A week or so ago Jason and I went hiking at Sundance Resort. We have biked and snowboarded Sundance many times but had never experience the extremeness of unextremely using our feet to travel its slopes…until now.
What a magnificent vista! The hills were a lush green and even Utah Lake, tinted by its algae bloom, added to the emerald hue.The picnic tables at the top of Arrowhead Summit were a great place to eat a snack and enjoy the visual splendor of the surroundings.That's Heber Valley sprawled out below Jason as he stands on Arrowhead Summit.
We accessed Sundance’s hiking areas by way of the lift and then spent the afternoon traversing some lovely terrain. Our first climb was to the top of Arrowhead Summit. This is the most challenging hike at Sundance. It ascends to the highest point at the resort, which is over 8,000 feet. The path to the summit, unfortunately, is along a gravel access road instead of a traditional hiking trail but the beauty of the peak definitely makes up for what the route lacks. The path terminates on Arrowhead’s ridge, which overlooks Utah Valley on one side and Heber Valley on the other. Gorgeous! These valleys were still very green (quite an anomaly for this time of year) making the view uncommonly pretty. What added most to the perfection of this hike however was the fact that we saw exactly no one the whole way. We got to savor the windswept glades and rugged pines without even a hint of humanity. There was certainly no shortage of people exiting the lift but they all headed straight for one of the downhill hikes. Ah the laziness of human beings, ever my vexation but still always my ally.
This vibrant meadow was too picturesque to pass through without taking a few photos.We came across this giant mushroom on our way to Stewart Falls. I think it's probably the biggest toadstool I've ever seen.Due to water flowing this year in areas it normally does not, the trail to Stewart Falls passed under an impromptu stream that tumbled from an unanticipated waterfall. We had to cross this steep creek using ropes.Stewart Falls is actually a series of 4 dramatic drops but you can only see the two lower ones here.
After climbing Arrowhead Summit we traveled back down the mountain by way of Stewart Falls. It was a nice easy return trip and the falls are always beautiful. Although I couldn’t help but think from time to time as we trekked along that the trail in front of me would be amazing on a bike, I must admit that moving at a slower pace was a relaxing change.
Jason’s mom Sue and his brother Jeremy were both born in July along with me and Jason. Yes, that means we go through enough birthday cake during the month to give a small country diabetes.
This year Jason’s parents decided that it would be fun to celebrate all our July birthdays by taking a trip down to Utah’s Dixie. They got us tickets to see the two shows playing at an outdoor theater in St. George called Tuacahn: The Little Mermaid and Grease. This gave us an excuse to take a break and spend the weekend in St. George together.
This is the condo at Lava Falls that we rented. It was a lovely building with a secluded patio.
Jason’s parents, Sue and Keith, stayed with me and Jason at a condo we rented for the weekend. The condo was beautiful and allowed each couple to have their own bathroom and bedroom while still promoting family togetherness. We got plenty of chances to play board games and chat; it reminded me a lot of hanging out at the old Sabin cabin but with less dust.
It felt like we were under the sea when that rain hit. It came sloshing at us from all directions.Jason's mom Sue had her birthday while we were down in St. George. We surprised her with a little lemon cake and a horribly sung birthday song.
Friday night Jason and I got down to St. George with little time to spare before the start of The Little Mermaid but we managed to make it. Not that our timeliness ended up mattering much. Do you remember the scene where Ariel rescues Prince Eric from the stormy seas? Lightning is flashing across the sky as thunder pounds the earth and a thrashing rain begins to fall. Well, right when that scene was being played out on stage real thunder began rumbling the sandstone plateaus around us and unforgiving water started pelting the ground. Jason and I had brought ponchos with us just in case but even with those on the wind whipped us so wet we ended up taking shelter in a covered area along with everyone else. After waiting half an hour for the rain to stop, which it didn’t, the show was canceled for the evening. There were a lot of little girls crying that night because of the unhappy ending to their fairytale magic.
