Trek up to Elephant Rock

Today I decided that I wanted to go on an adventure!

So I pulled the bored-out-of-his-mind Brian along with me. He knew he wanted to be there -- deep inside his sleepy self. Our destination was Elephant Rock, which in all reality is just the biggest rock the hikers could find to make a trail to in the Wasatch Front hills east of North Salt Lake. I had made this trek once before -- more than a decade previously. My little brother and I were taken up the mountain with our grandparents. I remember two things from that adventure. (1) We were fascinated with the creek and being able to swim in it. (2) I was frightened I'd be blown off when we reached the top.

Putting that fear aside, I decided we needed to tackle the mountain.

We started at about 9:30 AM at the head of the Mueller Park Trail. It would take us approximately three hours to make the 7 mile round trip trek. With the crazy amount of bikers we had to yield to, the Garden snake that freaked Brian, the dog that freaked me, the rocks which jump out at your unaware self, and the ridiculous amount of complaining coming from in front or behind me (depending on where Brian stood), it's simply amazingly outstanding that we survived as we did!

For the first little while on the trail we had to attack switchback after switchback. And we found many trees that had fallen on the wayside. Sad day for them.

The trees hadn't made it - but we would! So we continued...

Eventually we found the source (one of many according to Brian) of the gurgling water sounds we kept hearing. Brian decided that he would drink some of the cool creek water. He filled that bottle up with no concern for the warnings of Giardia coming from my beautiful, smart self. Too bad for him on his long road trip across the Continental USA, if he drank up those harmful microscopic organisms.

For all the helpful warnings thrown his way, he wasn't even at all grateful. He preceded to throw water on the Warner. Let's just say, I was grateful that it was cool and that it was hot outside because that water needed to dry up as fast as possible.

At this point in the trek, we left the switchbacks behind us and went forward. The rest of the trail was spotted with wooden bridges to protect us from the Oh-So-Powerful Water on the hill.

We had little leaves and we had big leaves.

Then we made it to the top of the trail where we made our way down this perilous little trail to the Rock so we could conquer it. It might not look that bad, but sliding was practically the only way to make it down in one-dirty-piece.

Going back up it didn't look like too much fun either.

But we made it to the rock. The trees hadn't made it but we did! And guess what, my childhood fears were no where to be seen.

Even though it was a long drop down.

The closer I got to the edge though, the closer those fears came into my consciousness.

But I conquered the mountain.

Well, I guess WE conquered the mountain.

And we were exhilarated - can you tell?

Let's just say the idea of the trek down was budding in our minds and it looked long.

But it had to start.

So,

We climbed down the rock,

We shimmied through the crevice where my size came into Brian-voiced question: whether or not I was going to be able to squeeze through,

We scrambled up the dirt slide,

We said Hi to all those at the top of the trail

and then we headed down.

Where,

bicycles almost ran us over,

the snake almost jumped out at us again,

more dogs came our way,

the flies never left us alone,

we ran out of water,

the weirdness of our friendship was discussed,

Brian kept telling himself that I was not fat as penance,

I kept breaking out into song,

and Albanian,

I bloodied up my knee to keep my ankle from twisting,

weeds were thrown,

and I realized my friend was one of the biggest complainers in the universe.

(Good Luck on that Road Trip of yours)

***

All in all, it was an adventure.