Silver Reef Mine - Travel Tuesday

This week I am going to take you to a little stop off the main road that I found earlier this year before I even know I was going to be moving down to Southern Utah.
It's the Silver Reef Mines just off I-15 about 15 miles north of St. George.

While I am sure you could find a bit more to do, I believe there is some hiking around the area too. I only had about 30 minutes and I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit before a long drive I had. This is the perfect spot for that.

If your wondering what this place is. Its the only place in North America where miners found Silver in Sandstone.
This place actually became a town at one point, full with grocery stores, several saloons and a few restaurants. Even the Chinese who finished working on the railroads after the 1870's came here and created their own small little Chinatown.

Eventually like a lot of mining towns, when the boom wore off, the town became vacant and the mines closed in 1884.

Above is what the town that once housed 2,500 people looked like.

Now it's a museum and a place to stop and learn a little American History.

I have a thing for old wagon wheels, they just have so much character and my mind can't help but wonder about the places the traveled and the people who sat on them what they saw in the open frontier along the way.

While there are current homes in the area. You can actually drive around and view some of the old sights. Or even better, get out and walk around.

Not only that, but this little stop is right in some beautiful red canyon country.

So it's not a spot I'd plan a vacation around. But if you're in the area it is definitely worth stopping by sometime and seeing. Of if you're driving on I-15 and need a little break it's a great place to use for it!

Do you enjoy stopping at little bits of history along your road trips?

Sightseeing Canyon Country in Utah

This week for Travel Tuesday, I'm going to take you on some sights you may not ever think to stop an view, if you are ever driving through Southeastern Utah.

These views, are looking east towards Colorado, as you can see the Colorado Plateau's in the far faint distance. The skies in this area are just stunning, as this part of the country is far away from large cities and major pollutants. So not only can you view beautiful blue skies, but you can see great vast distances around you.

While this part of the country is mostly just viewed from above as drivers and tourists stop for a rest. The truth is, if you are adventurous there are roads and trails that can take you down into these Canyonland Country areas.
The canyons open up deeply at times nice and wide, and other times just enough for slot canyon explorers.
I often tell people if I had weeks to just explore and get myself lost in the beauty, getting down into these canyons and taking the different turns of exploration would be high on my list. As there is so much to see, and lifetime isn't long enough to see it all.

Until then, I visit from time to time and get down in and see different areas.
You can start viewing these stunning sights of canyon country just south of Moab, or even S. East and S. West as you venture into different area's of Canyonlands National Park and the surrounding areas.

So if you find yourself on a drive through this part of Utah. Trust me, you'll definitely be missing out if you don't stop at the different rest stops and overlooks. As you can see stunning views like this with not much effort at all.
But if you love to explore, let me tell you there is a beautiful world down in those canyons below. I'll have to show you some of them in future travel posts!

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Have you visited Utah's Canyon Country before? If so, what area's have you been to?

Hiking Silver Lake in the Fall

This week for Travel Tuesday I am going to take you on a hike in Utah up near Brighton Ski Resort, at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

This is actually a very family friendly hike, it's well groomed and most parts could even be considered wheel chair accessible.

To get here, just take the Big Cottonwood canyon road, all the way to the top.  When you get to the Brighton one way loop just follow it, you'll see the signs and the parking lot.  At the Silver Lake Visitors Center.  It's free parking, and if the lot is full you can park a short distance down the road and walk into it easily.

The hike itself, isn't even quite a mile long.  I believe 0.8 is the exact distance of the loop.

It's also great for families, you can go up just to walk around.

Or take a fishing pole and do a little fishing.  There is a lot of animal watching, as quite frequently you can spot large moose up around different area's of the lake as well.

Since this is a watershed area, no pets are allowed.  They also don't allow swimming!
However, you can take a canoe or raft out on the lake.

If you'd like to go a little further you can also follow the signs that take you to Twin Lakes Reservoir.  Or if you just want to relax, just hang out and have a picnic.

Also, for those who love a great marathon.  The Revel Big Cottonwood marathon actually starts very near this beautiful lake.  So if you stop by to run this race, head back up later to stretch your legs out and take a walk around the lake!

If you live in Utah or visited this area before, have you been up to Silver Lake?
What's one of your favorite fall hikes to take this time of year?

Devils Garden Hike

This week for Travel Tuesday I am going to take you on another adventure up in Arches National Park, Utah.  This is the Devils Garden Primitive Loop Trail.

This trail is about 7.2 miles, although depending on how many or how few of the points of interest you take it could be slightly longer or a bit shorter.
I recommend if it's your first time, doing the entire loop!

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This trail will take you to 8 beautiful arches.
The first arch you will see is Landscape Arch, which if you want to catch my post on it you can HERE.  That first portion is a very well maintained trail, very little to no difficulties.

