The Blanch Herd: May 2018

May brought more hikes, including a couple we've never hiked before (because one was brand newly built and the other we've just never gotten to till now) plus the return of our Wednesday Wilderness Walks, renamed Tyke Hikes for this season!

3 May 2018: Pineview Trail from the North Arm Trailhead. This was just a little afternoon jaunt to check out the progress with the caution taped bridge. And it was gone! Cue all the confetti and bells and cheering! But then we got almost to the second bridge and realized that we would be going no further. It was completely gone! Ah man. This was the reason it had been closed for so long, the bridge being washed out in the spring of 2017. (Okay, so maybe it hasn't been two years like I complained about previously.) Anyway, I saw in the paper that it is scheduled to be rebuilt in July, and I can't wait to get back on it!

17 May 2018: No Name Brand New Connector Trail in North Fork, just south of the South Gate (near the Ogden Nordic Yurt). A good little hike to get us back in the groove after our vacation. My friend Mary told me about this one - she said she rode her bike on it and thought it would be a great kid hike. So we went to investigate. It was great. We hiked till we reached a pond (0.8 miles, it turns out), which made a great "destination". Things are greening up nicely around here!

There's the pond through the trees!

I liked that teeny little blossom tree by the side of the trail.

19 May 2018: Ben Lomond Trail in North Fork Park. A gorgeous Saturday morning called for a hike, especially since I was feeling so grumpy this morning for some reason. But mountain therapy worked wonders! This trail was so pretty! We hiked about 0.8 miles (seems to be our limit as of late) till we were up on top of a ridge and could look over and see the waterfalls in the distance. I don't think the kids could see them, but Gregg and I could and that was kind of fun. Ben Lomond peak is on my bucket list, but it won't be happening with kiddos for a while yet. Someday.

Some nice views up on top!

I love those cliffs!

I took this specifically to document the two-car fistful he carried
the entire time.

I loved the rays of sunshine coming through the clouds to hit
the green fields in Eden.

Don't know what this is, but it's kind of pretty
and reminds me that I took a ton of other flower
pics on this hike, but I posted them already in
a flowers only post (look for the 5.19.18 photos).

Cool clouds and cool mountains. That shiny thing on the right
is the roof of the Environmental Center that we like to play
disc golf at quite often.

Tired boy!

22 May 2018: Pineview Trail from the North Arm Trailhead (again). Gregg was out of town for his company's conference in Vail, so after dinner, Cal and Sam and I took a stroll.

Not the best pic, but down there in front of those
brownish bushes, there is a tall white bird (I thought
for the longest time it was a man!) - a great blue heron!

Snack break. I mean, this is such a grueling trail, I don't know
how they've made it even this far without sustenance. (Especially
an hour after dinner!)

They wanted to recreate the frowny face photo.

Cal couldn't frown!

Closer.

Ha!

25 May 2018: Quail Trail Loop in at the Ogden Nature Center North Trailhead. Dad came back a night early (yay!) but we still had to return his rental car in Ogden on Friday morning, so we made a trip out of it, stopping at Walmart for a few things, and squeezing in a quick, favorite hike while we were on that side of the mountains.

Always snacking, apparently. ;)

26 May 2018: North Fork Environmental Center Disc Golf Course, not exactly a hike, but I count it because we hike up the road to get there (about a mile) and tromp all over trails and grass and wildflowers throwing (and trying to find) our discs. Totally a hike!

30 May 2018: That same New No Name trail in North Fork, this time with the Tyke Hikers (formerly the Wednesday Wilderness Walkers, though I still use that hashtag on insta). This was our first Tyke Hike of the season and we had a HUGE turnout! It's always fun to hike with friends and to be able to introduce them to new trails they can enjoy with their families.

Tyke Hikers that made it for the pic:
Erin and Charlie; Missy and Cruze; Kim and Sam; Annalissa
and Annalia (sp?), Azalea, and Lincoln; Alicia and Henry and
Annabel; Ashley and Theodore, Bennett and Emmeline; Mary
and Caleb and Brooke (and Sochi, the dog). Not pictured were
Mary's mom (our first ever grandma on a hike, and the photographer),
Jen and her kids, and Brenley and her kids. I think our total
was 9 moms, 1 grandma, 22 kids and a dog (also a first)! Whew!