Stewart Falls

One activity Chad and I were looking forward to was hiking to Stewart Falls. Chad and I hiked there when we were newly married and we loved it! We knew the boys would also love it.

Stewart Falls is nestled in the mountains behind the Sundance Resort. It was a beautiful day for hiking. The weather was perfect. The scenery was breathtaking. As soon as I got on the trail I took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. It sent my senses soaring! I loved it. It was like coming home. I decided that if I ever take one of those survey's that asks you what your favorite smell is, I will definitely write mountain air! It wasn't just the air though, it was the whole picture. It was the mountains, the trees, the quiet reverence. I have always loved being in the mountains. I love how quiet it is. There is no city noise, just the soft whisper of the wind blowing across the leaves. This is where heaven meets the earth. There is a reason why mountains were often Temples.

As we walked down the path I found myself wanting to take a picture of everything I saw. I know that isn't unusual for me, but it was fun trying to capture what my eyes were beholding.

It was also fun to watch the boys hike along the trail. Trevor, Kaden, and Zach were at the front of the pack racing ahead. Tanner and Devon were in the middle hanging out with Nana, Papa, Mason and Uncle Aaron. Austin was on Chad's back taking it all in. I, of course, was in the back lagging behind because I kept stopping to take pictures. The boys had a fun time hiking the trail. The hike was estimated at 2 miles to the falls. I didn't hear any complaining from the boys. We were all anxious to get to the falls. As we got closer we could hear the water and that helped move us along a bit quicker.

Water break!

Devon was Papa's little buddy

What a beautiful sight the falls were!

We stopped at the lookout point to take a quick picture and then headed down the final part of the trail to the base of the waterfall.

We crossed the water and found a spot to stop and eat lunch. The boys quickly had a bite to eat and then they were off checking out the waterfall. The water was bitter cold, but that didn't stop the older boys. Devon and Austin were content to stay at the water's edge.

One of the cool things about Stewart Falls is that you can go behind the waterfall. Before we left we told the boys about how we had gone behind the waterfall when we first went to the falls. Not to be outdone Trevor, Tanner and Kaden all ran behind the waterfall.

Trevor was first, he has no fear! He was so quick to go through that I didn't have time to take a picture of him, so I told him to go back through. What a trooper - he went back through even though it took his breathe away!

Tanner was next to go through. He loved it!

Then Kaden ran through and came out laughing!

After the boys were all wet we ventured out into the middle of the water for a family picture. Thanks Dad for wading out with us to take the shot! After that I got to take my parents picture. Aren't they cute! They don't like this picture, but I think it is great so I am posting it. Sorry Mom and Dad.

We all had a lot of fun at the waterfall, but sadly we had to pack up and go back home. We all took one last look at Stewart Falls and then we headed back up the trail. Funny how the trail didn't seem quite as long on the way back as it did earlier in the day! We all enjoyed taking in the scenery once again. I loved the Aspen trees sitting amongst the ferns.

We mentioned to the boys that they might want to pick a rock to take home for their rock collections. Chad told them (jokingly) to fill up their pockets. Kaden took Chad at his word and filled his pockets. He said they were heavy, but he was determined to make it back to the car with all of the rocks. Later we found that Kaden had a bruise where the rocks kept hitting his leg. Kaden didn't complain though, he was just excited to have so many rocks!

Austin was so good all day. He never complained about being in the backpack carrier. I think he had the best seat in the house! When we stopped to take a drink near the end of the trail, we noticed that Austin had fallen asleep. How cute is that!!

When we made it to the car we were all covered in dirt, but it was worth every minute. It was a great way to spend the day. All of the kids were happy and so were we. These are the things memories are made of!

As we drove home I was again taking pictures. Every where I looked was worthy of a picture. We were on a windy mountain road though, and sadly many of my pictures didn't turn out, but one of the last pictures did. Some of you may think it didn't quite turn out, but I love the motion in the picture. To me it shows the beauty of our drive home after a wonderful day at the falls.