Really I should be saying Backpacking with the Boys.
Kaleb and I have been talking about backpacking from Tony's Grove to Green Canyon since winter. I have just been wanting to get back into a place where there isn't much action going on. Really, I would love to hike deep into the mountain and then just sit for a day, listening to the birds and the breeze rustling through leaves.
Instead.....I kept up with the fast pace of the boys, hiking through the wilderness.
I have to chuckle at myself. I always walked fast when the kids were really little. They would be practically running their skinny little legs just to keep up. I told them that it's good exercise to walk fast. Well....now all of them are fast walkers, hikers, and now I am having to work harder just to keep up with them.
This is proof that I am a part of this adventure.
We set off at 5pm on a Friday night after the boys got home from work and showered.
It was a straight up incline to Naomi Point. These little kids and their Dad passed me up. But then again we had 35 pound packs on our backs.
This looked like Whoville.
I guess you could call these flowers. They actually looked like little old men with crazy hair.
I was taking pictures with my cell phone so they aren't super clear.
I didn't want to lug around the big camera. I've done that before and it is cumbersome.
It felt so good to be outside at sundown.
My favorite time of day.
What do you want to do....
I don't know....
What do you want to do....
We could go to that rock......
We ended up hiking in the dark down to High Creek Lake.
I was a little nervous because my night vision isn't as good as it used to be.
I had asked the boys if they were nervous that it was dark and when they responded with a look like
"what?" I knew that I didn't have to worry. If they aren't worried, I'm not worried.
They are way more experienced that me.
It was weird that me, their mother, was relying on my sons, ages 17 and 21 for security.
I trusted them and they never failed.
My sons are awesome!
We woke up in this little valley with snow and the start of Spring in July.
Every square foot had wildflowers just about to bloom.
Of course I was up earlier than the boys. The tents were drenched with dew.
It was crisp, damp, clean and absolutely beautiful.
This guy is a well experienced coffee maker. Wish I drank coffee.
We kept passing these Cairons. I think this one looks like a horse.
The boys were so patient with me.
I was so excited about all the wildflowers.
It was like being in a blooming wonderland.
These purple stalks were sooo tall!
They came up to Jared's shoulder and he is 6ft 2in.
I think a little mouse family lives in that hole.
It could be Tinkerbell.
We were so tired. We had hiked 7 miles the first night, and then 8 miles the second day.
I discovered my hiking boots aren't as good as I thought.
But Pizza for dinner with homemade dough was awesome!
Kaleb made the meal plan and told me what to buy.
We had hamburger and veges the first night, scrambled egg (yes, we packed 6 eggs) burritos for breakfast, tuna for lunch, pizza for dinner and cinnamon rolls for Sunday morning breakfast.
We even managed to get the top browned.
As I was watching the boys pack up to head out I happened to notice that my Jared had all blue gear....his favorite color.
And Kaleb had all his gear in green....his favorite color.
It reminded me of when they were little and I would have color coded cups, toothbrushes, clothes etc...in their favorite colors. I guess some things you don't grow out of.
Something went horribly wrong with our cinnamon rolls.
We ended up making a big biscuit with cinnamon on top. It was good though.
Something that we need to try again, maybe in the backyard though.
We hiked a total of 20 miles from Friday night to Saturday morning.
Kirk and the girls picked us up walking along side the road.
I am so happy that I could spend time with my boys....really, I spent the weekend with men.
These guys can really know their stuff. Never once did they complain that I was too slow, or complain when I told them hold on a second, I need to rest a minute, or complain when I had to sit down and take off my shoes and socks to apply about 7 bandaids to three of my toes which I am sure that I will be losing my nails in the next month or so.
I enjoyed listening to their conversations and what their interests are in life...plans for the future.
It was a window into their young lives that I admire and love.
These guys are pretty amazing.
I trusted them when I had absolutely no idea where we were.
They even found me a couple heart rocks to add to my huge collection.
Spending three days, backpacking with a 35 pound pack, three bruised and blistered toes, hiking through wildflowers with my two sons was priceless.
