The Great Hike up Timpanogos.

Early on, Craig and the faster hikers separated from me, Jim, Penny, Ethan and Oliver.  He took the twins and Peter with him.  Half way up there was a choice to go down to Emerald Lake and to come up the mountain from the other side.  It added at least an hour to their hike...but it did take them through some beautiful rivers and through some of the snow.  They didn't seem to mind but I don't think I could have done it.

We finally met up with Craig's group at the saddle.  After lunch, Craig took some of the smaller kids back down while the rest of us went up to the top.

This part of the hike was as nightmarish as it looks.  At one point we started walking along this tiniest path that just kept getting smaller and steeper until we realized it was a goat trail and not the actually trail.  It was pretty darn scary.  We turned back and found the right trail, which wasn't that much bigger or safer, to be honest.

This picture was part of the path that went straight down behind us.  The switchbacks were tight and so steep that you had to climb up boulders in some places.  It was intense going both up and down this part.

Finally!  We made it to the TOP!

Timpanogos!

Usually, at this point, you should be able to slid down the glacier down to Emerald Lake.  Unfortunately for us, there had been a landslide in the middle of the glacier, which made that path impossible to take.  Instead, we had to go back the way we came.  Ugh!  

But at least we can say that we made it to the top!

The next few days I was so sore that I could hardly walk up or down the stairs.  Every movement was slow and painful.  As I watched Laina bounce down the stairs, I asked, incredulously, "How are you moving so fast??? Aren't you sore?"  And she thought for a second and said, "Oh, yeah.  I guess I'm a little sore."  I am sooo out of shape!