This summer I have gotten to enjoy one of my favorite outdoor activities -- hiking!
I love to hike but truth be known, I seldom do it. Mostly because I don't want to go alone and I don't have a lot of friends or family that have any interest in going with me so I was very excited to discover, a few weeks ago, that our Stake Relief Society (women's organization of my Church) sports specialist had organized a weekly hike. I live within 10 minutes of the most beautiful mountains here in the mountain west (with world famous ski resorts). Amazingly enough, I did not even know about this particular trail and the fantastic waterfall it leads up to.
It is called the Bells Falls Trail. This is Bells Falls. This pictures doesn't even begin to portray the magnificance of this gushing, intense waterfall. You can't tell from the photo but all around us here we were being sprayed with the water as it bounced off the rocks as it rushed on down. We had to climb down a very wet, muddy, slippery section of steep mountain side just to get to this lower vantage point. The sun was just coming over the mountain peak above the falls so it was hard to get a photo without a huge glare of sunlight.
Our group of 7 headed out at about 7:30 am. The trailhead begins on a major roadway in the foothills of Little Cottonwood Canyon and continues UPHILL for 2 1/2 miles. The scenery is spectacular. When you get up a ways you can look out over the whole valley below.
It was a delightful temperature because most of the trail weaves through pine trees and quaking aspens and runs along side the Little Cottonwood Creek which kept us cool and shady too. But the boulders and uphill terrain kept us sweating no matter how protected we were from the direct sunlight. Even though I try to exercise most every day, my legs and knees were very aware of being "off road". It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get up and back as well as spend some time up at the falls just enjoying our accomplishment. This really was a highlight of my summer. I hope to do it a couple times more this season. I'll bet it would be beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing too!
2 comments:
You are so lucky to live so close to such a beautiful place! Sounds like fun. I wish I had a group around here that would do that.
I could have beat you to the top in my younger years but these old legs of mine don't take me the same places they use to so I will just live vicariously through you if that's ok???
Fondly, B.
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