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!

Waterfalls (and why are waterfalls white?)

Before we talked about dams, we had a day on waterfalls, where we learned about several of the highest/biggest/widest waterfalls on earth, and learned the names of different types of waterfalls. We also took a field trip to hike to one of our favorite waterfalls, Battle Creek Falls.

We took a picnic (split into our several backpacks, although most of the space in mine was taken up by a picnic-eater instead of a picnic) and had a lovely time. It was hot, but so pretty, and the mist felt wonderful!

Malachi helps Daisy

Abe helps Malachi

These fuzzy caterpillars were everywhere! Daisy reacted with a slightly-hysterical nervous laugh whenever one started inching close to her. The rest of us liked them.

Nobody fell down this waterfall, so our field trip was a success! :)

Postscript:

I was telling Sam about our field trip as we went on our date that night, and he said, "Here's something interesting: do you know why waterfalls are white-colored?" I didn't, so we spent a good portion of our date having a lively discussion about it---nerdy, but just the sort of thing we like. Another indication that we were meant for each other, and that this homeschooling adventure is a good thing for our family. :) 

Sam's explanation was the best (this is exactly the type of thing his lighting class is about) but here is another video which also explains this interesting phenomenon.