Fall Break

Delicate Arch, our amazing family, and some lady's behind.

We had such a great Fall Break! I love the chance to get out an enjoy the beauties of Utah (especially when we get to visit a warmer climate). We had a blast hiking all over Moab and Arches and listening to the rain on the tent and the thunder roll over the mountain.

At Tower Arch

We started with hikes at Arches National Park. We took Lucas to see Delicate Arch, because everyone has to see delicate Arch. We had such a blast and loved the perfect hiking weather. All the kids were great hikers (as usual), but Sammy really impressed me. He hiked the entire 3 miles, and probably covered more than that with all his running around. He never complained and was so eager to scramble on the rocks like the big kids. Actually, it was rather nerve racking. He has trouble with footing walking across a bare floor, so scrambling on the edge of cliffs was crazy. He was pretty irritated that I followed him everywhere and wouldn't give him as much freedom and the bigger kids. 

Playing in the sand on the way to Tower Arch

That same day we did Tower Arch, also in Arches. It's several miles down a dirt road, so not very many people go there, but it was my favorite hike.  It was just over 3 miles, and Sam hiked all but the last 100 yards. About 2 1/2 miles into the hike there was a sand hill that was incredible steep. I was concerned that my kids would struggle getting to the top because it was so steep, but that didn't seem to be what held them back. The real probably was that the sand was so deep and smooth, and so fun to play in! 

When we finally got to the arch, we stayed and played on the rocks for about an hour. There was so much scrambling and climbing to do, and we felt like we could explore for hours. So much of Arches is closed to the public, so it was wonderful to have some freedom!

Thursday night we had rain and thunder and lightening all night. We were so blessed that the holes in the tent trailer didn't cause any problems! I have never heard thunder like that in my life. It rolled off the ridges for a long time. It was incredible!

Hiking to Corona Arch

Friday we hiked to Corona Arch. It's a hike that we've done before, and really loves. There are a couple parts with chains and handrails, which makes it a lot more fun. We waited for a pause in the rain, and then bundled up for the hike. Unfortunately, the rain started again before we could make it. We ended up divided into three groups with Mckay and Lucas at the arch, Madelyn and Gabe trying to run back to me, and the little boys and myself headed to the car.  Madelyn and Gabe caught up to me right about the time the hail started. We stuck with a couple BYU kids and found shelter under a small ledge (VERY small). While we stood there, waiting for the rain to let up and wondering how Lucas and Mckay were faring, the trail in front of us turned into a roaring river, about knee deep. The rain kept coming, and the portion of the trail next to us turned into a waterfall. It was amazing to see, but a little nerve-racking. Fortunately the rain blew over and the river calmed down. With the help of the college kids I was able to get my four kids over the river and to a portion of the trail that wasn't submerged. We made it back to the car and waited for Mckay and Lucas. 

The "trail"

The "trail"

I was totally relieved when Mckay and Lucas came running back to the car. They had been under the arch at the time of the storm, which was blowing in at an angle, so the had no protection. They were able to make it to a ledge, but had to wade through a few new rivers and crawl under some waterfalls, which were full of debris. There were pretty nervous a few times, but enjoyed the adventure. I'm so glad they made it back alive!

Before we started the hike, we warned the kids that it might start raining. We told them we could do the hike and make a memory, or we could skip it and sit in the tent. They voted to make a memory, and they did a good job of it

Saturday morning we drove to Goblin Valley. We could have played there for a few days, but we were restricted to a few hours. We played X-on and kick the can (actually, kick the sweatshirt . The weather was fabulous and we hated having to go home. 

A few weeks after the trip, the kids were talking about how much fun we had and that we wanted to go back. It was 5:57 in the evening, and I told them that if they had their food eaten and chores done by 6:00 that we could go back to Moab. We laughed about that and talked about how it was impossible, and then went back to dinner. I couple minutes later Sammy started working on his chore harder than I've ever seen him work. When I asked what he was doing, he said that he was hurrying so we could go camping. The poor boy cried and cried when I told him we couldn't really go. I felt so mean! But at least I know we had a great vacation