Matthew's Hikes - First Four Years

Matthew's Hikes - First Four Years

Page Type Page Type: Trip Report
Date Date Climbed/Hiked: Jul 26, 2008
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Summer

Year 1 Hikes

Our son Matthew was almost a year old, and after several hikes in the Wasatch and a few down south in Zion National Park, I was looking for a way for him to experience his first summit. To be honest, it’s more likely that Liz and I were getting more out of our hikes than he was, but we wanted to instill in him a love of the outdoors at an early age, and as long as we were careful and mindful of his comfort and well-being then why not start him out hiking as early as possible? We bought a Kelty child carrier in early spring, and by mid-summer we’d already taken him on a dozen hikes, most of which involved just a few miles and about a thousand feet of elevation gain. Here are some places we visited in the Wasatch:
 
Baby s first time in the mountains
 

 
Timpanogos Fall Colors
 







Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT (9/30/07)






 
Ensign Peak Trail
 

 
Happy Hiker
 







Ensign Peak - Wasatch Range, UT (4/10/08)






 
Centerville Canyon Bridge
 

 
Centerville Canyon
 







Centerville Canyon - Wasatch Range, UT (4/26/08)








 
Mill B North Fork Trail
 

 
Cottonwood Ridge from Mill B North Overlook
 






Mill B North Fork - Wasatch Range, UT (5/10/08)







 
Stewart Falls from Trail
 

 
Stewart Falls
 







Stewart Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (5/17/08)






 
Adams Canyon
 

 
Adams Canyon waterfall
 







Adams Canyon - Wasatch Range, UT (5/31/08)







 
Family Photo at Silver Flat
 

 
Matthew at Silver Flat
 






Silver Flat Reservoir - Wasatch Range, UT (6/14/08)






 
Lake Mary
 

 
Lake Mary Trail
 






Lake Mary - Wasatch Range, UT (7/5/08)









And these are the places we went to during our trip to Zion and Bryce:
 
Weeping Rock
 

 
The Organ
 







Weeping Rock - Zion National Park, UT (5/21/08)






 
Temple of Sinawava trail
 

 
Temple of Sinawava views
 







Temple of Sinawava - Zion National Park, UT (5/21/08)





 
Lower Emerald Pool
 

 
Emerald Pools Trail
 






Emerald Pools - Zion National Park, UT (5/22/08)







 
Towers of the Virgin
 

 
Unnamed peak at Towers of the Virgin
 





Towers of the Virgin - Zion National Park, UT (5/23/08)








 
Zion Canyon East Overlook
 

 
Canyon Overlook Trail
 






East Canyon Overlook - Zion National Park, UT (5/23/08)








 
Inspiration Point at Bryce
 

 
Hoodoos
 






Inspiration Point - Bryce National Park, UT (5/24/08)






And these are some places back in the Wasatch we went after our Angels Landing and Bald Mountain hikes described below:
 
Cecret Lake
 

 
Waiting patiently
 





Cecret Lake - Wasatch Range, UT (8/30/08)





 
Matthew in the Aspens
 

 
Silver Flat Reservoir off of the Alpine Loop
 





Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT (9/28/08)





 
User Profile Image
 

 
Asleep on Red Pine Trail
 






Maybird Gulch - Wasatch Range, UT (11/1/08)










Close, But No Cigar (5/22/08)

 
Angels Landing
Angels Landing in Zion National Park (one of the nation's best national parks)

 
Angels Landing cliff
Where the fun starts


 
Zion Canyon south of Angels Landing
Zion Canyon

 
View north of Zion Canyon
Angels Landing summit view

Angels Landing was one of our favorite hikes, and looking back on it now, I should have taken Matthew and Liz all the way to the summit. The exposure was over-hyped and really wasn’t all that bad as long as I stayed in the middle of the trail near the chains, but not knowing this beforehand we decided to play it safe and Liz and Matthew waited for me at the start of the chains. Liz didn’t really care whether she made the summit or not, so in picking that and other hikes I was selective in picking the ones that had the best views. We soon learned that Matthew’s favorite hikes were the ones involving streams, lakes, or waterfalls. Upon seeing them, he’d immediately smile and say “wa wa” over and over again. It was obvious that he’d taken to being in the outdoors like a fish to water, so I was looking forward to our next opportunity for him to bag his first summit.

