Quiet suddenly, the dusty trail gives way to lush foliage and running water. As we approached the trees, I chuckled to overhear two nieces quarreling over who got to stand nearest to Don. It made me smile. Clearly, Don loves his children and is loved in return. Will Abigail want to be near to me wherever we go? I think that would be neat.
I chuckled even more at one point because Don suggested that one of them could walk by me, and thus save the dispute. Both girls looked at me with baleful eyes. Clearly, I was no substitute for their father.
From time to time, the trail leads to small waterfalls sprinkling a refreshing spray across the trail, or great fallen logs housing busy colonies of very large ants. The children spotted wildlife, climbed up steep paths, and scooted down steeper drops. At length, we arrived at a wonderful waterfall that filled a small pool at the end of the trail. It was two hours hiking, and we all flopped gratefully on the rocky shore and gobbled up granola, sandwiches, and treats.
While sitting on the shore by the falls, I called Delores from the cellular phone. It worked! The connection was very strong. Two hours walk away from the nearest home and we had sufficient coverage to talk. This surprised me, particularly when I consider the dead zones along my daily commute.
We walked down the trail much more quickly than we climbed up. At the end, some of the children seemed tired enough to trip on level ground, yet we all departed happy and cheerful. This was a truly wonderful experience. Here are some pictures of the trail.
 | The Waterfalls of Layton Not far from Highway 89 is a quiet trail with some wonderful scenery. I went there with a handful of Delores's family last weekend. It is hard to believe that there is one of nature's jewels only a few paces from the road! |
 | Basking in the Sun Ben and Isabel, sitting on a rock and enjoying water and treats. |
 | Duaine on the Switchbacks It was fun to catch a photo of Duane...catching a photo! |
 | Hills around the Corner Around one of the corners of the trail was this scene. |
 | Hills around the Corner ... and this one. |
 | Grandpa with a Camera Delores's dad continues his avid collection of family memories. |
 | Resting by the Wayside They might be young, but our little troupe received praise from some passers-by for making it all the way to the falls. |
 | Running Water The dusty switchbacks quickly give way to green trees and running water. Soon, all that can be seen is lush and beautiful. |
 | Ants These little critters were working busily away on an enormous log that has been across the path for several years. |
 | The First Falls One of the neat things about this trail is all the eye candy. Here, the river splits around a rock formation and splashes through. |
 | Arrived at the Falls At length, we arrived at the falls. We had to stone-hop across a piece of the river to arrive on a dusty shore. There, we enjoyed the spray of the falls, lunch, and some time to sit and enjoy the scenery. It was a wonderful hike! |
 | The Don's at the Falls The Don Dorton clan celebrated the refreshing victory. |
 | Tiny People We were so small compared to the falls. |
 | Like a Pitcher The top of the falls looked like the lip of a pitcher, worn down from so many years of rushing water. |
 | Mountain Lagoon This picture, taken from a ledge on the nearby mountain wall, shows the collecting basing where the rushing water pools before continuing down the mountain. |
 | Glance Back to Smile Everyone seemed to have a good time. Jocelyn could tell you about all the small wildlife we encountered on the trail. |
 | The First Falls One of the neat things about this trail is all the eye candy. Here, the river splits around a rock formation and splashes through. |
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