Sunday, November 25, 2018

October to November


My dad and I went on a drive in Ephraim Canyon all the way to the top to check out the fall leaves.




There were workers in graders grading the road at the top.  There was a big rock in the middle of the road and I didn't see it.  My front tire hit it and it destroyed the tire.  I had to change the tire right at the summit of Ephraim Canyon Road.


There was a little bit of snow and it was very muddy while I was changing the tire.  My four tires on my truck were going bad anyway so I got all new four tires for my truck later.  Better tires too, all terrain kind.


My sister asked me to go pick up my Grandpa Tony's cupboard he built for her.  A friend of hers from New Mexico was doing something in North Carolina and she asked him to take the cupboard to New Mexico so I can drive down to New Mexico to pick it up.



My mom and I went down to Farmington, NM during fall break to pick up the cupboard.  I took my mountain bike for sure because I always wanted to ride the Road Apple Trail again for a long time.  I rode Road Apple quite of few times when my sister used to live there.  It's where I first learned to mountain bike while biking with my two older brothers and brother-in-law.


It's a really fun fast roller coaster ride for 25 miles.  I had a blast and I was really tired.  I use to be faster the last time I rode it back in 1998. 


We drove by my sister's old house and it looks like the people are taking really good care of it.




We stayed for a day, stayed overnight in Farmington then drove back and made a few stops on the way.  We saw Newspaper Rock.  I wanted to see Newspaper Rock for a long time.


My mom and Newspaper Rock near Canyonlands, Utah.


The next weekend, we did a family day trip to Nine Mile Canyon.  Nine Mile Canyon is near Price, UT.  Another place I wanted to see for a long time.


Its like a 23 mile canyon with petroglyphs all over.  That's why they call it "World's Largest Art Gallery".  It was awesome.




We drove through and did a few very short hikes.












Then there's the "The Great Hunt Panel".  It's most people's best petroglyth panel they have ever seen.


Then I rode my road bike back on Nine Mile Road.  My parents waited for me for about an hour.  It's a really great 23 mile ride with hardly any traffic and the canyon was so beautiful.  Just what I needed!


One Saturday, I went on a hike on Salt Creek Trail in Nephi Canyon on the south side of Nebo Loop Road.


Salt Creek Falls about 1.5 miles up.  Then I kept going up.


I saw some bear tracks.


This is where I turned around, about 3 miles up.  Great hike and I saw no one else except some cattle farmers on horses trying to get their cattle down.


Then it snowed!  On a truck drive in Ephraim Canyon one day.


Lilly Tiger


One weekend I went up to my little sister's place in Clinton to see my older sister who is visiting.  One morning I went on a hike on Antelope Island which is only a few miles from Clinton.  I hiked up Frary Peak which is the highest point on Antelope Island.


It started out cold since I started the hike early the morning.


Awesome trail with good views.  On the way up, I didn't see anyone else except one guy that passed me up by the radio tower.  He looked like a Sherpa guy and he was running up.  He had no water with him.  I was impressed. 


The top 


360 view of the Great Salt Lake!


Awesome.  Then on the hike down, I saw a ton of people hiking up.  I guess the crowds come later in the day.  I felt like the early bird that took the worm.


Getting Christmas trees with the fam damily in Ephraim Canyon during Thanksgiving break.  I didn't get that many pictures though.  This is probably the only picture I got.  Beautiful snow!


Jeri is getting old and she is dying.  She spent the weekend with us and we just let her do what she wanted.  Like laying on furniture.


This morning I went on an easy hike to Ephraim Arch.  So pretty after a snowstorm.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

August to September 2018


I fixed Grandpa Tony DeSimon's chair that was sitting outside for a long time.


He didn't make the chair but I wanted to fix it because it was his.  Something to remember him by.


And I refinished the back deck with an elastomeric coating on it.


It looks really good!




My brother likes to take me on drives up the mountains with his Ford Bronco.




This is Horseshoe Mountain.


One weekend, we did a family camping trip at Emerald Lake in Mayfield Canyon, then a hike on Mary's Nipple....or Mollie's Nipple.


My camping spot.  I slept in the bed of my truck.


Fishing








Nieces and nephews






Then a hike up Mary's Nipple the next morning.


Mary's Nipple


We took it slow for everyone.  We had a 5 year old boy and a 98 year old dog (dog years).




Almost at the top!


Me and Deagan




It was pretty tough at the top.




The top!  The elevation was around 11,000 feet above sea level.




It was great up there.


Pretty


Then my rides for the last two months:


I rode up the canyon road after a rainstorm which made the road not as dusty.  I made it up to the first guard rail (right below the Ponderosa Pine Plantation).


Dark Trail in Settlement Canyon near Tooele.  I always liked that trail.


I went on a ride with my brother since he bought a really nice bike! 


We rode on Danish Knoll.


Another farm road ride with smoke in the air from the summer of forest fires.


I did a climb up Nebo Loop Road for the first time.  I always wanted to do it.


I made it to Devil's Kitchen after 2,500 feet of elevation gain of climbing.




I put a 11-42 cog on my road bike so I can finally ride up steep roads like the Nebo Loop Road.


A mountain bike ride in Wheeler Canyon near Ogden.


Fun loop and trail!  It goes uphill until to the base of Snowbasin Ski Resort and back down towards Pineview Reservoir.


Another road ride.  I went along Diamond Fork Road near Spanish Fork Canyon.


It was a mostly easy to moderate kind of ride.  It was pretty with the trees and the road didn't have very many cars.


I went on a hike in Bluebell area in Ephraim Canyon.


Duke and I hiked up to the top of Haystack Mountain.  It was tough because there was no trail.
And it was really steep.




I went on another ride in the Bronco with my brother and his family up to Emery Lake and we did some fishing.


This was the first time I've been up at Emery Lake.  It's on the other side of Mayfield Canyon.  So pretty!


I enjoy going on rides on Bruce(the Bronco) in the mountains!


Is this heaven?  No it's Sanpete County, Utah.