Ephraim Canyon!

July was a BUSY month for us, but oh so fun! First Salem Pond then 4th of July and camping at Payson lakes and we ended the month with a small family reunion camping at the top of Ephraim Canyon.

I haven't ever been to Ephraim Canyon before. When we first started heading up the canyon I was a little disappointed, I was thinking that we would be camping in dry, ugly sage brush and high temperatures. But we kept driving and driving, 16 miles up a dirt road. When we finally reached the top we were happily greeted with MUCH cooler temperatures, fields upon fields upon fields of BEAUTIFUL wild flowers and breath taking views, not to mention family! My Aunt Judy & Uncle Reid, Aunt Mary & Uncle Larry and lots of cousins Larry Kurt and his family, Randy and his family, Jerry and his kids, Melinda and her family and on the 2nd day Marci and her kids and also Dave & Heidi and their new baby came up for a few hours.

My cousins are avid campers, they have all the bells and whistles! AND TOYS! Everyone had 4 wheelers and they were kind enough to share them with us. Hal and I took off on a ride and went to this guard station that was in this amazing field of flowers, the smell was angelic and the feeling of the wind in my face as I rode on the 4 wheeler was AWESOME! It was slightly overcast with just a few drops of rain, it couldn't have been better than that! Someday Hal and I are going to have to purchase a couple of ATV's, it is just so much fun!

On the 3rd day the "girl's" took off for a 4 wheeler adventure. We took 6 ATV's, Grandma rode piggy back with Tausha (can you believe my almost 94 year old grandma went on an ATV ride?!?!) Sara (Larry K's wife) had Brinley with her and Melinda took her daughter along too. Hallie chose to ride with my Aunt Mary, the 2 of them "bonded" on this trip, Hallie can't get enough of her! So in total we had 10 girls. We rode for almost 2 hours and went about 23 miles. It was so much fun! We went to this field of flowers that seemed to go on and on. Then over to a ridge that looked down over the canyon. We then rode past a waterfall, soup bowl lake and then over to Pete's Lake. The ride was so much fun and so beautiful. I am so thankful that Hal watched Addy and Jack so that I could go.



It was fun having Hal up there, Trenton and him slept in the tent the 2nd night and chatted it up for awhile before finally closing their eyes. It was nice having a 2nd parent there to help keep an eye on things and to help set up camp, cook, clean etc. I wish I could convince Hal to come more often.

We played cards, roasted marshmallows, played horse shoes and badminton. It was so much fun! But with 2 "little's", 3 days 2 sleepless nights it was enough, Hal and I were happy to be heading home.