Angels Landing Stats

DISTANCE: 5 miles roundtrip
GROTTO TRAILHEAD: 4,300 feet
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 5,785 feet
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,488 feet
DIFFICULTY: Class 2+
TIME: 4 hours

Matthew's First Summit (7/26/08)

 
Uinta Lakes
Uinta Lakes
 
Hayden Peak from Bald Mountain Pass Overlook
Moose Lake Overlook

Using Kip Yost’s hike listing, I decided that Bald Mountain would be perfect for Matthew’s first summit. We’d never been to the Uintas before, so this would also give us the chance to see another part of Utah. We made the drive up through Park City first thing in the morning, and after a slight detour due to some road construction in the small town of Kamas, we turned onto the road that would eventually take us straight there. Unknown to me at the time, the toll on Mirror Lake Highway had gone up from $3 to $6 that summer, but fortunately they let us through despite being a couple dollars short (FYI, they only take cash at the booth). The road steadily climbed, and I hoped that Matthew’s ears would be okay at the higher elevation. With Liz feeding him fruit snacks and a banana on the way, he seemed to be fine, so we decided to go for it. As we unloaded our stuff from the car, Matthew caught sight of the child carrier backpack and let out a little giggle, giving us his stamp of approval for the day’s hike.
 
Bald Mountain Eastern Wall
Bald Mountain's eastern cliffs


 
Bald Mountain Southern Slopes
Wildflowers on the trail


 
Mom & Son on Bald Mountain summit
Mom & Son
 
Dad & Son on Bald Mountain summit
Dad & Son

Starting out, we immediately felt the effects of the elevation. Despite several hikes in the last few weeks, it had been over a year since I’d been above 11,000 feet, so we took our time on the way up. There was one lingering patch of snow on the south side of the main trail leading up Bald Mountain which took a few minutes to get around (I was extra careful, since Matthew’s extra weight on my shoulders made it a bit more difficult to maintain my balance on the steeper parts), but for the most part the trail was well-marked and easy to follow. One big difference I noticed on this hike compared with others we’d done in the Wasatch was how soon we were above the tree line, and how much more remote the area felt in general. The extensive boulder fields on the way up reminded me of the 14ers I’d hiked in Colorado, and the views were great. It was amazing how many lakes there were in every direction, and Matthew also liked the various colors of wildflowers we encountered on our way up.
 
Hiking in the clouds
Hiking into the clouds



 
Bald Mountain Summit
Trail to the summit


 
Reids Peak from the Southeast
Reids Peak
 
Stormclouds over Hayden Peak
Stormclouds over Hayden Peak

About 2/3 of the way up we were able see Mirror Lake and Moose Lake beneath Bald Mountain to the east. Despite the small chance of thunderstorms in the day’s forecast, big thunderclouds were building to the east, so we decided to continue to the summit without any more breaks on the way. A large cairn marked the top, and after finding our own spot away from the crowds we sat down for lunch. Matthew downed his bag of Teddy Grahams quite quickly, and after guzzling some water he motioned to my Gatorade. We always made sure to give him as much water as he’d take, and we were especially mindful to keep him hydrated this time since we were at almost 12,000 feet. After giving him a few sips he decided he was done, so we took a few pictures just in time to notice some lightning off in the distance behind Hayden Peak, indicating it was time for us to head back down.
Matthew s First Summit
We made it!

 
Yellow Wildflowers below Bald Mountain
Bald Mountain from near Mirror Lake

 
Pink Wildflowers below Bald Mountain
Bald Mountain from near Moose Lake


Unlike the Angels landing hike, where most of the tourists thought we were crazy for bringing our baby along, this time we came across several other experienced hikers who agreed that it was good to introduce children to the outdoors at an early age. We saw a few other toddlers on the way down, and just like on most of his other hikes, Matthew fell asleep about half way down the mountain. When we got to the car, we decided to drive a bit farther east along the road to Moose Lake and Mirror Lake. There were campgrounds surrounding the entire perimeter of Mirror Lake, and I was envious of all of the people who were staying there for longer than just the day. It would definitely be a nice place to come back and use as a home base for exploring the Uintas again in the future.