Jason was queen-I mean king-of the mountain.Jason crawled up the sides of Jenny's Canyon. I can't take that monkey boy anywhere!St. George wasn't as hot as it usually is in July but we still were way past warm. This nook gave me and Jas a very brief break from the intense sun...and yet another opportunity to look silly.
Although it was sad that our Friday activities got halted, we didn’t waste time pouting. The next morning Jason, Sue, Keith, and I headed up to Snow Canyon State Park for some hiking and caving. Snow Canyon is a pretty area creased by pocked sandstone and surrounded by white and red cliffs. The colors of this region are shadowed by piles of black lava rock that an ancient volcano strew about. These dark stone outcroppings protrude the fiery landscape conspicuously but their most interesting feature lies beneath the park’s surface.
These sharp rocks weren't exactly a comfy spot to lay your head but Jason thought they needed planking so I humored him. This was the first lava cave we came across. Although it just consisted of two elongated caverns, it was massive and fun to explore with a flashlight.
Snow Canyon’s hillsides, which are roughened by jagged igneous rock, are further scarred by holes of various sizes: lava tubes. Years ago my parents owned a condo in St. George and so Jason spent quite a bit of time with me in Snow Canyon. Every time he came across a lava cave he wanted to explore it but he somehow was always lacking a flashlight. This trip though he was determined to make up for his previous inadequacies…sort of. He remembered to grab a flashlight before we headed up to Snow Canyon but he insisting on hiking in flip-flops. (Don’t get me started!) We trekked the Butterfly Trail to the West Canyon Overlook and then detoured to find some caves. We came across three. The first was easy to access with high ceilings in two long chambers but it smelled a little too musty and peeish for us to hangout in there too long. The second cave was very narrow so only Jason journeyed a bit into its belly.
I took this looking out of the entrance to that long tunnel we explored. Those goofballs are standing on a rim that circles a sloping incline that leads down to the spacious cavern that could have easily been confused for the tube's main draw.Sue and Keith were hesitant to wiggle down into this opening but we finally coaxed them into the cave's antechamber. This pictures was taken deep within the bowels of the earth. Okay, maybe not that far down but the throat of the earth at very least.
On our third discovery we hit the jackpot. This cave was fantastic! It’s opening to the surface was not terribly large and could have been easily missed if a couple of women hanging out on a narrow ledge a few feet down had not caught our attention. Access into this hole was tricky and required some scrambling and scooting and once inside we probably would have mistaken a big cavity at the bottom of the entrance shaft for the main attraction if some hikers had not exited out of a small unremarkable gap to one side of it as we were entering the tube. That little opening led to a winding slender passage that eventually widened into a large rock-scattered room. Awesome! Upon leaving that room the tube dived over a narrow little cliff; that drop-off looked tricky to navigate so this is where we decided to head back. But the moment we exited from this tunnel back into the main shaft Jason turned around and headed back in by himself. He had decided that he could shimmy down that cliff, flip-flops and all, and was determined to see where the tube led. It turned out that it went down another cramped twisting path to a second large cavern where it ended. After traversing the entire passageway he convinced me to go back in with him to the tunnel’s terminus. I am claustrophobic and therefore not a big fan of ducking through a little crack in the earth but in the end my curiosity got the best of me. I’m glad I braved it; it was a cool cave.
After hiking and crawling around all day we saw Grease that night at Tuacahn and, unlike The Little Mermaid, we actually saw it. It was a fun show that made me want to dance and sing and wear a poodle skirt.
We may have had a few watery glitches in our fabulous weekend plan but it still turned out to be a great getaway with plenty of fam time and some surprising adventures.
For most Americans the beginning of July is all about fireworks and family barbecues but for me birthday candles are another seasonal fire hazard. I was born during the time of year when patriotism is paramount so often the celebration of my birthday has come second place to the celebration of America’s. Luckily, I have a super fantastic hubby now that refuses to ever put me second to anything and hence my birthday is rigorously observed.
Jason and I spent most of our holiday weekend celebrating me and the rest of it partying in general. I’m still exhausted from it all but what a way to live!
