Battle Creek Falls

So, week one, we were researching where we wanted to go. Wendy agreed to come down to Utah County, so I just googled easy family hikes since my kidlets would be along for the ride. I found this one which was 1.8 mile roundtrip hike and great for families. I thought it was a good place to start. Wendy said anything under like 4 or 5 miles would be doable. I'll just say this...I'm glad we started under two miles! We wanted to leave early so it wasn't too hot while we were hiking. We got there around 7:30am on a Saturday and the weather was great. 

The trail was pretty wide for the most part. I know "hiking etiquette" says you should walk single file, but no one else was there and I didn't mind the kids wandering and exploring. One of the downfalls of this hike was that the terrain for  a lot of it is shale, so that made it a little hard to keep your footing at some parts. Especially since I had an 11 month old strapped to the front of me and I couldn't see my feet.

 The kids complained for a majority of the time on the way up, understandably. It was early and cold (for them) and hey, they're beginners at this too!

 We decided to take selfies on every hike so you can see the perspiration on our foreheads. No, I don't actually know why we do. We just do. Maybe because Wendy always takes great selfies and me...not so much. Seriously, she puts makeup on to go hiking. (love ya Wend!)

 We saw some gorgeous views of Utah Lake across the valley.

 One of the biggest perks of the trip was it wasn't crowded. I think we had one group pass us on their way up, and one group pass us coming down. On our way down we encountered quite a few groups/families coming up, so I was super glad we went so early. If you're more of an advanced hiker, you could run it easily. (We did see a group of men doing so)

 The last part of the hike is VERY steep. Like holding onto the side of the mountain steep. We opted not to go down to the base of the falls since: A. It was more steep than going to the top. B. The girls were too afraid to go down. C. I wasn't up to chasing the little rugrat into the water when he eventually got out of his cage. We just went to the top ate a snack and went on our way. Apparently you can continue on the trail, but we reached our destination! *I think that will become our mantra, just wait til next week!

The girls were troopers and even seemed to have a good time after we were done with the steep part. They didn't struggle on the way down at all.

We took my sister's dog, Zipsie, and she loved it. The sides of the trail were wide and easy to have her explore and have fun.

Wendy recently got a fitbit, so we have been able to track steps and distance. Here are our stats for the hike roundtrip:
Pace: 33'06"
Time: 45:06
Miles: 1.35
Steps: 3287
So, if you're in the Pleasant Grove area, feel free to head on this good family hike! Just google it, the trailhead is by a Kiwanis park. Very easy to find. I also put it into my maps on my phone and it took us there. Here's a link.