Hike 'Em Up!

We stayed home for Memorial Day weekend this year. Not wanting the kids to be cooped up all weekend I decided that we would make a picnic and go on a hike. Whitney packed a backpack with PB&J sandwiches, chips and snacks, and we headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to find a spot to hike.

I knew that due to higher than average snowfalls this year there might still be some snowdrifts to contend with, if we went too high. As I proceeded up the canyon I spotted a turnoff for the Mill B picnic area and decided to give it a try. After a quick bite to eat, we started up the Lake Blanche trail. I didn't know anything about it, but it was in front of us, so we started to climb.

The water level was high, and I threatened the kids to stay as far away as possible from the edge as we climbed the trail alongside the river. It was a beautiful hike, and not too strenuous for the kids, at least not at first.

At first the patches of snow we few and far between. A few steps and we'd be through them. But as we moved forward, they increased in number, and became longer. The kids were troopers, slipping and sliding up the trail. Before too long, it became too much. I knew we were close to the lake, but the trail had become impassable for them. I left them resting on a rock while I forged ahead, to see how much more diffiucult the climb would be. I returned with a verdict: Start back down.

After we got home, I looked up the trail and found this quote on the description: This is a VERY strenuous hike! The information page also listed the hike as a 6.6 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of ~2700 feet. Maybe a little too much for the kids. But I told them that we would try again in a month, after the snow had melted. Needless to say, the kids slept well last night.

Riding the Pine(wood)

Patrick's Pinewood Derby car was not the prettiest of the lot. He was the only contestant in the field who painted his car with a flat paint, instead of glossy. While building the car I learned a valuable lesson. It is very hard to let your son do all the work. I did the cutting with the coping saw, but he did the design, shaping, sanding, painting and gluing of the accessories. He also put the wheels on. I coached as well as I could, but ultimately it was his project. As such I hoped he would place well. And he did.

He needed a little help with the coping saw, but the design was all his.

Yes, that is a Fruity Pebble treat on the same plate where he is mixing his paint...

In this photo he is seen in 4th place, but he would eventually finish second.

Patrick raced four times, finishing 3rd, 2nd, 3rd and (as shown here) 1st.

Boobs and Baseball

When thinking about the title of this blog post, I realized that people might think I was talking about the L.A. Dodgers. And most guys would think that those two things, along with beer, would make the ultimate combination. But no, I am referring to an event I attended with my children last week. Saturday night I took the kids to ‘Pack the Park Pink’ night at the Salt Lake Bees game. It was a double-header against the Reno Aces, and the Bees had collaborated with the Huntsman Cancer Institute to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer awareness.
Any time you are holding an event that relates to breast cancer, you will see all kinds of t-shirts, hats and signs that make references to ‘boobs’. I wasn’t worried about my kids being exposed to all of these plays on words and double entendres, considering, well, that they’re my kids, and therefore already exposed to such things.

When I went online to buy the tickets for the game I asked for the best seats available. I ended up with 12th row, dead center behind home plate. We were up just high enough to see the pitches come in. The sky was clear, making a perfect evening for some baseball. Before long I found myself sitting alone, as the kids had discovered that there was a train out by the lawn seats that took kids back and forth between the foul poles. They left to ride the train and to frolic on the grass. When they came back they were filthy dirty, as kids who have been playing should be.

We left before seeing much of the second game, as the kids got hungry again, and I am too cheap to feed them at park prices twice in one night. Nevertheless, it was a great outing, despite the Bees’ loss. The only thing better than a Saturday evening baseball game is a Saturday evening baseball game that also supports a great cause.