Bell Canyon Reservoir

As part of our quest to get healthy ... we have been spending a lot of time outside. Last night we decided it would be fun to take our little family up the canyon. I started researching which trail we should go up ... I wanted something that could be done in a couple of hours but not so easy that we weren't getting a workout. The decision: Bell Canyon Reservoir.

There are two different trails that can take you to the reservoir. Stephanie had taken both and we went up the "better" of the two. You walk around this ridge and you can see the entire valley. It's about 0.75 miles up to the reservoir. We stopped there to have our little dinner and enjoy the view. Because of all of the unusual rain fall in the valley recently ... the water level was really high and we couldn't even get down to it. (We didn't try though ... we wanted to keep walking!)

I'll stop right now to say that Jace did wonderful! By the time we got there he should have started to fuss and get ready for bed (7 p.m.) But we weren't home ... so we couldn't go to sleep yet. He just was happy as a bug! Watching everything around him and ... sucking in the backpack. (On the way down the mountain there was a lady behind me. She was like: "IS that a DOLL? I laughed. "NOPE! It's my boy!" :) She was concerned that a full grown woman was carrying a doll up the mountain! hahaha)

After we ate dinner we continued on our way. The path was gorgeous! We climbed a long way, passed over a bridge and then kept going. We saw several rivers, but didn't think that they were the waterfall we were expecting -- SO we kept going. The terrain started to get a bit bumpier and we had to step over and climb up several rocks. At this point, dear Stephanie had to go to the bathroom. Not easy to do when you are a girl. She refused, but the longer she waited ... the grouchier she got! "THAT'S FALLING WATER!" "THERE" "THERE" "AND THERE". We laughed at her, pointing to all of the trees she could borrow for the moment. Stubborn Steph. Finally she turns around and yells: "THIS PATH ISN'T TAKING US ANYWHERE! CAN WE GO BACK ALREADY?" We decided to go back -- we had seen a small waterfall and I guess we won't know if that was the waterfall in question until we take the hike again. We turned around to go back and I swear that Steph was halfway down the mountain! We took our time going back, taking pictures and enjoying ourselves. Jace was doing great still -- started to blabber a bit and by the time we got to the bottom he was asleep. About half way down the hill here comes Steph. She couldn't make it down the mountain so had to find a cozy spot off in the brush. She is much more enjoyable when not being manipulated by her bladder.

We were able to finish our little hike in the sunset. I am so grateful to live so close to places that we can just escape. We had a great time as a family -- and I am exploring which mountain we are going to conquer next!!