Tag: Hike

Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day!

Thursday is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday not really worth celebrating unless you’re Irish or want to be. Normally I don’t think much about March 17th except to dress my children in the obligatory green. But this year I decided that instead of just wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, I would Go Green by doing a little something for the planet.

At the park last week, my Mountain Fam explored the river. The water bubbled, birds chirped and the adventure would’ve been perfect except for one thing. Trash.

Beer cans, food wrappers, an old shoe, a discarded shirt, even a broken bundt pan were left on the ground. With the snow melting, previously covered litter is coming to light and it’s pretty gross.

A few years ago my husband started a group titled WTF!?! It had a membership of two, myself and Mountain Dad and it was committed to picking up trash along trails when we went into nature. WTF technically stands for World Trash Federation, but mostly it describes our reaction to the bags of garbage we hauled away.

Several years have passed since I thought about WTF, but Thursday I’ve decided to revive the group and invite some friends to join. And by some friends I mean everyone on the internet. That’s you.

Thursday March 17, 2016 I invite you to Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day! If cleaning up litter doesn’t suit you, do something else. Buy reusable produce bags at the grocery store. Start a compost pile in your backyard. Plant a tree. Plan a garden. Contact your state representative about an environmental issue. Whatever it is, make this Green loving holiday work for its national importance.

If you’re in Utah County and want to join me on a  Hike it Baby Go Green hike there’s more information here. Whatever you choose to do with your St. Patrick’s Day please let me know. I’d love to hear all the Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day projects!

Is it Spring? Make Up Your Mind Already!

In Like a Lion, Out like a Lamb. March means spring in Utah. And that means sun. Or snow. Or both.

I love that first day of the season when I don’t have to bundle myself and my kids into snow coats, hats and mittens. I love feeling warm sun on my face after months of chilling wind. I love having picnics with my tots at local parks. But the beginning of spring also means the end of winter. No more snow for sledding, snowboards or nordic skiing. No more snuggly nights by a fire or beautiful snow covered pine trees.

I love spring, but I hate that it means winter is over. Living in the mountains makes that two way pull even stronger. At my house, snow still clings to the ground and Sundance Mountain Resort is open for business. The snow will fall and I’ll get some great turns on my snowboard or get out on the flats with the We! Ski Kit.  Then the sun will shine and I’ll crave to go play at a park with my kids or break out the bikes. Just twenty minutes down the canyon daffodils are poking through the dirt and city parks are busy with laughing kids.

It’s hard to flip from cold to warm weather activities. It’s hard to bundle up with scarves and mittens one day, and find all our bike helmets the next. But this season, instead of being annoyed I’ve decided to embrace the change. Sure being prepared for cold and warm activities means the skis and baseball gloves are all pulled out of the garage at the same time. Yes my son has gone to school with either too much coat or not enough. It’s hard to balance some of the aspects of changing seasons, but what a blessing to be able to ski in the morning and bike in the afternoon. There’s not many places in the world where I can comfortably do that. Utah is one of those places.
In the past I’ve considered this shoulder season the ugliest season of all. The snow is gone but the green hasn’t come in yet. Now I’m more nuanced in my opinion. Yes, the majority of my surroundings are not as beautiful as they are in deep summer or winter, but there are still pockets of gorgeous everywhere. Driving down the canyon I can enjoy the pine tree sentinels on the side of the road. Playing by the river I can watch the currents in the water. The jagged rocks on a recent hike reminded me of the beauty of non growing things. And it gave Little g a great place to climb. There is beauty all around, even on early spring days.
The return to warm days is gradual. I can embrace that and appreciate all the opportunities it gives me.

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?

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?

 
 
You might also like: