The annual visit to the Tuschar Mountains

We made our annual visit to camp out at our favorite camp spot in the Tuschar Mts. above Beaver.  We had hoped to hike up to see the mountain goats, but the roads were still gated because it's still too muddy up there.  We did have a great camp out.  Paul cooked up some amazing steaks and to-die-for Dutch oven biscuits for dinner.  We took a long walk after dinner and kept seeing little herds of elk in each meadow we came to along with a few deer.  When we were nearly back to camp and it was almost dark we came to a giant herd of elk...probably close to 100.  (The pictures we took didn't turn out well since it was pretty dark.) They moved off into the trees bugling as they went.  It was really cool.

The next morning we took a little hike on a trail over by Big John's Flat.  It was really pretty with so much water and green everywhere.  The weather was perfect - didn't freeze and didn't bake.  We saw some people out on horseback with their kids on the hike.  One little girl could just barely talk and was atop a big horse all by herself and perfectly happy to be there.  On the way down we saw bike racers in a professional mountain bike race.  They were really moving and it sounded to be a pretty tough ride.  It was a great camp out in a beautiful place.  We'll have to try again on the goats after the roads dry out.

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Cedar Breaks birthday outing with Ellie

Ellie has been saying she wanted us to go on a hike with her for her birthday.  Thursday was the day that it could happen so we planned a hike at the Alpine Pond trail at Cedar Breaks.  Then we spread the word and lots of the rest of the family decided to join the fun...and fun it was along with a little bit cold!  Weed and kids, the Borrowmans and Grandpa and me got up there at about 11:30 and checked in and got the kids started on their Junior Ranger activity books while seeing the sites around the Visitor's Center.  It was about 59 degrees, but the breeze made it seem a little cooler, so some of the jacketless wrapped up in blankets or scrounged jackets from some of us with more personal insulation against the cool temperatures.  Skies were blue and flowers abundant.  After that we went off to see some of the other view points and then met up with Lou and Bryan and kids at the picnic area for lunch, cake and presents.  Bryan's parents were also able to join in for the cake and presents which was fun.

Afterwards we headed over to do the Alpine Pond hike which was very lovely.  We got out of the wind among the trees and it was quite warm.  We read the trail guide at sites that we passed along the way. 

After that we went back to have the kids turn in their Junior Ranger books and take the pledge.  Zade really bonded with the ranger and got a free patch!

We decided to head home the Parowan way and stopped by Yankee Meadows to check out a possible family camp spot.  It was so pretty.  Paul and I had visited the lake up there before and it was really dried up, small and not pretty.  This year it is brim full and so beautiful. 

Then it was time to hurry home so I could get to Roundtable.  What a fun day.  Hope you enjoyed it Ellie!  Happy #5!

An evening in Pine Valley

We had to go up to Pine Valley for some business and turned it into a nice dinner date.  We checked out a fireplace at a cabin and ate dinner on the porch.  While waiting for a fire to die down in the fireplace, we took walks around the Whipple Trail trail head and saw such beautiful sights.  It was also nice that it was about 60 degrees and the air so fresh.  The stream was bursting at the seams and there were so many flowers with many Crimson Columbines, some of my favorites.  We brought our little book, The Dimwit's Guide to Southwestern Trees, along and feel like we learned more about identifying the differences between fir and spruce and Douglas Fir and Engleman Fir, identified Water Birch that the native Pine Valley folks call "Red Willow" and decided we are still confused by some of the several different species of Junipers.  We also are pretty good at identifying Limber Pines now. We even took off our shoes and went wading in one place where the usual passage was washed out.  It was very cold and refreshing water!  It was a lovely evening and it made us wish we were camping out.

Weekend around the house

We had a pretty calm week end visiting with the Weavers and having our monthly family dinner.  We put it off for a week so that everyone could visit with Juge and Lance on their way home from their trip to Lance's family vacation to their cabin and Lake Powell.  They were pretty beat so we just hung out around the house mostly and enjoyed the chance to see how much Sarai has been growing into a cute, chubby, smiley little baby.  We did bust in on Weed's ward Primary water party and  we also made it down for a ride on the new carousel at the Town Square.  Today everyone brought great food to the family dinner and we had fun visiting and measuring people for African shirts that Supe is having made for us.  It's good to get the gang together.  Thanks to everyone for the good food and good time!

4th of July fun!

Paul and I attended the ward flag raising and breakfast at the church - tradition for the 4th.  After that we drove up by Kolob reservoir to check out a possible future family camp site.  Some people in our ward own property up there and said they rent it out for things like that.  It's a really nice place.

The waterfall and stream, the lake and the stream running on the Blake's property.

 After lunch and resting up we got together with Moss, Christie and Brendon and the Borrowmans (Ryan had to work) and drove up to that little lake that is sometimes full up by New Harmony.  This year it is really full.  We took our canoe and Moss' raft for some water fun and a picnic.  There were some other people with the same idea there.  They had jet skis, but other than that we had the place to ourselves.  We had a lot of fun paddling around and then Paul and Moss paddled and towed (in Moss' raft) all of us and the picnic stuff across the lake to a spot where we ate our picnic.  Afterwards they did it again taking us all back to the other side.  While we were loading up we saw these really dumb guys (drunk we think) get their truck and horse trailer stuck in the middle of the road that the lake has covered up.  They rode their horses across first to see how deep it was (up to their bellies) and then decided to drive across with the horses in the trailer.  They must have slid a little off the road and pretty soon they were good and stuck and had to get the horses back out and ride them out of the water.  When we left, they still hadn't figured out how to get the truck and trailer out of the water.  There was another way to drive out without going through the water at all.  REALLY DUMB!  For the evening we just watched a movie and some of the fireworks. It was a fun 4th!

