Saturday, January 16, 2021 Antelope Island!

Antelope Island:

Buffalo Point

Lakeside Trail

hikers:  Mark and Lecia

Distance:  1 + 4.8 = 5.8 miles

elevation gain: not much

Mark and I headed to Antelope Island today.  I was really hoping to see the ice that forms near the island and even though that wasn't to be we did get to do a couple of hikes.  It was cold, but not bitter cold, and it turned out to be great hiking weather.  Especially at Antelope Island where there is no shade in the summer months.  I seriously never knew there were such good hiking options in January.   We weren't the only ones there either, but the parking lots weren't completely full.

We arrived at the toll booth and there were a few cars ahead of us.  Just so you know, 

There is a $15 charge per car!

There were also some bikes.

This is a simple map of the island.  We decided to start at the Buffalo Point trail.  

This is an out-and-back trail about a mile long. You do go uphill to get to the point, about 200 feet elevation gain, but it is an easy hike.  One that is great for kids.  

This time of year there was some snow and ice.  That was really slick but we made it. 

At the top you have a 360 view and there are all kinds of rocks to climb and hide in if that's your thing, meaning kids would love it here.  

The views are amazing.  After we took it all in, we drove a short way to the Lakeside Trailhead.

The Lakeside trail is a loop that goes along the lake and it also goes around the other side of Buffalo point.  You could just go along the lake for a short way, but we just kept going and were rewarded on the other side of Buffalo Point.  This trail is mostly, but not completely flat.  There were bikes and even a couple of unicycles on it.

You get relatively close to the lake but there was always what looked like marshy or boggy area before the lake.

Here we are.  I put on a hat when we first started hiking and it warmed up enough I didn't need it, but once you put a hat on you may as well leave it on.  You can see the sun was bright.

We found many of these.  All over.  Some fresh and others in various states of decomposition.  This is the home where the buffalo roam!  I don't know if that looks big or not, but buffalo pies are definitely bigger than cow pies.  The horse poop on the trail was nothing compared to these.  

We eventually encountered actual buffalo or bison.  The trail went pretty close to where they were grazing.  That was our reward for doing the whole loop

By this time we had had enough hiking so even though we wanted to do Dooly Knob we had to save it for another day.  

Antelope Island is a good place for hiking.  For kids good hikes are the ladyfinger point trail, Buffalo Point, and a short distance on the lakeside loop.  That would be fun on bikes too. 

I haven't done any other trails but next time I would like to do Dooly Knob and the South Island trail.  This time we spent all our time in the Buffalo Point area.

We stopped on our way and got sandwiches which was a good thing to do, or take your own food and water also.  

January is a great time to visit.  I would like to go back when you can see the ice formations but you have to have specific winter conditions for that.  

December 25, 2020 Butterfield Canyon

Christmas Day walk up Butterfield Canyon

hikers:  Ethan, Seth, Annie, Landon, Mom, Dad

distance: maybe a mile up and then back

trail:  Butterfield Canyon road

Sometimes the line between a walk and a hike blurs.  This was a very enjoyable Christmas day walk on the road up Butterfield Canyon. During winter the road is gated at the bottom of the canyon and that is where we parked and started our walk. 

parking

We passed other people walking their dogs and runners but it was not crowded.  It get prettier after the gate and barricade.

the kids

The road was dry at the gate and there were more and more patches of snow the further we went.  We saw various remains from an animal that had been torn apart.  That sounds disgusting but it was actually more interesting than gross.  After all this was a nature walk.  

Beauty. Nature.

the end 😀

Friday, November 27, 2020 Y trail in Provo

 Hike to the Y

hikers: Mark and Lecia

distance: 2.22 miles round trip

elevation gain: 1,076 feet

We almost didn't do this hike because it was cold!  And also because it was getting later in the day and you know there is always a lot to do and even though we were in Provo did we want to take the time? And just looking at the Y from the gas station we were at, it looked like the Y was quite a bit higher than the trailhead and parking lot, so we were kind of unsure.   Well, we decided to do it, so we drove to the trailhead and put on our sweatshirts and it was really very pleasant and enjoyable and a good way to spend the afternoon.  Good choice.

It has been a few years since we last did it with our kids.  Today was just Mark and I, and all the other people on the trail because this is a well used trail.  You don't have to worry about getting off trail.  It's well marked and well used.

It is a bunch of switchbacks and you are going uphill the entire time.  It's steep.  

We stopped at every turn. To read the sign.  To take in the view.  To take a rest while we read the sign and took in the view.  OK, it really wasn't that bad, but some switches are longer than others and I was ready for a break.  And there are benches you can sit on if you want. 

We warmed up and because it is west facing it is a good hike for this kind of weather.  We made it to the bottom but we didn't stop there.

Almost there.

This is looking down on the Y from above it.  Is that snow, or is it whitewashed concrete?

You can keep going up the mountain for another couple of miles if you want a longer hike.  Our goal for today was the Y.   The view is worth it.

The trail was steep but it is only 1.1 miles.  

There are benches at many of the turns and picnic tables at the bottom of the Y. 

October 5, 2020 Grand Teton National Park

Jenny Lake and Inspiration Point

hikers:  Mark, Lecia, Seth, Sterling

On our way to Yellowstone we spent some time in Grand Teton National Park and hiked around Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and then on to Inspiration Point.  This should definitely be on your itinerary if you are up that way and while we were there it was gorgeous autumn weather.  The trees were so colorful.

