A Walk in the Woods – or beating those stay-cation blues!

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Linked to Restless Jo’s Monday Walk

Good morning all. It’s a crazy time where all the rules have changed, but the one constant is this beautiful world we live in. I hope everyone’s managing to get out and enjoy it. As for myself . . .
Today I walked through fields of wildflowers. I sat by a lake surrounded by lofty pines and mountains that still held a trace of snow. I wish I could start every day like that.

Everyone’s staying closer to home these days and frankly, we’d rather not. But one of the unexpected benefits of not being able to travel, is having time to see the sights in your own backyard.

Hiking in today’s world?

I’m lucky enough to have friends who live within walking distance of several mountain trail heads and our excursion today took us to Cecret Lake. Lest you think I’ve missed a typo, rest assured that’s how its spelled. The lake was discovered by gold miners who named it Secret Lake but spelled it phonetically – Cecret.

Named by miners with questionable spelling skills.

It’s easy to see where the name came from. Cecret lake is invisible until you’re right on top of it. You scale a craggy ridge and surprise – there it is in all it’s tranquil glory.

Cecret lake is located in Albion basin, near Alta ski resort. A steep but not too difficult hike takes you from the trail head to the top of the ridge, but while the destination is amazing, getting there is more than half the fun. Here’s a few images of our walk on the way to this hidden gem.

The trail was lined with wild lupines, white star flowers, and many others I couldn’t identify but enjoyed just the same.

The variety of landscapes makes for a fascinating hike. In a short time we walked through meadows, rock strewn hillsides, and soaring trees all set against a backdrop of brilliant blue sky

While I’m still not happy about current travel restrictions, I’m coming around. Utah’s mountains are as spectacular as Switzerland’s. We have sparkling lakes and rivers, and people come from all over the world (well, they used to) to visit the national parks. I for one, have decided to get out and love the world I’m in. Hey, the view from the back porch is actually pretty amazing.

Dang! Don’t you hate those surprise selfies?

The Llibrary Lady would love to know what you’re doing for fun during these crazy Covid days. Outdoors? Indoors? Let’s share some ideas on how to bust those stay-cation blues.

Here’s another great post by my friend Margie at Happily Ever After Retirement, about the joys of getting out in nature.

Here’s another fun walking blog walk/https://restlessjo.me/2020/07/20/jos-monday-walk-the-end-of-the-world/

60 thoughts on “A Walk in the Woods – or beating those stay-cation blues!”

  3. Heat the oil in a small cast iron skillet or a small teflon pan. (I used a small six inch cast iron with 2 inch sides). When the oil is hot and just begins to smoke, add the drained and completely dry chanterelles to the pan, cooking in the oil until they are lightly caramelized and golden, about 2-3 minutes.

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  4. Wonderful post Geanie. I love the beauty abounding in our world that is suddenly getting attention and being enjoyed. I live in an amazing area with trails, creeks, rivers, forested areas and a lot of wildlife. I have been posting pictures on my Friday Positivity posts. I also love spending time in my backyard with family and friends. Stay well! 😷😷

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  5. hi library lady
    the photos are wonderful and love that mask shot and the selfie – ha
    also – you are so right about the view from the back porch – and
    Utah’s mountains are spectacular
    and I know some folks that prefer to ski Utah even more than CO

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    • I know, I used to ski Utah and certainly thought it beat Colorado, though there might be a little bias there. I don’t ski a lot these days, it got too expensive. Hiking’s a lot more affordable. Thanks for reading.

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      • Hi – yes – we left CO 20 years ago and my hubs was also talking about how the prices got too high compared to when he went as child
        and in college – early 90s- I was able to ski by going at night – but I never really learned to ski until 2013 – hubs tight me
        and then you are right – hiking can be affordable (although some lightweight green can add up – ) guess it depends on the type of hikes

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  9. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : From Bay to Beautiful Bay | restlessjo

  11. Loved your photos and the beauty that you shared. In late June I drove from Colorado to visit a friend in Panguitch, Utah and then to see Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reefs. There were not many cars and I only saw 2 international families. The staycation is becoming more and more the thing to do as a way to keep sane. Road trips, drive in movies. back yard BBQs and all the ‘old fashioned’ things we did growing up before travel was the norm. Ahhh, the good old days (2019) seem like yesterday! Ha. Enjoyed your post. Thank a bunch for linking to my blog as well.

