It’s the Fourth of July weekend and definitely one of our favorite weekends of the year!! For us, the Fourth of July always involves: fireworks, barbecues, and getting outside. Today we decided that we would try and beat the heat with an early morning hike up the back side of Timpanogos Mountain.

Morning hikes are the best because you get to feel the cool, crisp mountain air before the trails get to hot to enjoy the scenery. This time of year everything is still so lush and green and the trails are lined with so many different types of wild flowers, and my favorite… the monarch butterflies! The trail wasn’t too steep, just a gradual incline, and one thing we all liked was hearing the rushing water from the big falls because of the snow runoff. Plus there were lots of smaller waterfalls and creeks around every bend that made it interesting when we had to cross them. We made it up into the lower basin but couldn’t go any higher because of the snow, but it was was cool to have the contrast of the summer sun while standing on mounds of the snow. We took a break before heading back down to have lunch and had fun playing around and sliding down the snowy slopes. It was such a fun day being outside and now we are getting ready for our barbecue! Hope everyone has a great Fourth of July!!

20 thoughts on “Runoff

  1. It looks like spring has only now started over there! What a beautiful day and environment. I’m glad to read you had a lovely first day of the weekend. Enjoy the rest of it!!

    1. Down in the valleys it’s full blown summer with 100 degree heat! So when we went up in the mountains and saw the snow and cooler temps it was a breath of fresh air and a good mix up for us! It was a fantastic weekend for sure! Hope you guys are having a great holiday wherever you’re at right now! 😁

      1. In Oakland, CA, but leaving again next week to go on a three-day epic train journey to Arkansas. 🙂

  2. I drove past Mt. Shasta many years ago in the middle of the monarch butterfly migration. It was painful to have them hit the windshield, but the sight was amazing. Looks like the snowpack is pretty thin there. Is that typical for early July?

    1. At this elevation we were at, its pretty typical. It’s been so hot that we thought more would have melted away so we could have hiked further, so we were a little surprised to see this much where we were at!! It’s kinda crazy you can be in the valleys in 100 degree heat then go up in the mountains and see all the snow! And the butterflies really are the best! They were everywhere so we loved seeing them all over the hillside!

    1. Thanks so much Susie! We definitely thought more of the snow would have melted by now!! Lol.. we will have to try again in a month to see if we can make it further next time!

  3. I have to keep coming back and looking these photos are stunning. Adventure is good for the heart and soul. Beauty.

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