This morning I finished up some work while Lily and Swathi took all the children to swim lessons. When they got back, everyone had lunch and then we all headed out for our big adventure.
Yesterday when we were all talking, people wanted to get out on an adventure and a hike was suggested. I love the Silver Lake Hike in American Fork canyon so I suggested it. My famous last words were, “I can’t remember if it is a mile and a half each way, or three miles each way.”
I guess I could have looked up the distance, but things always feel busy and chaotic, and it was what I knew, so I just went with it and everyone else was very trusting of me. I figured that if we didn’t make it to the top, we could always turn around half-way and then just fish at the bottom lake, since I brought my poles.
Once we got on the trail, everyone was having a good time. Lily kept repeating to me how gorgeous she thought the scenery was. Here are a bunch of pictures.
This picture really tells a story. This is at about half-way going up. That is when the hike really started to feel long for people and you can see it on Mary’s face. Lydia and Mary would both ask me, “how much farther do we have” and I would say, “I’m not even going to answer that question.” Both of the girls felt like the hike was long, and Lily’s feet and legs were a concern given her challenges with planters fasciitis.
But everyone seemed committed. We never really had the conversation about turning back even though I was totally willing to accommodate for that. Everyone just kept charging up the mountain. When we made it to the top, I was so incredibly proud of all the children. The total distance up was 2.4 miles and the last half of it involves scaling a mountain side up switchbacks. Ammon, Soren, Lydia and Mary all made it up with no assistance. It was a special moment for me to see the kids make it to the top, to climb the mountain, to do something hard. I also felt so happy that now my children will have this memory of hiking 2.4 miles up-hill, and it will be a mental reference point for them that they CAN do it when they are on future hikes with the family (or doing other hard things). Lily, unfortunately, was silently suffering. I was worried about her feet, and she told me they weren’t doing well when I asked her. She too made it through a very difficult climb. I just hope she is able to heal quickly.
Here are some beautiful pictures from near the top of the hike, or at the top of the hike.
We stayed for about an hour at the top, where Silver Lake was. We fished (with no success), people snacked, and children got their feet wet. Also, Clark entertained people by filling his hat with water and putting on his head to drench himself. I was stressfully tying fishing knots (and untangling knots children created) and trying to appease all the children wanting to fish, especially Lydia who get especially frustrated when their is delay or setback. But it was still fun for me to be fishing and to help others fish, even if it was also stressful and chaotic. The lake was BEAUTIFUL!
Something quite magical happened on the way down. Maybe it was the downhill (as opposed to uphill) putting everyone in a better mood, but Lydia and Mary went ahead with Clark and Swathi and I heard a report that they were moving quickly and cheerfully. I struggled a bit with Clarissa when my shoulders got sore, but overall moved well, and Lily was right behind me. I thought about how the days of me carrying children on my shoulder will come to an end soon, and that made me sad, but also happy to have so much time toting around Clarissa, even if my shoulders got extremely sore.
Clarissa had fun in a small stream on the way back. She is obsessed with water, and I would let her off my shoulders at the water to commune with her favorite element 🙂
These are some white flowers I enjoyed towards the end of the trail. It was nice to have them around to take my mind off of the ever increasing ache and fatigue in my body.
In the end, I think everyone enjoyed the hike, even though it was a little intense for people. Clark carried Meera all the way up and down in his arms and I am sure his arms must have gotten sore. Lily’s calves were broken after the hike, and over the next few days, I gave her massages both to help them and to make right what I had led her through. A few days later, Lydia was talking to Lily about a scar she got from when she cut herself with a grapefruit knife. Lily made a profound observation to the effect of. “We move through life in a blur most of the time. Pain can help stamp something in our memory, and in that way it helps us to live more fully.” I think this hike might fit that category. It was very intense for everyone, and the intensity will likely burn it deeper into our memory, but the beauty, joy, and moments with family will be captured along with the pain, and so I think it was worth it for all.