Over the July 4th weekend, I headed up to Logan to ride with my dad and brother and hang with the fam. As I drove into Cache Valley, I again noticed how much I love it. It's not just a mental thing due to its beautiful mountains and trees, and it's more than nostalgia. There's an actual physical sensation that strikes you as you drop out of the canyon, and you can't help feeling how open and warm the place is. Sometimes it doesn't strike me till I walk into a store. Sometimes I watch for it and sometimes it takes me by surprise. It's nice to know that many other people have the exact same reaction. I'm grateful that I moved there when young and did most of my growing up among the awesome friends I was lucky to grow up with. Friday morning, we loaded my bike onto Dad's trailer and drove into the Idaho half of  the valley. We turned off the highway at Cove, parked before Hull Valley, rode up the German Dugway, and went looking for the Highline Trail going north to Soda Springs. We saw some beautiful country before finding the singletrack section, but soon found a giant pine blocking it. I had brought enough rope and system to get the bikes around it and back onto the trail, but we assumed there would be more and chose to ride the trail south instead. Good call! The trail south toward Bloomington Lake is awesome! So beautiful and fun. I hate to have to report, however, that Dad is slowing down since his 70th birthday. As we climbed muddy hills, plowed through snowbanks, rode over fallen trees, and flew along open ridgeline trail looking down onto lush green valleys, we sometimes had to wait for him to catch up! Jared took his son Daniel and rigged an ingenius system with stirrups which seemed to work out great. I don't know which one had more fun. Back at the ranch, we watched the fireworks from the balcony with Judy and Adam and Susie's and Diane and Niel's fams as well. Love that view. The next day we hung out and played some more before most everyone headed to Bear Lake and I headed home.