Moab Day 1: The Needles of Canyonlands

Dad expertly planned this trip out,

from which park on which day

to the best hikes

to the tastiest meals.

We couldn't wait to get started with Canyonlands.

The drive there was pretty--

lots of red and orange rock

and even a few arches

And wow.

It's just so BIG

Our first quick stop was at a petroglyph called

Newspaper Rock

which is a spot filled with drawings.

Funny thing is,

scientists aren't sure what they say!

We had to stop for a picture by the sign

and Mema had to warm up the selfie stick

After a quick visit to the Ranger Station

to pick up our Junior Ranger books,

we hit the trail.

Today's mission: Chesler Park.

Dad would really like to make the entire 11 mile loop

but we'll have to see what the day brings.

Every view was awesome.

We stopped for a lot of pictures

But how can you not be in awe?

The pictures just don't do it justice

We didn't know what to expect on this hike.

We've done a lot of mountains

and several sands.

There was a ton of slick rock

(which is weird--not very slick, actually very sticky!).

It made for some fun scurrying

and great pictures

There were several crevasses

and such

boulders EVERYWHERE

and literally miles and miles to explore.

Do you see me?

I was often blazing my own trail

One of our favorite parts of this hike

was this slot canyon

Dad was the first to scale it

which inspired all of us to scale it!

And I mean ALL of us!

We found caves and overhangs

and more good places for selfies

I mean, COME ON!

We couldn't get enough of the views

It was an unexpectedly tough 3 miles to the lookout,

but it was definitely worth it

How about that?

Hello, Chesler Park

Worthy of a picture

Wow.

Unfortunately, we took longer to make it out there

than we had hoped (probably too many pictures!).

We didn't get to hike the loop--

on the bucket list for next time.

But the hike back was just as pretty.

It's funny how it looks so different

when you change directions

There were plenty of things to entertain us on the way back

and plenty of things to look at

A 6.5 mile hike

calls for an end-of-hike happy hour.

We headed to Big Spring Canyon

to have some snacks and drinks

and watch the sun go down.

Mom thought Mema looked like a real yogi in her squat

We were all just glad to be chilling for a bit

While some people caught their breath

Dad and I decided to explore and climb

just a bit more

Can you see us?

How about THAT sunset?

Big Spring Canyon--

can you see the spring going under 

the rock ledge on the far left?

Before we knew it,

EVERYONE came to join us

which called for more pictures

on top of this cool rock

and led to an amazing spot to watch the sun set.

The Needles were awesome.

Mom's mantra for the week--

if you aren't tired, you aren't playing hard enough

I think we played hard enough today!

Headed for another big adventure

Our school consolidated all our days off this semester

into one week--a Fall Break.

Do you know what Fall Break calls for?

A VACATION!

We flew into the smallest airport we've ever seen--

one runway,

one gate.

Do you know where we are?

Hello, Moab!

We couldn't believe how smooth everything went

(that has NOT been our experience lately).

Our flights were on time,

our luggage arrived,

our rental cars were there,

and even our groceries were delivered!

Well,

the groceries took a little bit.

While we waited, 

we entertained ourselves

by getting cars, trucks and semis

to honk at us 

from up on this huge hill next to our house.

It was very entertaining.

Jack named it Honking Hill.

Speaking of hills,

this is the one behind our house!

Well Moab,

so far, so good!

 

Helluva sports weekend!

This is it.

Tournament weekend.

Lots of games for everyone...

Beckett's team grew a lot this year.

It was the first season for most of the boys

(including Beckett)

and while they only won 1 season game,

the score was close in a lot.

So imagine the pride and excitement

when they won their first-round game,

sending them to the next round!

The second game started off strong,

but the Cowboys proved too much for the Panthers.

For posterity's sake,

it MUST be noted that Beckett is a heck of a football player.

He can pull flags that seem impossible.

His defense is so good

his coach made a position just for him

(he told Coach it was too hard to get to the other side

of the field to stop a run, so Coach just put him in the middle.)

No one gets past the B.  Seriously.

And some of his receptions--the look of determination

when the defense is trying to take the ball.

Whoa.

You better believe we'll be back in the spring,

better than ever.

Weston's team had the best season yet.

A handful of wins,

a HUGE improvement in their passing game.

Their first playoff game

went into overtime.

There were some tense moments

but they couldn't quite get the ball in the end zone.

Weston nearly made the winning rush

but was stopped short.

And so,

the Saints season came to an end as well.

Weston's speed and defensive pulls

were pretty awesome.

How about those Phantoms?

After a tough season last year

being the little 7th graders in the 7th/8th grade division,

it was awesome to be the big 8th graders this year!

The season ended with just 1 loss.

There were 3 games in the post-season.

They won the first in a shutout

punctuated by a few nice moves by Jackson.

The second...they lost. By a lot.

It was a bit of a shocker.

Which made the 3rd game and the top spot in the tournament

nearly impossible.

The Phantoms would need to win by 3 AND a shutout

OR win by 3 and the underdog in the other playoff game needed to win.

Well, the clouds parted

and the pieces fell into place.

A win by 3 AND a win by the underdogs...

Phantoms took 1st in their division!

That makes them the 2021 Spring AND Fall Champions!

But wait.

There's one more player to talk about.

My team, the Fire Pirates,

got to play in their first tournament ever.

This one gets a little complicated.

Our team plays 2 games at once--half of us on each field.

We both won the first game

(I scored 5 goals in that one).

My side one the second game

(with a cool 3 goals from me)

while the other side lost.

The third game?

We looked tired.

I mean, come on!  We're 6!  We've already played 2 games!

It was a win/tie split.

No goals.  My speed was missing too.

But we qualified for the championship game.

I turned it on in that one--

I scored the single goal AND used my crazy speed

to block the other team's multiple attempts.

A participation trophy is good

But a 1st place medal is best!

You're looking at 2 division champs!

and 4 athletes that play with all their heart and grit

2 days,

10 games,

and a lot of fun.

What a great end to the fall season.