2014-03-02 The Wave Hike

Hiking Photo Link
We were so lucky to win the Wave lottery last December for a group of 6 people. BLM allows only 20 people per day to hike this unique place. The weather has been wet when we arrived at Kanab. However the day of the hike it was sunny and a bit windy at times. The only trail sign is at the beginning by the Coyote Wash (if you miss this sign you will continue to Buckskin Gulch), except signs at the trailhead parking lot. We brought a couple of compasses and printed 3 more copies of the map BLM sent us so that we have more eyes to check for the right path. The map did a great job helping us navigate to the Wave. We've been hiking a lot in Utah so the 400 feet elevation gain wasn't big of a deal for us. Walking on the desert sands did not bother us either. After about 2 hours we reached the entrance of the Wave and enjoyed the most aesthetically beautiful rock formation nature has to offer.

2013-06-30 Willow Lake Hike

Hiking Photo Link
Hiking Video Link
Interactive Hiking Trail with Photo Link

The temperature in Salt Lake valley hit triple digit when we were still in the month of June! Our hiking group went hiking the Willow Heights/Willow Lake trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We've hiked this trail several times in the past from the trailhead that begins in the residential area. This time, we started the hike from a different trailhead on the main road. After reaching the lake, we decided to hike down the other trail to make it a loop hike. Wildflowers dotted the landscape along the trail.

2013-04-28 Living Room Trail Hike (#2)

Hiking Photo Link

Interactive Hiking Trail with Photo Link

The weather is too good to pass up (sunny 76 degrees). So even we had a fellowship picnic on Saturday, many of us still wanted to go hiking. We hiked the Living Room trail near the U campus. It was a shorter hike compared to the Twin Peaks hike last Sunday (2.5 miles vs 4.0 miles), but because of the similar elevation gain, this hike requires much more strength. There were wild flowers blooming in the early spring already. The round trip of this hike is about 2 hours. Everyone enjoy a great reward at the end - a view of the valley sitting on rock couch.

Wild flower on the trail

Best seat in the house (Livingroom)

Near the base of trailhead

2012-11-04 Block U Hike (#14)

Hiking Photo Link

This is our last hike of 2012. We hiked to Block U (stands for University of Utah) via Dry Creek trail. The weather is quite pleasant and the view is fantastic. There are a few steep spots, but after scrambling up the hill, you feel you are on top of the world with panoramic view of Greater Salt Lake area.

2012-10-28 Living Room Trail Hike (#13)

Hiking Photo Link

Thanks the Lord for a blessed Sunday afternoon hike to the Living Room trail by the U. The weather was very pleasant and there was still some remaining fall color, though the lower part of the trail was wet and muddy due to melting snow. Kids and grown-ups had a great time hiking this moderate trail and enjoyed the view from the "Living Room" furnished with stone chairs, couches and sofa. Kids also had fun walking Macy (the cute dog's name) on the trail. Thanks for sharing your snacks and goodies with one another.

2012-10-14 Adam's Canyon Waterfalls Hike (#12)

Hiking Photo Link

Thank the Lord for a wonderful weather so we could hike the Adam's Canyon waterfalls trail. Thanks everyone for being brothers and sisters' keepers on the somewhat treacherous and moderately strenuous trail. The 40-foot waterfalls at the end was a great reward for all hikers' effort and it was spectacular.I hope that grown-ups and kids all had a great fellowship and enjoyed the beautiful "Autumn Wonderland" along the trial. I am sure you all had sound sleep last night after the hike. Here are some visual memories of yesterday's hike from my camera.

2012-10-07 Willow Lake Hike (#11)

Hiking Photo Link

Another great fall day for hiking. This time we try to see some golden leaves, so we hiked the Willow Lake trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Though some of the leaves have fallen off, but the scene is still very pleasant. Kids and grown-ups had a great time hanging out at the lake. A kind lady, Christe, and her son (maybe 2 or 3 years old) were hiking to Willow Lake as our group was leaving. She offered to take the group photo for us. While she was taking the photo, her son posed with us. Christe told her son to get out of the picture. Then her son sadly and slowly moved away from us. Brother Te-Hsin then chased after him and brought him back to pose with our group for photo. Sister Li Ya also gave him some yummy chocolates for treats. That was quite a highlight for this hike!

2012-07-22 Payson Lake Camping

Camping Photo Link 1
Hiking Photo Link 2

This is our annual camping trip. We came back to Payson Lake campground since it is our favorite camping spot. Over 100 people went and we all had a great time.

2011-09-25 Stewart Falls Hike (#15)

Hiking Photo Link

This is the time of the year for magnificent fall foliage! We were planning on hiking the Silver Lake/Lake Solitude trail this Sunday. But a friend at church told me that she and her family drove along the Midway and Prove area and found a lot of red and orange color popping up on the mountain. So we changed the plan at last minute and went to Stewart Falls in Prove Canyon. The leaves are starting color change and the weather is so pleasant that many people didn't even drink water during the hike. There is still plenty of water at the falls. Kids were having fun near the water. Some people felt cold because the sun is setting and was block by the mountain. I found that the trail from Sundance resort has a huge patch of red and orange color. Maybe we will try to hike from Sundance resort next year. My camera's color was wacky after I tinkered with it the day before the hike. Big mistake! The photos came out fine, but I had to post-process them. This is our hike #15 of the year.

2011-09-18 Clayton Peak Hike (#14)

Hiking Photo Link

The weather is a bit cool today, around 78 in the valley. We arrived at the trail head around 4:30 and the parking lot was quite crowded. But there weren't many people hiking the Clayton Peak trail though. I wonder where they went hiking, but it appeared that there were many trails around this place. We had around 40 people in our group. The trail to the peak was short (about a mile), but it was a steady climb of steep hill. Kids hiked fast and they were the first to reach the peak while most grown-ups were still on the lower peak. The view at the peak was fantastic. Several lakes on the east side of the peak, and 3 (Silver Lake, Twin Lake, and Lake Mary) on the west side. I brought 2 boxes of sushi purchased from Costco, and they were gone in no time. It is still very popular among kids and teens. The weather is changing and we hope to see some fall colors in a week or two. Trail detail at http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1294561

2011-09-10 Lofty Lake Loop Hike (#13)

Hiking Photo Link

Mirror Lake Recreation area is in the high Uinta mountain and offers breath-taking view of mountains and lakes. Our hiking group met at church at 10 am Saturday morning to carpool to the trailhead. We had to stop by Mirror Lake picnic area so that Lu Jia can pick up a fee envelop. Luckily Robert Bao has national park pass, so he didn't need to pay. We started the hike around 11:30 am. The weather was quite nice with fluffy clouds and gentle breeze. We stopped at Kamas Lake for lunch. The Lofty Lake was smaller, but incredibly beautiful. Stone-skipping at the lakes was fun for many grown-ups. For trail info, please visit http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1286267