 
Bald Mountain Eastern Aspect
Bald Mountain

 
Hayden Peak from Bald Mountain Trail
Hayden Peak


While Bald Mountain was Matthew’s only summit that summer, it was a great mountain to start him out on and a very enjoyable family hike. I'd agree with most people that it takes more effort (carrying Matthew in the Kelty packback for just a few miles always makes my shoulders a little sore) and patience to involve the entire family, but the reward of seeing their little eyes light up when they experience nature for the first time makes the extra effort completely worth it. We're already planning where to take Matthew next, and living in Utah we have an almost endless source of hikes to choose from.

Bald Mountain Stats

DISTANCE: 2.8 miles roundtrip
STANDARD TRAILHEAD: 10,763 feet
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 11,943 feet
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,180 feet
DIFFICULTY: Class 1
TIME: 3 hours
 
Reids Peak and Bald Mountain ...
Bald Mountain viewed from a later hike near Mount Watson to the west
 
Bald Mountain cliffs
Bald Mountain eastern cliffs seen from Fehr Lake trailhead

Year 2 Hikes

These are some other places we went the next year:
 
California Coast
 

 
Matthew at Stinson Beach
 







California Coast - San Francisco, CA (1/24/09)







 
Matthew at Yosemite
 

 
Half Dome
 







Yosemite National Park, CA (1/31/09)






 
Yosemite Falls
 

 
Admiring the Sequoias
 







Yosemite Falls - Yosemite National Park, CA (2/1/09)






 
Avenues Twin Peaks
 

 
Lunchtime
 








Avenues Twin Peaks - Wasatch Range, UT (5/16/09)






 
Donut Falls Hike
 

 
Mineral Fork
 







Donut Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (5/23/09)





 
Squaw Peak Overlook
 

 
Cascade Mountain Cliffs
 







Squaw Peak overlook - Wasatch Range, UT (5/24/09)






 
Anticipation
 

 
Mule Hollow
 







Mule Hollow - Wasatch Range, UT (5/25/09)






 
Alpine Loop trail
 

 
Alpine Loop (summer)
 







Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT (6/28/09)






 
Hiking from Hidden Peak to Mount Baldy
 

 
Matthew on Mount Baldy summit
 







Mount Baldy - Wasatch Range, UT (7/03/09)







 
Mount Watson over Watson Lake
 

 
Mount Watson lake hike
 






Mount Watson lakes - Uinta Range, UT (7/11/09)





 
Matthew on Catherine Pass trail
 

 
Snack break at Sunset Pass
 





Sunset Pass - Wasatch Range, UT (7/25/09)





 
Matthew & Johnny ...
 

 
Park Avenue family pic
 






Park Avenue - Arches National Park, UT (8/17/09)








 
Hike to Delicate Arch
 

 
Delicate Arch family pic
 







Delicate Arch - Arches National Park, UT (8/17/09)





 
Liz & Matthew at Double Arch
 

 
Double Arch
 







Double Arch - Arches National Park, UT (8/18/09)




 
Bachelor-Syracuse Mine
 

 
Matthew in the Mine
 











Bachelor-Syracuse Mine - Ouray, CO (8/19/09)


 
Box Canyon Falls
 

 
Liz & Matthew at Box Canyon Falls
 











Box Canyon Falls - Ouray, CO (8/20/09)





 
Black Canyon Visitor Center Overlook
 

 
Black Canyon from Chasm View
 






Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO (8/20/09)





 
CO-82 overlook
 

 
Indpendence Pass family pic
 






Independence Pass - Sawatch Range, CO (8/21/09)







 
Maroon Bells
 

 
Maroon Lake family pic
 






Maroon Lake - Aspen, CO (8/22/09)





 
Silver Lake hike
 

 
Little rockthrower
 










Silver Lake - Wasatch Range, UT (9/12/09)




 
Bridal Veil Falls
 

 
Testing the water
 









Bridal Veil Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (9/17/09)

Year 3 Hikes

The next year Matthew wanted to get out of the backpack and explore more on his own (which saved my shoulders), and he was usually able to walk a couple miles on his own:
 
Stairs Gulch
 

 
Stairs Gulch Waterfall
 





Stairs Gulch - Wasatch Range, UT (6/19/10)




 
Ruth Lake picnic spot
 

 
Pond east of Ruth Lake
 







Ruth Lake - Uinta Range, UT (6/26/10)




