Feels Like a Break

Can you believe that hiking 12 miles up and down the side of a mountain actually felt like a break? I think parenting twins has to be classified as some type of extreme survival sport (I think Rachel would agree) so last week when we were able to get away, it felt awesome! We split the girls up and each Grandma took one for the day. We had originally planned to leave the girls with Grandmas overnight while we backpacked to Signal Peak, camped at Further Water and came down Browns Point Trail the next morning but we changed our minds at the last minute (separation anxiety, yes) and decided to dayhike up to the summit and back down by nightfall. We hit the trail with Kalin, Tia, and David around 8am and made our way up the bouldery switchbacks. There were still big snowdrifts in the shaded canyons and the temperatures were oh-so-refreshingly-cool! We were walking across one snowdrift when one of us noticed small black melty holes in the ice. Peeking down into them, we found that we were actually walking on a big ice bridge that was still frozen over a deep ravine filled with freezing cold water! Yikes! Once we were all safely across, the boys had fun throwing big boulders onto the ice, watching them break through and fall through to the pools below. We lunched with the pine ants and then summited at 2:00 pm, six miles into the hike. Our goal was to make it to the junction of trails before turning around. Once we did that we rested a bit and then headed back down. It was miserably hot at the bottom and Kyle's bruised and battered ankles and shins (he fell a couple of times) and ALL of me was glad to be back to the truck. Thank you Pine Valley Wilderness! Thank you Grandmas! Thank you IcyHot!

Out and about while it's cool...

The temps dipped this last week and I was anxious to get out of the house for some non-house-smelling fresh air (blahhh), so we cruised on up to Pine Valley to take a walk up Forsyth Trail and to try and spot some mountain lions (I was up there last week and heard some). No luck with finding lions, just a few tracks, but we did enjoy the things we saw along the way.

Burned out area from last summer, near the summit

Cute log bridge and cuter Kalin

Slide area

BIG log slide area at the bottom

Along the trail we found wonderful, delicious, RASPBERRIES! They were small but tasty...

...and best eaten like THIS!

We also had some of these berries (much better cooked into pancake syrup, Mom's specialty)

And a few of these berries...

But we did NOT have any of THESE berries!!! x_x

Little chimpunk-man mad we're stompin through his berry patch.

We picked for awhile...

YUM! Thanks Mother Nature for the treats and fresh air!

Bye-Bye Bunny and Other News

The bunny went bye-bye. We found a rabbitry/rescue to send him to in Ivins that was able to foster him long term until a suitable adopter can be found (thanks Brooklyn!!!). He was actually on the local news station, KCSG, the other night in Brooklyn's arms as she was talking about housing needy bunnies. She has named him "Toasty Marshmallow" or "T.M." for short, since his white coat of fur is a little stained and 'toasty' looking.


Apparently housework is more dangerous to me than hiking, rapelling, rockclimbing or biking. Two week ago as I was bending down to pick up a vacuum hose, I split my head open against the sharp corner of a dresser. Ouch. Kyle helped me control the bleeding and I left the rest of the housework to him. I say stick with what you do best. Kyle says I need more practice. :)


Raquetball rocks! Kalin kicked bootie at the rec center last weekend. He quickly figured out that he could beat me easily by hitting the ball into the corners where I couldn't volley it back.
Kyle gave him a run for his raquet though.

Busy Birthday

Oh yay another birthday. I woke up early (8am is early for me), and did some rock climbing up above Dammeron Valley at a place called Prophecy Wall, with a group from DSC. It was my FIRST time rock climbing and I both enjoyed it and hated it! Learning the techniques and knots and actual climbing was a BLAST but... the heights and fear and muscle strain really got to me. I found out that I was a LOT weaker - both physically and mentally - than I thought! This pic is of a very small section of Prophecy Wall - the thing is really huge. And also, I didn't take this picture, its a googled image. A camera was the last thing on my mind up there. :) I got back from climbing mid-afternoon, and began preparing for mine and Kyles planned bike ride on the JEM trail, which is runs between the SR59/Apple Valley area and SR9/Virgin along the Virgin River. When we arrived at the trailhead, the weather was AWESOME. It was getting later in the afternoon, so we took off right away. The trail was like a big rollercoaster, up and down and up and down. The momentum from the downturns took us up the hills, so very little pedaling was actually required (hey thats my kind of bike ride!).