Once you get beyond Landscape Arch, the trail does get a little more difficult.  You will be doing some slickrock climbing on the sandstone rock.  This next picture, are the rock fins you will begin your climb up, to get up onto the next portion of the trail.

If you are unfamiliar with hiking in the desert, because rock doesn't always show signs of a trail.  Just watch for the stacks of rocks, those will keep you on track and show you where to go.

If you are afraid of heights, you may find some difficulties with this hike.  As their are a few spots where you will be walking along edges with drop offs on both sides of you.  As well as climbing up and down slickrock along edges with long drop offs, further down the trail.

However, with that said I hiked this as a young child.  If you are a parent or guardian who is okay with lifting and directing kids or carrying them down some cliff spots at times.  Especially if your kids are well behaved and used to hiking.  You can definitely take the whole family on this if you'd like.
If you don't think your kids are ready for it yet, save it for them when they get older!

You will definitely want a good pair of shoes.  There are a few very narrow area's, with ledges that can get very sandy at times and good sturdy hiking shoes are best!

There is very little shade on this trail.  I did this hike this year in 100 degree heat in the middle of the summer.  It was hot, but still fine because I carried plenty of water with me.
If you don't like hiking in the heat, I would recommend this as a spring or fall hike.
However, because in the winter with snow and ice, with the ledges and cliffs this may not be the best hike to take during icy times.

There is a point on the hike where you will come to a large bowl of water (usually there is water in it.)  It's just drainage from when it rains, and the rock holds the water in.  I'd say about 10-15 feet across on way and about 8ish feet across between the sandstone surrounding cliffs.
It's not deep you can wade across it.

Or, you can walk along the edge along the sandstone.  However, if a lot of people are on it, it can get muddy and sandy and be tricky, the worst you will just fall into the pool of water:)
Last, if you can climb a little you can take a running (well that's what I did) jump and run up a bit of the cliff reaching into the cracks as you slow and climb.  It's about a 25 foot climb, and I said take a running start just because the momentum helps you.  If you have good shoes, its a pretty easy climb I was up it in no time.  But if in bad shoes, like I saw others the day I did it, well lets just say you might just slide back down and not have the traction needed to make it up!
No matter which you choose, don't let the small pool of water discourage you from getting past!

It's a beautiful trail, lots to see and enjoy!  If you are ever in the park, I highly recommend this hike it is worth it!

Have you taken the Devils Garden Primitive Trail before?  Did you enjoy it?
If not, is this something you are going to add to your list of things to do if you visit Arches in Utah?

Lot's and Lot's of Fishing and Camping

It's been a little while, I apologize for being MIA for a while.  But it was a well needed fishing camping trip that came just at the right time.
I've had an eventful past few weeks, and I hate to say it, but it's not all been good!





HOPING THE FIRES OUT WEST ARE OUT SOON
A few weeks ago I thought it was bad, when I was out on a run and I was doing more coughing than running.  The fires out west are seriously bad, I really hope they can be put out soon.  It's a bit better this weekend, but still not great!  WE NEED RAIN!!!

I live right by the mountains, and I am surrounded almost in all directions with other mountains.  But even right up next to them the smoke from California, Washington, Oregon and others are so bad that I couldn't even see them at all some days.
You can see how bad it is in these pictures, so sad!

FITBIT SUPPORT IS AWESOME
So if you read my blog, you probably know I love my Fitbit and I love having fun with competitions on it!  A few weeks ago it quit working.

I contacted them, and they helped me do a reset on it.  But then it only worked a few days, and died again and no restart would fix it.

Fitbit Customer Service is awesome!  I didn't even have to ask, they just told me even though my Fitbit is beyond the 1 year warranty, they would still send me a FREE replacement!
Then they did, it arrived in the mail Saturday!  Unfortunately, I won't be using it much right now because...

THE PART I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT - RUNNING/WALKING
A bit over a week ago I started getting some major pains in my Tendon (worse than flare up pains.) I won't go into the details on the how, what and whys because I can't even begin to tell you how depressed it has made me.
But I will tell you this.
I can't even walk, and if I even try to run my tendon nearly gives out on me, RUNNING isn't possible right now.  When I say I can't walk, I mean I literally CAN NOT walk in a normal shoe, it's sheer terrible pain.
It's been this way for a little over a week now:(

Showing NO SIGNS of getting better, in fact if anything it just keeps getting worse.  I have woken up many days with my ankle almost swollen triple in size.
I am wearing the boot again, most of the time, I am doing what I know to do.
The only way I can walk, is if I am in a 3"-4" high heel, or up on my tip toes for short distances (when the tendon isn't stretched at all.)  It's the only way I can stand the pain enough to get around a little.
I am having a VERY hard time with this.
Actually, that is putting it mildly.  I am not handling this well at all.  Which is why when last Monday rolled around, I needed it more than ever!

