Category: Hike

Utah’s Grotto Trail Hike and Monkey Mat Review

This post is part of a series of weekly gear reviews. Check back most Wednesdays* for reviews of cool gear for outdoor families.

In honor of National Public Lands Day, Mountain Dad and I went with some friends to Grotto Trail. Not only is this a great hike for kids, it was beautiful with fall colors in full effect.

While Big E and little g slid down the dirt slides, explored the stream and ran around with their friends the adults enjoyed the leaves. Occasionally we called the kids back to the trail in an attempt to finish the hike in less than three hours, but they were having so much fun playing we didn’t try too hard.

The colors were beautiful, the weather was perfect and the hike ideal. The trail is only 0.3 miles long, and ends in a twenty foot tall waterfall cave. And although the trail was fairly busy, it still had a feel of seclusion in the grotto.

We all enjoyed the hike so much we stopped for a picnic on the way out. Luckily I had my Monkey Mat to make things easier.

The Monkey Mat is a portable floor that folds into a convenient pouch making it an easy carry along for outdoor adventures. It was given to me for review at Outdoor Retailer and I’ve used it more than I expected in the last two months.

Now you may be thinking, isn’t that the same as a blanket? Although a blanket can serve the same purpose, the Monkey Mat stands out as being conveniently portable, as in it can fit in a large pocket or purse or clip onto a belt loop, backpack or stroller. The 5 by 5 foot square of water resistant material has weighted corners and toy and stake loops but folds up into the attached 6 by 6 inch zippered pouch.

There are times with a baby that I just need a clean place to put her down – going to the bathroom, helping another child, carrying something. The Monkey Mat makes that aspect of outdoor adventures much easier. At 6 months and not crawling yet, Baby L is the perfect age for the Monkey Mat. We’ve taken it on picnics, to the water park, as a stroller cover, even to put her down on my dirty floor at home. Within an hour of getting it I used it as a place to change a diaper on the side of a parking lot.

I have found that lugging three kids’ worth of stuff around makes me want to declutter everything, including what I take on outdoor adventures. The Monkey Mat gives me a space saving option that has made outdoor time more comfortable when sitting on the bare ground won’t work.

But even with the convenience of it, I don’t know that I would buy it myself. I’m frugal by nature and spending money for a portable floor when I already have a blanket or baby wrap seems redundant. With that said, had I received it as a baby shower gift I would use it all the time. It is a great gift for an outdoors loving parent.

Bottom line, when I have the Monkey Mat with me it can be a life saver, but sometimes it’s redundant. It’s list price is $19.99.

Pros:

  • Lightweight, portable, and packable 
  • Fits into attached pouch and clips onto bags, belts, or strollers.
  • Water Resistant
  • Machine Washable (don’t dry it in the dryer to keep the water resistance)
Cons:
  • Redundant if you already have a blanket or towel

*I know this is a Thursday, but I ran out of time to finish yesterday.

Directions to Grotto Trail in Utah:
Take I-15 to Payson Exit 254. Head South on Main Street until 100 North, Turn Left. Go East until 600 East and Turn Right. This road takes up up Payson Canyon. Follow for approx 7 miles to the trail head of Grotto Falls.

National Public Lands Day

Saturday, September 26, 2015 was National Public Lands Day. I appreciate the outdoors and LOVE National Parks so you would think that I would’ve known about National Public Lands Day before now. Nope. I found out about it Friday night. It was on Saturday.

My lack of awareness didn’t stop us from exploring on Saturday. In honor of the National Public Lands Day Mountain Dad and I took the tots on a hike in the nearby Wasatch – Cache – Uinta National Forest. My tots were stoked because not only was the trail fun and easy with a waterfall at the end, we went with friends so they could climb, slide, and explore with buddies.

I’m familiar with National Parks and National Forests but I wasn’t aware of the other agencies that manage public land in the US. I figured if I didn’t know about them, you might not either so here’s a quick list of the agencies involved in National Public Lands Day.