The Sabins are insane so, naturally, one would expect a mini golf outing with them to look something like this. Jason and his brother Jeremy thought this anchor on hole 15 was a perfect spot for planking. Those ridiculous boys!Jason's mom made Pavlova for my birthday cake. Tasty!
Friday we got the weekend started with some mini golf and fireworks with the in-laws. Lighting these fireworks went about as expected. There were a few times when I thought it likely that someone’s crotch was going to get a flame enema. Yup, pretty standard for the Sabins.
Jacob and Jason rode the tube together. That's a lot of poundage for a one-man vessel. Since Jacob struggled to stay on though I'm pretty sure his butt fat didn't contribute to the weight strain. Jeremy and I swallowed enough lake water while tubing to make stomach aquariums but we were having too much fun to let a little drowning stop us from going back for more.Jason was destined for a dip at this point. He's just seconds away from a water wedgie.
Saturday we went boating with our friends Jeremy and Jacob on Utah Lake. We got all sorts of crispy while wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and tubing. The tubing, oddly enough, proved to be the roughest part of the experience. That may have had something to do with us squishing too many people on that tiny tube and riding it backwards or while standing up but, then again, it could have just been a coincidence.
We were burnt, dehydrated, and tired after boating but, once a little nap refreshed us a bit, Jason took me out to dinner at Takashi in Salt Lake City for some birthday sushi. I could eat their Shiva rolls until my own rolls have been substantially increased…and then eat some more.
Jadon and Benson wrestled all over the backyard. Jadon was clearly at a disadvantage but he loved it anyway.
The next day it was time to party with my family. My parents put together a yummy barbecue to celebrate all four of those with July birthdays in one lump. Nothing says summer like chowing grilled veggie kabobs, hotdogs, and hamburgers while lounging in the grass…except maybe some snowboarding.
The forest was green and vibrant just one crest over but Hidden Peak was still hanging onto winter with a firm grasp. Mineral Basin may have looked like a bathtub that was way overdue for a cleaning but ugly snow is still snow. I'm not superficial- if it's rideable I'll do it.
I have long dreamed of spending the 4th of July on white peaks with my snowboard underfoot. This never seemed very likely to happen but, luckily, Mother Nature is a fickle lady and her severe winter and frosty spring made my wish finally attainable. Snowbird announced a month ago that they would be open on the 4th. Sweet doggity dog! I was ecstatic and determined to be there for the holiday. Jason definitely didn’t try to dissuade me from this plan; he was drooling almost as much as I was. We weren’t the only ones with the dream of summer snow though apparently because it was very crowded at the bird. The tram line was the longest I have ever seen it but all the patrons were in exceptionally good moods anyhow as they wound around the courtyard. We were all getting to board on the 4th of July so who cared about a little wait! The feelings of exuberance didn’t fade inside the packed trams. Chants of “U.S.A!” erupted randomly and when a group of riders spontaneously began singing the national anthem they were quickly joined by dozens of others. After everyone’s voices had been warmed up by these patriotic outbursts Jason took the opportunity to get the throng to belt out a happy birthday song to me. Oh the humiliation! Even with that mortification it was a lovely day. It may have been scorching down here in the valleys but Snowbird’s Mineral Basin was lusciously slushy and perfect for a July frolic.
People were wearing all sorts of crazy attire up at snowbird. We saw girls in bikinis, a guy dressed as a shake weight, and of course this Speedo man. Jason humiliated me, once again, by asking these scantily clad men to take a birthday picture with me. I think my face turned a shade to match those stripes.
We finished off our 4th with a dinner featuring margherita pizza and grilled peach salad made by Chef Jason and then walked down to a park to watch the city’s fireworks with his parents and brother. It was a nice relaxing end to a crazy weekend.
My birthday may be easy to dismiss when there is fourth fun to be had but Jason will never let it pass without plenty of presents, lots of gorging, a host of memorable activities, and of course some embarrassment. Without that man I’m sure I would feel a little forgotten every year, it’s hard to compete with America, but he makes sure I get a birthday way beyond the norm. Thanks for another spectacular celebration!
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