Rock Monsters and the Polar Bear Swim Club

We have lived in the morning shadow of these mountains for 5 years now. I have never once come out here to explore them until last week. I will not lie, I was lured out here by the promise of stunning wildflowers. My parents are always up for a good hike, so we all took off into the Superstition Mountains for an afternoon hike. (In 2 months time, this will be utterly impossible and completely suicidal... hiking in Phoenix in the afternoon... crazy!)

I must have taken 30 shots of my four kids together at various points along the trail This was the best one. And it's not very good. Well, it's good of Taylor. And Megan, if you discount the fact that she's looking away.

Standing on a boulder looking back the way we had come...

Aren't these rock formations cool?

This is the longest real hike Brayden has ever been on. We forgot the GPS, but based on information given to us by another hiker, we went about 3 miles round trip. And Brayden walked the whole thing. At one point, we thought it was time to turn around (because of Brayden), but then he had some Oreos for a snack and decided to press on... "because Oreos have sugar and sugar gives me energy!" (direct quote from the man himself!)

We didn't make it as far on the trail as I had hoped, and there weren't really any wildflowers yet, but it was a great way to spend a gorgeous spring afternoon. I might try to go back when the wildflowers are blooming a bit more... two more weeks maybe?

Along the trail, Grandma and Taylor were betting and daring each other to jump in the pool when we got home. Grandpa, Megan and I were smart enough not to get sucked into such crazy talk, even though they tried to trick us into joining them. But they stayed true to their word and here is the proof. This picture of Grandma coming up out of the 64 degree water is going to become a family classic.

Ian wanted to jump in, but lacked the courage to do it himself, so he gave Taylor permission to throw him in. Taylor jumped in three different times and Grandma jumped in twice. Ian got pushed in once, and Brayden chicken out once he got down the first step and felt how cold the water really was.

The end.