Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons

Fall break weekend fun. We trucked it down to Slot Canyon's Inn in Escalante and had a little fun on Saturday hiking Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch slot canyons about 25 miles down the Hole-in-the-Rock road just outside of Escalante. The fall weather was just perfect for hiking in the desert with a load of kids.


A short hike (about a mile or so) from the parking area is the entrance to Spooky Gulch. It may not look like much- enticing to some, frightening to others...


Just step inside for some twists and turns, tight spots and amazing beauty.


Fabulous for kids and folks who don't claim claustrophobia. If you are slightly frightened of tight spots but you still want to give it a go- throw in a piece of minty chewing gum in your mouth, it helps.


If you were just accepted to be a contestant on the next season of Biggest Loser, you might want to stay behind and count the clouds and sage brush flowers- and try to stay out of the trail mix.


At the end of Spooky Gulch we took a left and followed the fairly well traveled trail (follow the cairns) to the top of neighboring Peek-a-Boo slot canyon, probably about a half mile apart.


Peek-a-Boo is quite a bit wider than Spooky in most spots- you're not likely to get stuck, not if you've made it this far from your car on foot. There and lots of places to hide and scamper about... especially at the entrance.


A small arch you can pass through or around.


A few more arches as you work your way along- absolutely magically beautiful.


The beginning or end (depending on where you start) of Peek-a-Boo is steep and takes a bit of teamwork and spiderish manuves.
My mom (a local) said she just met the two ladies (now little old ladies) who named the canyons in their youth. After finding the canyons as kids in the 1930's they were so excited about the discovery that one of them decided to have their birthday party there. All the kids climbing and playing around gave the canyons the names they are known by today, Peek-a Boo and Spooky.

4th of July

The 4th was fantastic, our first in Midway, it was cozy and low key. The day started with a mountain bike ride on the Interlaken and Dutch Hollow trails (I still can't believe there is such delightful single track so close to home). A few lazy hours in the afternoon at Deer Creek, lounging in the sun with friends and paddling kayaks around. The holiday finished with a barbeque/block party (fish tacos... yum) with the neighbors and friends and watching the fireworks on Memorial Hill from the cul-de-sac (and under umbrellas). A perfect holiday.

late afternoon sun in Midway

Looking south out over Midway Utah, Deer Creek reservoir and the Wasatch mountain range in the distance.

A late afternoon thunderstorm brought this breathtaking double rainbow, probably the brightest rainbow I've ever seen.

Hole-In-The-Rock

Adventure is in the air as the chilly summer of 2011 commences. Here's to hoping the weather warms up soon, and more adventure- without jackets and long pants- is right around the corner. This past weekend we took a drive out to Hole-in-the Rock, just outside of Escalante. That's 65 miles of dirt road driving. About 50 miles into the drive you come to Dance Hall Rock (the rock formation behind the cactus) where the mormon pioneers used the natural amphitheater to take a break and dance as they crossed the  Utah desert.

Here it is folks- Hole-in-the-Rock, where the mormon pioneers bravely lowered their wagons and supplies on ropes down this canyon and crossed the Colorado River (now Lake Powell) on their way to the San Juan Valley. 

The dirt road out to Hole-in-the-Rock has always been rough and four wheel drive vehicle has always been a requirement. Recently, Garfield county has been working hard to make the road passable to two wheel drive vehicles and have done a really good job. The road is in great shape, there are a few sandy and steep spots where high clearance is still a good thing to have, but otherwise fine with two wheel drive. 

Of course we hiked down to the enticing waters of Lake Powell, the kids couldn't get there fast enough; partly to get out of the relentlessly howling wind and partly because we'd all been sitting in the car for 2 dusty, bumpy hours and needed to get moving.

I'm not going to lie... the water was cold and white capping in the wind. My eldest Q, her father's daughter for sure, dove right in, not caring about anything but getting wet. The rest of us hung our toes in and decided it was a good idea we postpone the Lake Powell boat trip a few more weeks.

Looking back up the Hole-in-the-Rock pass and imagining the pioneers with their loaded wagons, ropes and improper footwear can really make one ponder one's own hardships. 

M, making her way back up the trail.

A visit to Hole-in-the-Rock would not be complete without some staged pioneer pictures. Thank goodness we remembered to bring the bonnet and apron, and that we are so easily entertained.

ski between the lines

All the late storms this last week have dumped loads of snow in the Wasatch mountains. Here's what Bishop's Bowl at Sundance looked like when the storm cleared for a minute and the sun came out.
See all the squiggly lines? A lot of those tracks are mine- and my gal Q- who had the day off of school- we were doing our best to fill in the gaps, until our legs could no longer hold us up. It's about time I got a powder day in, or, I should say... it's about time I got myself out onto the ski hill to enjoy a powder day.

PS- This is Sundance's last week of skiing, and there is a super deal going on... check it out on Facebook- day skiing is only $20, night skiing is $15 through April 3rd.

San Juan Capistrano Mission

Like it states on the plaque: The San Juan Capistrano Mission, Orange County California's only Mission, was founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra, the seventh in a chain of 21 missions established in Alta California to christianize and civilize the Indians. The stone church was destroyed in the 1812 earthquake. The mission was expropriated during Mexican rule then returned to the Catholic church in 1865  by proclamation of the president, Abraham Lincoln.

