The Blanch Herd: September 2020 Hikes (and Bikes)

We had a good month of hiking (and biking to "hikes" which I'm including here because it's my blog and I can do what I want to ;) and all this happened in the first half of the month before we left for Vermont! Since we're quarantined here through the end of the month, I decided to just get this post up for your hike-viewing enjoyment.

1 September 2020: Wolf Barn Short Track

We met up with Charlie, Logan and Erin one crisp, bright morning for a little hike at the Wolf Barn Short Track. It was lovely to be outside in nature in the middle of "town". I tell you what - hikes are my favorite mid-morning homeschooling PE break EVER!

This fun gazebo treehouse thing is a highlight for sure!

Apples on the trees along the trail.

Chokecherries? We saw so many blossoms
of chokecherries through the spring and now
it's fun seeing the fruit appear in the fall!

1 September 2020: Bike to Stringtown Road and Hike to Hidden Cove

We were feeling adventurous after dinner one night and decided to bike to the end of Stringtown and then walk along the beach to the "secret alcove" around the corner. The water was much lower than last year when we made this excursion (minus the biking part), but it was a glorious evening on the lake with no one around.

5 September 2020: Bike to Old Highway Parking Lot and Hike Across the Old Highway

We realized that with the water level in the reservoir dropping so fast, we could probably make it across the lake on the old road bed, so we headed out on our bikes on a Saturday morning and started "hiking" (it's really just a walk) across the lake. We made it across the first stream crossing, but when we got to the old bridge, the water was still just too high to make any headway across without swimming. So we almost made it to the other side, but not quite. Still we had fun tossing rocks and watching the birds.

First signs of fall leaves on the hillside!

Too deep for a piggy back and too wide to jump.

6 September 2020: Bike to North Arm Trailhead and Hike to Lake

A lovely Sunday outing to see if we could find the source of the stream/inlet that we crossed the day before on the old highway. Never found it, but still had a good time. And we watched the smoke roll in over the mountains from the California fires. Yikes!

That's a big 'un! (Fish skeleton high and dry
in the mud.)

9 September 2020: Old Highway Trail

An evening solo walk/hike for me down to the lake and back. Cool clouds, changing leaves, ripe apples on a wild tree. It was delightful!

14 September 2020: Skyline Trail

I needed a quick research hike with (hopefully) a good fall vibe for the next day's newsletter, so we set out on one of our favorite fall hikes: Skyline. Alas, it wasn't at peak (nothing is yet), but we did get some handfuls of colorful leaves (mostly a pastel palette) and quite a pile of acorns (Sam calls them "eggcorns"), as well as the notes and photos I needed for my post, so it was an overall success (despite the heat and dust of a mid-afternoon hike on a hot September day).

I love these fuzzy seeds!

Notice Sam's hands full of "eggcorns" and Cal's fistful
of leaves. :)

15 September 2020: North Fork River Trail

I couldn't pass up one more chance to get a Utah fall hike before we left the next day, so I texted some friends to meet me with their tykes and we hiked along the River Trail in North Fork for a ways. We probably could have gone further, but both Cal and Sam got stung under their shirts on their backs by some angry wasps about a half mile in. (I think they were angered by the kids throwing rocks at their nest (not purposely - they were just throwing rocks, but must have hit a nest?).) Yowch! That was a sad moment! So we turned around. But it was a gorgeous morning - I couldn't believe how colorful the mountains in North Fork were already! I'm so glad we went! It filled my fall hiking bucket for a couple weeks till I can get out again.