A Hike with the Cousins

One morning last week while the California cousins were visiting, Uncle Tom offered to take us for a hike along Silver Creek. It was a sunny, windless morning, thus perfect for the hike. We started right at the edge of the creek, crossing over it.

Henry came, too, and found a nice deep pool where he repeatedly swam to get sticks out. It didn't matter to him that both the air and water temperatures were well under 50 degrees F.

We hiked along the creek for awhile, dodging the huge sagebrush and greasewood brushes, and peering over the edge to get periodic glimpses of the creek. Big snow years and flash floods in 1952, 1982, and 2005 have cut down the channel considerably, leaving sheer banks of crumbling dirt over twenty feet high in many places.

Eventually a couple nieces and I couldn't resist the urge to go hiking right along the creek bottom.

We weren't wearing footwear appropriate to get wet, so it was a bit of a struggle in places to stay dry.

I was amazed at how many springs entered the creek, as shown by abundant watercress in areas. The watercress generally grows where the water temperature is steadier and there are more nutrients, which is what the groundwater provides. The faster-moving stream water generally has less nutrients and during the winter gets much colder and in the summer warmer than the groundwater.

Here's Ruby, showing her appreciation for our adventure hike.

Uncle Tom still had Desert Boy and was up on top of the channel at this point.

And the nieces wandered up to find a cow skeleton. They took some of the vertebrae and the jaws home with them.

Eventually everyone came down to the stream. We proved our balancing skills crossing the log across the water.

Grace and Lola, who regularly go to gymnastics classes, had no problem whatsoever. Notice the jaw bone in Grace's hand!

Uncle Eugene kept a stick with him to make sure he wasn't going to plunge over.

Part of the fun of the hike was the many times we had to cross the creek. It was just wide enough that it was hard to jump over, so we had to look for places with stepping stones or add some of our own.

Grace is carrying Desert Boy down next to the stream now.

I was awed by the roots of the big cottonwood trees. Much of the dirt that had previously contained the roots had washed away, leaving the tendrils hanging.

Grace, Desert Boy, and Lola continude to find a dry path next to the stream. Desert Boy was actually wearing irrigating boots, but he had flooded them fairly early on. Nevertheless, he seemed to get the concept that he was supposed to stay to drier ground. Most of the time.

And then we came to a small waterfall. It was cool looking, and the perfect end to the hike. Almost.

Lola, Grace, Desert Boy, and Uncle Tom pose in front of the waterfall.

And then it was time for the big find, a bit of aquatic life that resisted capture, but was eventually subdued...

...a crawdad! Ruby is ready to taste it. Now this was the perfect end to the hike.