Gobblin Valley 2021

The kids have been begging to go back to Gobblin Valley ever since the last time we went, so we planned our annual Thorsted Marshall campout to there this year. The Watkins have been adopted into the annual campouts and they are so fun for my kids to have along. This was our first go at boon docking. We never could secure a camp site so we just drove down there arriving pretty much in the dark. Our car was having trouble pulling the trailer as a coil had burnt out on the way down. But, we actually ended up finding a pretty great spot nestled against some hoodoos for the kids to play and climb on. Tyler and Jens couldn’t make it, but Annie and Ander rented a Hertz van that was empty in the back and set up with an air mattress and hammock across the top for sleeping. This thing was quite the hit amongst all the kiddos.

 The hung out in there quite a bit hanging 3 hammocks across the top. Unfortuantely, it was pretty windy for most of the camp out so we spent a lot of time hanging either in the trailer or this Hertz van to hide from the wind. We were never able to have a fire. Saturday morning we did the neatest hike up Little Wildhorse Canyon. 

 You hike through this very narrow slot canyon most of the way. 

 There were quite a few boulders you had to climb over. Poor London struggled to get over them I had to pick her up and carry her over quite a few of them. In the afternoon, we explored the Gobblin Valley. We found the cave the kids had discovered the last time we were in Gobblin Valley and spent a lot of time exploring that. That night, despite the wind I convinced Derek to make us all cobbler since it was Mother’s Day weekend afterall. Sunday morning, we got up and had a little Come Follow Me devotional. We went around the circle and talked about spiritual gifts we noticed in each other and the purpose of spiritual gifts to bless others.

 It was kind of cool to boondock (especially loved that it is free) and we used the potty (everyone used our potty) for the first time, but there was definitely so much sand in the trailer and we had to figure out dumping the septic tank after. Then, we drove home arriving just in time to quickly shower and then head over to Steve and Daine’s for a little family get together and rootbeer floats.