White & Red Pine

I just got back from a hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon and sigh, it was so beautiful. 

With each hiker I passed, I wanted to wave my arms to motion around us in every direction and scream "ISN'T THIS AMAZING?!?! DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU IN ALL THIS GLORY?!?!? "

But instead I just thought that in my head as I smiled a big smile and said "Enjoy your hike!!" and they'd smile and say "You too!"

Can I just live up here?

One autumn outing a day doesn't satisfy, but I'll take what I can get. I think I'd like to follow the Savior's example here and try 40 days of solitude in the wilderness. THAT would be amazing. I'm willing to fast  as well if that will help make it happen. 

That would make it easier I bet if I don't have to worry about food. I'll just find a nice mountain spring to live next to. I'd be nervous at night about moose and cougars, so I might need something I can lock myself inside of. (I don't think I could ever ride my bike through dense grizzly bear country like Ty Hopkins did!)

I took a panoramic photo and sent a polo to the Hibbert's 

I had hoped to go with Corey or the kids, but Abi and Lily had homecoming, and Corey, Sophi and Natalie didn't want to go. Owen and Daniel had friends over, but it worked out cause Corey was willing to stay home with kids so I could leave. I probably could have made Peter and Katharine come, but I wouldn't have been able to get to where I wanted to on the trail if they were with me. The part that I needed to get to is where it turns south and at about 2500 ft elevation, and that is where you  have a view of the mouth of the canyon.

White Pine and Red Pine is a great trail. White Pine ends at Gloria Falls, but if you keep going west, you can get on Red Pine, which leads to Pfeifferhorn, which I've almost done once in 2009, but that is another one on my "still need to do" list. 

ANYWAY... I had a little over an hour tonight. I started just before 6pm and sun was going to be setting at 7:12. So I hurried along and made it to the spot with 10 min to spare, I was giving myself 30 min to get back to the car before dark. So it all worked out perfectly, and most of the autumn traffic in the canyon had cleared by the time I was back on the road. I hope I can get out with Mel and Christian next year, or that Wes will go with me after he's back from his mission.

Other things today: Corey and I went climbing at 8:30 am. Abi took Owen to his game cause Corey and I weren't back in time. Abi headed back home, I took Corey home and then I went to the rest of Owen's game. Corey took Peter to his game then took Sophi out for her belated b-day outing with him. Owen wanted some chips for his playdate. Abi was going to leave with the car at 2:30, but then said she actually didn't need to go until 3:30, so O and I hurried to the store for chips. Abi left her stuff in the car, so I made sure to lock it manually so nothing would get stolen. Upon returning to the car, I wasn't able to open it. Turns out I did not have a van key! I had Corey's key. The car started because Abi had left her van key in the van. My key was at home. I called Abi and she rode a bike down to Smiths to rescue us. That left her a little sweaty before homecoming dance and our ice cream a little soft, but all good. Just a 10 min fix to our problem. 

Then Abi left to go to homecoming with her friends, Jenna Tara and friends. Lily went with Micah. Corey took her to his house and she was a bit frazzled over her dress and all the steps of what you're supposed to do (boutonniere - Abi helped her order that). We felt a little bit like loser parents for not helping her a little more for her first date. But it's not in the budget, so... 

I gathered milkweed pods when I cleared out the milkweed. I was going to harvest the seeds, but I think I waited too long. They are too dry so the fuzz expands and flies everywhere with the seeds as soon as I try to open them. I got a little bit of seeds and some fluff for the kids to play with, but with most of the pods I'm just letting nature do it's thing this year. I still have a bucket of seeds from last year. Not sure where I should sow them. Our yard has more than it's share so I prob don't need to sow them here. 

Kids have been playing cutely. Natalie always the amazing big sister to Katharine. 

And Peter's working on the Arendelle forest. 

Time for bed. Church is at 11 tomorrow, so that is nice, we're enjoying that part of the ward change. Makes Sunday mornings a little more restful. Tonight K fell asleep at scriptures. I put her on our floor but then she'll probably come into our bed during the night. She's done that every night this past week (and coughed on me all night). I'm glad she's feeling better, but I'll prob keep her home tomorrow. Or we'll go to sacrament meeting but I'll take her home after that. She shouldn't go to nursery with how she's been. It was sad to see her sick this week but I'm glad she's almost better.