  • Bureau of Land Management – Founded in 1946, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administers more than 245 million acres of public lands in the United States, mostly in the 12 western states. BLM Land is used in a variety of ways including oil and gas development, cattle grazing, recreation and wilderness areas. 
  • US Army Corp of Engineers – The Army Corps of Engineers is the steward of the lands and waters at Corps water resources projects. To see all their locations click here.
  • USDA Forest Service – The US Forest Service manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. Their efforts are focused on restoration, water resources and recreation. For locations of National Forests click here. 

Did you go explore on National Public Lands Day? Where did you go?

Park City Mountain Resort Summer Activities, Utah

For a recent family reunion our crew of about 20 adults and 27 kids descended on Park City Mountain Resort to check out their summer activities. The resort has several options of things to do with kids – rock climbing, mini golf, a merry-go-round, and super jump trampoline. In addition to those smaller activities they have the big three – the Alpine Coaster, the Alpine Slide and Zip Line.
 
Big E and I took a ride on the Alpine Slide, first enjoying a scenic lift ride up the mountain. Alpine scenery is my absolute favorite so I was a fan of the view and all that green. At the top of the lift Big E and I took our slide seat to the track and loaded up.
Although he is big enough to ride the slide on his own, Big E wanted to ride with me so we squeezed in together for the ride down. The track races through trees and green meadows. Each rider has control of their speed which was good for my reticent six-year-old.

 

After the slide, Big E and I waited in the hot sun for over an hour to try the other big attraction – The Alpine Coaster. The Coaster rolls through trees, bushes and grass close to the action. Again Big E rode with me and we liked controlling our own speed down the mountain.
This video is from the Park City Mountain Resort website and gives a good idea of what it was like. Both the Coaster and Alpine Slide were fun and worth a visit. I’m glad I finally tried this summer attraction. The one big drawback I saw was the price. The combo price was $29 for adults and $13 for a youth passenger, which seems steep for less than ten minutes of thrill and a long wait line.
Overall we loved the day, topping it off with ice cream. It was great to spend some one on one time with my son.
 
Park City Mountain Resort did not provide any compensation for this post.

 

Ledgemere Picnic Area, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

As much as I complain about how hard it is to get outdoors with three kids, there are times that I’ve made the effort and it’s been worth it. The activities are short, kid-friendly and easy, just what I need with two tots and a baby. Plus it gets me outdoors and interacting more with my kids, both important things in my life.
On one recent adventure we set up a play date with some friends and headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon for a picnic. We stopped at Ledgemere Picnic Area, a beautiful improved area along the river. The aspens and cottonwoods would’ve been enough diversion for me, but little did I know Ledgemere also had a secret attraction.
The kids soon found a cave to explore! We had our picnic at the last spot on the trail (I think it was number 8) and in the rock face above our table was an ominous looking hole. Some of the tots were scared and only walked in a few feet, but armed with the flashlight on my phone, the baby and I followed the cave all the way to its end, splashing through six inches of water at some parts.

The entrance requires some crawling, but it opens up within a few feet. A short spur jets off to the right, but the main tunnel is to the left and goes back about a hundred feet. Unfortunately people have left trash and graffiti all along the cave, removing any sense of a pristine natural formation, not to mention the tunnel is tall enough for an adult to comfortably walk through. I’m guessing there’s been plenty of man made involvement, but regardless it was still really cool.

After exploring, splashing and eating we loaded up. Right as we were pulling out an attendant stopped us because we forgot one essential thing in our adventure – to pay the fee. I have a National Parks Pass which allows access to public lands. However, apparently improved picnic sites and campgrounds are not covered by the pass and require an extra fee. At first I was annoyed – we had only been there a few hours, packed out our trash and hadn’t even used the restrooms, but then I decided that $8.00 was just not that much money for two adults and five kids to have an adventure. Plus I want to support the outdoors, its protection and maintenance.
Ledgemere Picnic Area was a fun place to spend an afternoon and I hope to get back there soon.