April 2020 Hikes

April has been lovely and springy and we've had plenty of chances to get out on a few hikes around the neighborhood.  (Thank heavens!)  Nature is my happy place and it has definitely proven to be necessary during this uncertain time of COVID.  I have said it before and I'll say it again: I am so grateful to live here in Eden!

3 April 2020: Old Highway Overlook to Beach Loop

This wasn't an official "hike" necessarily, but we did walk on a dirt trail for a while, so I'm counting it.  We walked/biked/burley-d to the Old Highway Beach parking area, walked up on the trail along the top and came down to the beach near where we went up last month with Gregg (but the water was higher this time!).  We walked along the beach around the bend and then came back up the Old Highway Road path.  The sun was shining and the sky was blue and it was marvelous!

Cal rarely wears her glasses since they just don't fit very well
and she's not looking at any boards in any classrooms, but she did
wear them for our outing today, and I think she enjoyed seeing
some new things!

The optometrist did warn me about major glare-age blocking her
eyes but I didn't opt for the special coating anyway.  Next time,
I think I will!

7 April 2020: North Arm Nature Trail and a little bit of Pineview Trail

Another blue-sky warmish (don't let the kids' shorts fool you - they have them on if it's above 50!) day and a perfect one to check out the North Arm Trail for the first time this season.  We wandered down the old Nature Trail for a ways (to the same bend in the river we explored in the winter in the snow).  Then we crossed the boardwalk area and headed up the hill towards the overlook on the Pineview Trail.  We passed lots of people (so many people!) and one family told us about "a fairly recent mountain lion kill just off the trail about 200 yards up" that pretty much freaked the kids right out (thanks a lot, random stranger).  We didn't go much further after that, especially since we hit a shady snowy/icy section of the trail.  We called it good and headed home after that.  (Sam had biked to the trailhead that day while I pushed Cal in the Burley, so we still had plenty of exercise getting us back home.)

Isn't that just lovely?!

They were picking out the largest hiking sticks
they could find.

Strike a pose!

I love the colors in this one!

8 April 2020: Old Highway Overlook Trail
Gregg sent me out on a solo walk at lunch one day and I took advantage!  I legitimately got hot on this hike!  I walked all the way to the end of the trail near the Creager's farm.  It was a gorgeous day!

18 April 2020: Wolf Canyon Trail (aka "Machinery Trail")

Our first family hike of the season!  We wanted to check out Middlefork since it was finally open after the annual wildlife management closure.  When we got to the parking area, we were shocked to see it was packed!  Tons of campers, tons of horse trailers, tons of cars!  We didn't even get out, didn't want to deal with that mess.  So we turned around and tried something new.  We didn't have high hopes of finding an empty trail on a Saturday during corona-life, but we were surprised to see that the parking area at Wolf Canyon was vacant!  We had a great hike down to the conveyor belt and Gregg even brought the big camera and snapped some really great pics of the kids.

Too cool.

While Gregg was having his photo shoot on the conveyor belt,
I wander off to find some color.

Tons of snake grass over here!

We explored upstream from the machinery and saw some new
parts of the creek that we'd never ventured to before.

Gotta have a group shot!

Cal gave Dad a ride back up the trail on her
shoulders.

And Sam had to get in on the action, too!

20 April 2020: Middlefork Trail to the Puddle
We tried Middlefork again and found it much less crowded on a Monday evening than Saturday morning (though there were still a few campers hanging out).  We had a nice little FHE on the trail and the kids threw rocks and collected "moose moss" in the puddle and it was the perfect evening.

Every time I see this view I think I need to come back
in the morning so I can get a better-lit photo of the gorgeous
valley.

Lighting was lovely looking up the trail, though!

Puddle time!

Love him!

Love us!

