Take a hike

After spending our anniversary in Park City back in July, Bryan and I decided that the hike we took was something we wanted our children to experience. Brandon miraculously didn't have gymnastics workouts over Labor Day weekend so we decided to make Saturday a hiking day.

(We brought our mini "Sister Croft" with us on our adventure...Rebekah was at least with us in spirit.)

It was forecast to be windy. With the potential for rain showers. We forged ahead with our plans...much nicer to hike in cooler weather anyway, right?

A few raindrops fell while taking the Crescent chair lift to the top of the mountain. And as we came over the peak, the freezing wind blasted us. I told the kids that once we got off the top of the mountain and onto the trail in the trees, the wind wouldn't be as strong and would also provide a bit of shelter from the rain. But they continued to look at me like I was crazy as I finished up with the suggestion of considering it all an adventure...war stories. "My parents made me slog through a massive windstorm with the rain coming down in sheets all in the name of family togetherness!!" (Complete with wild exaggerations.)

I was right, though. The wind was nowhere near as strong once we got down into the trees. And the rain tapered off rather quickly. When we got the occasional cloud burst, we'd move off the trail under a tree and wait it out seeing as they always passed by within 5 minutes. The sun came out and our jackets came off. The scenery was beautiful and I was reminded me of the quote from Anne of Green Gables when Anne has just come to stay and Marilla is teaching her how to pray in the correct and proper way. Anne says, "Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep woods, and I'd looke up into the sky--up--up--up--into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just feel a prayer." 

Because really, there is something about nature that makes me feel God's presence. There are few other places that show me so certainly the existence of God. Hiking this trail in the mountains with my family, trees and plants and wildflower and little critters and such beauty all around....I was so content.

We took a wrong turn at some point (well wrong from the way Bryan and I had done it back in July) and found ourselves at an old silver mine, with buildings that were in various stages of decay. We explored a bit...peeking in windows and doors. Being careful to not knock into or step on anything that might give way. And watching for any animals that might be making their home inside one of these buildings. (Actually I might be the only one that had concerns about that. I'm not a fan of running into something slithery. Or stinky. Or anything that might not like us disturbing its home....)

The ride down the Payday chair lift was a well earned break after all our hiking around and was such a beautiful and leisurely way to finish up our time on the mountain. We stopped for BBQ at a restaurant on Park City's historic Main Street before making the drive home. The kids all admitted that their worries of a miserable hike in the wind and rain were unfounded and that they had a wonderful time. It really was such a great day!