Sleeding in Bondurant

So this post is a little late, but forgive me, afterall it is the Season of forgivness is it not. Its been a busy month, we've not had a typical hike yet but we have had a few snow adventures. I will get around to posting them all. Kevin and I have been pretty busy, we have been spending all of our free time at a new endeavour. But we have still made weekends about family.


Anyway on with the blog, on December 3rd we headed down the Hoback canyon. First we were going to go up Fall Creek road but when we arrived at the point where the road dead ends and there wasn't a place to park it was so full of cars. So we turned around and headed through the canyon keeping our eye out for a place to sled. We eventually wound up in Bondurant, there is a place to park on the side of the road pretty close to a Ranger Guard Staion. The parking area was full of construction vehicles but we found a place to park and headed out anyway. The Guard Station is closed in the winter and the road up to it is not plowed so don't try to drive up it. After we parked we got the sled ready and all the kids, as well as our selves bundled and set out.

This hike was by far the most difficult hike we have done. Not for the distance we went in, which wasn't far, maybe a mile, but snow is not a very easy thing to hike through. Knee deep snow that's thick is even harder, then try towing three 30+ pound kids on a sled as you are trying to wade through it well, lets just say its strenuous. It took us about 20 minutes to get up to the ranger station from the parking lot where we all took a break. The kids got out of the sled and had a blast making snow angels, snowmen and a  general enjoyment of the snow. Kevin and I just sat and rested.

Behind the Guard Station is a nice steep hill. Really steep, so we set out to make it up the hill. We did pretty good, until we were half way up the hill and the kids will and energy gave out. We decided to push them a bit further up the hill, because by now we realized that this was the one and only time up that hill. Finally we reached a point that we felt would be a nice long trip down on the sled and packed the girls on it. Jack had stopped about ten feet up the hill and decided he was done and laid down in the snow to take a nap. He and I hung out there and waited for the girls and Kevin to come back down.








Once we all dug our way back to the cabin at the guard station we had lunch and a rest. As we made a trail on our way in, we thought that a bribe might be able to save us some energy on the way back. We told the kids that whoever could hike all the way back to the car could earn a lollipop. I know bribes are "condoned" but as parents we all need to save our sanity as well as our bodies some strain sometimes. Besides knee-deep to Kevin and I equals thigh deep to Emma, waist deep to Lulu, and Jack, well he disappeared a lot and eventually (after 5 mins) we plucked him out of the snow and into the sled for safe keeping.

Lucy walked most of the way but Kevin felt bad for her, I dunno why she wasn't complaining or whiny but he tempted her with a ride and of course she caved (she still got a lollipop for her efforts). Emma, with her pride intact, refused a ride and made the whole trek on her own (she got a lollipop and a tootsie roll, figured that was only fair as she did make the whole walk). Jack fell asleep in the truck so he didn't notice that he didn't get a lollipop.

All in all it was fun, despite the deep, deep snow, and the ridiculous mountain we had to climb.

And They made it down!