Smores, Friends, and Cecret Lake

Last Summer we went with a group of friends up to Cecret Lake, and then stopped at the camp ground to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. We wanted to do that again this year, but with the campground and hike opening so late this year we were having a hard time getting it in. Monday the kids were out of school, so we decided to head up there for lunch.

I was surprised to see how much lower the lake was in just the few weeks between our hikes. We could see all of our favorite rocks again, and the waterfall was gone........so I guess that is why I never noticed it before.

The kids were glad to be there with their friends. This is Joe with his friend cooper.

This is Valerie's little friend Addie. WE decided to pack a picnic lunch to eat at the lake, because we were not sure if the campground would be open, so we didn't want to risk not being able to cook our hot dogs.

The campground was closed, but after reading all of the signs at the campground we decided to go ahead and build a fire. After we got it going some Alta canyon people drove by in their truck, but they just waved and drove on.

So the roasting began.

and the eating.

Silver Lake

Because Josh does not start Kindergarten for another week, we went to Silver Lake on Tuesday.

My sister-in-law Jenny and I had been trying to get together for a couple of weeks, so she met us there with her kids, Jaxson and Violet, and her brother Clark.

Valerie thought she wanted to be carried around the path, but she really liked the boardwalk, because she thought it was a bridge. She would walk on it and sing "Grumpy Old Troll" to herself.

My friends had warned us about the bugs up there. So Jenny came prepared.

The bugs were not as bad as I thought they would be, but I did wish I could have put a net around me too.

The kids loved the ducks, and the ducks seemed to love the kids. They came swimming over to us looking for treats. We forgot to bring them any.

At the end of our walk we stopped at a picnic table for lunch.

The squirrels thought our lunch looked pretty good, and came to see if they could get a bite.


We tried not to share with them, but we did share our cookies with Violet. This was her very first Oreo Cookie.

I think she liked it.

Thanks for coming with us Jenny and Clark. It was great to visit with you. We don't get together often enough.

Hike to Cecret Lake

Thursday was the last day of Summer Vacation for our family. Emily was headed to school on Friday for 7th grade orientation and after that we would be in full back to school mode.

So for our final summer vacation adventure, we hiked to Cecret Lake.

Ryan had a little bit of free time, so he came with us. Valerie was really glad to have dad with us, because that meant she could be carried up the trail a little more than usual.

Josh loved using his hiking stick on the trail. He kept telling me how he was using it to make hiking easier,


Joe kept telling me where good spots for pictures were, and then he would pose for me.

Most of the spots were somewhere on a rock.

About halfway up the trail the kids found something very unusual for the end of August in Utah.

SNOW!

We also discovered something that we did not notice last year, a waterfall. I am not sure if it was there last year. I think it must have been, but maybe there just wasn't enough water to make it noticeable. I have asked a couple of my friends if they remembered it and they said no. But there is definitely one this year.

We went and got a closer look at it, and then headed over the hill to the lake.

It was beautiful and very full. Last year there was a beach around it, but this year we had to just climb around on the rocks.

The kids did not mind though.

Valerie liked the water, but she also liked the squirrels that came over to see if we had any snacks.

The lake was at least three feet higher than last year. I could not get a picture of the biggest rock we sat on last year with our church group, because it was much smaller and what was there had people on it, but this was another rock we sat on last summer, and it is completely under water.

Emily found a good place for pictures this year.

I had Emily take a picture of Ryan and I. He has been very busy this summer, and I am so happy he could come with us this time. (He wished I would have warned him about the picture taking.)

Cecret Lake it still one of my favorite hikes.

I love my hiking buddies, and will miss hiking around the canyons with them. Maybe we will be able to sneak another one in on a Saturday before the snow starts flying again.

Solitude Lake

On Tuesday our mom and tot hiking group headed to Big Cottonwood Canyon for our hike.

This week we started at Silver Lake and from there, we hiked a little over a mile and a half up to Solitude Lake. I was excited to go on this hike, because it was one we had not done before.

Once again our group was filled with little girls, and this hike was a little longer than our other hikes, but a nice easy climb.

A little ways up the trail we came to a field of sunflowers.

This was only the beginning of the wild flowers. After the yellow there was a field of white and then blue. Our whole hike was beautiful.
The hike was nice and easy, until the very end. Just before the lake there is a big hill, so when we got to the lake, the kids were all ready to rest.


Our friends had to get back home, but we had some time, so the kids and I walked around the lake.

A little ways down the path we found this cave. The kids were very disappointed I had not packed a flashlight.

I was glad I had not. I did not want to see if anything was living in that cave.

We took our time getting back enjoying the beautiful flowers.

It was a perfect day for a hike,

and Solitude Lake is definitely a hike we will do again.

Return To Donut Falls

Just over two years ago, the kids and I went on a hike with Grandma to Donut falls. Valerie was just two weeks old, and it was her first experience in the great out doors. I wanted to hike there again last summer, but we just never made it. So this summer it was at the top of the list.....we just had to wait for the trail to open.

Today we made it.

We left our house at 8:30am and made it to the trail by 9:00 the air was still cool and the trail was not busy.

This hike is pretty easy, so we invited a few friends to join us.

To go along with our hiking theme this year, (trails a two year old can do without much help) this hike is pretty easy, so we invited some friends to come along.

The older kids did a great job helping the little girls too.

When we got to the bridge the kids made Valerie's day by singing "The Grumpy Old Troll" song from Dora.

The wild flowers have started to bloom, and made the trail even more inviting.










We did have a couple of spills, but nothing a little washing and Fishy Crackers couldn't fix.

When we made it to the falls, the river had washed out the end of the trail,

Bigger braver hikers may have tried to go further, but we could see the falls from where were, and the kids were having fun throwing rocks into the river.

This was our picture at the falls. The trees are blocking the view, but if you look close you can see it. Like most things, it looks a lot bigger and better in person.