Danger--Beware!

Not all of our adventures go smoothly, but that's life. Keep going to read more about our perilous hike, Andrew's tranquil brother's hike, and the Discovery Gateway Museum. 

Scout Falls Hike--Saturday, September 2, 2023

It felt like we were doomed. We scheduled and attempted to go on this hike 3+ times before it actually happened. Andrew's injured foot put the hike off and some other factors. It feels like a big accomplishment that we completed the hike! What an experience it was. 

Along the trail, there are beautiful wildflowers and several people came walking down the mountain with homemade bouquets.

Hiking Stats:

Total time: 2 hrs. 47 mins.

Distance: We think 3.7 miles based on our phones. I walked 8,756 steps.

Distance to car: 1.03 miles

Learn from our mistakes. Here are 2 critical lessons we learned:

1) You need a timed parking pass to park in the parking lot on weekends and holidays. This is a fairly recent change. Andrew and I both browsed several blogs and websites and did not see this beforehand. We were aware of the $6 fee you pay to enter the canyon, but you additionally need a timed parking pass which you can get online. I believe you do NOT need a pass on weekdays. 

Since we did not have one things were complicated. The drive to this hike wasn't quick (about 45 minutes each way) and I was grateful we thought of a solution. Andrew generously volunteered to drop us off at the trailhead and go park the car about a mile away. We didn't have to wait long for him to run back from the car. Our friends met us at the trailhead but opted to leave. They also didn't have a pass and the weather was iffy (they didn't have jackets).

2) Near the end of the trail, avoid the steep climb and turn RIGHT at the fork. I had read about a steep part. There are 2 paths to take. Some hikers stopped us and told us to go left. I was hesitant because that looked like the way that the bloggers said to avoid. We should NOT have gone left. I'm not sure why the hikers told us to go that way especially with young kids. That last stretch of the hike was the most intense hiking I've done. It was like we were rock climbing minus the gear. It was extremely abrupt and I wondered if it would put me into labor.

                        Your hike guide's blog said this about the treacherous ending: "A false trail goes to the left and will come out below the Falls. This is not an approved trail and will require the hiker to climb on loose rocks, which can be quite dangerous." 

I'll say. It felt very dangerous. Not shown in the picture above is my crabbiness. I was not thrilled we went this way and was also not pleased Andrew was taking a picture of this moment. Any of us could have fallen to our deaths at any minute. Later when I wasn't at risk for stumbling down a cliff, I was grateful Andrew took the pic.

                        Utah's Adventure Family said this about the climb: "There are two ways to approach the falls, which are about 100 yards off the main trail. One is short, steep, and dangerous, and the other is longer, but much safer. The steeper route leaves the main trail at a hairpin switchback. A large log blocks the turnoff, and you'll have to step over it. This was at a distance of 1.1 miles from the trailhead. After you pass the log, the trail goes about 50 yards and turns right and straight up. This isn't a good way to take little ones, and part of the danger is someone rolling a rock down on top of you. We climbed this way because we didn't know better, but coming down would be worse. After a precipitous climb of 75 more yards, you'll come out at the base of Scout Falls." 

Some people at the top saw us approaching and couldn't fathom that we hiked that way. It was pretty unbelievable. My thighs and lower back were screaming at me the next morning. The hikers at the falls seemed very concerned we would attempt to go down the same way we came up and 2 escorted us to the right path down, just to ensure our safety.

Me: "I am so impressed you climbed up that steep part."

James: "Mom, we know! You've said that like 100x."

Isabelle: "Please scoot aside for the gentle "girl" (instead of gentleman). This made me giggle.

This was a long hike and I think I was the only complainer (thanks to being utterly terrified). In fact, it might go down as James' favorite hike. He absolutely LOVED the "rock Climbing" steep part and we had to keep telling him to slow down. He begged for us to go down the same way we came up. Hard pass. You can't get much better than spending time together outside exercising and exploring breathtaking scenery and luck was on our side-- it didn't rain and we survived the treacherous climb.

ABH--"All Brothers Hike"-- Wednesday, September 13-September 16, 2023

This year ABH looked different. It wasn't hiking. Instead, it was biking in Stanley, Idaho. The first day alone, they mountain biked a hilly 22 mile route which sounds gruesome. They ended up finishing very late at night so it was pitch dark. Andrew said he was using the flashlight on his phone so they could see. Dreamy vacation. I was cozied up on my memory foam mattress topper binging the newest season of "Virgin River." This year, all 7 of the boys made it to ABH.

Discovery Gateway Museum in SLC-- Friday, September 22, 2023

We put our PBS kids adventure passes to use once again, The kids got free admission. Our adventure passes were only valid for a few months, but we made sure to use them. Admission is typically $12.50 per child and $13.50 per adult. We are such cheapskates that we went while Andrew was working, so we didn't have to pay for 2 adult tickets. You do have to pay for parking in the parking garage as well, which was only $4. I even managed to escape the garage unscathed without rolling backwards at the steep exit. Phew.

James didn't have school due to a teacher work day, so it seemed like the perfect time to go. My kids have only been to this museum once before over a year ago and they were giddy to be back. We stayed for 2 hours and they easily could have stayed longer. There is plenty to do. The horse, helicopter, dress-ups, water table, grocery store, and car shop were some of the favorites. Although in the car, the kids said it was hard to narrow down what the best areas of the museum are. We had a lovely time and it wasn't too crowded. 

The one unfortunate thing about the trip was that the construction play area (which was James' favorite last time) was closed for renovations. Oh well. That just means we will have to go back. Utah is such a small world. Even in downtown Salt Lake, I ran into familiar faces from my home ward. We definitely recommend this museum!

And just like that, it's almost baby month... We have a couple of final adventures I'm hoping we can squeeze in.