Big Elk YMCA Camping

We spent a fun weekend camping at the Big Elk YMCA Camp. They were having a big area clean up around the Palisades area, and you could camp for free over the weekend if you helped with the cleaning. Idaho Falls Trail Runners and PUTS had groups going up to help, so we went with them. 

When we got there on Friday, we set up our camp and then headed to the Big Elk inlet to kayak around the lake for a while.

This was our first time using our blow up kayak, and we loved it!

Jenn-RJ-Tricia-Mark-Steph

Later that afternoon we did a run up Big Elk Creek. The flowers were SO amazing! Last time we ran up there we got snowed on, and this time it was green and full of wildflowers. Crazy the difference a few weeks can make.

I found the perfect flower!

Isn't this trail amazing!?!

That night we hung around camp, and I almost got a bat tangled in my hair. No joke, it flew right at my head, and skimmed my hair. It flew around us for awhile, then hooked to the side of the trailer to rest.

Here's my little bat friend!

 We got up early Saturday morning, so we could do the first 9 miles of the PUTS course. Holy cow, that's some serious elevation gain in a short amount of distance! I'm glad I know what to expect for the race now. It was a gorgeous run! We made it back right before the storm hit.

The start of the brutal climb!

Hillsides full of flowers!

Another perfect flower!

Our first glimpse of the Palisades Reservoir down below.

This whole part of the run was amazing! We all took a gazillion pictures!

Love this picture that Steph took!

Mark-Jenn-Tricia-Mat-Steph

Blowout Canyon

 We got back from our run, and it rained for quite a while. We were thinking we were gonna get poured on and freeze during our trash clean up, but the sky cleared up and the sun came out just in time. The IFTR and PUTS group was in charge of a big section of shoreline along the reservoir. We picked up a lot of trash.

Picking up trash.

Look at all the trash we collected!

 We hung out mostly in our trailers that night, cause the rain started back up. Jenn did dessert the first night, and we had a yummy cherry pineapple cobbler. We did dessert the second night, and we had pies.

We hope this ends up being an annual event. It was really fun, and a great way to get the area cleaned up.