Tree Obsession

Once again we made a trip up to American Fork Canyon. This time it was just a day trip to visit an old, old, tree. Last year we hiked this trial while camping. Ruby's back pack was left at home so we had to carry her the entire way. It was really, really difficult last year. This year we were prepared!

Here is a pretty butterfly that Ruby caught. It was huge!

So, details of the hike. You have to rock crawl to the trail head. The actual hike is 1.5 miles and gains 1,343 feet in elevation. There is a stretch of about 3/4 of a mile that is all rocks and boulders. It's really rough terrain, but my Ruby was able to hike the whole way up and back. She didn't get carried once. What a tough chick. Zane did good as well. He did get carried a few times, but -Hey, he's 4!
This is what the trail looks like...

We got to the top of the trail and there is a beautiful, calm, and glass-like lake. It is in a big bowl surrounded by tall mountain peaks. We had lunch and then was on our way to find this old, old, tree.
And here it is! Big deal right? That's what I thought, to be honest. And then Sweet Lew climbed over to the tree.
Here is Lew next to the tree! Lew is a tall guy! He's 6'2"! Check out the size of the tree! The tree is a Limber Pine. The tree is over 2,000 years old. Really. It was here when Jesus was born! This tree is the second largest in the state and is one of eight national champions in trees that Utah has. It's circumference is 275" at 4'6" and is 62' tall and a spread of 47'. We heard about the tree, and it has taken us a year to find it. It is growing out of the rock. Amazing!
Lew and I had to take turns climbing over to the tree. Lewis could have stayed there all day. He was awe struck. He has even gone to visit this tree with a friend since our trip. The climb to the tree is very steep and there are a lot of loose rocks and boulders that the kids could not climb on. This is a shot from the base of the tree looking up.

When it was my turn to look at the tree I set up the self-timer so I could have a close up shot of how enormous this tree is. Well, it's not flat surface. By the time I set up the camera, and safely made my way over to the tree, the timer went off. I had to turn around so it was not just a butt shot. But it is looking more like some crazy dance move, than a serene picture by the ancient being.

In the picture below we were taking a break on the hike down. If you look at the top of the mountain, that is where the old tree was at. We were about half way to the bottom of the trail.

When we finally made it to the bottom, our feet were so tired! The kids and I jumped in the river and played for a bit. I loved playing in streams when I was a kid. That is one of my favorite memories of being little. We stayed until our feet and legs were frozen. Lew took the picture from the truck. He didn't think he could make it out and then back in the truck. It was an exhausting day...