Do you say crick or creek?

I just got back from a mini vacation to "The Canyon" as we call it. It is actually Little Cottonwood Canyon but if you say "The Canyon" to any of us we will know what you are talking about.

In the Wasatch Resort near the mouth of the canyon the pioneers cut granite to make the Salt Lake Temple. They built miners cabins to live in and my great-great grandfather George Ashton had a couple and his son my great-grandfather ,George Ashton, bought a couple also. My grandmothers family would live there all summer long to escape the heat of the city. We, following in our forefathers footsteps continue to spend time and suspend time in this wonderful place during the summer. 2x great George's cabin is "Bide a While Haven" and 1x great George's cabin is "My Blue Heaven".

Great-great Grandpa George!

You must know that these are not what my family calls "Uncle Grant Cabins" but they are quaint and wonderful and they have been updated with electricity and plumbing so we love it there. There are many things that we love about the cabin. 1. The Creek or Crick depending on how you pronounce it! It isn't very far from the cabins which causes young mothers some stress when the water is high, but at night, when the kids are tucked safely in bed, you lay with the windows open and you hear the rushing water and nothing is more relaxing and soothing. During the day, for rock-throwing, wading, picnics and even the occasional water-fight when the water is low, nothing could be more delightful and refreshing as the straight-from-the-glacier water that flows in the creek.
2. The Hikes. Since as far back as I can remember I can recall going on the same hikes that I now take with my little ones. Cool Water, The Water-Tower, Table Rock and Our Property are some of the old hikes. One new hike we discovered is the new trail that has been created called the Temple Quarry trail which has signs explaining all about the quarry and the history of the area. Those pioneers were quite ingenious and it is amazing to still see some of their handywork in the rocks surrounding the cabins. 3. The rocks. Oh my goodness, I love these old rocks. For 4 generations now we have climbed these rocks. They are gigantic and some scare me to death but they are heaven to climb and discover. Every generation has found them and named them. Ship Rock, Piano Rock, Elephant Rock, Slide Rock, Table Rock, Step Rock and the list goes on. My kids call them something else but after a brief description I will say "Oh you mean, Step Rock!" Then Grandma pipes up "That is called Grandpa Rock!" 4. The Swing. For 70+ years this swing has rested on the patio of "Bide a While Haven" Cabin. My mother played on it as a child as did I. I can remember the thrill and terror of flipping it over backwards as I watched my kids do this week! What amazes me is that I never taught them that! It just seems to be instincive! Smart kids (or not considering the landing for all falls is concrete of the hardest kind)

5. The Kitchen. All things cooked in this old kitchen (complete with unused old-fashioned stove) are delicious but the best thing in this kitchen is the water that comes from the tap. FREEZING cold and the best way to experience this water is in the antique metal cups that also become FREEZING cold! It totally takes me back to my childhood and arguing with my sister over which cool cup I got and which was hers!

6. The women. This used to be a man's domain. The miners, the grandfathers and the uncles (Uncle Mitch was, as a far as we were concerned, the King of the Canyon whom we all followed without question) but slowly it has been taken over by the women. My Great-grandmother sitting at her kitchen table reading. My grandmother sitting and telling family stories. My aunts doing handiwork and playing PIT until late into the night (at the top of our lungs). My mother leading the hikes and band-aiding the hurts (we went through 1 box and 1 first-aid kit worth of bandaids! this isn't a wimpy place!) My sisters (including inlaws) talking, laughing, cooking, cleaning, hiking, playing games. And now my sons.... It seems that it is going to have to include men again because these boys love this place and the forts and lizards and nightgames and rocks!