Sunday, June 18, 2017

Northern Idaho Getaway

Have you acted on a whim?  Sometimes it's best not to plan everything in life.  Recently we felt the need to visit friends, Bill and Donna Faris in Hayden, Idaho.  We spent 3 days visiting, sightseeing and celebrating (Bill recently retired after 29 yrs as a physical therapist).  Of course, celebrations meant we had to eat, and boy did we enjoy some of the best meals with our friends. We also had a fun surprise visit with Hope Harper, at the last minute, who also lives in Hayden. A special thanks to Bill and Donna for everything . . . it was so good to spend time with both of you . . . anytime you want to "celebrate" something just give us a call!       

We had a nice visit with Hope and her blue-eyed cat, Frank

In the afternoon we enjoyed a hike in the English Point Trail System with Bill . . .
hey, Bill, where's the other half of your leg???

We passed some neat fungi growing on a tree

 Kent & Bill having a little fun after all these years . . . some things never change!

Pretty Buttercups and Forget-Me-Not growing along the trail

We had an unforgettable steak dinner at Wolf Lodge Inn
We each had the 10 oz. Sirloin, it was the best ever!
and yes, we ate the whole thing!

There's so much to see and do in Coeur d'Alene

Starting up the Mineral Ridge trail

Moisture from last nights rain 

Yellow slime mold 

Lake Coeur d'Alene is 32 miles long 

Here's another scenic view of a very beautiful lake . . .
hard to believe there was no one else on the trail

Old bridge at Falls Park in Post Falls . . .
Built in 1929 at a cost of $22,948.00

View of Post Falls Dam on the Spokane River

Canadian geese

We never did get to see the driver to check out his hair . . . do you think he's bald?


Friday we hiked the Tubbs Hill trail

Reflection and reminiscing 

Dinner at Capone's with Donna & Bill

We laughed that Bill bought his own Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake . . . 
we enjoyed helping him eat it just the same! 

Priest Lake 

Here we are enjoying another beautiful day in Idaho


Who could resist a view like this from Cavanaugh Bay . . . certainly not us!

A unique feature at the Spokane airport . . . rocking chairs!

Flying into Salt Lake City

Almost home . . . that's Hurricane our hometown

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Double Falls

Hiking in Zion National Park during Memorial Day weekend, most people would probably think we were crazy; including us!  Nonetheless we (Kent, Allison & Yvonne) headed up Kolob Reservoir Road to the trailhead early Saturday morning.  Once we reached North Creek we were on our own, bushwhacking and rock-hopping our way through the Right Fork of North Creek to Double Falls.  We followed the meandering stream along an idyllic canyon filled with wildflowers, hanging gardens and beautiful cascades.  It was hard for us to imagine that just a few miles to the east of us Zion Canyon was packed with thousands of people; and here we were the three of us and no one else! Hiking into Double Falls isn't for wimps, it took us 9 hours to cover the 11 miles; but it was totally worth it! 

The trailhead is 6.9 miles north of Virgin, UT 


An aerial view of our hike to Double Falls

We started hiking at 7:30 in the morning

This steep section through the basalt was not fun

Within minutes we arrived at North Creek

After we crossed North Creek our adventure up Right Fork Canyon began

The cacti were really pretty, but we had to watch our footing along the trail

There were bees swarming the tree on the left

We spent a lot of time in the water

The wildflowers were in bloom

We made several stream crossings

Evening primrose

We enjoyed a break along the trail at this side canyon

The trail, if you can call it a trail was very refreshing with the cascading waterfalls 

Crimson Columbine

Tadpoles were abundant in the creek

It looks like the beavers were having a contest?

Monkey flower

Yvonne already has her prince, no need to kiss this frog

The creek was a little deep at times

A small waterfall cascading into the creek

Here's a unique rockfall

One of many nice pools along the creek


After 5.5 miles of bushwhacking, rock-hopping and slippery stream crossings, 
we were so happy to see this!

Double Falls . . . So pretty!

Hard to beat this view for our lunch break

Looking west from behind the falls 

You could definitely swim, the pool was deep enough

We are smiling because we made it to Double Falls, now for the hard part . . .
we must hike the 5.5 miles back to our car!