Cecret Lake Hike

Cecret Lake in Alta, Utah is an easily accessible, short 1 mile hike. The nice thing about this hike is that hikers can drive most of the way to the lake. This makes it appealing to hikers with limited abilities such as small children or the elderly who still love getting outdoors. It is an alpine experience without having to hike a long distance. The hike itself starts out nice, easy, flat and gets a bit steeper the closer you get to the lake. This is a highly used trail so do not expect solidarity. Even with that caveat it is a wonderful family hike.

We decided to continue hiking and summit Sugarloaf Peak. Once you reach the lake, look across the water and you will see the trail continuing up the mountain towards the ski lift. When you get to the top you will lose the trail. The goal is to get to the top of the lift where you can once again find the trail located on the ridge between Sugarloaf and Snowbird's mineral basin. If you are unsure where that is, head over towards Snowbird to the view area. Once there look to the left up the small hill and you will find the trail that leads to the summit. It gets steep on loose dirt and rocks, but we all did it without any trouble. 

To get there: Head up Little Cottonwood Canyon until you reach Alta. There is an information booth and you will pass through the booth continuing up the mountain for a good 10 minutes. Stay on the road until it ends at a campground and there is a small parking lot off to the left. Park and then look for the trail that is marked on the southwest side of the lot. Follow the trail until you get to the lake.
There is limited parking so going on a weekday is ideal.

Big Springs Hollow Hike

This hike was a nice easy family hike. It is located up Provo canyon. To get there, head east up the canyon. Turn right at Vivian Park and continue up South Fork about 3 miles. When you see the National Forest Area sign on the left side of the road turn right into the parking lot and continue to the end where you can park. The trailhead is in the Southwest corner of the park.

It is a very mild hike that is about 3.4 miles round trip. It was beautiful. There is a slightly steeper section towards the end of the hike as you approach the springs, but that only lasts about 0.2 miles.

The trail continues past the springs and some of our group didn't realize so they continued on. You can make the hike as long as you want.

This is very pretty in the spring and full of green. Spectacular views of the snow covered mountain peak above the meadows.

Fifth Water Hot Springs Hike

With spring officially here it is once again time to get the family out and explore new hikes and fun places to go. We started our hiking season out by going to the Spanish Fork hot springs we have heard about, but never visited. 

Directions: They are located up Spanish Fork Canyon. Follow Highway 6 until you come to a sign for Diamond Fork campground. Turn left here and follow the road until you come to Three Forks. Turn right into the parking lot. There is a toilet at the trail head. The trail head is to the right of the toilets. Follow the trail staying on the left side of the river...do not cross the first bridge. Cross at the second bridge. As you get close you will be able to smell the sulfur. 

There are lower and upper pots. We spent most of our time in the lower pots. There are about 5 pots in the lower area. Some are more private only holding a handful of people and there is one big one as well. There are 2 more that we saw at the upper pots. There is a nice little waterfall that the older kids went behind and stuck their heads out of.

The men decided to take the kids up to the upper pots and were surprised to find a man skinny dipping on a Saturday morning at a family destination...um, :) just be aware...and for those of you wanting to skinny dip, it is against the law I am told.

The hike is 2.5 miles each way 5 miles round trip. I would classify it as an easy to moderate hike depending on your level of fitness. It is a gorgeous hike that follows the river up the canyon. It has a little incline that is very doable, in fact an energetic 3 year old made the trip with us. We went with another family and had two 13 year olds, an 11 year old, a 10 year old, two 7 year olds, a 3 year old and a 9 month old plus a dog...yes, dogs are allowed on this hike. Our hike time was 58 minutes on the way there. We took our snacks and lunch and ate up at the top. 

