Adventuring {Five Hikes in Five Days - Leaf Edition}

The weather during the week of October 9-13 was absolutely perfect.  The sunshine combined with the ever-amazing colors popping on the surrounding mountains meant that we just couldn't stay inside.  We ate sandwiches for dinner on the trails three out of five nights that week.  We hiked new trails and old familiar ones.  We even strolled along the beach/new bike path near Pineview (and we're still counting it as a "hike" for this post, anyway!).  This beautiful time of fall doesn't last long, even though I wish (how I wish!) it would.  But I feel really good about the quality and quantity of enjoyment we've gotten out of this most favorite of seasons.  (And don't even get me started on the fall baking we've been doing - pears and apples and pumpkins, oh my!)

Monday Night Hike: Wheatgrass Canyon Trail 

This was a new one for us.  Gregg had talked to someone at church and he said that this was the most beautiful place in Utah he had ever been.  Naturally we had to try it out, too.  It was fun to see the other side of Causey, and to tromp a new trail.  And yes, it was spectacular!  Especially with the evening sun shining down the canyon and making the colors pop.

The Northern tip of Causey, where the trail starts.

Glowing!

Dinnertime!  (On the menu: tuna sandwiches,
apple slices, crackers, pumpkin chocolate chip
cookies.)

This view just took my breath away.

Across the stream and into the shade.

But then the sun got lower and we got a bit higher and we were
back in the golden light.

FHE on the rocks.  Talking about consequences.

That aspen was aglow.

Tuesday: Wolf Canyon Trail
We picked this one because we wanted something in the sun.  The east side of the valley gets the rays longer, and it's been a while since we've hiked this one, so our decision was pretty easy.  And the leaves were as lovely as ever.

Camouflaged Callie.

Golden hour gold.

Lots of lovely oaks along this trail.

And maples, too.

Dinnertime on a log.  (Tonight's menu: ham and
cheese sandwiches, chips, pumpkin chocolate
chip cookies.)

My cutie hikers.

Happy family.

I was trying to capture the glowing halo
around Callie's hair.

Hitching a ride.

There was a short detour back to the car, but we had to turn
around because it was too soggy to cross.

Wednesday: Pineview Beach (at the big parking lot near Middle Inlet)
We had played here a few days before with our friends Erin and Charlie, and the kids really wanted to show Dad the awesome "hollow tree" that they discovered.  So we had dinner first (Eggplant Zucchini Bolognese - yummo!) and then spent some time splashing rocks, watching the sky, playing in the tree, and wandering along the shore and bike path.  It was a fantastic evening and a fun change of pace.  And there were still leaves!

A pretty sweet tree for imaginative kids to play in.

Gooooood clouds.  That V in the middle is Ogden Canyon.

See that?  Magical!

Balance beam.

Making "doop" (aka soup).

Yonder toward Snow Basin.

Thursday: North Fork River and Bicentennial Trails
North fork is pretty close to the western mountains, which meant that this hike was pretty shady and cool.  But it didn't stop us from having a grand time.  We ate our dinner (tuna sandwiches, crackers, cuties and cookies - this meal brought to you by the letter C, apparently) in a sunny spot at the beginning of the trail.  And then we continued onward.  Sam chose the fork leading to the Bicentennial Trail, and we enjoyed a good game of "Caution Tape" (rules: you stand with your legs wide across the trail and your arms out from your side and say "caution tape!" and then giggle uncontrollably and the person behind you tries to get by).  A lot of leaves were down on the trail, but even that provides its own beautiful carpet to crunch through.

Running to give me a hug around the knees.
That smile melts me!

He leaned back so far he plopped on his head in
the leaves (which were not quite deep enough
for a soft landing, but that didn't faze his smile).

"Caution tape!"

Leaves are falling all around.

"Caution tape!"

Like Cal's hat-over-hood look?  It was needed,
though Sam refused to wear either after a while.

Last rays of sunshine lighting the tips of the trees along the river.

Friday: Art Nord Trailhead (Maples Loop)
This was a perfect afternoon hike with just the kids and me.  Gregg was hiking, too, but he was at Nordic Valley on his weekly unwind-from-work-solo-hike.  And we all made it back home in time for pizza and a movie night.  Warm fall hike followed by pizza?  Sign me up for that any day!  The leaves are definitely past peak and are falling rapidly (especially when that wind picks up).  But the golden-orange hue of the trees and grasses in the sunshine contrasting with the brilliant blue sky is still so comforting and beautiful to me.

I have pictures of this view in most seasons.  I love them all.

Zoom in to see a spider almost as big as Callie's
shoe.  Or don't, if you're not into that sort of thing.
Biggest spider I've ever seen in the wild, that's
fo sho!

We walked toward Wheeler Canyon as far as the
sun reached.  Once we hit the shade from the
mountain, we turned around and took the "low
road" to the bridge and then back up to the parking
lot.  A nice little kid-friendly loop.

bonus video!

winkle winkle 

See what I mean about blue and gold?

No water for pooh sticks this time.

But the dry stream bed was a fun place to explore.

Gosh, I love this kid.

Not too many leaves left.  But that red on the mountain behind
the trees is still hanging on!

And this was a fun find.  I have no idea what it
is, but I like it and its redness.  Heatha?  Any
help?

We completed a Five Hikes in Five Days marathon last summer.  I'm thankful we got to repeat the feat in my favorite season.