Memorial Day Campout

Over the weekend we went camping with our friends Mike and Katie Matthews. I guess you could call this our "2nd Annual" Memorial Day Camping Trip, and like last year, we had a great time! We love Diamond Fork Canyon, especially our little secluded campground by the river, and even better than last year, we had great weather! Last year was met with huge thunderstorms just after getting our camp set up, (and let me tell you, a tent as shelter is about as assuring as just sitting outside in the storm - aside from the rain), but this year we actually enjoyed a clear, starry night, warm fire, and real s'mores. Here are some more pictures from the trip:

Our tent

The Matthew's tent

Making breakfast

More of the campground

Memorial Day afternoon we hiked up the Hot Pots (natural hot springs) a little further up the canyon. It was surprisingly hot for being a somewhat cloudy day, and I paid for it later by getting dehydrated. This picture was supposed to show an awesome canyon view with the river far below, but you can just take my word for it: it was beautiful!

Us with the Matthews

The Hot Pots! Thankfully there is an ice-cold mountain stream that runs beside, because it takes a bit before wanting to get into a sulfuric hot spring after an hour of afternoon hiking.

The view from the hike down.

We even met one of these guys on the trail! Is it red on yellow or black on yellow? So much for retaining Girl's Camp knowledge. He was a nice little fella, though. He saw us coming and took off back into the woods.

At the end of the trip, I knew I was really excited to come home to a cold glass of water, but I don't remember being that thirsty. All I know is that I was feeling really beat, and although we had hiked a few miles that day and I was a little sunburned, it seemed inconsistent with how I was feeling. It was like I was suddenly fighting the flu. Sam's quick sense and medical knowledge kicked in, and after a few glasses of water I was back to being myself. Funny that it didn't dawn on me sooner. It seems camping trips would not be camping trips without some kind of hitch, but that's the nature of spending time in nature I guess. Overall it was a great trip and I'm excited for more trips this summer!