Angel's Landing

Southern Utah is a magical place, it's one of a kind and I'm so lucky to have it right in my backyard. 

Lake Blanche

The original plan was to hike Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, but an overheating car and fear of being stranded lead us back down the canyon to the Mill B trail heads and what we thought would be a quick 2.8 mile hike to Lake Blanche. We couldn't have been more wrong! Sure 2.8 isn't that bad, when it's not going completely uphill to the TOP of the mountain! The first pic is when we were only slightly winded and loving the gorgeous scenery, not knowing the hell to come. That was a bit dramatic, but seriously this was the hardest hike I've ever been on. 

 

It was around what seemed like mile fifteen that our new found friend and motivator Brett had to turn back and get home. I'm still sad that he didn't make it and even sadder that we didn't get a picture with him. 

Maddi's expression perfectly sums up how we felt at that point and we still had forty-five minutes to an hour of hiking left!

After three strenuous hours of hiking, climbing and complaining we FINALLY made it to Lake Blanche. The closer we got the more we were told it would all be worth it and they were right. It was so serene and overwhelming.  I have to say we were both feeling proud and accomplished. Our attitudes had completely changed just sitting on the shore and only got better with the thought of walking downhill. About a half hour into the walk back down I did an ankle give out-bounce-slide fall down the side of the trail resulting in the wounds pictured above.  It was more funny than painful and we laughed about it almost the rest of the way down. By the time we reached the paved road I'm sure we looked like we had been stuck in the woods for days on end, but it really was worth the struggle.

Stewart Falls

Yesterday, Drea and I made the short hike to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. I haven't been up there in years and I've made a personal goal to get out and be more active this summer and Utah is the perfect place to do just that! The weather was perfect and the mountains were more lush and green than I have ever seen them, lets hope the burning summer temperatures don't change that.

We stayed at the falls for about an hour, taking pictures, eating our picnic snacks, watching all the kids run through the river acting like it wasn't freezing cold and climbing high enough to feel the mist and make a run through the lower level of the waterfall (I screamed through the whole thing both times, SO COLD!) Places like Stewart Falls help me better appreciate the state I was born and raised in and remind me to take advantage of the beauty and opportunities that are literally surrounding me. Next up Battle Creek Canyon!