School's out celebration camp out at Pine Valley

We had planned to take that grand kids on a camp out for the end of school, but things didn't work out, so at the last minute we just went ourselves.  It ended up being a really great camp at such a beautiful place.  We went up Whipple Trail and then took off on an unnamed spur that we love.  I call it the Waterfall Trail.  This time of year the water is really flowing and the plants are coming out in all of their green and blossoms and just getting started.  We ate dinner at the stream before we headed up the trail.  We set up camp, walked around some to enjoy the sites, watched our movie and then hit the sack.  It was a full moon, but I didn't see it because it was cool enough that I kept even my head under cover all night.  In the morning we finally got out of the sleeping bag and cooked hot Muesli and added yogurt and fruit, cinnamon chip toast and hot chocolate.  It was really yummy and warmed us right up.  After cleaning up camp we hiked down a little trail enjoying all the scenery.  Then we decided to start from the other end of this trail which we have never done before going to the point that we usually stop which is at the Lion's Lodge. We finally found out this trail's name - its called the Equestrian Trail and starts at Whipple trail head and goes to the Forsythe trail head and is about 4.5 miles long.  All told we probably ended up doing about 9 or 10 miles.  It was pretty level so Paul didn't have problema with his knees or just kept quiet about it.   We got done about 2 pm and then stopped at the little Pine Valley Visitor's Center and ate lunch on one of their picnic tables.  On the way home we stopped in at Veyo Pies and got our free pie to have after Sunday dinner.  We had a really good time and enjoyed doing a bit of a refresher course on flower and tree identification while we hiked.  We just think we know them and the season is over and we forget them and have to refresh our brains yet again.  Is that Douglas Fir or Sub Alpine Fir, Rocky Mountain or Utah Juniper, Mountain Birch or Mountain Alder, Lupine or Larkspur, Engleman or Blue Spruce?  We are sure about Ponderosa and Limber Pine.  Whatever they are, we love them all!

Waterfall after waterfall

And more water

Found a Robin's nest, termites, Marcell Annie Schmuts of 1939 and flowers popping up all over the place.

Our camp site and what looks like a scout shelter built for the Wilderness Survival merit badge.

Found old CCC project parts from August 4, 1933.

Beautiful trail and trees of interest.  Found this funny old sign stashed away in a Pinyon tree.

Sat beneath the flag in this beautiful setting to eat our lunch.
So grateful for a free land where the Gospel could be restored.
Thankful for those people who have given their time and even their lives to keep it free.
We need to do our part to keep it that way.

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.  Ether 2:12