Bell's Canyon Hike

Josh, Annabelle and I recently hiked Bell's Canyon, and it was beautiful! It wasn't even 20 minutes before it became a favorite. The trail was so beautiful, had lots of shade, and offered quite a challenge physically! Along the way, we came across a place where Josh and his friends camped out when they were in high school. Awww sweet memories :)

It took us about 1 hr 45 min to get to the waterfall, and the hardest part was at the end, commonly referred to as the "Gates of Hell." It just keeps going and going, getting steeper and steeper, and right when you think you're there...another climb awaits you. But alas! We finally made it, and it was more than worth it! We were both pleasantly surprised with how big and beautiful the actual waterfall was! We didn't hang out for an extended period of time because Annabelle was "Done!" But it was still an awesome Saturday morning adventure for our family, and of course an awesome workout! We came home and rested for a few hours before Josh and I decided to have a date night and hit the cinema. We saw The Proposal and LOVED it! I can say with certainty that Ryan Reynolds is giving Mathew Mcconaughey a run for his money for my #1 Leading Man!

Stopping for a few minutes at this pretty lake along the way

A VERY pretty part of the trail; I loved how narrow and shaded it was

Stopping to pose on a cute little bridge

Peekaboo!

I love how they are making the EXACT same face without even realizing it! So cute!

Another beautiful part of the trail--narrow, shaded and winding

The fruit of our labors

Whoa! Steep! Taller than expected and so white!

The flatter part between the 2 drops

Climbing down through "The Gates of Hell."

It started to sprinkle a little on our way back, but we didn't mind

Hiking is the BEST! I love it! There are so many beautiful spots tucked away in our mountains that we will never see unless we hike to them! The mountains are gorgeous, and they have so much to offer. It also goes much deeper than that though. Hiking was a big part of me and Josh's dating years, and we got to know SO much about each other on the trails. It was 3-4 hours of alone time without phone reception and without ipods, just getting-to-know you conversation and a shared workout through beautiful scenery. It is also a FREE activity for the whole family! Annabelle has loved it so far, and is quite coordinated when navigating downhill and between rocks. We try to let her walk for a small portion of each hike, and she loves it. I love being able to think and ponder on different aspects of my life while I hike as well. Hiking is like life: Uphills, downhills, periodic slips and falls, beautiful moments all along the way, and a gorgeous destination that makes all the hard work and effort more than worth it!