Tag: Bridal Veil Falls

My Best Laid Plans

In an attempt to enjoy the outdoors and exercise I thought I would take my kids on a bike ride. Our last bike adventure was a great success – Big E and little g got along even in the confines of a tight bike trailer. We enjoyed a relatively flat trail with a waterfall, trees and a river to look at. The bike ride went to a park where we had a picnic. Overall last time was a perfect experience that I was looking to repeat.

However…
Biking with kids takes much more preparation than other activities. I first had to switch the car seats from our car into the truck. Then I packed a picnic, got all of us dressed in warmer clothes and loaded everyone in. Finally I went to load the bike and trailer. It was only then that I saw my flat tire. After searching out the pump and wrestling with the attachment I got my bike pumped up. By now it was 40 minutes later than I had wanted to be, my kids were sick of the car, we hadn’t even left the driveway yet and I was frustrated. We finally got on the road headed toward Bridal Veil Falls.

In the parking lot I unloaded our bike and trailer and realized how cold it is in the shadow of the mountain. Provo canyon, while beautiful, is a canyon after all and the temperature was around 50 degrees. No problem, I thought, I had planned a picnic blanket after all, that could keep the kids warm. Hooking up the bike and trailer of course took some time. Little g did not want to sit in her carseat anymore and Big E wanted a snack. While trying to keep kids happy I noticed that I had neglected to check the air in the trailer tires, both of which were of course flat. So while Big E and little g ate and cried I tried pumping up the trailer tires and one just wouldn’t work.

It’ll be fine, I thought and loaded the kids. Pushing the bike up the steep beginning section (with 50 extra pounds of children and trailer) was enough to convince me that it would not be fine. The tire was flat, little g was cold and crying, I was also cold and also close to crying. The time had come to recognize my defeat. We returned to the car, now dangerously close to lunchtime and the crankiness that precedes it. I suggested a quick walk on the trail instead of a bike ride but Big E just said, “I want to stay in the car.”. Little g said, “WAAAAaaaaa!”

That was it. My great waste of a morning. I tried my best, and isn’t that really what motherhood’s all about?

PS- The photo of my kids happy in their carseats was taken after sitting in the warm car eating our picnic lunch for 20 minutes. Not my idea of a great outdoors moment.

An Advegetable!

Destination: Bridal Veil Falls
Location: Provo Canyon
Time: 9:50 am
Temperature: 29 degrees

Today I took the tots on an adventure, or as Big E likes to say “An advegetable!” We went to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon for a mini hike on their paved but snow covered trail. I arrived to find construction cones blocking part of the entrance and the parking lot blocked off and covered in snow as well. I should have taken this as an omen that perhaps today was not the best day for an advegetable but I was excited to try it anyway.

With little g strapped in my moby and Big E bundled beside me we set off down the trail. Big E set the pace and it took us 20 minutes to walk there playing fast/slow and pointing out the river and pine trees. I was so proud of him walking like a champ with no complaining the whole way there. Not to worry, the complaining came later.

Big E’s first task once we got to the falls was to throw rocks into the water, trying to break the ice. He started climbing up the side of the falls on his own with no parental guidance or assistance. Luckily he didn’t get too high before I figured out he was just looking for more rocks to throw in.

After what seemed like 30 seconds little g started crying and Big E asked for a snack. Thus began our demise. We walked maybe 10 feet further down the path to a covered picnic table and sat down for a snack with little g screaming the whole time. My legs and fingers were starting to get cold even though I was wearing gloves, so I can only imagine how Big E and little g were doing. We sat down for some Joe’s Os and Animal Crackers, Big E took off his mittens and I tried nursing little g. Note for the future: pack snacks that are edible without removing mittens and feed the baby before embarkation. Big E started crying that his hands were cold, little g was just fussy and I was out of patience. We scrapped snack time.

The walk back to the car was cold, loud and stressful. Luckily little g fell asleep on the walk back and Big E finally consented to putting his hands in his pockets since he refused to put his mittens back on.

Was the excursion worth the pain? Yes…ish. Back at home Mountain Dad asked Big E about the adventure and he excitedly said “We saw a waterfaller!” Obviously the cold hands had been forgotten and he enjoyed himself. Little g slept soundly all afternoon too.