Heugh's Canyon Hike

You'd think after 5 years in Utah exploring hikes and such, we would have seen them all.  Not even close.

Heugh's Canyon popped up on a random Facebook page I saw.  It's not super popular like Donut Falls or Silver Lake, but it definitely should be.

It was beautiful.  Shade most of the way, tucked in a small canyon surrounded by dry and rocky mountains.  You'd never know this was here.  It was like an oasis with a stream running next to trail the whole way, ending in an impressive waterfall, only reached after climbing over a huge rock slide from who knows how many years ago.   (Shelley got scraped on her leg and I cut my hand just a teeny tiny bit going over the rocks.)   It was so green and lush, Hannah said it reminded her of hikes in Auburn (California) foothills.

The climbing over the rocks, and the constant incline the 1.5 miles (each way) most likely keeps many away.  

Some of the reviews heard (from us) were:  "Totally worth it!"  "Scrambling up and over the huge rocks was an adventure"  "One of my favorites"

Do Not Stare!!!!

This hike is interesting because it starts at the end of a neighborhood. In fact, you go up the last house's driveway to start the hike!  You can see all the lush vegetation as the paved road turns in the trail

View of the Salt Lake Valley from the start of the hike

The dry and rocky surroundings quickly change......

Into nothing but green......lush.....with the stream off the side of the trail

Hard to see the stream with so many trees and bushes in the way

The view from about half way up.  Most of the trail is so covered with trees/bushes, there is no view

These purple flowers were very common along the trail, mixed in with smaller yellow flowers

First of 2 small bridges so we didn't have to get our shoes wet

Nope...this is not the waterfall....just a hint of what's to come

This waterfall reminded us of Gloria Falls, that we hiked last year - a long "staircase" of falls

2nd bridge.  This is where the hiking got really steep....for about 10 minutes.  The entire trail was moderately steep, but this last part, was extra steep

When you get to the rock slide, you can really hear the waterfall....but you can't see it. You have to cross the rocks.  Just pick a horizontal path, and crouch down low, use your hands and scramble across

Like this.....

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At the other end of the rocks, tucked next to a huge rockface, is a small stream with rocks placed just enough that you can walk on them without getting your shoes too wet

Turn the corner and you can see the bottom of the water fall.  There is more up top - the water falls all the way down this gully.  To get to the top however, you have to go back to the rock slide area and hike UP to the top of it.....We were not that adventurous 

VIDEO of the water fall area

VIDEO of the rock slide area

Great hike and great waterfall!!!  We really liked this one

Yellow Fork Hike

We headed up to Herriman and Yellow Fork Canyon as we've not been there yet, it was close, and it was an easy and short hike.

The place was packed!  Tons of huge horse trailers and bikers.  We saw almost as many horses as we did people hiking! 

The entire area leading up to the small canyon is dry with very little vegetation.  Then you come to this small area that is full of growth and everything was just turning green. 

Very little incline (only 150 feet) and very short loop (less than 1 1/2 miles) made this a quick get out of the house hike.

We found this very old and original home to I'm sure what used to be the native Indians that used to live here thousands of years ago

Hannah and of her original poses

There you have it! Yellow Fork Loop Trail!

Geos & Short Hikes

After being cooped up in the house all week, it was a nice warm Friday afternoon and we got out for a bit.  It was so nice!  We went to find 5 close geocaches (about 3 miles from home) which required minimal hiking - not even a mile in total.  

Before we left, Hannah and Shelley drew some chalk designs to bring some color to the day

The first geocache was up top of a small hill next to new neighborhoods and the flat lands.  

The valley is so big...this little hill doesn't seem to fit

The geocache was hidden next to these rock with petroglyphs on them!  There are some other petroglyps not far from here that we found a few years ago from a different geocache.  

Not too many people know these are here

Hiking back..not sure why Shelley and Hannah are both scratching their heads the same way at the same time!

Someone made this really large cairn......good thing otherwise we might have gotten lost!

The next three geocaches were on another hill close by.

One was hanging in the middle of a big Juniper bush.....Easily found....

The next was about a 10 minute walk up the hill...There really wasn't a trail but luckily it was early in the season so the weeds had not yet started to grow...otherwise it would have not been a fun walk up through the weeds and stickers

Our destination is those two Juniper bushes

Under the bush/tree, this was a large ammo box....very easily found.....

Then it was back over the top of the hill and down the other side.  Just to the left of the houses in this pic, is where we just were - where the petroglyphs were

This one was also easily found, just under some rocks

The last geocache was hidden at a little information park for the Pony Express Trail - which goes right through Eagle Mountain.

The geocache was a small one hidden under some rocks, which for some reason, I did not get a photo of.  Oops.

We really liked reading about the Pony Express Trail and are so glad we don't have to walk or ride on a horse to get to Sacramento!