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    • Hi Margie, I’m so glad you got to see the parks. They’re

      amazing. I think it’s interesting that you talked about the good old days before travel was the norm – that’s a good point, I don’t think people used to travel as much as we do now ( or did).
      Maybe it’s not a bad thing to slow down a bit and stay closer to home. I certainly enjoy a good drive in.

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  14. Your photos are so beautiful and refreshing! Where I am now on the Carolina Coast, the highs have been in the mid 90s and so humid the air feels heavy. Relief comes from going to the beach or heading for the NC mountains which are 20 degrees cooler.

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    • Hi Jo, I hope everything in your world gets back to normal soon. I miss your Monday walks. Yes, we’re very blessed to live on this planet. I’ve been perusing a number of hiking blogs lately and the variety of landscapes is awe inspiring. Good to hear from you.

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  17. Your backyard is paradise! So beautiful…..I grew up in the Northern Rockies, so all of your images reminded me just how much I love the area, and spent almost every free moment wandering, and fishing! Occasionally for a few weeks at a time. A wander in the wildflowers is the best medicine for everything. In these current Covid days, we have gone from lockdown to…..well, another lockdown of sorts! Our temperatures now average 110-114 degrees daily. Early walks at sunrise averages around 90 degrees at the coolest. After 7:00 am we AC-hop. It will be “indoor life” until around Halloween. Sort of like getting snowed-in, in reverse! LOVED your images and reflecting on many wonderful years of northern beauty. Thank you!

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    • Thanks Liza. I like the image of getting snowed in in reverse. You must be in Arizona or some such place. We get really hot here in the summer too, but it’s nice and cool in the mountains. Needless to say the mountains are a pretty popular place right now – both cool and beautiful.

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      • Yes indeed, I bet you have a lot of people out and about in the area…..who could resist? And yes, I live smack in the center of Phoenix. It’s quite a unique and beautiful little section, 4 square blocks built within the original citrus orchards, surrounded by skyscrapers! And…it’s HOT. But from November through May, it’s wonderful. “Comme Ci, Comme Ça”…..

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  18. Oh, my, I’m envious of the views in your backyard hiking areas. My heart would be singing if I could stroll there every day. One of my close friends has a daughter and son-in-law that live in Utah – when they go (did go) visit, they went to some parks and loved what they discovered. I hope travel resumes again soon so you can go on a ship, or a plane, or in a car to new areas you’re looking forward to discovering. In the meantime, you’ve found a beautiful stay-cation place to visit. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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    • Good to hear from you Shelley. I kind of exaggerated when I said this was the view from my back porch, but our hiking buddies live within a stones throw of these beautiful views. Sometimes we just go to their place for dinner Friday and spend the night, then get up early Saturday and go hiking.
      I’m glad your friend’s kids got to see some of the parks here. We have some beauts.

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    • Hi Kate, as for nature being a staple, I have to admit it really wasn’t for me. I was kind of one who’d rather stay inside and read a good book than go outdoors. But now that I’ve gotten a taste of what’s out there I’m hooked. We plan to hike every weekend for the rest of the summer. Gotta make up for lost time.

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    • Hiello, I’ve been lucky to live in two really gorgeous areas. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, namely Oregon, and now here. Utah took some getting used to after the green green grass of home, but it obviously has it’s own brand of beauty. Thanks for stopping by.

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  22. Thank you so much for all those beautiful pics! =) You live at quite a lovely part of the world. XD My family and I are discovering the beautiful parts of our “back porch” too. Just yesterday we borrowed pedal boats and took a closer look at the floodplain forest in our “backyard”. *lol*

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  24. Oh those photos from your adventure are wonderful. I try to focus on anything positive coming out of the pandemic and encouraging people to get outside and enjoy nature is one of them. Instead of going to a shopping center when looking for something to do, we go on a hike!
    There is something so peaceful and happy and exciting about wildflowers!

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