Albion Basin

One of our favorite short hikes in Little Cottonwood Canyon has to be Albion Basin and the Cecret Lake Trail at the top of the canyon. The wildflowers in this area are unreal, the jagged peeks breathtaking, the the chance of seeing a moose is high.

When we asked James what he'd like to do today, he thought for a moment and then said "go on a hike!" Fantastic idea kiddo. So after naps we loaded up the car and drove high into the Utah mountains. As we got closer and closer to our destination the rain started to fall.

It was fantastic.

We parked the car and let James get out of his carseat and sit in the front with us. We rolled down the windows and let him stick his arm out into the cool drops. And then, ever so slowly, the rain stopped. We stepped out of the car, watching for puddles, pulled on sweatshirts and coats, and off we went.

The valley was 100 degrees today and humid with low cloud cover. The mountains however, were perfect, in the low 60s and dazzling after the rain.

With such a dry winter the wild flowers are out early this year.

James is an amazing hiker. He sets a killer pace (neither E or I can keep up with him) and doesn't stop, for a rest, ever, unless he finds a river to throw rocks in.

In the valley Juliet was wearing a sunsuit. Up here she's in a sweater, pants and socks. It was so refreshing!

The trail crosses little rivers numerous times. James couldn't have been happier.

Up the trail we saw a crowd of people taking photos and looking off the hillside. E was thrilled to have brought his binoculars, and James couldn't wait to try them for the first time. He loved them, of course.

And there he his, a big Daddy moose! James hasn't seen a moose since he was 2 months and this was Juliet's first sighting.

We decided early on to not hike the entire way to the lake. The air was just a little too cool and the toddler was just a little too grumpy so we decided to turn around after our moose sighting. That's ok though, there were more rivers to look at. 

And miniature waterfalls to obsess over.

Fantastic hike all around. James only threw three five tantrums when it was time to leave the rivers, Juliet took a nap in the tummy pack, and the sun peaked through the clouds as we were leaving (top photo). It was perfection.

Want to see James on the same trail when he was 9 months old? How quickly things change.