Iron Mine, Revisited

When I was growing up, my family and I frequently camped at a beautiful spot on the south slopes of the Uinta Mountains. Iron Mine Campground is at the end of a beautiful canyon road alongside the Duchesne river. We came here frequently with just the four of us, but also with our extended family as well. We rode bikes, played cards, lounged around in the river reading books, and always spent an afternoon hiking to Granddaddy Lake.

A few weekends ago, Roomie, Little Sister, and I set out to see the old campground and spend some relaxing time in the mountains. It was colder at night than we expected, but the campground was just as we remembered it. We had every intention of hiking to Granddaddy Lake, but somehow it didn't happen as we spent most of the time around the campfire.

Me and Roomie...

Me and Little Sister....What?!?

Little Sister, looking holy.

Roomie, being Roomie.

Campsite!

Sheep on the road!

And...that's about it. No exciting hikes or anything to document this time. Maybe next time I'll have some lake pictures!

Horseback Riding

When I was growing up, my grandma taught me to ride horses. It was a regular, weekly activity that we did after school on early days. Or sometimes on sleepover weekends, too. We learned to ride dressage, take care of the tackle, and brush and care for the horses. Those were great times and I feel very lucky to have been able to learn those skills. It was fantastic to be able to ride then, as well as at other times in my life, not to mention all of the fun Grandma, Little Sister, and I had together!

For Roomie's birthday, she wanted to go horseback riding. Her grandfather owns a cabin in the Uinta mountains where he keeps horses. We rode up an old trail into the high mountains, up streams, down sage-brush slopes, and through aspen groves. I even lost my hat when Buck brushed too close to a pine tree.

Old Man Gamble, who is Roomie's horse

Buck, my horse

Bandit, Grandpa's new horse

Me and Buck - Giddy up!

Out on the trail

Roomie out on the trail

Chesler Park: Part 2

In celebration of Roomie's graduation, we took off to the desert to hike the entire Chesler Park trail (see Chesler Park Part 1) in the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park.

This little guy was hiding under my tent the first night camping.

We set out on the trail a little later than planned. This meant for a hot afternoon, but it was totally worth it. The scenery was spectacular!

Heading up the trail, about 3 miles in.

We were pretty focused on getting through the trail, so we didn't end up with a ton of shots of the general scenery, which is completely amazing. Once you hike the main out-and-back trail, it opens up into Chesler Park about 3.5 miles from the trailhead. The area opens up into huge spaces and the loop begins. We decided to start looping to the east. On the farthest end of the circle, the trail ducks down into an impressive slot canyon.

 

The slot continues down into an open room, covered in cairns. Once you climb through the rest of the room, the trail opens back up into the rest of the park.

Up until this point we had only seen one other person. After we left the slot canyon, we began to see quite a few more, most with only minimal water. We were on the far end of the loop and still had a good 5 miles to go with the heat of the day upon us. I was starting to worry for these people without adequate water supplies, when we stumbled on a parking lot, picnic tables under trees, and even a restroom. Apparently, part of the loop trail joins up with a 4x4 road. Who knew?

After we left the road, we hopped back on the trail which goes into Devil's Garden. It is aptly named as it is beautiful and mysterious, but also blazing hot and the trail rolls around the scenery, never ending. Best to get up earlier and avoid this part of the trail in the heat of the day.

Despite the heat and blisters (Make sure you wear the best shoes you've ever owned! Roomie lost 2 toenails and it took me a couple of months to heal from all of my blisters.) this is a fantastic trail! It is especially breathtaking and definitely one I would recommend for those looking for a great way to see some deeper country and picturesque scenery!

Debby, the Cat

Debby is my beloved cat. Roomie and I adopted her about a year and a half ago from the local Toys 'R Us. Roomie and I share joint custody of our dear kitty. We weren't roommates yet when we first adopted her, so the last couple of months have been really nice for Debby. She is pretty quiet most of the time, is really clean, and pretty much keeps to herself. Double bonus is her food is cheap and she stows away easily for cross-country flights. Debby also enjoys road trips, hiking, and she especially loves the beach.

The inspiration for Debby:

My first picture of Debby. She is a bandana aficionado!

This little girly is an international traveller! She got to come with me when I moved to Toronto. Here we are waiting in line at customs to get across the border to Canada.

After her trip to Canada, it was time to go home, FedEx style, for a trip to Mexico with Roomie.

After I moved home, Debby quickly became friends with Little Sister's new puppy, Pepino.

She is also a really great hiker! She came with us to Delicate Arch on my trip to Moab last winter.

When Mom came to visit, Debby snuck into her suitcase and spent some quality time in New Hampshire. She even got to go to Lake Winnipesaukee and to the Mont Vernon Spring Gala parade!

Debby loves marching bands!

Debby is definitely a little goofy, but she is always good for a laugh! She came with us to the Ben Folds concert last year and managed to make it into the picture. Find the kitty!

Give 'Em Five 5K

In April, Roomie and I ran a 5K. I have a dream to enjoy running some day. Last year I ran, and decently finished, a half marathon. Then I fell off the running planet for almost a year, until now. I am still working on loving running, but in the mean time, here are some pictures.

Me, pounding the sidewalk.

Even though this event took place in April, it was a blizzard the whole morning. As we were all debating whether or not get out in the wet snow, the skies cleared just before gun time. It was a beautiful morning!

Roomie crossing the finish line with Debby

The charity event for this race was put on by two of my close friends. The benefit was for Mothers Without Borders to raise money to build a school for children in Zambia.

The race was great! There were many fun people out supporting Mothers Without Borders which created a nice and relaxed atmosphere. If you'd like to help Mothers Without Borders build a school in Zambia, visit their website to donate. Whether you have $5 or $5,000, every little bit helps!