Kokanee Salmon Field Trip

 

We had the most fun field trip to see the kokanee salmon spawning! As part of our unit we learned about ocean salmon and river salmon, and I had heard you could see some in Utah (they are not native to Utah, but were introduced here in the 1920s) but we'd had never had a reason to do so before! Now we did!

Some information about our kokanee salmon, and other salmon:

https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/transformation-kokanee-salmon-explainer/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc838iyQVig salmon migration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlC6HKIcALY video of a salmon run from above

https://youtu.be/TSSPDwAQLXs?si=J4ktArnv_fgwID_A bears eating salmon

The salmon run is truly amazing, and I think the transformation that takes place in their bodies before they spawn is even more amazing! I can't believe the beautiful bright red color they become! And it's so interesting how they become completely packed with eggs inside at spawning time (like this, or there are videos of cutting the fish open and the eggs just pour out). Weird, but cool.

One of the places you can go to see the salmon run (it's in the fall, mid-September to early October) is up by Strawberry Reservoir. It was such a beautiful drive up that direction! On the most beautiful day!

I was afraid that when we got there, we wouldn't actually be able to see any salmon! But…

…there they were, just as promised!

And they really are that vibrant red color!

We enjoyed the little boardwalk path near the stream.

So pretty in the sparkling sunlight

Afterwards we drove into the hills a little ways and found the most beautiful orange aspen grove in which to have our picnic lunch!

Water Hikes

We had the most beautiful Fall ever! It came later than usual because we had…hmm, now I'm forgetting. Maybe because we had a lot of hot weather and it didn't cool down at all until October? I think that's what it was. Anyway, the fall colors in the canyon are often good in September and basically gone by October. But this year the leaves were amazing in the mountains all through October! It was wonderful. I wanted to hike to several water…features as part of our unit, some we'd seen before and some we hadn't. We took the younger kids on some of the hikes and left them home with Sam for one of them. It seemed each hike was more beautiful than the last!

I put more pictures of these glorious hikes on the other blog:

https://light-in-leaves.blogspot.com/2022/11/hot-springs-hike.html

https://light-in-leaves.blogspot.com/2022/10/grotto-falls.html

https://light-in-leaves.blogspot.com/2022/11/gloria-falls-hike.html

but I will post a few of them here as well. Two hikes were to streams/waterfalls and one was to a hot springs.

We've never hiked Gloria Falls before, and we were surprised at how big and impressive the Falls were! I heard they are even bigger in the Spring and would like to see them then too.

By the time we did this hike, it was getting cooler in the mountains, and there was even some ice on the rocks by the Falls!

This was a hike with just the "school kids." These four cuties.

Good hikers, every one of them!

A glorious day!

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The hot springs in Diamond Fork Canyon are nostalgic for me because we went there lots of times when the big boys were young, and I have such vivid memories of playing there with them. I felt like I was seeing the ghosts of our earlier family superimposed over what I was experiencing in the present day!

Gus always reminds me of squishy little Malachi.

Zig was serious and focused and just a tiny bit nervous about getting in. He mostly played that he was a lifeguard. (He's so much like little Sebby!)

And Teddy was just off his own, exploring, daringly climbing around, doing big-kid things, so much like little Abe!

I even have an old picture of a tiny Daisy in this same pool!

Goldie was just a wee mite last time we came. Now she's a beautiful young lady!

And Junie has passed all her sisters up in height!

We found a really great picnic area after our hike, and ate our lunch in maybe the prettiest grove of yellow trees anywhere!

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The hike to Grotto Falls was a treat because Malachi came with us! And then he insisted on carrying the hiking backpack with Clementine in it! What a good boy he is. Everyone is always happy to have Malachi around.

It's a really easy hike to Grotto Falls, barely off the trailhead. And it's fun because there's a little shady cave (grotto?) to play in where the waterfall lands. We brought water shoes so we could wade around a little—though it was tricky getting everyone in and out of their shoes with wet and muddy feet! Next time maybe we should just hike in the water shoes!

Gus is excited

Goldie has duck feet

Poor Gus was sad about something, but forcing a smile here anyway

There is no place I'd rather be in the Fall than hiking through our beautiful mountains. I'm so glad we live close to so many beautiful places, and that the kids and I get to learn and explore together!