Thursday, May 28, 2009

Flaming Gorge!!!

For Memorial Day, KR and I went camping with Catherine and Brian! It was raining pretty much the whole time, but we still had a great time. We always love to get away.

We went to Flaming Gorge, which is in the Northeast corner of Utah and most of it is even in Wyoming. We didn't actually leave Utah though (which was not my choice. . .)
It was beautiful though. This view was from a couple hundred feet from our campsite.
KR scoping out the land when we first arrived on Friday.

While setting everything up, KR accidentally broke the automatic pump so he had to blow one of the air mattresses up manually. . . haha.
Saturday morning we went over to the visitor's center before heading out for a hike. This was another view of the Gorge, taken from there.
Catherine and Brian in the Visitor's Center.
So then we went to the fire tower which was the start of our hike. Before we actually got going, Brian wanted to climb up the tower. Because it is so old, they deemed it unsafe and removed the first set of stairs so he had to use KR for a boost.
Then he got up there and realized they blocked the top of the stairs as well. But apparently it was still a great view.
Meanwhile, KR wanted to get up and tried to use a wire hanging. It wasn't as easy without a boost.
Then Brian came back down. . . WHEEEE!!!
As I mentioned before, it was raining pretty much the whole trip, although lightly most of the time. Well, while we were hiking, it wasn't any different. Rain the whole time. But it made for some pretty sights still. I couldn't help take some pictures. I loved this little star plant with the water droplets on it. The rain is very photogenic (well, when you have a nice camera that can capture it, it is).
KR smiling for the camera! :)
Of course I had to get our favorite pose. . .
We hiked down to a river/stream which was surrounded on either side by marshy grass. There was a bridge to cross but it was kind of flooded so we had to jump.
One angle of the stream.
Once we crossed, there was a lake on the other side. It was still raining and people were still fishing. Ok. Here we have the King, over looking his land.
Catherine and Brian (by the way, she was wearing the jacket to the rain suit, to keep dry).
Me and KR. (I was wearing the pants. . . )
On the way back across the stream, we saw that there was a beavers hut! I have never seen one in real life, especially not in the wild!! How cute!!
These are actually built by beavers! DAM!
In order to get a closer look at the dams and the hut, the boys got a running start to make it over the stream. Of course I wanted to go too so I had to manage my own way over there. I made it of course.
On the way back, I saw this and couldn't resist smiling and snapping a picture.

And for some reason, this looked so cool to me, with the rain drops and the one single leaf. But it looked neater in real life. The camera just didn't quite capture what I was seeing.
After being soaked from hiking, KR built us a nice fire. He was definitely in his element out there in the wilderness.
SMORES!!! (You only get a half a smore though Brian. . . )
FUEGO!
Sunday we packed up to leave. But before we did, the boys went to try and climb the 1000 cliff that dropped down to the water (remember the view from before? Ya, that's what they wanted to climb down). They didn't get too far though because the rocks were covered in slick moss.
So we took pictures instead.
Before heading home, we went to the Flaming Gorge Dam and took a tour. It was really neat and super huge! We got to take an elevator, inside the dam, all the way to the bottom! I was scared of course, but it was cool.

At the bottom, there are lots of fish! 20,000 per mile. They have railing to keep you from falling in the rushing water. KR and I took a jail shot.
Then Sunday night we went up to Catherine and Brian's house and stayed the night. Monday we got up, gardened a whole bunch, barbecued, and then headed out. We were attempting to go to Antelope Island, in the middle of the Salt Lake. But we couldn't find the road to turn on (we think it was closed, due to flooding). Brian tried honking, hoping the magic road would appear. It didn't work. So instead we went to the "beach" but let me tell you, it was NOT the beach. I was tricked and fooled. It looked pretty from far away but it smelled soooo bad. PLUS! There were dead seagulls all along the sand as you walk towards the water. THEN, when you get to the water, it's all scummy and gross.
Beach access my butt. . . .

KR and Brian went way out there and they were still only ankle deep! (Doesn't this picture look like the Truman Show?)
Then KR gave me a piggyback ride out there so I could say I got in. I wasn't too excited about this idea, but I am glad he made me. It's the same as when I went to the Atlantic Ocean and there dead fish all along the beach. Also, the same as when I went to the Mississippi River and it was just slimy and gross. I got in just to say I did and documented it with a picture.
Then when we got back, I took a nap, KR studied, we ate dinner and then we all took a bike ride/skateboard ride! It was really fun! The weather was finally beautiful that day so we enjoyed it. We spent one more night at their house before coming back to Provo in the morning.
KR riding the bike and pulling me along on the skateboard!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Hiking to the Hot Springs!!


Remember back when KR and I attempted to go the hot springs but there was still snow and we didn't have proper foot wear? Well we decided to try again since it's been warm now. We dominated in round two.

We got a little ways into the hike when I suddenly realized, I hadn't been taking any pictures! Don't worry, it really wasn't that far in and I didn't miss anything. Plus, you know I took plenty of the rest of the day that you never would have guessed. . . Self-timers are fantastic!
Just looking over the ledge to the river
Then I found a tree and climbed on it!
Then KR found a tree and climbed on it.
We found some logs that crossed the river so we both walked across them.

I almost fell in trying to take this picture of us both standing on it.
Then on the way back, KR found a branch. Then he threw the branch into the rushing water.
Then we finally made it to the hot springs. There was a beautiful waterfall with cold water and then the hot springs on either side of it to warm you up.
I like to climb on rocks.

This is a really close up of one of the hot springs. The hot water was coming out of this little grotto and it looked so cool. Everything was like, crystalizing.
Aerial shot of the previous picture
The pretty waterfall
Us in the hot water. It felt so good.
On the other side of the waterfall, there was this other spring. You can't really tell, but right in the middle water was just flowing out of the ground.
Ok I love this picture. On the far left, the green-brown water is the cold water, at the foot of the waterfall. The white strip is where the warm water is. Then on the far right, the black and red rocks is where the water was coming straight out of the spring and was super hot. I love the definite line dividing each.
Here I have one foot in the cold and one in the hot. It felt so strange. It was a really cool phenomenon. One was too cold and one was too hot. Haha. I didn't stand in this very long.
Then KR climbed up the side of the waterfall.
We were hot from hiking, so it was a nice cool down. But a little too cold!


Then I wanted to try!

It was freezing!
We climbed up the side trail to the top of the water fall (not under it, like in the previous pictures) for the next few pictures.
View looking down the waterfall.

The stream leading up the waterfall
Down stream after the waterfall

Classic paparazzi shot
Just us, in our usual pose
On our way out, I wanted to take a picture of the man-made ones but this was the only picture I got before people got in them. I snapped promise he was happy :)
Hiking back. Beautiful.


Driving back, I tried to take some pictures of the sunset and windmills but the quality wasn't great so I just messed around with photoshop on these for fun.

haha. I always have to take one of him driving. . . it's tradition.