Day 3: Capitol Reef hike-Hickman's Bridge

The last day everyone teamed together again because the ranger, a motorcycle, and the trailer were all having major issues (Megan had a series of unfortunate events on this trip) and so they joined us for some hiking. We headed toward Capitol Reef park, but then one of the hikes I had printed out information on was actually right outside the park. So we didn't have to pay to go in and we got to enjoy the beauty anyway! I wish we would have done more at Capitol Reef. It ended up being MUCH closer to our camp than I had thought from the maps. Oh well. Maybe another trip.

Hailey, Jack, Ruth, Natalie

Anders and his cactus.

Cassidy and Devaney

Lynnaea, Megan, Hailey, Kiersten

Our incredible view.

Sterling tried carrying Natalie for a while but she wasn't a big fan.

Lynnaea, mom, Sterling, Lindsay Ann's beanie head, Natalie

Lynnaea

Across the ravine--they were ahead of us the entire time. We had Jack and Ruth issues--the kind where they can't seem to focus on walking forward.

Jack called this a 'hot tub' and I thought that was hilarious!

The bridge!

The cutest boy ever under the bridge.

Sterling, Ruth, Kiersten, Megan, Devaney, Anders, Hailey, Cassidy, Natalie, Lynnaea, Jack, Lindsay Ann, mom, and Will. All of us.

She's quite the hiker now.

After that fun bridge we came back to this cave we had passed and ate lunch and played. And got more holes in the bum of Ruth's pants (I love kid-to-kid and that I only spent .99 on those pants and she could enjoy the cave all she wanted!). It was a great afternoon. So relaxed. So fun. Not strenuous hiking at all.

And down again.

After that was our only mishap of the entire trip. I had printed off DETAILED (I looked and looked to find the best instructions I could) directions to a trailhead, GPS coordinates and all. We headed there, and when the GPS said we were there, nothing. So we drove around for about twenty minutes, saw the cave we were SUPPOSED to be hiking to up on the mountainside, couldn't find a possible way to get there, gave up, and went back to enjoy sitting in camp chairs on our windy camp. Ruth was fine with that-Danica gave her four wheeler rides all night! 

I wanted to get in more hiking, but truth be told I was pretty tired from the day before and it was nice to just relax at the campsite. Wyatt said it was the best night ever--we put the kids to bed, huddled up with the teenagers around the campfire, and told scary stories. 

Okay--and this really WAS the best part of the night--mom complained that she didn't know any scary stories (this was after Danica told a couple of quite gruesome ones, I was quite surprised) and proceeded to tell us the only one she said she knew. It was a scary story that ended abruptly, hilariously, and surprisingly. I was laughing my head off. Danica happened to miss it so it got re-told for her benefit. At the end she sat there for a minute, pondering, then we all started trying to explain the ending and she goes "OH! So you mean, it's like a funny?!?!" Then we all laughed even longer and harder at Danica. First, because she used the word 'funny' and second, because she took so long. It was also a great night because everyone else was marshmallow'd out, so I got a stick and a bag all to myself and sat and stuffed myself to my hearts content. It was lovely. 

The next morning Sterling and I didn't want to brave the cold again and we didn't want to think about breakfast, so we packed up mostly the night before and left by 8 the next morning. Which meant we listened to the first half of conference driving while the kids slept (they did AWESOME and only cried for the last twenty minutes of the entire drive) and then we were home in time to clean up and smell nice again for the second half of conference. All in all, an absolutely beautiful weekend. Thanks so much for letting us crash your party Megan! Sorry you had so many mishaps!