were car camping I brought my air mattress. I was sure that meant I would sleep great. Here is my problem, I never sleep well in bear country. It just makes me so nervous. We were not only in bear country but grizzly country and that is scary. Especially with a dog. Don't worry Moki slept like a champion. I was the only one worried about BEARS! So lame.

It was pretty chilly in the morning. We were about to leave to hike. The campground was really quite nice.

 The hike was a 14 mile out and back hike. We were not sure what to expect as far as terrain. It is funny because you read the reviews online and depending on the peron they range from an easy hike to the hardest thing you have ever done in your life:)

Amber had to run back to the car to get her hiking poles. While I waited I took a selfie.

 The beginning of the hike was steep for a little ways but then it flattened out and it was a very pleasant uphill stroll for a lot of the hike. The views were great as well as the weather.

 We saw a Moose in one of the meadows on the way up.

It is interesting to hike in fall. The grass is all dead and ugly but the leaves changing are gorgeous. We could tell that this hike would be amazing when the flowers are in bloom.

 For the majority of the hike you can't see the Tetons so we were not quite sure where we were headed. They finally started to poke out from behind the mountain for the last two miles. The little round top in the background of the picture is where we were headed.

 We got to the saddle and then hiked along this bowl until the final push for the summit.

 Moki carried all her own stuff which was great for me. She started the day off not feeling well. She was very sluggish and not her usual exploring self. Luckily that wore off and by the end she was back to her crazy self.

The push to the summit was very steep. The hike overall was not very strenuous, in my opinion, but the last 400 yards were killer. Luckily you are rewarded with the most amazing views.

The view of the Tetons were so beautiful!!!! It made all the effort worth it. It was also freezing on top. I think partly because we had been hiking uphill for 3 and 1/2 hours so we were sweaty but it was also so windy. We stayed bundled up while we were up there.

We ate some snacks and then headed back. Amber and I were both worried about the steepness of the first little bit. It is a lot easier going up something steep compared to coming down it. I ended up slipping and falling twice within a two minute period. Both times I just lost my footing in loose gravel and landed hard on my right hip. I was not a happy camper. It hurt. Luckily adrenaline kicks in and you are fine. I hiked back to the car without and problems but I knew it was going to be sore.

We hiked back to the car pretty fast. The way back was really easy after the initial steep section. We rested to get some calories in us at one point. Moki decided to rest too.

 My hike was fueled by Skittles!!!! I always have some kind of sugar for fuel on hikes. A lot of the time I don't feel like real food when I am hiking so it is always good to have sugar handy for quick energy.

 Despite my fall I loved this hike. It was so fun to do something new. It got us out of the nasty smoke in Utah county from all the fires. It is always fun to have an adventure over the weekend!

I think Moki fell asleep in the back before we left the parking lot.

On the way back to Provo we stopped in Rexburg at Pizza Pie Cafe. It was delicious. I was starving. I felt like white trash but I saved all of mine and Amber's crust to give to Moki. A little ghetto....yes. But Moki was soooooooo happy.

I have had to take it easy for a couple of weeks since I fell. I knew my hip would be sore but on Sunday after sitting in church my back was killing. It hurt so much I couldn't bend over or move very much. I was not sure what happened during the fall to cause this but I also had three good size bruises on my right side of my back just above my tailbone. I think I may have just bruised it. I have been very sore. I couldn't bike to work and hiking was out of the question for a couple of days. Every day it started to feel better and I got my range of motion back. It was not fun. My hip is still bruised and tender to the touch but other than that I think I am pretty much back to normal now, cross my fingers.

Random September

I have been trying to do fun things especially on the weekends since school has started. I am not always successful but September has been a pretty fun month.

One Saturday evening I asked Cierra, my cousin Heather's daughter, if she would hammock with me up the canyon. I wanted to see if I could actually sleep in a hammock for an entire night. She agreed and we had fun. Although I didn't get much sleep, I will get to that in a minute.

She got to my house a little after 8pm. Since there was a home BYU football game the Y was all lit up. We decided to hike the Y before going up the canyon to sleep.

 It was a beautiful evening hike.

We went up to Big Springs Park to sleep for the night.

 It has been so hot this year it was so nice to be in the canyon. It was significantly cooler than the valley. We set up our hammocks and settled down for the night.

I feel like I could have slept great but there was one problem . . . . . MOKI. She has never slept outside (and by outside I mean outside of a tent) and she would not just lay down and sleep. She was pacing and then finally whining right next to my face. So I let her in the hammock with me. It started out ok until in the middle of the night when she sprawled out. It was so uncomfortable and annoying. I couldn't get in a good sleep position. I should have kicked her out but I didn't. Well in the morning I eventually did and it was better. I think I could sleep in a hammock overnight and sleep well if Moki wasn't in it with me.

 Anthony and I hiked up to Stewart Falls on a Friday night. It was beautiful.

Cross Country

I have been coaching cross country and it has been a lot of fun. The girls work so hard and it is awesome to watch them improve each time they race. It is a HARD sport. I have so much respect for the girls and their efforts. They are also all really great girls which is awesome as well.