Amazing Weekend!

I have always loved Fall but I love it even more now that it's not freezing cold and I can still enjoy the beautiful outdoors during October.  And that's exactly what we did last weekend!  The girls had a four-day weekend, "Fall Break", and we contemplated what to do.  Finally, we decided to explore places that we've been wanting to see but haven't had a chance to.  And one of the great things about it all?  We did it all for under $50! So bear with me and this long blog.  It was a weekend that we won't forget anytime soon.

Friday
Dad still had to work Friday so Aleah, McKenna and I hung around the house, getting things ready for the weekend.  We had decided we wanted to camp this weekend but with getting a late start on Friday, all the campgrounds would be full.  So, we camped out by Lake Plumb (our backyard).  It was a perfect night to sleep out - we left the fly off the tent so we could star gaze. Oh, and Cooper also joined us for the night!  What an adventure that was:  several times he thought it would be a good idea to chase his tail... spinning madly around inside the tent, and in the middle of the night he leaned against the side of the tent and starting scratching...violently shaking the whole tent, and then he must of gotten cold because he ended up stealing Rob's sleeping bag sometime during the night. What a dork! The night was complete with swimming and roasting s'mores, and then a yummy Dutch oven breakfast the next morning.  I'm pretty sure this was the best camping site around!

           
Saturday

This day definitely called for some hiking - sunny and 80 degrees.  There's a place just 10 miles up the freeway called Red Cliffs Recreation Area that we'd heard about and wanted to check out.  Turned out to be amazing!  On a little side trail that we decided to explore, we ended up finding this slot canyon that climbed up about 100 feet.  It was only about two feet at it's widest point and proved very challenging but we made it.  We couldn't decide if it was scarier going up or coming down - both! I would use the word "Exhilirating!" to describe the experience and we were very proud of ourselves for accomplishing this feat!

Further up the canyon on the main trail, we came to a series of ponds, or really just rock wells.  Most were connected by little waterfalls that, when enough water was flowing, you could slide down into the next pool.  Pictures can't even begin to describe the beauty that was found back in this remote area!  We can't wait to go back next summer and swim in the ponds.  Frozen yogurt on the way home was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

 

 

 

 




Sunday
After church, we took a drive up to Pine Valley.  As the bird flies, it's only about 15 miles from our house, but that would be straight up and over Pine Mountain.  The 45-minute drive was enjoyable though as we drove past Snow Canyon and then on up through Dammeron Valley and Veyo.  I love seeing country I haven't seen before!

Pine Valley is a beautiful little valley nestled at the base of 10,000 ft. Pine Mountain.  I felt like I was back in Washington state - it was a little slice of heaven where I now know I can go when I'm missing the smell of pine trees and watching the changing colors of Fall.  It smelled soooo good that I almost started crying!  I love it here in Southern Utah but I have to admit there are some things I miss and the smell of pine is one of them.  We all agreed that we will have to come up here next summer and camp.  And I can't forget to mention the Panda Cows.  We laughed soooo hard - never seen anything like them before!  Come to find out, they really are called Panda Cows! Bahaha

 

                                                                                              Monday

This was the day I'd been waiting for for a long time - hiking in Zion National Park!!!  I was practically giddy.  Again, perfect weather - sunny and mid 70's.  We started out hiking the three Emerald Pool trails: Lower, Middle and Upper.  McKenna and I had been to the lower pool before but not past that.  I've seen a lot of waterfalls and lush, green areas around them but the Upper Pool was breathtaking.  The waterfall crested the sheer red cliff about 1500 ft. above us and lazily showered into a calm pool below it.  It was like a little Garden of Eden up in there - you'd never know it was there from down below on the road.  The Pool Trail loop was about 2.2 miles and worth every step of it.



Upper Emerald Pool



  

Lunch Time

We next took Aleah to see Weeping Rock, as she hadn't seen it before.  It boasts beautiful hanging gardens and water showering down from hundreds of feet up.  It literally looks like the huge cliff is weeping.  It was fun to look up and follow a single drop of water all the way down.

Weeping Rock



View of Angel's Landing from Weeping Rock



Finally, since Angel's Landing was closed for maintenance work (and I'm not sure we've totally built up enough courage to do it yet) we decided to hike the Riverwalk trail to where the Narrows starts.  This was a nice one-mile paved trail along the Virgin River.  At the end of the trail, in order to get any further up the canyon, you have to hike the river.  Now, this is something I've been wanting to do ever since we moved here - I talked about it all summer but we never made it up there.  We had no intention of doing it this time but as we stood there watching others come back from up the river, we thought, "Why not?"

So our tennis shoes get wet, so what?  We love adventures and being spontaneous!



Beginning of the Narrows



So we picked out our walking sticks and in we went.  Oh it was cold - but after a while you got used to it, or maybe it was just that my feet were numb. :)  The current was fairly strong but manageable.  A walking stick was a must; to brace yourself against the current as well as poke ahead to find rocks and holes.  There were sticks lined up against the cliff that others had used - you just picked one out, used it and put it back for others when you were done.

Again, pictures cannot begin to capture the beauty found in this slot canyon, carved by a river over thousands of years.  It would have been nice to have my nice camera to get some good pictures but I was glad I didn't when we started trekking up the river.  The canyon gradually grows narrower as you progress upstream, eventually forming the Upper Narrows, which requires a permit to hike (that's next year!).  Since it was late afternoon when we started, we only made it about a mile and a half upstream but it was a neat experience.  When Aleah stepped in a hole and went down (the look on her face was priceless!), we figured we'd better start heading back.  It was an amazing day in Zion!  I am so glad that we live 45 minutes away from this heavenly playground!