Before I get to the adventure, I just wanted to share a couple of pics of a rock squirrel that hangs out at Dead Dog on the cave trail. Cheeky, yes? These things are R.O.U.S.'s (Princess Bride...Rodents of Unusual Size) compared to the little chipmunks and other rodents we see in the monument. Again, tried just about everything with me except tugging on my green ranger pants as if to say, "Ranger, can you spare a brother a dime?" But nooooooo, I did NOT give it any food!
Do you know why Tony Grove is called Tony Grove? Tony is a word that means "stylish" or "exclusive" and was used by the elite who headed up Logan Canyon for leisurely pursuits such as hiking and fishing. I don't think we can be described as stylish, but we love to camp up there and we've hiked ALL the trails around Tony Grove. The trail to Naomi Peak is 6.6 miles round trip. It's shorter than White Pine Lake, but more difficult because of the elevation gain. We loved our time at the Lewis M. Turner campground.
En route. We were just floored by ALL of the gorgeous wildflowers. Pictures cannot do justice, so we just snapped one of the flying columbine. Together, the two of us have the decent beginnings of a wildflower field guide. We "ooh." We "ah." We are fairly proficient with geology as well...Go Team Kyburz!
Views from the tippy-top. We didn't set out with the summit in mind. K said we would just "see how we feel." As we got closer, I decided we would go for it. K questioned me and quoted Beck Weathers, "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory."
It ain't pretty, but here's the proof that we made it. K always says I scare him with the things I post...I'm beginning to scare myself. Ah well, it's the real us (cringe).
Even at 9,979 feet elevation, life flourishes! These plants only get ONE frost-free month a year to do their thing.
We stopped to hike the Limber Pine Trail (only 1.3 miles) which was so lovely this morning.
We drove through Garden City near Bear Lake for the traditional Bear Lake Raspberry Shake which we shared. Cool and cloudy...beautiful day!
2 weeks ago
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