Here are the original walls of the stone church- what still stands after the earthquake of 1812,  200 years ago.

The United States is young in it's architectural history- comparative to the European and other countries in the world. So, to see such a magnificent and imposing structure more than 200 years old and in California-  it is truly a sight to behold.

There are 10 acres within the mission, available to wander and learn as much or as little history as you'd like,  a self-guided audio tour is included with the admission fee.

Courtyards, gardens and fountains are all surround by Spanish style adobe architecture all beautifully preserved and maintained.

Check their website for daily activities, summer programs,special events and re-enactments.

The Mission heart, or spiritual center, is located in the Serra Chapel, which dates back to the 1780s. Generations and generations of Catholics have celebrated mass, attended weddings, baptisms, and funerals in this chapel.

The Serra chapel within the Mission still holds services M-F at 7 am, For the mass schedule at the Basilica, the San Juan Capistrano Parish's main house of worship, please click here.  

So much history and beauty in one place is astounding. Plan a visit to If you have at least a few hours and you're in southern, coastal Orange County, I would recommend a visit to the darling town of San Juan Capistrano and it's historical Mission.

To view more photos of the Mission, look here.

Kayenta

We were in St George last weekend for what turned out to be the rainiest, muddiest soccer tournament ever. When the weather finally cleared up on Sunday afternoon we drove out to Kayenta, a community just outside of St. George, near Ivins, UT for what turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon.

The Coyote Gulch Art Village lies in the heart of the Kayenta community. It's a enclave of galleries, restaurants, studios and festivals (held on various weekends throughout the year, check their calendar for upcoming events) in a stunning desert setting.

The landscape is magnificent- inspiring to us all to learn a bit more about using native plants and conserving water no matter where and in what climate you live.

Wander the grounds (don't forget your camera) and view the southwest style architecture and sculpture gardens.

Seed pods on a bare tree.

Springtime is an excellent time to visit, the desert is in bloom and the temperatures are pleasant. I would recommend any season but summer for a visit. Summer temperatures are well above 100 degrees fahrenheit... you just might melt wandering around in that heat.

We visited for the Art in Kayenta festival, (President's Day Weekend Feb 19 & 20, 2011). There were about 50 vendors outside, and all galleries were open for browsing a fine selection of Southwestern style art and craft. 

The surrounding landscape was breathtaking, nestled near the red rock cliffs of Snow Canyon, I could not take my eyes off the view, or stop snapping photos. The cold, rainy weekend in St George meant snow at the elevations just a bit higher. Snow blanketing red rocks and spring greenery beginning to show was a breathtaking sight to see.

A friend's sharp eye caught a glimple of these waterfalls on the distant cliffs above Kayenta (see the smaller one to the right?). We drove through up through the development, getting a closer look at the homes- all tactfully and environmentally blending into the landscape- to get a better view. We learned from a local that these waterfalls don't run year round. It was the wet weather and melting snowfall on the cliffs that brought on this amazing view.

Sunset magazine has a great write-up of Kayenta, with all the extras (places to stay and eat, hikes, maps, eco info)- check it out here.

Midway Ice Castles

We finally bundled ourselves up and made our way over to the ice castles last night. Right next to the ice skating rink (unfortunately closed for the season due to broken pipes) in downtown Midway. Pretty darn amazing, and ever evolving.

Made from nothing but frozen water, ice infrastructure too, ice artist Brent Christensen works tirelessly, at all hours of the day, and in all temperatures building these castles. Believe me, I've driven carpool, first thing in the morning, and there he is. Returning home late, late at night... still working. Super tiger, I say, dedicated to his work.

Depending on the air temperatures, the ice castles take on different aspects. Last night the ice was crisp and shiny thanks to the below zero temperatures this past week. Pictures on their blog from previous warmer weeks show drippy smooth surfaces.
I need to go back about dinner time, get a view with blue sky and then a sunset. AND if it ever snows again this winter in Utah... I'd like to be ice castle observing that day too.

If you have visited the ice castles and have some photos to share, join us here: www.flickr.com/groups/midwayicecastles

Soldier Hollow Resort

We had a young competitor in this weekend's Junior Olympic meet at Soldier Hollow in Midway UT.  It was our twelve year old son's first race. After only a few weeks on cross-country skis and practicing with the Devo team, he skied some great races. We are pretty new to this 'official' cross-country skiing business. We've owned classic skis for years- every year we'd go out once or twice a season and putter about in the forest but I never dreamed there was much more to it than that. There is waxing, proper skiing technique and of course some very humbling aerobic exercise. 

I've fallen completely in love with skate skiing- a sport I've always wanted to try but never actually gotten around to trying before this winter. A lesson or two, a little finesse and you've got yourself a superb winter workout.

Soldier Hollow was the sight of the 2002 Winter Olympic Cross Country skiing events.  Leaving us in 2011, with a world class ski area to enjoy. Soldier Hollow also has a Charter School (K-8th grade) on the premises, two of our children attend school here and love it. We love the small class sizes, quality curriculum and that the students get to enjoy skiing with their classmates twice a week in the winter months.

It was a thrill to see kids of all ages and from all over the western United States come to compete in skate and classic events this past weekend. What a enriching family sport that encourages a healthy lifestyle and enjoyment of the great outdoors.