We failed in the lottery again today! But once again we had a good backup plan. So this morning we took our bikes over to the shuttle stop, put our bikes on the shuttle and road out to the furthest stop. From there we biked (well coasted) back down the canyon to the trailhead for the Emerald Pools. Along the way we stopped to appreciate yesterday’s destination from the canyon floor. Yep, we were way up there!

The Emerald pools hike makes a nice triangle, from the trailhead to the upper pool to the lodge and then back to the trailhead about 3.5 miles in all. So we locked up our bikes and headed up the trail. The hike to the upper pool was beautiful, and the pictures just don’t do justice to the views of the canyon. I even took some photos with my iPhone in spatial mode hoping that one day I’ll buy a headset or glasses and can appreciate the 3d view of this place.

The hike back down took us directly to the lodge, where we decided to grab some lunch. We kind of wanted to eat at the restaurant, but when it was our turn they said there was a wait (even though half the tables were empty). So we decided to just do a grab and go instead. After enjoying a burger and fries, we completed the triangle. We then biked the remaining 8 miles back to our campsite just enjoying the beauty all along the way.

Back at camp we have the afternoon to relax, and think, I like these vacations where I have some time to think about projects like Runestone without the ability to do. It’s good to step back and gain perspective from time to time without the temptation of putting my hands on the keyboard.

Last night we had a nice dinner at Thai Sapa in Springdale. It was just a short walk from our campsite. Tonight is campfire night, probably just brats for dinner, and I’ll break out the guitar to do some playing. My fingers are starting to get calloused again so I want to keep up the habit!