Joshua Tree National Park

This past weekend we took our first camping trip of the year. We met up with some friends of ours in Joshua Tree National Park. The weather was perfect. Not too hot during the day and not too cold at night. It was our first time visiting this park and we will definitely visit it again. We had a lot of fun taking short 1 mile hikes with the kids and playing on the boulders surrounding the campground and many of the trails.

Joshua Tree National Park Pictures

Hiking the Goldmine Mountains with the Kids

Yesterday I was feeling ambitious and decided to take the kids on a hike in the nearby Goldmine Mountains. I had taken Caitlyn on the hike several times in the past but this was the first with Carter. I was hoping for some wildflowers but as of yet they haven't bloomed. Caitlyn seemed to enjoy it as always and Carter was happy so long as I was moving. He was also determined to try and consume parts of the peak we just conquered but I managed to stop him.

Goldmine Mountains with the Kids Pictures

Oak Creek Canyon AB Young Trail Hike

This past weekend my friend Ryan and I decided to drive up to Sedona to do some hiking in Oak Creek Canyon. We were hoping for good weather and a bit of snow on top to make for some cool pictures. The weather was pretty good but the bit of snow we were excited about ended up being about two feet deep on top. We made it to the top of the canyon but were forced to turn around when we could no longer find the trail in the deep snow and could also not feel our feet.


On the drive back we saw a man taking pictues of what apeared to be some bushes on the side of the road. We thought he was crazy so I began to make fun of him when we realized there was a giant waterfall on the lip of the canyon formed by all the runoff from the snow melt. It was probably one of the largest I have ever seen in the area, probably falling 50-60 feet.

Oak Creek Canyon AB Young Hiking Pictures

Black Mesa Loop Trail

Three weeks ago Ryan and I took an easy hike around the Black Mesa Loop trail in the Superstition Mountains. The weather was perfect (not too hot and not too cold) and the desert was extremely green with all the rain we have had recently. The hike was pretty uneventful as we did not run into any mountain lions or crazy mountain men.

Black Mesa Loop Hike Pictures