| Sometimes things don't always go as we plan. Like a few days ago when we set out to hike up Roaring Lion, a trail we have yet to hike. We've been planning to hike there for a while now, and we finally got a day to do it. Or so we thought. We drove all the way there only to discover when we got out with our packs at the trailhead, that it was windy. Quite windy. It was a cold wind, but we had plenty of layers with us, so that wasn't a problem. But ... lots of standing dead trees after a recent fire can pose a serious problem when combined with wind. I was disappointed that we would have to put this trail off once again, but my be safe motto for mountain adventures called for a change of plans this time. |  |
 | So the girls and I discussed our options. We have another hike we've been wanting to do this fall, but because we needed to drive back out from this trailhead, back through Hamilton, and up the mountain to the other trailhead, time was dwindling too much for getting an early enough start for that one. Based on various factors, we settled on hiking Mill Creek again, as that trailhead is not so far back in the mountains, saving us some of our diminishing time for actual hiking instead of too much extra driving. The prospect of hiking Mill Creek again wasn't as exciting as our original plan to hike something new, but it was a wonderful fall day in spite of the wind, so we adjusted our mindset and decided to go have some fun! :) |
A beautiful view looking back down the canyon where we had just hiked in about 3 mi.
Mill Creek Canyon offers much in the way of hiking, climbing, and adventure.
The open views are amazing, and they continually change as you hike farther in.
 Almost to the falls, which was today's turnaround. |  |
 | The falls are not as large and dramatic as they are in late spring and early summer when the water is really rushing from the snow melt, but they are still enjoyable.  |
 | When you combine water with rock slabs and sunshine and you have the whole area to yourself, you get an ideal place for hanging out and relaxing for more than just a bit. In the fall, the girls enjoy soaking up the sun while I wander around taking too many photos. :) |
See you in the next post. In the meantime ... Explore. Dream. Discover.
