Cousins Breeze In From the Windy City, Adventure Ensues...

In the beginning, it was the perfect weather for a hike

The foliage was uncommonly green and full (lots of precipitation in our lovely Deseret this year)

Uncle Ed felt particularly daring, or just really wanted a short cut.  It looked simple enough, the log "path"

 

But then the log began to bow and shake, like it might buckle.  And the ground underneath was further down than it had appeared from the trail...

He was in a pickle - what could we do, but take some video?  the background conversation is Grandpa offering some serious money to the little kids, if they would dare cross this log.

 

We settled on doing some dares on safer logs.  (The kids are trying to cross without falling into the "lava")

We finally reached the lookout point and the view was gorgeous as we watched the rain come down in the valley

We spent some leisurely moments up there

  

And just when we began to head back down, it began to rain.  And get dark.  It was quite the trek back but the kids were troopers!  I have almost no pictures of my niece Claire (the smallest and youngest in the group, 6 years) - but that's because she was at the head of the trail most of the time!  5.5 miles was no big deal for these little ones.

It already is a great memory.

We love when family comes to town.