Shooting Star Creek (falls), Bartizan Arch and Anderson Valley

We have been making good use of the time off since I got done with summer school.  Friday we went up to Cedar Breaks and did a really neat hike to a triple water fall and a triple arch (there is one more tiny opening on the arch that isn't shown in the pictures).  I have had this hike in my file for a long time and we thought it would be a nice time to do it. The rangers at Cedar Breaks said we are the first ones to go out there this year.  It's one of those that they don't really tell you about, but we had the directions.  They were all excited to see our pictures when we got back.  Its only 4.5 miles out there, but towards the end you just kind of have to follow Bo Beck's directions and hope you get it right.  The waterfall was so amazing because there is so much water this year.  The arch it equally amazing and the scenery all the way there is a grand view of the breaks.  There was still snow on the trail and it was good eating!  The wild flowers are just beginning to come out up there. We also drove over to Mammoth Springs and it is really gushing this year because of the heavy snow.  While there we realized that we had lost the camera somewhere after the hike. We went back to Cedar Breaks to see if we could find it.  One of the rangers said he was excited to take the hike himself after seeing our pictures and was kind enough to take a few and e-mail them to us. We were pretty bummed about losing the camera - we think we set it on the truck toolbox while taking off packs and then drove off without picking it up.  Super shucks.  At least I had downloaded everything from before the hike the night before. 

Had a nice 4th of July surprise - while cleaning out the truck for the next adventure, we found the camera buried under the seat.  Neither one of us knows how it got there, but we were happy to have it and our pictures back!  That ranger did take some nice pictures too, so we are keeping his on here as well as adding these.  Oops!

    

The stream by the Browse Guard Station was running very high. It was hard to get across it to get to the trail on the other side.

One part of the trail was just covered with Sego Lilies - our state flower.

The cabin still stands.

We washed and cooled our feet here!

Amazing views all the way up!

Firecracker Penstemon and Blue Lupine.  There was also lots of White Lupine and Skyrocket and we did see some white and crimson Columbine too along with a lot of others that we don't know the names of yet. 

Paul doing the dirty work.  At least it was shady.

Saturday we took my phone camera (not real great quality) in hand and hiked from the sequoia tree at the Browse Guard station up to Anderson Valley.  That is one tough hike!  It was beautiful with wild flowers blooming everywhere.  The old cabin made it through the heavy snows.  It must be very well-built.  There wasn't any snow left up there, but the stream was running pretty heavy.  There were a lot of downed trees that made hiking a little rough with lots of going around or over them to stay with the trail.  Then on the way back down the rough road, we got a flat tire.  It was a nice day, but we were really beat by the time we got done with it. 

Pre-Kindergarten summer school 2011 - it was fun and now it's done!

 I got to help again this year with the pre-kindergarten summer school program.  We had two classes - Monday/Wednesday and a Tuesday/Thursday groups of 16 kids.  With all the vacationing going on, we usually had 12 or 13 kids most of the time.  I worked with a cute, brand new teacher and a really fun Spanish lady.  The last week of class I was in charge because the teacher had to attend meetings.  That was fun too.  I had had time to observe and we pretty much just kept it up with a little bit of extra fun stuff thrown in for the last days for each class.  I'm not getting rich at this job, but it is fun and rewarding.

Poulsen Family Reunion & Happy Birthday!

I celebrated my birthday this year in Idaho at the Poulsen family reunion.  My mom and sister were going and since we didn't know hardly anyone else that would be there we decided this would be a good time to go (the first time ever) and meet some of the relatives, visit with my mom and sister and see some beautiful country all at the same time.  It ended up being a quick, but delightful trip.  We left on Wednesday, June 22nd, right after I got done with summer school. 

We found a beautiful camp spot up Logan Canyon that night and then drove up the rest of the way to Salmon, via Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.  We stopped for just a little bit a Yellowstone to stretch our legs a little.

We spent Thursday night in Salmon at the same motel as my mom and sister.  Friday morning we headed out to the reunion spot.  Most people weren't arriving until that evening, so Paul and I set up our tent and then we all went back  in to Salmon and visited the Sacajawea Interpretive Center that is on the land where my mom's family lived when she was growing up.  It was very interesting and one of the presenters was so excited to interview one of the actual family members who could tell him a bit about how the place used to be.  The only thing left now is an old chicken coop that they got a grant to refurbish as a "historic outbuilding."  

After a birthday lunch and visiting some of the old landmarks that are still there from when my mom grew up, we went back out and joined the reunion for dinner and visiting.  What a fun group of people and a very well organized reunion.  While visiting with one of the cousins who owns the land where the reunion is held he told us about a placer gold mining operation that they lease out on the land.  The next day the other cousin, hearing about Paul's interest, arranged to take us up to observe the operation at work.  It was really interesting.  We had a good time hanging out, visiting and eating and getting to know some of the Idaho cousins.  Saturday evening we had to say our goodbyes and went back to the motel in Salmon so we could get and early start on the long drive home the next day.

 We took a different route home and enjoyed some more beautiful scenery.  It was a fun trip!