A few weeks ago I wrote a Travel Tuesday post on hiking Bald Mountain.
Above is Bald Mountain, this is just what it looks like from below at Mirror Lake.

CAMPING / FISHING TRIP
I needed to get away before I got myself into a massive depressive funk because after 2 years 8 months, I am almost worse off than I was when I thought I went through the worst of the original worst part of the work injury.

So I went camping with my parents.  Normally when I camp I love to hike, obviously that wasn't going to happen much if any.

Luckily, I also love to go FISHING!
So, up to Utah's high Uinta mountains I went.  Life not only feels better at 9000-11,000 feet, but everything even tastes better up there!
Oh, and it was SO PEACEFUL, seriously just quit and nature AWESOME!

Usually all of this is lake, but they are draining it for he winter snow to come.

I went lake hopping, each day I fished a different lake or two.  I would sit in my totally cute PINK camouflage chair.  With my PINK Cabela's fishing vest that seriously makes all the other fisher women jealous, and I have a feeling gives all the boyfriends and husbands Christmas present idea's for their significant other:)
Threw my line out, and in between the waiting and catching I read a few books, took in the scenery and deeply breathed in the beautiful fresh air!

My dad out fly fishing next to me.

Wednesday it rained almost all day, but honestly it didn't even bother me, it was still beautiful. That and I absolutely LOVE the THUNDER in the mountains as it cracks and ricochets up the canyons and bounces off the different surrounding peaks.  It went on that day for hours, it was so relaxing to listen to.
I literally just sat and caught up on trilogy I have been wanting to read and listened to it all.

This Golden Eagle swooped across the lake and landed above me and stayed a while.
Probably hoping I would catch a fish he could come take from me.

I had a great time.  My niece came up one afternoon and begged me to take her hiking.  I can't resist her, and ya I HIKED the entire half mile up on my TIP TOES, ha ha.

Hey, whatever works right!  I would have been worried that I was making things worse, but I don't think they can get much worse!


Thursday, my reel broke.  I was kind of shocked, it was a nice reel and expensive.  It's probably about 10 years old though or close to it.  I have another, but it was at home.  So when I took it all apart and nothing I could do would fix it.  I just borrowed one of my dad's extra poles or my brothers.
Luckily, unlike me they bring more than one to fish with:)

My dad, my brother and I did a lot of fishing!
If I told you I catch fish every time I go out, that would be a lie.  I have not had the greatest past year as far as fishing and catching is concerned.
But that ALL changed on this trip!

I had one of those days, where every single time I threw out the line I caught a fish.  Literally, I didn't even have to wait more than 30 seconds to a minute at times.
I think the longest I waited was a couple of minutes.
Seriously, I have never had a day like that.  The fish were biting, I was in the right place at the right time, fishing with the right bait and LUCKY ME!

The first Tiger Trout I caught.  I only snapped a picture of one fish, but promise there were LOTS more!

Seriously, I caught so many fish that day, I would have been bored by it.  Except I was loving every minute of it.

Also a full moon, loved it!

Especially when at one point I was alone and these guys came up and were fishing not to far down the lake from me, and catching nothing.  I was reeling them in like a pro, LOL
I'd be lying if I didn't love the fact that many eyes were on me while I was out that night, they were all jealous and I pretended to be HUMBLE but yet secretly loved every single minute of it!

In case your wondering, I am a CATCH AND RELEASE type of girl.  I don't eat fish, so I do my best to try and let them all go.  Lucky for them, they all looked pretty healthy as I un hooked the hook and set them free:)

I hope it happens again, but even if it doesn't I will always have the memories of having the fish hit my line every time I tossed it out.  SO AWESOME!

I didn't get my camera in time.  But this lady was seriously out walking her PET GOAT
Ha ha, it was the cutest and funniest thing I have seen.  The goat was totally well behaved
and didn't seem to mind being on a lease, Ha Ha.

It was a great trip and so well needed.  Aside from being in pain all the time, it actually helped me take my mind from my problems and that was needed!
Hopefully, it will help me deal with it all this week much better, I've got a lot of thinking to do on the Achilles tendon, and if I am being honest I am not looking forward to any of it!

Nothing beats campfires in the evening!

This is probably a long enough post.  But I'll talk more about it over the next few weeks.  But in case your interested in hosting a giveaway and participating in the Fall GIVEAWAY HOP with myself and HoHo Runs as well as all the other amazing bloggers who are and will be joining us.  The sign up is now open, and you can get to it by visiting HERE.



How have you all been doing this past few weeks?  I know I have been away from Wifi and blogs for a while, and it may take me forever to catch up.  So I'd love for you to tell me some of what has been going on with you!