Timpanogos Caves

Several months ago I decided that it was time for Spencer and Josh to hike to Timpanogos Caves.  I had fond memories of doing this a couple times when I was a kid and I wanted them to have the same experiences.  I was pretty sure that they were physically ready - but wasn't sure how they would actually behave during the hike.  I had taken them on several "hikes" around Lafayette during the summer and you would have thought they were death marches, what with all the complaining I received.  Sheesh.

Here we are at the start of the hike.  (Dad is taking the picture.)  Cole and Tess weren't invited because no one wanted to haul them up the mountain.  Plus, could you imagine Cole climbing up a mountain that is prone to rock slides?  We all would have died.  Or Cole in a cave where you aren't supposed to touch anything?  We would have been banned for life.

Anywho.

From left to right: Dane, Susie, Lance, Josh, me, Kevin, and Spencer.  Ready to hike 1.5 miles and gain 1,092 feet in elevation!

Spencer and Josh started off really strong.  They were actually really good about hiking up.  And it was the perfect day for a hike - overcast with scattered light showers.  And since it was Utah, it wasn't humid at all.

Aren't the BYU shirts awesome?  (The answer is Yes.  Yes, they are.)

I was impressed with how well the boys did.   They were excited and hardly ever complained.  We had to stop quite a bit, but that wasn't surprising considering we were literally SIX THOUSAND feet higher in elevation than what we're used to in Lafayette!

Grandpa is an expert hiker, with the perfect clothes, a camelback canteen, and pockets full of Everlasting Gobstoppers and Pork Jerky.  Josh tried sneaking a snack once we got to the top.

We started the cave tour, and the boys were entranced.  Especially Spencer - he had all sorts of questions and comments for the park ranger.  In fact, there were points where we had to tell Spence to stop talking.  (If you know Spencer at all you're probably not too surprised by this.)

My 6'5" baby brother had some difficulties getting through parts of the cave.  I helped him out with a rousing rendition of "Tall guy in a little cave", ala "Tommy Boy".  I'm pretty sure he appreciated this.

 
Shmance and I in the cave.

What is it about caves that makes people want to take pictures?  I mean, they are super cool looking, but even as you take the picture you just know that it won't look as great as the real thing.  It's just too dark.  No matter, I took approximately 397 cave pictures, which I will now show.

Kidding.
 

The "heart" of Timp.  They used to have a red light behind this formation that really made it look like a heart.  And then the ranger would also tell about the legend of Timpanogos.  But not our ranger.  He was kinda lame.

Look up at that cave bacon!  (Spencer's new favorite joke: Q: Where does cave bacon come from?  A: From cave pigs!)

No, Kevin, No!  Don't touch the cave!

Okay, so a thousand years ago when Lance and I were engaged, we hiked up Timp with some friends of ours.  These friends took a picture of us somewhere during the hike that turned out to be a pretty great picture.  This was unusual because Lance and I are notorious for taking bad pictures together.  I wanted to recreate that shot during the hike, but couldn't remember the exact spot.  So we took lots of pictures.  

Well, I know the original didn't have kids in it...

Looking down into the valley.

Awesome smile, Maren.  (I blame Josh.)

Was the original picture here?

Or here?

Well, it hardly matters because I can't find the original one.  I know it's in this house somewhere, but could only devote about 5 minutes in looking for it.

It was a fun day, and I'm really glad we got to do it.  We'll have to hike it again in five or six years when Tessa and Cole are old enough to join us.  (Maybe I'll have found that photograph by then...)