When your childhood backyard is one of the largest urban parks in North America, there are endless adventures for discovering. I practically grew up in Fish Creek Provincial Park. If we weren’t biking, we were hiking, picnicking, bonfiring, and swimming in Sikome Lake.
The morning after I arrived in Calgary, Dad and I hit the trail for a resplendent ride through the park. 
It truly is one of my happy places and who can blame me with views like this?
On another realllllly hot day, we took the PT Cruiser convertible out for a spin and hit one of Calgary’s hundreds of free Stampede pancake breakfasts.
Still trying to teach Dad how to do selfies. In his defense, he was kinda driving.
The kids then jumped right into Fish Creek fully clothed.
If you’re judging me for that, you’ll be exceedingly dismayed over our next display at the mud pits at Fish Creek.
We discovered them a few years ago. A few people splashing in the river would disappear for a while and then come back caked in mud. We decided to investigate and after a short, steep hike we discovered these pits tucked away covertly in the cliffs hugging the creek. Now, it is an annual tradition! We introduced my brother Jade’s family and my sister-in-law Jane’s little sister Diane’s family from Washington.
They were just as disgusted (and disgusting) as we were.
Quite predictably, most of the boys loved playing in the mud but these beauties, Hadley and Isabelle, took it one step further. Long after the boys had jumped in the river to clean off, these young ladies were milking it in. Or rather, mudding it.
Yes, that is a mud crown Queen Hadley made for herself.
I’m going to frame this picture and give it to her future husband.
Fortunately, our swimming hole in Fish Creek provided for a lovely respite as the kids jumped off the huge boulders, played in the sand and caught minnows.
Who’s in for Mud Pits 2015 next year?!
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 