On Top of the World (Or at least Utah Valley)

See this mountain? This is Mount Timpanogos. To me it represents home. Whenever I leave to go anywhere, as soon as I get a glimpse of this mountain, I take a big sigh and think to myself, "I am home."
And now when I look at it, I can say, "My whole family has been to the top of it."
I love the fall. It's my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of the air, the golden tinge of the sunlight, and the colors. Brad wanted to hike to the top of Timpanogos with his family. I hadn't been up to the top in over 20 years ( I'll save that story for another time). So our party of 12 set out for the Timpanoeke trailhead. Little did we know that the weekend of the 24th was free entrance into National Parks and Monuements, sooo....we had some company.
Fourteen miles...the hike was fourteen miles. Good thing the it was a beautiful day and the scenery spectacular.

It was a beautiful hike. I have never really been good at hiking uphill and when a mountain peak is 11,749 feet, there is going to be a LOT of uphill hiking. Luckily the scenery helped. We all hiked at a different pace, which meant once again, I was manning the end of the party (you know, to protect my family from predators, which cull the herd by picking off the old and infirm). We made it up to the saddle and enjoyed a moment together before we proceeded up to the summit.

Hunter, Rachel and Emma. I guess the food was good. Have you noticed how delicious food tastes on a long hike?

Emma, Derek and Trent

Caleb and Max

Caroline and Trent

That last bit to the summit is an exercise of mind over matter. I kept chanting to myself, "Don't worry about the heights, look where you are stepping, keep moving and don't give up! Oh, and why is it that the kids seem to be expending so much less effort than me?"

We made it up to the top! What a view, it was the first time that Rachel, Emma and Caleb had been to the top of any mountain and they are incredible hikers.

Don't I look happy?

After spending some time at the top, we started back down. Rachel was anxious because she had another (!) homecoming dance she was asked to. She and Emma basically ran all the way down. She was still two hours late to her date but luckily, she had her phone with her so she could tell her date what was going on throughout the day so he didn't think that she was standing him up. Brad, Derek and the boys did their best to keep up with them so there would be a car for them to take Rachel back home. Oh to be young and fit again!

Trent and Caroline was somewhere in the middle of the party and I had the company of this wonderful man.

I'm so glad that he stayed with me and kept me company, my feet hurt and I had to keep encouraging myself to take one more step. We made it to the trail head 90 minutes behind Rachel and Emma. Both of my big toenails are a deep shade of purple but it was worth it.