The Blanch Herd: July 2020 Hikes

1 July 2020: Birdsong Trail

This was a fun outing with Grandma Elwood and a couple Elwood cousins who came along for the adventure with her. We met up at tyke favorite Birdsong Trail and it was such a delight to hike with them and listen to all the kids naming plants and weeds as we walked along the trail. Made my nerdy heart so happy!

I love these blossoms.

A fun stick hut at the "waterfall" area.

Posers.

Group shot! We love this shady spot on the trail!

Inspecting Cal's weed book to check the ID of a certain thistle
we passed on the trail. Evy was convinced it was a bull thistle
(and it probably was, but we didn't know it at the time since it wasn't
in the book).

The thistle in question, but also a butterfly.
Can you see it?

At the top of the climb!

I'm leaving all three of these group shots of the top view because
of Bradley. Just watch.

This is awesome!

2 July 2020: Old Highway to Creager's Evening Solo
I took a stroll down by the reservoir one evening on a walk by myself after the kids were in bed. It's a lovely time to walk in the coolness with an interesting podcast in my ears. I walked along the Old Highway trail all the way to the end by the Creager's barn and back. Delightful.

I just really loved all the colors going on here.

3 July 2020: North Fork River Trail to Utaba Reservoir Loop
My friend Holly mentioned this one to me one day. We had hiked in the area before, but have never done this exact loop and it turned out to be a fun little Friday morning adventure as a family.

I need to get better at deciduous tree identification.
I see these all over but don't know what they are!

We weren't exactly sure where to turn off the main River Trail
road, so we wandered farther than we should have.

But that's okay - it was a lovely wander.

Heading back to the fork.

The Utaba Reservoir at the north end of North Fork Park is really
low this time of year. We think that big cement thing in the middle
is some sort of drain?

On the dam.

Posers.

Completing the loop.

6-10 July 2020: Lots of hikes while camping!

11 July 2020: North Arm Evening Solo
Another outing after hours by myself with my podcasts.

15 July 2020: Slow Poke to Sundown Hike/Bike
Sam wanted to try his hand (legs?) at mountain biking, so he brought his bike along on our evening hike up the Slow Poke ski run to the Sundown ski lift at the top of the ridge. He did great! And we all enjoyed the pretty flowers and beautiful views and quality mountain time.

I always take pics of interesting plants that I don't
know so I can send them to Heather and she can tell
me what they are. But I don't think I ever sent this one
to her. Haha.

Sam walked the last stretch up to the lift and back down to the
ridge since it was pretty steep.

17 July 2020: Bourbon Lake and other Wandering on the Mirror Lake Highway

20 July 2020: Art Nord-Icebox-Wheeler Loop
I was only intending this to be a research hike for the Art Nord Mini Loop to write up in my Tyke Hikes newsletter, but we were so gung ho that we just kept hiking through Icebox Canyon, and back up from Wheeler. We loved the Icebox section, as usual, with the cool temps and the water flowing nearby. What a delightful Monday Night Hike!

Tuna sandwiches with a view!

Looking into Icebox.

Lots of bridges on this hike!

23 July 2020: Wheeler-Icebox-Art Nord Loop
We loved it so much we did it twice in a week! That is true, but actually we were planning to meet Mugs (after she called to see if we wanted to hike with her that afternoon because she unexpectedly got off work after only a half day!) at Green Pond trail instead. But it was closed for a private activity, so we drove back down the mountain and back up to Art Nord and did the Icebox loop in the opposite direction from Monday instead. (It turned out great for my research purposes, too, since I could write it in the favored direction to hike it, which was this way that we took with Megan.) We even got caught in a thunder storm and got soaked on our last stretch back to the car! What a fun way to shake up an otherwise unplanned afternoon!

Ominous clouds yonder. And we were hearing
the thunder by this time.

Practice posing while I set up the tripod.

Shortly after this, the clouds opened up on us and we got wet!

The sunflowers this time of year just make me so happy!

26 July 2020: Pioneer Trail
We thought it would be fun and fitting to hike the Pioneer Trail, the route used by the pioneers as they came into the valley to settle, on Pioneer Day weekend. Minus the annoying dogs who barked at us at the beginning, we had a marvelous time!

A very overgrown trailhead, but quite pretty in evening light.

Serious seedpods.

You can see Gregg up ahead trying to get the
dogs to head back home so we could pass in peace.
I took this pic so I could have a marker of when
to be on the lookout for them next time we ever attempt
to come (and so I could write about it, too).

Watch out for the myrtle spurge!

You're right in town (well on the edge of farms)
but it feels quite remote along this trail, which
is quite nice sometimes. (And kind of freaky if
you start to think about bears and mountain lions
that are reported in the area.)

A little info to add some history to your hiking.

Oh how I love these smiles!

Thimbleberries!

He found a ripe one!

28 July 2020: South Skyline Trail from North Ogden Divide
This was a fun, early morning meet up with a couple of my hiking friends, Holly and Megan, for a moms only hike. It was great to talk and hike fast up a steep hill and really feel our lungs and legs burning! (The talking and hiking and breathing heavy part was not the best combo going up, but we made it work by taking some breaks - haha.) Up to the ridge and back before our husbands started working that morning at 8:00. Boom!