When winter decides to take a day off and give us a sneak peak of spring, you have to take advantage of it. We packed up the car this morning and headed to Antelope Island. It was about 50 degrees all day with a slight breeze, perfect for hiking. We decided to try out the Dooly Knob trail, and were so glad we did. It was near 1000' in elevation gain in just over a mile, but the kids handled it just fine.
That wasn't nearly enough hiking for one day, so we came part way back down and headed over to the Frary Peak trail. We hiked about 1.5 miles to the top of the first peak and had lunch there. It was a little muddy on the trail from all of the melting snow, but nothing we couldn't deal with. There is a really cool little tunnel you go through where some large boulders that crashed down the mountain eons ago are leaned up against each other. The views from on top of these hills are breathtaking.
After we got back down to the car, we went looking for bison. Sometimes the park rangers will drive them into corrals to check their health so that is the first place we went looking. As it turns out, they were out roaming free, which would explain the numerous patties all over the trails. We first encountered the herd a ways off the easternmost road on the island. We zoomed in and got a couple of okay pictures, but nothing like those Yellowstone type encounters. After driving around for while more with no better luck, we gave up and headed home. Fortunately, there was this amazing bison couple that had broken off from the herd and were only a little ways off the main road. These guys were spectacular and kept looking up a our car to give us those priceless photos.
Hiking this time of year can be really fun, especially when the sun decides to come out, but it can also be a bit more difficult to prepare for. Always bring something a bit warmer than you think you may need. There were times we were in t-shirts and other times we were all in beanies, gloves, and sweatshirts or coats. Also, bring plenty of water. We each pack a 2 liter hydration pack, which are rather inexpensive, but are much better than hauling up water bottles. Finally, good footwear, like trail runners or lightweight hiking boots and some merino wool hiking socks to keep your feet warm and dry, are essential so you can enjoy the hike. We hope to see you on our next outing.
Activity rating 0-10
Kid fun: 9
Difficulty: 7
Cost: $10/vehicle
