Friday Hike Day: Cooper Canyon, Buckhorn

Adventure Kids! 

Our first hike of the year was coooold! Really fun though! We were looking for Cooper Canyon Falls and although we followed the trail, we could not find it. The trail itself is hard to find via GPS/Google maps. Most online resources suggest parking in the campground day use lot--except the campground is closed for the season.

We found a lot located right before the campground. You can park there and then walk a little ways up the road to the campground gate. The lot does have a vault toilet. Don't forget your Adventure Pass (parking)!

They will figure it out...if we let them.

The trail begins by walking the entrance road to the campground. Follow it all the way back, you will see the day use parking lot and signs of the trail. At the start of the trail we came upon a frozen creek. The Adventure Kids had fun testing how thick the ice was by crossing it. It was exciting. A new experience for us all.

Smooch! I found mistletoe...like that one time at Mt. Baldy.

 The trail is absolutely gorgeous...even if we were very, very cold! We crossed many frozen creeks. We threw rocks to break the ice and they merely bounced. It was fun.

A small, frozen waterfall with water dripping and flowing underneath.

 It was a fabulous way to start the new year. It has been such an amazing year of hiking since I decided at the start of 2015 to make time to hike every Friday. All the adventures we have had, the new experiences we've encountered, witnessing the growth and heart healing--in all of us. 

With two layers of fleece leggings under my jeans, making them too tight to raise my leg higher than my knee for tree pose. 

I am SO extremely grateful for the great outdoors and our time to explore it. My words can not adequately express how full my heart is.

I believe, nature really is a great healer, as God created it to be.

Happy New Year!
See you next week.
Be sure to...

start the day outside!