We got several miles into the ride, when I stopped to take a rest. My head was throbbing and little blinky-lights were starting to go off in front of my eyes. Kyle admitted he was pretty hungry and shaky too. We decided to ditch the rest of the ride and go find some food and rest. Kyle headed back for the truck and I made my way to the side of the highway and waited there.

Our plan was to head to Springdale for dinner. When we got there, I was not feeling well AT all. A day of over exertion, sun, and lack of food had caught up to me. I chilled out in the truck and tried to nap my headache away. Kyle ordered a pizza and brought it back to the truck. I ate a couple of pieces and went back to sleep as Kyle drove us home. So much for the romantic birthday dinner ;) I was VERY thankful, however, that Kyle was there to take care of me - I don't get sick very often. By the time we got home, I was feeling quite a bit better. We visited some family and cut my super-awesome GREEN lemon birthday cake that Kyle made me :) Check this out, isn't he great?:

Spelunking with Glowsticks

The triplets TWENTIETH birthday was Sunday! I can't believe they've gotten so OLD! (What does that make me?!)

Sunday afternoon after church everyone gathered at mine & Kyles house and had a homemade Cafe Rio-style lunch/dinner. Then, at Tia's request, we quite literally piled in Kyle's truck (to avoid multiple vehicle fees), and headed up to the Snow Canyon State Park lava caves to play a little game called "Glow Stick Hide-and-Go-Seek." To play, many non-toxic glow sticks are activated, then broken open and splashed onto the cave room walls, the ground, boulders, and the clothing of everyone playing. When a person wearing glow-stick-spattered clothing moves, they are easily spotted, but if they hold still, they blend into the scene. Which makes it really fun to play hide and go seek! People crouching down look like boulders. People standing up against the wall look like the wall. The tiny ones (mom, Rachelle, Tia) seemed to be able to hide the best - they were always found last. Other than the scraped ankles, bumped heads, and stepped on body parts, it was a LOT of fun!!! A little cake and a few presents later, we called it a birthday. Happy Twentieth Tia, Trenton, and Tim! Love you lots!

Hell Hole Canyon Trail

Braving the stormy sky that has been keeping us away from the great outdoors for several weeks, we finally gave up on hoping for nice sunny weather and explored the "Hell Hole Canyon Trail" (hey I didn't name it!) behind Kayenta this weekend. Saturday Kyle, Kalin and I hiked up a couple of miles but had to turn around so I could be back for work on time. On the way back down we ran into a man with a backpack that told us if we had continued up further, the cliffs come together and turn into some really neat "narrows." We were disappointed that we didn't make it up that far, but we decided to come back the next day. On Sunday, us three plus my Mom and her friend Janelle went back up but it was much cloudier and even rained a little bit. We made it a couple miles further up the canyon but were still unable to find the "narrows" the man had told us about. We did find some neat little waterfalls and cool rock formations though. Since Mom had to be back for work this time, we returned again without exploring the entire trail. In a few weeks when it warms up a bit more we want to take some backpacks and tents up the trail and make it an overnighter to see if we can find these "narrows."

Kyle spotted a few quail running around under the bushes.

I only fell down a few times...

Whoa its a cliff. Whoa its a tree. Whoa its a tree next to a cliff.
Cute toosh.

About where we stopped. Wished we coulda continued.

How about you put the camera down and come help me? Monkey see, monkey do

Found a bit of rabbit fur. *sniff sniff* Guess a coyote ate him.

I knew we shoulda' taken that left turn at Albuquerque...

Misty and Kalin.

Yes my shirt does say "Save a Tree." Unfortunately it looks like the tree is already dead.