Maple Mountain Hike

I promise one day I will be a lot better about Blogging again. Anyway so our big accomplishment of the summer! Riley and I hiked Maple Mountain with his family on Aug 1st. It was a very long, fun, painful, fulfilling day!!! So many emotions! We took 3 of dad's mules with us, for Riley's mom (Chris) and the kids! But of course Riley got to ride the whole time too, since Bonsai isn't the best behaved. But she did so good, and so did Bo and Buck. I'm really glad/grateful we had them with us.Riley helping Chris get on Buck in the parking lot. Nick & Greg, leading Brooks on Bo.Riley taking the lead rope from Greg.

Brooks riding Bo, Chris on Buck, and Riley on Bonsai.Unfortunately I got blisters starting like the first 20 min. So here we are taking our first break for me to put band aids on my heels and then get on Bo.

Nick, Payton, Laura, Jantsen, Brooks, Duke (mom & dad's dog came with us too) and Greg.Me riding Bo. Chris, Payton & LauraChris has a lot of stories about Maple with her father, Ruel Crandall. We had to stop and take a picture with this tree where Grandpa had carved his name, many years ago.

Chris, Brooks, Payton, Jantsen, Laura, Nick & Me.

Had to get Riley in the picture!

Me trailing behind because my blisters were killing me. But the hike was so gorgeous!!!!Stopping for another rest!We stopped at the lake for lunch. This is the camping spot that Chris spent many nights with her father at. She even had a letter that Grandpa had written the Fall before he passed away at the top in the mailbox about the last time they were up there. It was such a neat experience.The boys & Bo!!!A look back at the lake, on our way up to the top!!!The mules heading up the switchbacks!We made it to the Summit! It felt so good to get up to this spot. It was so pretty! You could look out over all of Springville & Mapleton. (plus I got to take my boots off and put on some mole skin to help my blisters).So happy to have made it!!!Grandma Chris and the boys!Greg, Laura & Boys.We kept going on our way up to the very top to the mailbox. This part of the trail was a little narrow for my comfort so my anxiety started. We stopped just short of the top and I decided to start heading back down. I wanted to get ahead start because I felt bad I slowed everyone down on our way up because of my blisters. So Nick and I got a head start.Riley & Chris rode the mules all the way up! Chris wrote something in the book, but when I asked what she wrote she said, "You'll just have to come back up to see!" Although it will probably be years, we WILL go back up there to see what she wrote. After seeing how much it meant to her to have all of us up there, I would do it again, even with major blisters on my feet. Only next time, I'm going all the way! Shauna & Bruno Frampton (some friends of Greg & Laura's) hiked up to the top as well.Heading back down!!!The boys were all troopers. Stopping for our last break before the very LONG trek down.Unsaddling the mules!This doesn't do it justice, but just a lil shot of my blistered hills! It felt so good to get my boots and socks off!We did it!!!! The whole group (minus Nick...poor kid was dehydrated and was laying down in the car).

Chris, Payton, Greg, Laura, Riley, Me, Shauna, Bruno, (front) Brooks & Jantsen!

**Papa Rich was waiting for us in the parking lot with a cooler full of Popsicles**

(did I mention it took us like 12 hours to do this hike! But WELL WORTH IT!!!)