(still trucking along with my blog backlog! circa June 2017) Before Lauren moved to LA, I successfully twisted her arm into going on a last-hurrah hiking expedition to Arches National Park with our friends Alyanna and Drew. Even though she considers herself squarely in the indoorsy camp, she was a good sport (and we stopped for lots of snacks and water breaks). I was so happy she came, though, because Arches National Park generally and Delicate Arch specifically are two of my favorite places in Utah. We had brilliantly perfect weather and it was a glorious day for a hike.

Delicate Arch stands resolute and red rock-stunning, the carrot-at-the-end-of-the-stick at the conclusion of a perfect hike. It has that most delicate of balances of challenging sections with level sections to break things up. The entry to the basin with Delicate Arch opens up from solid rock and it never ceases to strike me with so much awe as I round that last bend.

The photos immediately above and below were taken by Lauren on her film camera. I love them both so much—the harsh sunlight and glowing red rocks are captured so beautifully on film.

the prettiest drive through Spanish Fork—an added bonus. And the whole day spent out-of-doors in beautiful, scenic Utah—the perfect sendoff to round Lauren's Utah days to a close.

Don't make me choose a favorite hike in the Cottonwood Canyons—I can't do it. Red Pine Lake was a favorite from several summers ago with Laura and Audrey, the best adventure crew. These photos have me longing for summer sunshine, mountain air, and the smell of sunscreen (I suppose I could have two out of three of those things if I picked up skiing, but... I'll pass. I'm the Lara Jean Covey of the group, who would spend ski trip doing Korean sheet masks instead of the titular activity—doing activities that could clearly result in broken limbs are strictly on my list of personal Don'ts).

If I hadn't seen Peyto Lake with my very own eyes, I would be hard-pressed to believe it was a real place on this earth. The opacity of the turquoise water is unbelievable. The hue comes from the glacial sediment and minerals deposited in the lake and glacial valley over eons. For the un-indoctrinated, you can tell a glacial valley by its distinctive U-shape, left behind as the glacier has moved. The photo above displays this typical U-shaped valley, most obviously visible at the right side of the frame. In the two photos that follow, you can spot where the toe of Peyto Glacier (greyish in color, in these photos) abuts the lake. Having grown up on the east coast, I am still so awestruck by glaciers—to see them in real life is astounding, particularly on such a massive scale.

One of the other most remarkable features of Peyto Lake was that the evergreens grew right down to the water line. You can see a tiny sliver of coast/edge, but the dense forest immediately adjoining the lake also made for striking scenery. These photos were taken from Bow Summit, a short trail near Peyto Lake that was higher than the lake itself and as such, afforded amazing views of the lake, glacier, mountains, and valley.

The distinctive shape of Peyto Lake brought to mind the silhouette of a wolf or similarly canine-like animal (do you see the 'ears' toward the top right?).

This last photo highlights in greater detail the chalky opacity of the water—as it peters out near the shore, the contrast is even more evident. Peyto Lake was one of my favorite spots we visited in Banff, along with Moraine Lake (post to come!) and Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. Nature never ceases to amaze.

Hiking through Johnston Canyon in Banff led us to the ink pots—geothermal pools of blue and turquoise, reflecting stunning scenery on every side. The pools were ringed with boardwalked bridges and we wandered on these paths between the ink pots, admiring every single shade of brilliant blue.

These views of the surrounding mountains are also some of my favorite from the week—the Canadian Rockies are spectacular.