Fun Hike

After learning our lesson the day before, we reworked our strategy for today's hike. We arrived at the West Fork trailhead when the parking lot opened at 6:45am. We aren't early birds, but this was a much better way to hike.

Heading into the trail.

We brought our water shoes for all the river crossings.

In the canyon.

Tree hugging time.

Near the end of the hike, we adventured on up the river.

Beautiful.

Canyon kid.

Chilling with some snacks.

Adventuring even further.

Happy hiking is better than unhappy hiking.

This is great!

Having fun all alone in the canyon.

Crazy shot.

Maya and Dexter start making sand castles while Dad sits on a rock.

Lovely.

Dad stayed on the rock while everyone else when a little further up the river.

Dad contemplating.

We stopped up here and Maya and Dexter made another castle. 

Heading back out.

So cool!

Tunnel.

A much better day!

Making our way back to the car as the temperature is getting hotter. Thankfully, the stream is always there.

This was a great hike.

After hiking excitement we got to say hello to Laurie Dawe and her husband, Dick. She is Lulu's cousin and she suggested the West Fork hike. Today was the day that they got a new puppy.

Kids loved meeting Charlie!

Hot Hike

We made it to lovely Sedona in an extension of the same heatwave. Apparently, we had to learn the hard way about the proper way to hike in hot desert summer. 

Maya enjoying our rental house.

The next morning we started this ill-advised hike with the kids. It was a recommended hike from the Kender/Page starting at Broken Arrow and finishing at Chicken Point.  It was 11am by the time we got started and we thought it was around 100 degrees (it was actually 115 degrees).

This is one of those cases where the pictures look nice when the experience was much less pleasant.

We realized it was ridiculously hot, but instead of turning back we continued on our hike.

We are looking normal.

Look...a smile...it's forced.

This is how everyone really feels.

It's too hot.

We got to the end of the hike and a lovely lookout at Chicken Point. It was pretty, but we were too hot to really enjoy it.

Eating lunch while hiding in a shady crevasse in the cliff walls.

Cool rocks that are very hot..

Looking up at the hot crew.

We survived the first half.

Now with less water, we head back.

Our sad crew was afraid we might not make it, but eventually we found our way back to the hot car.

At home we all took cold showers and drank tons of water. Lesson learned.