The Year of the Hike

I don't know where the idea got started, sort of organically I Guess, but after a few hikes here and there, we got some momentum.

 It started with a trip to Dog Lake on Father's Day, followed quickly by a trip to Willow Lake:

And then a few fishing trips to Cathryn Lake:

And then it really got going with hiking the White- and Red-Pine drainages with their onerous 2400 vert each. With new jobs and all the pressures that come, we wanted to be anti-goal this year. Then ironically we made our hiking into a goal to visit all the major lake drainages of the Central Wasatch. We needed Desolation, Broads fork, and Maybird to finish off the list....

We did Maybird this weekend to check the last box.

This was cause for celebration:

Maybird may be the most majestic with the Phiferhorn looming over the diminutive lakes.

Imogen was psyched seeing the Phiferhorn---she knew its legend, but had not seen it up close till now.

Our girl is getting big. Most of the lakes in the Wasatch require 2000+ feet to achieve in 3-5 miles. Hauling a 35 lb toddler with water, food, diapers, and clothing was onerous. This hiking adventure will not be repeated next year since we have not found a way to stop her from growing.

And our final tour of the Wasatch Lakes was punctuated by the yellow aspen leaves of Fall. The snow will fly soon and this year's hiking adventures will end. Desert Season will start soon and new touchstones will have to be felt out, milestones reached. Just off the top of my head, I think Imogen needs to see some Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs, or maybe ruins from other pioneers of the desert who are longer living but must be imagined, specifically in the mind of a little girl.