Hiking The Y

When I say I love to hike, I mean that I love to hike pretty trails, with wildflowers, perhaps some shade or a pretty mountain lake or meadow up top -- not necessary just walking short, steep switchbacks to achieve a great view.

Hiking the Y is hard! Not it-was-so-hard-but-I-kept-going-and-isn't-this-
a-great-analogy-for-my-talk-because-life-is-hard-but-once-you-
reach-the-end-it's-worth-it hard, but hard enough (It's not quite a full mile up and I think blisters and about seven miles uphill are the necessary requirements to apply a gospel parallel). Still, I found this awesome backpack carrier on craigslist this week, and Jay and I were eager to use it, so we arranged to meet his sister, Peggy, and her family for a Saturday hike.

We didn't want to hike in the heat of the day, so the plan was to meet at a park at 7:30. That meant an early rising for our family, which we managed, but as we were about to get in the van, Peggy called and asked if we had noticed the inclement weather. We hadn't but when we looked outside and saw the dark gray clouds, the rain, the wind and she added on lightning, our hopes for a family hike were a tad dashed.

We decided to drive down anyway. All the kids were ready so it seemed wasteful to not do anything. Besides, summer weather is unpredictable; it might be sunny and 85 by the time we got there. We got in the van and headed to Provo. We figured at the very least, they'd be able to play with their cousins. On the drive down, however, we both started laughing watching the rain pelt our windshield. Let's go on a hike, kids!

Perfect day for a hike, right?

We stopped by Krispy Kreme and went through the drive-through to feed our kids and bring breakfast to Peggy and Darren and their boys. You can't show up before 8:00 on a Saturday morning to simply "hang-out" empty handed!

Poor Jay. He had to smell them but I had packed some grapes for him. He didn't even complain. He has such discipline.

Enjoying those lucious grapes. Who needs the sweet, sticky gooeyness of a donught?

Around 9:00, we could see that while it wasn't sunny and clear, the thundershowers had stopped and it looked like the weather might hold for the short hike. We piled in our respective minivans and meandered through Provo to get to the trail head. More memories! On that drive alone, we drove by Jon and Tara's old townhome, the house Jon lived in with his roommates and where I spent a huge chunk of my sophomore year, Jay and my first apartment, mama's cafe (the location of our first date, even though it is called something else now), the Regency where my sister Emily lived in college and where her dorky teenage sister came to visit her, and both of the condos we were living when we met each other. Literally, a trip down memory lane!

We parked, Jay packed on Henry and we began our vertical ascent. This hike is steep! Jay had his GPS watch on and it's 9/10th of a mile up, but you gain 1100 feet in elevation. That is a 20% grade! Don't truckers get warnings if something is 6 %?

Jay carrying Henry in our new fancy pack.

Everyone made it to the Y, including me. I had a few more rest stops than everyone else but I managed. Luckily, Jay had the handicaps of carrying Henry on his back, and a recent viral infection that gave him bronchiolitis, so I could almost keep up with him:) All of the children did great, even Sam who can be a defeatist if he isn't "winning".

Peggy and Darren

Jay and me

Henry fell asleep.

Jay shows off the fruit of his labor.

Peggy and Darren have three boys too, so it was a boy fest on the Y!

We took awhile to enjoy the view on the large, painted letter. When we did a bit of Google research on the hike the night before, Jay had read that something the younger bloggers are doing is lying upside down on the Y. Apparently, it's a freaky sensation. Not wanting to separate myself from that generation quite yet (unless it's to wear leggings with ugly baby dolls...give me my gap jeans any day!), I handed Jay the camera and proceeded to completely freak myself out by lying down with my head pointed down the mountain and my feet pointing to the top. With the clouds overhead moving and the feeling that if I moved at all, I would fall off, my toes started to tingle and Jay had to come over and give me a hand up. Not being convinced that it wasn't a good idea, he had to try. I had to help him up too. It's too scary to move by yourself when you are upside down like that, even though you know when you're looking at the person lying there, that they aren't that tilted and it would be safe for them to just roll over and get up. So... regardless of our paralyzing fear, we are still young!

Jay trying not to freak out. too late!

I always think the hike down will be better, when my lungs are burning and I'm not drenched in sweat, but it never is. 20% down burns the quads and tortures the knees. Sammy fell four times! The sun really did come out on the way down, heating the mountain up and we were thankful for our pleasant, cloudy hike. So, while it's not my favorite kind of hike, it was enjoyable to be out and about with our family and I'm really glad we did it. Go Cougars!

When we got home, I decided I wanted to read Eclipse. Still gross from the hike (and quite stinky), I headed over to Deseret Book to buy it. But on the drive, I thought, "I need some bananas too and I bet Sam's Club has that book at a better price" so I went to Sam's club. They didn't have the book, but I did remember I needed a larger memory card for my new camera so that trip wasn't a waste. Then, Wal-Mart is close by, so I thought I'd grap some banana's and the book there but they said they haven't received their shipment of the book yet. I did get some bananas, and a few other things and then finally drove to my original destination, Deseret Book, who did carry it. Nothing like leaving a trail of my scent around town. Without even knowning, I was getting in the mood to read Eclipse where there is a heavy emphasis placed on a person's smell. I think the vampire's could have found me. It was hard to miss.

I came home, put some yummy smelling salts in the tub, and read my book. Not all of it in the tub (I got cold after awhile) but I did finish it. It was exactly what I needed! Review coming later.