The hike we did was maybe 7 miles round trip and 400 feet of elevation gain.  Really pleasant and most of the elevation gain was in the last mile or so.

This is Jenny Lake. Jenny Lake is large and so the first couple of miles of hiking is around the lake to get to the trailhead for inspiration point. We started at the south parking lot for jenny lake.   In season you can pay to ride a boat across the lake. This was too late in the season for that and besides we really enjoy  hiking. This part of the hike was mostly flat on a nice trail and was really pretty.  Plus we saw a moose and a fox and a beaver pond while hiking around the lake!  That was a big bonus we wouldn't have wanted to miss.

On the other side of the lake, when the Cascade Canyon Trail forks off from the Jenny Lake trail, the Jenny Lake trail has a bridge that crosses Cascade Creek and there are some falls there.  Those are not Hidden Falls but its worth going to the bridge for a look.  

It's just a bit further up the Cascade Canyon Trail, then a short little spur to Hidden Falls!

This is further up the Cascade Canyon Trail to Inspiration Point .  The elevation gain is only about 400 feet and most of it is on the Cascade Canyon Trail.  I read this trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930's.  They did an awesome job.  

And this is Inspiration Point!  The reward of the hike where you can look out over the lake and the valley and be inspired. It was a great time to be hiking here, there weren't a lot of people  while we were at the viewpoint. 

To adapt this hike for kids too young to hike that far, you could just do the trail around the lake part of the way as an out and back hike.  Kids would enjoy that.  

The Cascade Canyon Trail continues on, up Cascade Canyon if you are looking for more of a challenge. 

The next day we drove to Yellowstone and spent 2 days there.  We walked a lot of miles on boardwalks, which was very enjoyable but not a hike so I won't be including those here.  

September 12, 2020 Timp!

Mount Timpanogos

hikers:  Ethan, Daniel, Mark

This year a couple of the boys and Mark hiked Timp!  It has been a not quite annual tradition for many years for whoever could go.  Mark wanted to do it again after not having been to the summit for several years.  I'm glad these three made it happen.  Since I wasn't there I don't have much to say about the hike, but way to go Daniel, Ethan, and Mark.  

the hikers

the view

the summit

August 27, 2020 Gloria Falls

 Gloria Falls

hikers: Ethan, Mom, Dad

Definitely recommend this hike!

Ethan was home this week so we decided to do Gloria Falls, since it didn't work out a couple of weeks ago.  And even if it had, we would have taken Ethan there because the falls are amazing.  I think Gloria is short for glorious.  But a couple of weeks ago we didn't know that and not too far into the hike I knew that last time it was a good thing we turned around before we even got to the trail head.

Back to the hike, there are lots of websites with directions.  Here is one I used:

https://utahsadventurefamily.com/gloria-falls-little-cottonwood-canyon/

This time we parked in the red pine/white pine lake trail head parking lot.  I don't know how many times I have driven past that and didn't realize it was even there.  This is where we started the hike, right next to the bathroom.  

and headed down the trail.

and we came to the first bridge.

 I was counting bridges and wondering what qualified as a bridge because i didn't want to miss the turn off to Gloria Falls.  Let me just say that this is the first bridge and you go about a mile before you come to the second bridge where you turn off the main trail.  So relax after this bridge, and just keep going.  It's all uphill and on the side of the mountain and the aspens and pine and the view are beautiful.

Take a good look at Mark because he is finally wearing the new hiking pants that have been sitting in his  closet for over a month, and that might be the last time you see that backpack.  It's his birthday soon and I think it is time to retire his trusty backpack.  

It was about this time, or even before, that I realized it was a good thing we didn't do this hike a couple of weeks ago.  We would have been carrying both little girls.  And we would have been hungry.  The fruit snacks wouldn't have lasted long.

I was wondering if we were headed in the right direction because I knew we had to cross a bridge and since there wasn't any water why would there be a bridge?and how could there be a waterfall:  We were on the side of a mountain and little cottonwood creek was down at the bottom and I saw no sign of water.  But we saw this sign and followed it.

and then this one.

and then we saw the second bridge and water running underneath it.

here is a view upstream from the bridge.

and this is the sharp left after the bridge.

This part of the trail is lots of roots and soft dirt through the pine trees.

Then we arrived at Gloria Falls!  glorious!

We sat on a log to eat the picnic we brought.  There were other groups of people there and a nice hiker offered to take our picture so we could all be in it.

It was only 2.3 miles according to the website and look at and the reward at the end!  There was a family with a child 4 or 5 years old and it is family friendly if the kids are old enough to hike uphill for a mile.  

August 8, 2020 Lisa Falls

 Gloria Falls   Lisa Falls

hikers:  Annie, Landon, Lydia, Lecia, Madelynn, Marisa, Mark, Rees, Sterling

We were having a little family get together and wanted a hike we could all do. We read about Gloria Falls and thought a hike that was just one mile, two miles round trip, was do-able.  We went up little cottonwood canyon and parked thinking we would walk to the trail head.  It was a lovely walk through the woods but before we even got to the trail head we decided that was enough hike.  

So we finished that little walk among the trees between the parking lot and the trail head and then we stopped at the Lisa Falls trail head on the way down the canyon.  Lisa Falls is always a good place to go and easy to get to, whether there is a lot of water or just a trickle. This time it was more of a trickle.  Annie had never been there so we got to introduce her to Lisa Falls. And since it is only .3 miles we were all ready to hike it, or be carried.