Tag: Bridal Veil Falls

My Go To Outdoor Space: Bridal Veil Falls, Provo Canyon, Utah

 

Everyone needs a place where they can connect with the outdoors. Our family is lucky to live in the mountains, but even with trees and fresh air all around our house I still find myself wanting to get OUT to the outdoors.

Our family’s go-to outdoor space is just a ten minute drive from home. Bridal Veil Falls, a gorgeous waterfall in Provo Canyon, Utah has a lot of things going for it. The paved trail makes it easy for a hike or bike. The short distance is easily managed by small feet. A river flowing along the trail allows for easy kid diversion and the destination is beyond compare – a giant waterfall with a fish pond next to it.

Whatever the season we love to visit Bridal Veil Falls (although, to be honest, the ice climbing of winter hasn’t interested us yet). But the best season to visit has to be autumn. Changing colors putting on their magical display can’t be beat.

On our most recent visit Big E rode his bike while little g and I walked the trail, admiring the fall foliage. Since Bridal Veil Falls is in the shadow of the mountain it can get cold, even when the sun is shining on the other side of the canyon. Luckily I hadn’t cleaned out my car and a red stocking cap kept little g from crying in discomfort.

Having this go-to place close by helps me get outside even when it’s chilly, I’m tired or my kids are cranky. Being outdoors relaxes me and helps me focus on some more important things than cleaning the house – family, nature and enjoying time with my kids. When I’m outdoors with my tots I feel like I’m a better parent. I’m teaching my kids to love the world around them, take care of it and enjoy the beauty of the natural world without lecturing or nagging. And they enjoy running, climbing, playing and exploring without the confines of the house.

So what’s your go-to outdoor space? A park? A running trail? Is there a place you go for a quick outdoors fix? If not, why not?

 
 
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Waterfall Week – Big E bikes to Bridal Veil Falls, Provo Canyon, Utah

Do all parents beam with pride to see their oldest on a new bike? When I first told Big E I had a great surprise for him in the garage our conversation went something like this:

Big E – “Is it a sports thing?”
Me – “Yeah, I think you’ll love it!”
Big E – “A SPORTS THING? I wanted an angry birds toy surprise!” (yelling, crying and complaining ensue)

You can imagine how excited I was to bring it up again. Luckily a few days had passed and when Big E saw me putting the training wheels on his new bike his attitude suddenly became more amenable to trying this new sports thing.

For his inaugural ride we went to our favorite family biking place – the Provo River Trail from Vivian Park to Bridal Veil Falls. The kids play while I unload bikes at Vivian Park, then the flat, paved trail follows the Provo river to the breathtaking Bridal Veil Falls.

The entire outing there and back takes a two hours or so, longer when your son is discovering the joy of back pedaling brakes for the first time. Even so, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.

On this waterfall discovery adventure we fed fish, climbed rocks, and enjoyed a gatorade from the recently installed summertime snack bar. A special thank you goes out to the snack bar attendent, who overheard me telling Big E that I only had enough money for one gatorade, not gatorade AND fish food. The attendent offered Big E a plastic bag and told him he could pick up trash in exchange for a quarter’s worth of fish food, which Big E was more than happy to do.

Bridal Veil Falls is an impressive waterfall that the kids and I drive by several times each week. Rain, snow or shine it’s cascading levels are impressive, more so when you can stand beneath them and feel the spray on your face. It’s a great place for families to visit on a hot summer day with easy access for strollers, bikes or walkers.

After a long afternoon of riding, climbing, and feeding fish Big E decided he had enough of bike riding. The excursion ended with a rescue call to Mountain Dad, the two kids in the carrier and the new bike shoved in the back. Even so, it was a good time had by all.

Getting there: Take Provo Canyon Road (Hwy 189) north from Provo or 800 North from Orem into Provo Canyon. Bridal Veil Falls parking area is approximately ten miles up the road, Vivian Park another ten miles. Both parks are on your right.
Length: about 2 miles.
Difficulty: Easy – Biking on a flat, paved trail.
Tips: Don’t have a kids bike helmet? A kid’s ski helmet will do.

