A Colorful Hike

 The other day Jenny and I loaded up a bunch of kids and headed up to the Summit trailhead to do a short hike. Here's Isaac at the trailhead, ready to go.

 The main goal of the trip was to enjoy some of the fall colors. We've had a beautiful fall, with lots of warm days and cool nights.

 We had the kids pose at the beginning of the hike. They were all in fairly good humor except for Desert Girl, who was not at all happy. Especially when I made her walk.

 The "big" kids took turns being the tour guide and finding interesting things to show us.

 Hiking with kids always makes you see things in a different way. They showed us things I certainly wouldn't have seen without them.

 After awhile Desert Girl stopped scaring the wildlife with her crying and started enjoying being outside.

 The aspens provided a wonderful foreground for the mountain scenery. The kids didn't seem at all impressed with the scenery. They loved the fallen tree obstacles, though.

 Pinecones were a very fun item for Isaac and Desert Girl.

 We continued hiking, in search of more fun items.

 This tree stump provided a good photo opportunity.

 These two crack me up. They are always talking and showing each other stuff.

 I think they were cracking each other up, too!

 Desert Boy tried to make a bridge of pine cones on the way back. It didn't work too well, but it looked neat.

Jenny remarked about the eyes on the trees. How cool!

 Then Jenny pointed out the bulgy aspens. I had never seen them before, even though they're next to the trail. I'm not sure what causes the bulges. We only found the trees in one area.

Even with a few little temper tantrums, we achieved our goal of enjoying the fall colors. This is such a magical time of year. I hope we can go on a few more hikes and enjoy the bright hues.