Cecret Lake

Cecret Lake is a place I've wanted to visit for a very long time. Finally, on Labor Day we made it a reality. My mom accompanied us up Little Cottonwood Canyon, past Alta and Snowbird ski resorts, until we reached the trail head.

The hike is not long and is easy enough for children. In fact, on the day we went, there were lots of families with young ones.

(My mom hiking the trail)

Kellie, Travis, and Abby had to RUN the trail, of course. Parts of it were slow-going so my mom insisted that Brian and I not wait for her. She would travel at her own pace.

Fall beauty was everywhere.

At the top, we found the kids on the other side of the lake skipping rocks and exploring the shore.

(Travis, Abby, Kellie)

(Brian and I with photo-bombing Abby)

The best surprise of the day was when I spied a mama moose and her calf meandering down the slope and over the path we had just crossed.

The mother was indifferent to us and all the other visitors. She and her baby calmly munched on the shrubbery around her. We were really surprised at how close we could get.

As the pair made their way to the lake, we eased on past to take pictures from a different angle.

It was a pretty amazing experience--one that definitely put a smile on our faces.

(Travis)

Family Faces

We saw lots of family faces this summer--so glad they came to Utah for a visit!

Cousins Seth and Arik

Ready to hike the Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Kirk and Beverly

Quinn

Cousins Quinn and Kara

Gathered for Brian's 51st Birthday

Siblings Arik and Marlee

The Jones Family

Sisters Charlene and Julie (me!)

After the Temple to Temple 5K Run

I walked the 5K with my mom.

For some reason I didn't get any pictures of Isabelle and we missed Renee's family altogether this summer. Luckily, we have Thanksgiving to set it right.

Sequoia National Park

This summer we spent the 4th of July in Sequoia National Park--home of the world's largest tree.

"In volume of total wood the giant sequoia is Earth's largest living tree. In all the world, sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, usually between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation." (National Park Service Pamphlet)

We began our exploration at the Giant Forest Museum where we took a shuttle bus to the General Sherman Tree which is estimated to be 2,200 years old!

Do you see the tiny people at the bottom of the photo?

We then followed the Congress Trail wandering through the Great Forest for about 2 miles.

There was plenty to discover along the way.

"Sequoias don't die of old age and are resistant to fire and insect damage. Most die by falling over [due to their shallow root system]." (NPS) 

It is the sequoias' thick bark that insulates them from most fire.

Many of the trees bear fire scars, but fire is vital to sequoia regeneration.

It was a beautiful and peaceful place.

Sulphur Mountain

When Brian was 14 his family moved to Santa Paula--a small agricultural town in Ventura County. This is where he took me three months after we met and where we officially became engaged.

(Santa Paula, California, 2013)

We had toured Brian's hometown when the kids were very young, but it had been 29 years since we had set foot on Sulphur Mountain.

(View from Sulphur Mountain, 2013)

(2013)

This grassy knoll was the spot where Brian and his dad spent many a Saturday (during Brian's teen years) flying radio-controlled airplanes. The wind was usually perfect here.

(Brian in front of his Santa Paula home, 1981)

(1981)

(Brian's Dad, 1981)

(1981)

(View from Sulphur Mountain, 1981)

When I first visited Santa Paula Brian took me "flying" as well. Of course, we went to his traditional mountaintop site.

(Me on Sulphur Mountain, April 1984)

(Brian on Sulphur Mountain, April 1984)

Brian crashed his plane that day. He claims I was a bit of a distraction. :)