Saturday hikes

A number of years ago, we helped Sarah start a tradition of an overnight backpack trip with her girlfriends. We went along the first few years, but recently they've preferred to go on their own — they are old enough and confident to take care of most problems. They usually only hike in a few miles — just enough to feel they've gotten off the beaten track. They pitch a tent and make their dinner, enjoy a campfire where permitted, and crowd into a tent to chatter away and enjoy each other's company. It's a nice tradition.

My assignment is to find good destinations for them that fit those criteria. So I scouted out a couple of options for her this morning and afternoon, in expectation of next weekend's hike. Sarah often comes with me on these "scout-out" hikes, but today she's still recovering from a bout with flu and didn't quite have the energy today. So I went alone and took lots of photos.

The first hike was a close one — just up the Battle Creek canyon above Pleasant Grove. It's only 10 minutes from our home, and is a delightful little canyon. The first portion, up to a very nice double waterfall, is pleasant and gentle. The trail gets somewhat steeper after that; unfortunately, it's pretty high up before there are some nice campsite areas. So probably a little too far for Sarah's group.



After checking in at home, I tried the second option. I had vague memories of a hike during my scout days to a place called Red Lake, up the mountain from Maple Bench in Payson Canyon. Not having maps or detailed descriptions, I hoped to find directions where I expected the trailhead to be. So I drove to Payson Canyon (ah, so many sweet memories!) and started searching. I eventually found a trail which seemed to head the direction I wanted to go, and followed it to the lake (just under 2 miles away). Unfortunately, the lake has "gone downhill" since my childhood, and was more of a swampy marsh. But it was a delightful hike, nonetheless.



One of the highlights of the hikes was to be able to view an incredible array of wildflowers. Even at this lower altitude, they were present in abundance and glorious variety. I think the unusually wet spring we had was a wonderful gift this year. Now, I need to get up into some higher elevations to see what it looks like there!