Apple Crisp October Day

Saturday, October 7th, was THE most perfect autumn day - weatherwise and otherwise.  We filled the day with fall goodness, and enjoyed the warm sunny temps, the clear blue skies, and the bright fiery colors of the leaves.  It was fantastic!

Part One: Snowbasin Gondola Ride and Lunch

We met up with Heather and Scott and Kage and Dray to spend the morning riding the gondola, hiking to the ridge, and eating lunch in the Needles Lodge.

The drive over Trapper's Loop to Snowbasin was stunning
that morning.

Dirty windshield pictures don't do it justice.

So much color!

We noticed the helicopter as we were driving toward the resort.
It was making rounds between a parking lot and the mountain
to install the new lift.  Pretty sweet to watch it carry huge poles
and heavy metal lift parts.  And they do it so quickly!  The whole
lift is pretty much assembled in one day.  Amazing.

We've got our tickets and we're ready to ride!

 

So fun to share the gondola with cousins!!

Such a beautiful morning!

Workin' our way up to the ridge.

Yep, there was some snow.  Cal loved to eat it,
saying it tasted "like pink popsicles!"

A bit snowier slash muddier here.  But we
pressed onward.

There's a tiny, faint, white speck just above the ridge barely
right of center in this photo.  It's one of two gliders we saw
sailing over the ridge while we hiked.

Views of the Great Salt Lake.

It was pretty chilly up there.  The wind was a-whippin'!

After we worked up our appetites by hiking to the ridge and back
down, we stuffed ourselves with burgers and chicken sandwiches
(and fries!) in the fancy Needles Lodge.

Sam LOOOOOVES his cousin Dray.  And
Dray is (always has been!) such a good sport
to put up with the mauling from his littlest
cousin.

We played the "name the flag on the gondola" game on
the way back down.

Helicopter still doin' its thing.

Part Two: Fuller's Pumpkin Stand
Our friends, the Fullers, were selling pumpkins and squashes in their field near the school.  While Sam napped and Gregg coded, Cal and I walked over to say hi, pet the baby cow (named Bubblegum), and pick out a banana squash to feed us for the winter.  (We had already picked out pumpkins at a different valley patch earlier in the week or we would have bought them there, too.)

Callie meets Bubblegum.

Good thing we brought the Burley - that
squash weighs as much as another kid!

Part Three: Skyline Trail Hike (and Leaf Collecting)
We just couldn't stay inside on a day like that, so we hopped in the car for another little hike in the leaves.  Callie picked Skyline, her favorite, and it was amazing to see how much more color there was this time than the week before.

Yes, they're holding hands.  No, it wasn't
spontaneous.  (I told Cal to hold Sam's hand so
he would hold still for half a second to snap the pic.
And then he smiled, too, so bonus!)

Gregg's leaf rainbow.

My version of the leaf rainbow.  (I totally copied him.)

I love us.

And back down we go.

He's doing "caution tape".

Better view of the "caution tape" game.
I think Cal started it.  But Sam loved it.
He'd stop every few feet on the trail, spread
his legs wide, and say, "Caution Tape!"
Much giggling would then happen.

And even more giggles when Gregg would then
nudge him along with a foot in his pants.

bonus video!

leaves are falling + caution tape

So many leaf tunnels - it was dreamy!

Orange on orange.

Part Four: Backyard Hot Dog Roast + S'mores
We made a fire and cooked the grub and sat out in the yard eating and enjoying life.  A perfect ending to a fabulous day.

I got artsy with my leaves on the deck.

Chow time!