See these other posts about Bridal Veil Falls:
Bike Riding Adventure
An Advengtable!
Bridal Veil Falls Bike Ride
Bridal Veil Falls Summer Edition

Motherhood Moments: Acceptable Risk in the Outdoors

I recently read this fascinating article from Psychology Today on why children need risky play. In it author Peter Grey reviews research by Ellen Sandester that says that children seek out risky play in the following six categories.
  1. Great Heights – perhaps this is why little g and Big E try to rock climb up the fireplace
  2. Rapid Speeds – sledding, snowboarding, skiing, bikes
  3. Dangerous Tools – Big E asks to help cut vegetables, use the drill or hammer anything, anywhere
  4. Dangerous Elements – Fire and deep bodies of water
  5. Rough and Tumble – My favorite game growing up was tickle monster, now it’s my kids’ as well
  6. Getting Lost/Disappearing – Hide and Seek, kids only play spaces

The article explains that kids crave play in this way to test their limits, learn how to handle fear and to feel thrill by combining the joy of freedom with a dose of danger. Risky play can help with emotional regulation of children, teaching them how to keep a level head when they feel scared or how to manage anger when rough and tumble play gets out of hand.

If free play involving some element of danger is so important to kids development, why is it so hard as a parent to let them do it? In general I allow my tots as much freedom as I can, at times resulting in being too lenient compared to other parents.

On a recent adventure to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, Utah I was fine with my five year old son climbing this rocky slope, while my brother and sister in law stopped their four year old daughter halfway up. They were both being safe, and nobody got hurt.

Later, Big E decided to explore the back side of the fish pond, which was only accessible via a path on a steep section of mountain that could’ve easily resulted in sliding into the water. Since the water was only a foot or two deep (although it was frigid) I was fine with E exploring there, but again my niece was not allowed to go. In that moment I felt pressure to stop Big E from his risky play, since that’s what the other adults expected, but another part of me wanted to stop the adults from being so uptight.

I understand the play it safe mentality that parents use with kids. I do it myself as well. On most outdoor adventures I find myself issuing the same well used warnings to my kids that my brother and sister in law used with theirs. Be careful! Come down from there! You’re too far ahead, I have to see you! 

Saying these things helps me feel like I’m in control of my children’s behavior, even though I know I’m not. I may control their location, I may have told them my expectations, but in any given moment I cannot force them to act in a certain way. I believe this is the trust of parenthood, how much freedom can I feel comfortable giving my children? As they grow, that amount must increase as well.

After reading Risky Play: Why Children Need It and Love It I’ve decided to stop trying to control every move my children make. If they are exploring the woods I will only allow myself one “Be Careful.” If they want to throw rocks in water, I’ll join in with them. I hope being involved with their play will mitigate the dangers I see and they don’t, and hopefully we’ll all be better off for it.

Bridal Veil Falls Bike Ride

One of the best parts of spring is relishing the warm weather. The tots and I do this best at the park, and thankfully Provo Canyon has plenty of parks to appreciate. On this recent biking adventure with the tots, we started out at the playground at Vivian Park. This park boasts a paved bike/hike trail, two playgrounds, two pavilions, restrooms, a fishing areal and a river to throw rocks at, not to mention the Heber Creeper railroad comes to visit every once and a while.

While the tots played on the playground I got my bike and trailer set up. The Provo River Trail, which ends at Vivian Park is great for tots of all ages. It’s a paved trail that runs from Utah Lake to Vivian Park and is popular with bikers, hikers and anyone interested in being outdoors. The section we biked, from Vivian Park to Bridal Veil Falls, was only about twenty minutes, and that was with towing an extra seventy five pounds of tots and bike trailer.
Little g was ready to go as long as we had ‘Monkey Pack’ on her back. She and Big E rode in the trailer along a flat section of the Provo River Trail – Vivian Park to Bridal Veil Falls. The trail meanders along the Provo river, with majestic mountains along one side. Bright greens, wet from a recent rain, grew along the trail and the earthy scent of the outdoors was a refreshing reminder of the season.

At Bridal Veil Falls, Big E was giddy with joy feeding the fish. For a quarter you can purchase a handful of fish pellets and bask in the joy of your youngster’s laughter as he watches the fish fight for each mouthful. Little g loved it too, but mostly because she got out of the bike trailer.
The bike back to Vivian Park was calm and pleasant and overall it was a great outing on a great spring day.