 
Fehr Lake
 

 
Break at Fehr Lake
 







Fehr Lake - Uinta Range, UT (6/26/10)





 
Rock-throwing buddies
 

 
Lowe Peak from Butterfield Canyon
 






Butterfield Canyon overlook - Oquirrh Range, UT (6/27/10)




 
Inside Minnetonka Cave
 

 
Path to Minnetonka Cave
 






Minnetonka Cave - Bear River Range, ID (7/3/10)




 
Notch Peak family photo
 

 
Ibantik Lake family photo
 






Ibantik Lake - Uinta Range, UT (7/5/10)





 
Jenny s Canyon family photo
 

 
Jenny s Canyon trail
 






Jenny's Canyon - Snow Canyon State Park, UT (7/8/10)





 
Sand Dunes surroundings
 

 
Playing in the sand
 






Sand Dunes - Snow Canyon State Park, UT (7/8/10)





 
Matthew at Seven Sisters
 

 
Beehive formations
 






Valley of Fire State Park, NV (7/9/10)





 
Sunset at Molas Lake
 

 
Molas Lake Family Photo
 







Molas Lake - San Juan Range, CO (7/15/10)





 
Liz & Matthew in lower basin
 

 
Ice Lake family photo
 








Ice Lake - San Juan Range, CO (7/16/10)





 
Liz & Matthew above Kiva
 

 
Spruce Tree House family pic
 







Spruce Tree House - Mesa Verde National Park, CO (7/25/10)






 
Bloomington Lake family pic
 

 
Grandpa piggyback
 







Bloomington Lake - Bear River Range, ID (8/7/10)






 
Liz & Matthew at Waterton Lake
 

 
Matthew near Waterton Lake border shack
 







Waterton Lake - Glacier National Park, MT (8/16/10)





 
Deer below Mt. Gould
 

 
Swiftcurrent Lake family photo
 







Swiftcurrent Lake - Glacier National Park, MT (8/16/10)






 
Matthew at St. Mary Lake
 

 
St. Mary Falls
 







St. Mary Falls - Glacier National Park, MT (8/17/10)





 
Matthew at Logan Pass gardens
 

 
Logan Pass family photo
 






Logan Pass - Glacier National Park, MT (8/17/10)






 
Me and Matthew at Fountain Paint Pot
 

 
Fountain Paint Pot geyser
 






Fountain Paint Pot - Yellowstone National Park, WY (8/18/10)






 
Grand Prismatic Spring
 

 
Liz & Matthew at Grand Prismatic Spring
 






Grand Prismatic Spring - Yellowstone National Park, WY (8/18/10)





 
Matthew at Old Faithful
 

 
Sunset at Old Faithful
 







Old Faithful - Yellowstone National Park, WY (8/18/10)






 
Snake River lookout family photo
 

 
Snake River lookout
 







Snake River lookout - Grand Teton National Park, WY (8/20/10)





 
Rock-skipping at Oxbow Bend
 

 
Oxbow Bend family photo
 







Oxbow Bend lookout - Grand Teton National Park, WY (8/20/10)






 
Liz & Matthew at Hidden Falls
 

 
Hidden Falls
 







Hidden Falls - Grand Teton National Park, WY (8/20/10)





 
Dog Lake
 

 
Brighton trail
 







Dog Lake - Wasatch Range, UT (9/25/10)

Year 4 Hikes

Matthew in a hurry
Future trail-runner in training.
Matthew now refuses to ride in the backback, and depending on his mood he'll run, or even say he wants to go further. Pretty soon, I'll be struggling to keep up with him!
 
Kessler Peak from Antelope Island
 

 
Frary Peak from Buffalo Point
 





Antelope Island, UT (4/30/11)





 
Step Mountain & Butterfield Peak
 

 
Step Mountain
 





Step Mountain - Oquirrh Range, UT (5/13/11 & 5/21/11)





 
Sentinal Spires hiding spot
 

 
Garden of the Gods group photo
 






Garden of the Gods - Front Range, CO (5/30/11)





 
Glenwood Canyon Train
 

 
Glenwood Canyon Creek
 







Glenwood Canyon - Colorado River, CO (5/31/11)





 
Matthew at Stair Gulch
 

 
Mule Hollow Hike
 








Stairs Gulch & Mule Hollow - Wasatch Range, UT (6/18/11)





