Better Late Than Never

Good things come to those who wait. Better late than never. A journey of 1,000 miles (or 10.4) begins with one step. All of these quotes come to mind as I try to begin this happy post. I'm a year late making the journey to Jardine Juniper (#31 on last year's list), but we did it yesterday, all 10.4 miles of it, and I was elated. I practically skipped down the last quarter-mile of trail to the tree, and once we reached the trailhead after we were done, I ran to the car, arms outstretched zombie-like, chanting "Gatorade. Gatorade." Thank goodness we'd left a cooler of the fruity, ice cold electrolytes in the car.

The trail was beautiful as ever and didn't seem nearly as long as I remembered. Maybe it was the excitement of seeing the tree after a four or five year hiatus, or it was the thought of crossing the most difficult item off my birthday list, or it was the simple fact that I was out on the trail with my husband, my best friend, and the most patient hiking companion I could ask for. Whatever the reason, it was one of the best days all summer, and a great way to begin August. After encountering only four hikers, five mountain bikers, and a handful of squirrels, chipmunks, and one little lizard, we reached the mighty 3,200-year old tree perched on the side of a cliff above Logan Canyon in Northern Utah. Peanut butter sandwiches, apples, grapes, and raw almonds were devoured as we basked in the sunshine on the deck. I was overjoyed, and I'm happy to report that with the photo below, #31 is officially crossed off.