Starting off Labor Day - camping and hiking!

So excited for the Labor Day holiday!  We took off Friday afternoon after work and found our favorite camping spot in need of some cleaning up, but unoccupied up by Brian Head.  We only saw a few people 4-wheeling the whole time we were there.  It was a beautiful evening with the wind blowing in the tree tops all night long and even a short rainstorm.  We could hear the trees rubbing and squeaking.  We had a traditional easy cook meal of hot dogs, chips, cottage cheese and beans with candy bars and hot chocolate to warm us up for dessert.  We took a beautiful evening walk and then sat by our fire listening to a good book until we got too tired and then hit the sack.  We were up early for breakfast, cleaned up camp and then took off on our hike to discover where the Rattlesnake and Lake Creek waterfalls drop off to join Ashdown Creek in the gorge.  We've seen these waterfalls many times form the bottom up, but never from the top down.  We started from High Mountain Trail.  It's about 4 miles down a very steep trail to get down to these creeks.  The cairns were a bit hard to find here and there because of the tall grasses and the trail is very tight in some areas just pushing through thick stands of Oak and Mountain Mahogany.  We also did quite a bit of log hopping too, but it is a beautiful hike and with the wind still blowing here and there, we were very comfortable weather wise.  We saw a group of 4 lady hikers at Rattlesnake Creek, but other than that, no one else. We found the Rattlesnake Creek drop off point very close the where it crosses the trail.  So cool.  We have been so close without even being aware so many times.  The Lake Creek drop off point is a bit more of a challenge and we had to satisfy ourselves with seeing the first two of several drops before the final one that we see from the bottom.  The canyon got VERY deep and we would have needed ropes to go over several falls in order to get to it.  We could hear it from a trail above, but couldn't see it because of trees and because of the steep drop off.  We had lunch there and then headed off on the challenge of going back up a few thousand feet in only 4 miles.  It's a huff and puff hike back to the top, but we made it in good time and headed for home.  Now we need to figure out an adventure for Monday! 

These are the top up and the top down shots of Rattlesnake Creek waterfall.

This is the second waterfall we saw on the way to the drop off  point of Lake Creek falls and the bottom up shot of Lake Creek falls.  

Evening walk and cooking dinner.

I LOVE Aspens!  

There were three ponds along the trail.  

Thank goodness for the people who put up the cairns and maintain the trail as much as they do.  

Lots of other beautiful waterfalls along the way.

Amazing scenery too!  It was very motivating to watch our progress up the trail by the view of these reddish outcrops.  First we were way below, then we progressed until they were right across the canyon.  So happy when that happened.  We hiked a total of 9.e   miles with and elevation drop/gain of  1800 feet.  

Our yummy lunch and some horned toads.  One of them was so FAT!