 
Timpanogos Reflection
 

 
Liz & Matthew at Silver Flat
 








Silver Flat Reservoir - Wasatch Range, UT (6/22/11)




 
Butterfield Peak forest
 

 
Butterfield Peak wildflowers
 








Butterfield Peak - Oquirrh Range, UT (6/25/11)




 
Tony Grove
 

 
Tony Grove Lake eastern shore
 








Tony Grove Lake - Bear River Range, UT (7/2/11)







 
Matthew near Grotto Falls
 

 
Grotto Falls
 







Grotto Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (7/9/11)




 
Nebo Bench
 

 
Nebo Loop family pic
 






Nebo Loop overlooks - Wasatch Range, UT (7/9/11)





 
Ruth Lake family photo
 

 
Pond near Ruth Lake
 






Ruth Lake - Uinta Range, UT (8/6/11)





 
Matthew at Tenaya Lake
 

 
Tenaya Lake from the west
 






Tenaya Lake - Yosemite National Park, CA (8/12/11)








 
Half Dome from Olmstead Point
 

 
Olmstead Point group photo
 






Olmstead Point - Yosemite National Park, CA (8/12/11)





 
Grizzly Giant family photo
 

 
Fallen Monarch family photo
 






Mariposa Grove - Yosemite National Park, CA (8/13/11)








 
Glacier Point pic
 

 
Glacier Point at dusk
 






Glacier Point - Yosemite National Park, CA (8/13/11)





 
Tuolumne Meadow hike
 

 
Matthew by Tuolumne River
 






Pothole Dome Trail - Yosemite National Park, CA (8/14/11)





 
Splashing around at Mono Lake
 

 
Tufa Trail scenery
 






Tufa Trail - Mono Lake, CA (8/14/11)





 
Death Valley
 

 
Crowley Memorial
 






Death Valley, CA (8/15/11)





 
Liz & Matthew at Kolob Canyon
 

 
Buck Pasture Mountain canyon
 






Kolob Canyon - Zion National Park, UT (8/16/11)





 
Squaw Peak Road views
 

 
Utah Valley Overlook
 






Squaw Peak Road - Wasatch Range, UT (9/28/11)





 
Timpooneke Camping
 

 
Tent door view
 






Timpooneke Campgrounds - Wasatch Range, UT (9/29/11 - 9/30/11)





 
Road to Guardsman Pass
 

 
Guardsman Pass trail
 






Guardsman Pass - Wasatch Range, UT (10/1/11)





 
Matthew s rock
 

 
Mount Superior above Cardiff Pass
 






Cardiff Pass - Wasatch Range, UT (10/22/11)

Comments

Post a Comment
Viewing: 1-8 of 8
maddie77777

maddie77777 - Mar 6, 2009 3:45 pm - Voted 10/10

Nice report

That's a cute little family you have there. Good luck in your future hikes!

Rocky Alps

Rocky Alps - Mar 8, 2009 3:20 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Nice report

Thanks. It's great when you can mix hiking and family time together.

Rob Thompson

Rob Thompson - Mar 9, 2009 10:33 pm - Voted 10/10

Fun Report

Really enjoy your photography. Thanks for sharing.

Rocky Alps

Rocky Alps - Mar 10, 2009 1:07 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Fun Report

Thanks, Rob. I had no idea the Uintas were so scenic, and we only spent a few hours in the far west corner of the range. It'll be fun going back when Matthew's older.

lcarreau

lcarreau - Jul 7, 2009 9:57 pm - Voted 10/10

This is what the world

needs more of now - right here!

If people would take the time to spend quality time with family
and friends, the world would most certainly be a better place !!!

Rocky Alps

Rocky Alps - Jul 14, 2009 3:23 am - Hasn't voted

Re: This is what the world

Despite still wanting to bag the occasional difficult peak, I find that my most enjoyable hikes are the ones with my family. Thanks for the kind comments.

tmtn93

tmtn93 - Jun 29, 2010 1:59 am - Voted 10/10

nice trip report

Very nice trip report, too bad he won't remember any of this as he grows older, but you'll have a lot of stories to tell him :)

Rocky Alps

Rocky Alps - Jul 26, 2010 8:06 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: nice trip report

Now he asks us when we're going to go on our next hike, so maybe he's slowly starting to remember them.

Viewing: 1-8 of 8

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