Pineview Reservoir
09/10- We started our journey to Huntsville, Utah at 10 PM on Thursday night. It was quite a late start, but we wanted the whole day on Friday to do some exploring. As we drove through Ogden, we ended up taking a wrong turn or two and missed the entrance to the condominium complex we planned to stay at. After stopping and re-routing the map, we arrived at our location at midnight on Friday. My family and I dropped our bags and the food we brought in the kitchen, explored the house a little and then went to sleep for the night, expecting to wake up late tomorrow and do lots of fun activities.
09/11- Friday morning comes, and my family and I wake up around 9 AM for a breakfast of muffins and juice. We don’t bother with showering because only two hours later we were covered in dust and dirt from riding a UTV around Huntsville and the mountainous areas that surround it. My brother drove the UTV with him, his wife Celina, my friend Kirsten and me all packed into the seats. Our goal was to drive far enough to see a scenic lookout spot and take some pictures, however it was still very warm outside and most of the vegetation was dead and dry (with the exception of a couple of trees that were ready for fall as they already had red and orange leaves). While we didn’t get the scenic spot we were hoping for, we did have a great time feeling the cool breeze on our faces and relaxing in the nature surrounding us. As we made our way back to town we stopped halfway and got out to stretch our legs. As we were standing we realized how much dirt was on our faces. Each of us looked about three or four shades darker, like we had gotten bad spray tans. We laughed it off and eventually made our way back to the condo. After using wet wipes to clean off, we ate lunch and ended up playing board and card games for a few hours. While we played, we chatted about movies and video games as well. Everyone went to bed that night with full tummies and smiles on their faces.
09/12- Friday arrives and my family and I decided we wanted to spend time on the water using paddle boards. Although we spent the first half of the day relaxing and having personal time to ourselves, at around 4 PM we all piled in the car to go to Pineview Reservoir, which is only about 15 minutes from where we were staying. After the drive there, we rushed out of the car excited to see the water and sand. I then snapped the photo above after seeing some leftover seagull footprints embedded in the sand. Our original plan was to rent a couple of paddle boards, but the wind was heavy and it made the waves rocky, so we decided to wait until the next day when we could arrive earlier. Still, we enjoyed our time playing in the cold water and seeing how far out we could get while still touching the bottom of the lake. We played and talked for almost 2 hours, and by the time we got back we ate a big dinner and went to bed early with dreams of the next day.
09/13- This was our last day of our trip and we wanted to make it count. Early that morning my brother and his wife had to leave to go back home and get some work done. So it was my parents, Kirsten and I, and my youngest brother Reed who travelled back to the reservoir to paddle board for and hour or two. We made sure to get there in the afternoon when it was warm and the wind hadn’t kicked up too much yet. Kirsten and I rented one paddle board and shared it because we couldn’t handle one on our own. After pushing the paddle board out into the water, I we decided we wanted to make it to the other side of the lake, so I was up front using the oar, and Kirsten was in tow in the back. After about 20 minutes, we made it to the other side, chatting all along our way. Kirsten started to turn the board around and take us back to where my parents were waiting, when the waves really started to kick up. As we struggled to paddle back, we kept losing progress and time due to the waves pushing us. After another 30 to 40 minutes we eventually made it back to the Beach Marina as my parents waved us down to help us out of the water. Afterwards, my parents snapped this photo to commemorate my best friend and I conquering the unruly waves. We turned the paddle board back into the small rental shop and headed back to the condo to pack our things. It took us about two hours to pack everything, do some cleaning and put everything back into the car to head home. When we finally started driving away it was 5 PM and everyone was tired out from all the activities of the weekend. It took us almost no time at all to return home, as my father drove quite fast on the way back. Kirsten’s house is only three minutes away from mine, so we dropped her off first. We said goodbye, knowing we would see each other again in just a few days to hang out, and as I made it into the driveway of my home, I had a smile on my face thinking of the promise of more adventures in the future.