21 April 2020: Middlefork Valley View Trail

A new-to-us trail!  (I just made up the name until I learn if it has an actual name.)  As we were leaving for home on Monday evening we noticed some hikers walking up a trail that we hadn't ever paid attention to.  We decided to come back on Tuesday evening to check it out.  It was marvelous!  We had glorious views of the greening valley, not a single soul was around (and I doubt we'd ever see any bikes on this suuuper rocky trail) and the temps were absolutely perfect.  The kids hiked a mile and a half round trip without a single complaint!  In fact, they kept saying things like, "I love this trail!" and "This should totally be a new Tyke Hike!"  We walked to a lone tree by a little stream and then we turned around, but we have plans to come back to explore further (maybe up to PowMow?! maybe make a loop out of the power line road back over to our normal side of Middlefork? plenty of options!)  

And, it should be noted, it was on this trail that I started actually considering writing a Tyke Hike trail guide for the valley.  Maybe as a print-on-demand Amazon book, but probably first an email newsletter (thank you, Gregg for thinking of that one!) or website.  Callie thinks I should put it in the Ogden Valley Scuttlebutt (her name for the Ogden Valley Newspaper).  Wheels are turning.  We'll see where it goes.  :)

Even fewer campers there tonight, but not totally
vacant, and some new ones arrived across the road
from our car by the time we got back!

The evolution of a family picture.  Step one.

Oh, I do love these hooligans!

I couldn't get enough!  I'm so happy to live here!

Looking back to the tree where we stopped. The only one around.
Also note all the rocks!  Definitely have to watch your step on
this terrain.

25 April 2020: North Fork Environmental Center Disc Golf Course

We've been waiting for the snow to melt up here so we can see how our at-home disc golf practicing has paid off.  At last!  The kids rocked it with their new discs and Gregg has found that he can birdie many of these holes quite easily.  I struggled with getting my disc into the treed areas, but when it was wide open, I didn't fare so badly.  ;)  A fun morning hike and play combined into one!

The snowmelt is running!  There may have been a shoe or two
that got wet/muddy on this crossing, but no harm done. ;)

25 April 2020: Old Highway Overlook
Yep, this is hike #2 for our Saturday.  We wanted to spend a little time at the beach, maybe fly our kite for a minute or two, but when we arrived at the parking lot, it was packed with cars and bikes and people!  We opted instead for a quick hike along the rim to check on the status of the beach - there were plenty of people out enjoying the same thing!  And with the beach shrinking this time of year as the reservoir rises, they were closer together than I think social distancing requirements recommend.  We didn't stay long, but it was a nice little walk nonetheless.

She was excited about her sage brush berries.

28 April 2020: Middlefork Trail to the Powerlines
I had been feeling some stress and anxiety for the past week (starting with a full-blown panic attack Thursday night and just lingering symptoms through the week).  I was especially worried about the upcoming "reopening" of the state that was on everyone's minds and tongues.  I was feeling myself spiraling out of control and it was manifesting as chest and back pain to where I wondered if I was having a heart attack! Gregg and I decided I needed a break to walk/hike/be alone and clear my head and get my body moving.  So after dinner Tuesday night I headed out to pick up my library holds (at last - hallelujah!) and found myself at the Middlefork Trailhead. I initially wanted to hike the new trail here that we had discovered on a recent MNH, but there were people walking their dogs to that trailhead right as I arrived, and I people/dogs were the last thing I wanted to deal with on a solo adventure, so I kept driving to the end of the parking lot and headed up the main trail instead.  I hadn't hiked past the puddle for years and it felt good to just go up, up, up at a steady pace.  My heart was beating and I was breathing hard and sweating and it was AWESOME!  I listened to some fun non-COVID podcasts while I walked.  I needed this so much!  It was only a couple miles round trip and about an hour and a half away from home but it really helped my mood and my mind.  And the effects lasted for the rest of the week!

The view of the Valley from my stopping (and breath-catching)
place on a giant boulder under the powerlines.

And bonus!  The arrowleaf balsamroots are in
bloom!