Remember September {Leaf Hikes}

Besides the big highlight of our Causey Salmon Spawn hike (which gets it's own post because it was so awesome), and our disc golfing in the leaves (which we counted as double-whammies for hiking and playing) we had a number of other really fun and really beautiful hikes during September.

Sardine Peak: 5 September 2016

This one starts at the Maples Trailhead in the lower parking lot of Snowbasin Resort.  We had hiked part of it before (to the ridge where previously we went left and on to the Ogden Canyon Overlook) and all our reading about it online came from mountain bike trail sites, so we knew that we could expect to share the trail with a few bikers.  We weren't too worried about that, and off we went.  Turns out, it was NOT the relaxing Labor Day hike that we had intended it to be.  The further we went, the more frustrated we became with the lack of concern or respect we got from the hundreds of bikers we encountered on the trail.  Our plan was to do the loop - to hike to the ridgeline, go right till we saw the great views of Pineview we had heard about, and loop back down to almost the trailhead and head back home.  We didn't complete that plan because, frankly, we were scared for our lives.  Coming down the loop past the overlook to Pineview, we just could not hear the bikes coming (at unsafe, too fast, speeds) behind us until they were right at our heels.  After one too many near-misses and our hearts pounding out of our chests with adrenaline (and anger, it's true), we turned around so we could at least see them a few seconds before we had to dive off the trail into the brush to save our skins.  I'll stop ranting now.  But I will say it was hard to enjoy this hike, even though looking back on the pictures, I can tell that there were some good moments.  Bikers take note: trail etiquette states that bikers should yield to hikers, or at least let us know you're coming!

He was sleepy.

Up on the ridge.

Some good moments - and great views.

Sam faceplanted in the dirty dirty dirt while we were stopped for
lunch.

Skyline Trail (again): 26 September 2016
This is a lovely, close, scenic (you can see pineview most of the time - at least for the mile or so that we've hiked of it), easy trail.  A favorite of our family!

She loves to pick leaves of all kinds and colors.
These maple leaves were cool because they were
super soft and velvety on the back.

The best kind of leaf picture I can imagine.

Remember September {First Snow}

First snow.  It's pretty magical, really.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love fall the most of any of the seasons.  And I would love it to last for months and months.  But, seeing the first snow of the season hit the tops of the mountains at our nearby resorts, and seeing how giddy it made Gregg and Callie . . . that was pretty fun.  We had a pretty good soaking rain at our house all day on Friday the 23rd, but we knew that the moisture combined with the cool temps meant it was piling up snow at higher elevations.  (The snow cams might have helped a bit with that conclusion, too.)  So on the morning of the 24th, Saturday, we bundled up the kiddos and ourselves and made a little drive to Powder Mountain to see and play in it first hand.  Callie was thrilled.  Sam, not so much.  (But I think/hope he'll "warm up" to liking it more as the season progresses.)  It was beautiful to see so much fresh white stuff with the golden aspen leaves peeping out.  (Though I did worry about some of those trees who were drooping so badly because of the weight of that heavy, wet, snow.)

Our drive up the mountain.  It was fun to see exactly where
the snowline was as we passed.

At the parking lot on top.

Not thrilled.

"Why are we doing this again?"

Cal was loving it!  First item: a snow angel,
right in the parking lot!

Cal and Dad take a ride down the hill.

bonus video!

mom and cal

more bonus videos!

dad tries to snowboard
(earliest turns he's been able to take . . . ever,
breaking his previous record of September 27th)

cal's bum slide

Building a snowman . . . with a view!

Pretty fun day.  And my favorite part?  Knowing that it's not here to stay.  Yet. ;)

Remember September {Disc Golf}

We've been meaning to try out the local disc golf courses that Gregg has hunted down for a while now.  What's a better month for disc golf than September, I say!  We've tried three so far, and have had a blast at all of them.  The fall colors are just an extra special added bonus to the thrill of almost beating your husband at something (even though he's the one lugging the baby around on his back while throwing a frisbee at a target up to hundreds of yards away).  Even Cal and Sam seem to enjoy tossing a disc into the basket every once in a while.  Start 'em young!

First up: Snowbasin

3 September 2016

Can't beat those views!

Leaves changing that early up there!

The highlight of Snowbasin's course, for Cal, is
the fact that this super awesome playground is
right there, too.  So of course we had to make a stop
or two for some climbing and sliding and bottling
the boy.

Next one: Solitude (so not exactly local like I said above, but it was on our (yes, roundabout, scenic) way to visit the Blanchards in South Jordan one Saturday morning.  And it was lovely.

17 September 2016

We didn't ride the lift to the top and play down like the normal
people do.  We just wandered up the service road for a while,
then played the last 5 or so holes down.  This one was a bit more
advanced (understatement) than the others, but we still had fun.

Big Cottonwood Canyon is glorious!

They're my favorite.

We did have to wait our turn to throw because we
got behind a group of hardcore players (packed dozens
of discs in special packs and could really throw 'em!)

The last hole looked down over the village.

It was pretty spectacular.

Lastly (for September, anyway): North Fork Environmental Center
20 September 2016

This one was much more to our skill level
(meaning we could get par or even birdies on the holes)
which really boosts the confidence and fun level.

I liked their clever little hole names and maps.

This pic absolutely does not do the beauty of that area justice,
but you can get a bit of an idea.

It's located right up next to the base of Ben Lomond
Peak, so the sun sets super early and we played in
shadows even though it wasn't that late.

Happy golfers, that's us!