The Blanch Herd: November 2020 Hikes (and Bikes)

When we got home from our trip and it snowed that evening, I was worried that we wouldn't get much hiking in for November. Well, all the snow melted and we've had a glorious month on the trails!

12 November 2020: Old Highway Beach Loop

I must have needed a break because it's rare that I take a solo walk in the middle of the day (although it should become a thing since evening solo walks are not happening with the sun setting so early!). Whatever the particulars, I ended up at the Old Highway beach and then decided to loop back up the cliff at our secret beach spot from the summer and head back on the trail. I loved the colors contrasting between the sky and the snow and the yellow grass and teasel. A much needed breather in nature nearby.

13 November 2020: Birdsong Trail

Feeling a need to get out of the house, we ended up on the Birdsong Trail in Ogden for the first time with Gregg in tow. It was fun to point out the cactuses we spotted in the summer and the views into the golf course below and the secret hut and the stream and the waterfall at our ending spot. Not much birdsong on this trip, but still lovely in a Novembery sort of way.

16 November 2020: Quail Trail Loop

Lots of mid-day mid-week hikes happening this month with the whole fam! This time we tried out Quail Trail Loop. We haven't hiked this one in the fall/early winter before and it was beautiful.

17 November 2020: Ogden River Parkway

Not a hike today, but a bike ride on the Ogden River Parkway was a fun first for us. We parked at the Cayon Trailhead and rode under the road to the west where we followed the bike path and the river past the Dinosaur Park, the playground at the end of the Dinosaur Park road, the Botanical Garden, the Lorin Farr pool and skate park, and the rodeo grounds till we got to Washington Blvd (and the trail was closed under the highway). Then we turned around and went back! It was fantastic and a fun tour of some of our favorite Ogden sites . . . on bike!

First tunnel fun!

I spy some dinos.

Return trip tunnel number 2.

18 November 2020: Old Highway

I knew we could get all the way across the Old Highway without getting our feet wet, so I talked the kids into heading out to try on a somewhat overcast and drizzly, but actually really lovely afternoon. And we made it!

We made a loop out of it by climbing the
secret beach cliff and walking back on the
trail like I did the week before.

20 November 2020: North Arm Trail

Another Friday, another family hike with Dad. We ran into some ice and mud on the trail, but made it through. Gregg and Sam headed down the muddy hill from the overlook and walked back on the dry lakebed while Cal and I backtracked the way we came on the regular trail and met them at the first bridge. I walked home by myself from the trailhead since the sun felt so glorious.

I spy Sam and Gregg yonder in the sun.

21 November 2020: Middle Fork Powerline Loop

A (mostly) new to us trail! I love that after all our years and all our hikes we can still find some novelty in our valley. We have hiked to the powerlines before, but we always turn around and come back the same way. This time we followed the powerline road to the west until we reached the ridge and could see the divide and the valley below. Then we headed down to the parking lot on a trail that just happened to be there! A lovely (long) loop in the sunshine!

28 November 2020: North Arm to Old Highway Loop

We've done most of this "hike" in segments before, but we've never connected it all into one giant loop. We were seeking out the sunshine, so we avoided the super shady North Arm Trail and instead headed straight toward the lake. We followed the streambed all the way to the Old Highway, crossed over to the beach on the other side, and then walked the shoreline back to the trail by the nesting poles.

Some kind folks had added convenient crossings like
this over the river.

But we still had to do some daring cliff
scrambles at spots, too.

There's the old bridge on the old highway that almost
connects the road on either side - things have shifted
over the years as it spends a lot of its time underwater.

But it is crossable if you can balance up that
concrete slope where Cal is scrambling.

29 November 2020: Stringtown Beach to "Alcove"

We were interested to see the Stringtown beach area with the ultra low lake levels, so we headed out on a sunny Sunday afternoon for a walk to explore. We were enthralled with the narrow frozen section we encountered at the "alcove" (I don't even know if alcove is the right word to use for this area of the lake?). We spent a long time skipping rocks and throwing sticks and logs and listening to the sounds of the ice and the echoes and watching the bubbles ripple under the ice. A delightful afternoon well spent.