Stewart Falls

May 23, 2012 -- Stewart Falls is near Sundance Ski Resort in the North Fork of Provo Canyon and starts from the Aspen Grove Campground (the campground is also home of the Mt. Timpanogos trailhead).

The four-mile round trip hike starts above the amphitheater at 'Theater-in-the-Pines" in Aspen Grove.  The trail is well marked and easy. This was a great early summer hike because everything is so green as I hiked through aspen groves, ferns, oak brush and a few mountain meadows.

There was still quite a few patches of snow melting which created a number of cascades and impromptu waterfalls beside the actual Stewart Falls.

The hike itself took about 45 minutes to get to the falls and 30 minutes to hike back.

There are some excellent directions and a better hike overview here and here.

Mystery Glyphs

May 4th, 2012 -- A riddle, shrouded in wonder with an air of curiosity... ah, the Mystery Glyphs. Sometimes the greatest adventures are literally just outside your door. With a shortened work day I took my two kids, and coaxed my dad to accompany us as we headed out for a short hike of adventure.

Nobody knows the true origin of the Ogden Mystery Glyphs but just off the Bonneville Shoreline trail, perched above the east bench of Ogden the litter of boulders below Hidden Valley, two lines of etched symbols capture the imagination.

Parking at the 22nd Street Bonneville Shoreline trailhead we headed south along the trail overlooking Ogden. (I'll omit the specific location of the glyphs knowing that anyone willing to visit the glyphs will enjoy the the hunt and appreciate that sites like these are meant to be a mysterious adventure).

Recognizing certain clues we found a faint path that lead us east off the trail up the steep hillside to outcroppings of rock and scrub oak. My little hiking buddies enjoyed playing mountain goats and eating their hiking snacks under the shade of large boulders.

And then through the scrub oak, at the end of a faint trail through the oak we discovered the panel.  Two lines of symbols, etched into the patina of a south facing boulder.

I'll be the first to admit in all my research I have been convinced that the glyphs are a hoax, and upon finding the glyphs my conjecture remains that their authenticity is dubious; but admittedly there is a curiosity about the symbols.

Some say the symbols were etched by Moroni (of course, why would Moroni etch an "M" that doesn't seem too ancient), others early Pioneers; what has me fascinated is that even if they are a hoax or a copycat of other known mystery glyphs the fact that there are 33 other glyphs across the Western United States has me interested in their origins.

We'll probably never really get conclusive evidence of their origins. It's easy to pass them off as fake, but the fact that you kind find unanswered questions and mysteries in your own backyard just seem to add to my unquenchable thirst for more twisted travel.

Sweet Home

March 2012 -- Lisa and I had an amazing trip to see dear old friends in Alabama the past couple of days and surely this was an adventure.

Saturday: We had the fortune or using some standby passes on Delta Airlines. I say fortune because even though you are at the mercy of the airline to get to your final destination, it's the hard work of all the Delta employees that allow you to fly in such a manner. We spent the day in airports trying to get to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We luckily made it via Salt Lake City to Seattle to Atlanta to Chattanooga. When we finally arrived in Chattanooga we were so late that we couldn't pick up our rental car and simply got a cab and picked up our car the next morning.

Sunday: Had an amazing day exploring Chattanooga. After picking up our rental car we made it to sacrament meeting in the LDS Chattanooga Branch located in downtown Chattanooga. The little branch of about 60 members meet in a historic mansion that was commandeered by Gen. Braggs during the Civil War as both the Union and the Confederates battled over the city and gateway to the deep south.

There was a great spirit in with the members of this small branch and members were kind to tell Lisa and I the best places and historical notes about the city.

After church we changed and got some lunch at Sticky Fingers an amazing BBQ restaurant in the heart of downtown. You can't be in the South and not experience the mouth watering taste of slow cooked BBQ. I had pulled pork, hand-rubbed ribs, deep fried corn and mashed potatoes...ah, heaven. The only regret I had was not saving enough room so that I could have a Moon Pie and a RC Cola from the Moon Pie factory across the street.

With food in our stomachs we had the energy to explore the Art District and walk across the pedestrian bridge spanning the Tennessee River.

Out next adventure was exploring Chattanooga-Chickamauga National Historic Park. The National Park just outside of Chattanooga is one of the largest Civil War sites open to the public.

After exploring Chickamauga battlefield we headed up Lookout Mountain to see Point Park with it's sweeping views of Chattanooga, more of the memorials to those who fought, and the beautiful homes high atop the mountain.

For dinner we enjoyed an eccletic restaurant, Good Dogs which served “designer” hotdogs. I must admit I absolutely loved my hotdog with nachos, salsa, and jalapenos.

Always open to an authentic experience, I had booked a night on the Historic Delta Queen which is now permanently docked. The old steamboat has been converted into a hotel with a bar and breakfast restaurant. Our “suite” was a cabin with bunk beds and small bathroom. I can't imaging cruising the mighty Mississippi for multiple, but one night was certainly memorable.

Photo courtesy of tnaqua.com

Monday: After a southern breakfast on the Delta Queen we spent the morning in at the Chattanooga Aquarium. The Aquarium is fantastic spanning two buildings (a fresh water building and a salt water building) with exhibits including penguins, butterflies, stingrays, sharks, turtles, otters, and every other water creature imaginable that you can fit in an aquarium.

After the aquarium we headed down Interstate to Albertville, AL and enjoyed our dear friends for the next two days. What a wonderful experience it was to simply sit and talk, play cards, reminisce and enjoy each others company. We hated to have to leave. After a drive back to Chattanooga flights through Atlanta and Chicago we made it home to Utah. With so many other adventures waiting around the corner it's hard to say when we'll make it back down to the South but certainly there is a big piece of our heart that will always remain in Dixie.