This is a busy destination for families and groups. We passed several scout groups hiking out and many families coming and going. Please be respectful and don't leave anything behind so we can all continue to enjoy this beautiful place...and please keep your clothes on:)

Labor Day Labor of Love Hike

I admit that I am always pushing my family to do big things. I mean, why hike 3 miles when we can hike 10? I have an "I can do it" attitude and figure that if I think I can do it, then everyone else can too:) I have always been this way. Just ask my high school friend Sharee about some of our bone breaking, deep snow hiking, steep hill rollerblading, and more recently geo-caching experiences. She may laugh a bit and then definitely confirm that it somehow always ends up harder than I say it will be. I truly believe that we can do hard things and that it is good for kids and myself to always be reminded of this. 

This hike came about because I was anxious to do a new hike. I wanted it to be hard and long and beautiful. I wasn't disappointed. 

This hike starts at Brighton and goes up through Alta and then back down to Silver Fork Lodge. It was about 8.25 miles and took us roughly 4 1/2 hours with a 6 year old. Make sure everyone is well equipped with water, food, sunblock and good hiking shoes...tennis shoes will not be enough for this hike....we found out the hard way with that one.

Looking down Silver Fork Canyon

We started at the Silver Lake boardwalk in Brighton Utah. We hiked to the left around the boardwalk until we came to the Solitude Lake Junction. Instead of continuing around the lake we continued straight towards Solitude Lake. In no time at all we came to the Twin Lakes junction. You can turn here, but with it being such a busy day, we continued another 1/2 mile or so until we came to an unmarked trail that headed to the left. It can be overlooked if you are not careful. Turn onto this trail...you won't be disappointed. We rarely run into anyone on this trail. It is secluded, serene and very beautiful. It will eventually merge with the Twin Lakes trail. Continue to Twin Lakes. 

Once at Twin Lakes, on the north side of the lake is a small utility shack. After taking in the scenery and a break if needed, hop onto the trail near the utility shack and continue up the mountain towards Solitude Ski Resort. 

At the saddle you will be able to either go right and head down into Solitude Lake or stay left on the trail. Stay left and follow this road. You will come to a trail that goes left...

Here is the road and the trail is right where the man is standing. I took the photo looking back.

...take this trail until you come to a ski run sign that has 3 blue runs and one black run on it. Just past this sign you will need to follow a faint trail to the left. This trail accesses the Wolverine Cirque as well Grizzly Gulch. 

Once on the trail be sure to look back at Twin Lakes...the view is amazing!

Once at the next saddle, 

View looking into grizzly gulch.

...follow what looks like a wider trail. 

Follow the wide trail to the right.

This is where it became a bit difficult for us to find our way. You are now at Alta in Grizzly Gulch. If you want, just follow the road until you see a trail that goes right and heads up the mountain to another saddle. If you are more adventurous, try to stay somewhat high so that you do not have to drop down just to climb back up.

We had our GPS just to make sure we were in Grizzly Gulch and that we were going to be dropping down the correct canyon to get to Silver Fork Lodge. We got up onto the trail and followed it towards the saddle until there was a split in the trail. Unsure of which way to go, we chose to take the high trail and it was a good choice! This trail splits again. If you want to summit take the high trail, 

...otherwise they meet up again so the lower trail is fine. 

At the end of the trail you will find some old mining equipment. We went to look around and my kids were so enthralled with the whole thing. 

Before you get to the mining equipment the trail splits again. Take the lower trail and follow it around and down the canyon. There was difficulty finding the correct trail here. It is very faint. We did mark the trail with a cairn, but I am not sure if it will still be standing. If you continue on the trail until you can see down the canyon with an unobstructed view you have gone about 300 feet too far. Backtrack and look for a faint trail. 

You will come across another area with mining equipment and then some really steep downhill was next on the docket. Make sure you have good footwear. You will come out at the trailhead in the homes of those living in Silver Fork. Look across the road and there is another trail. Hop on that and follow it down closer to the lodge.

We followed the trail down the canyon and came out at a parking lot on a road. Follow the road down until you come to the canyon road and the lodge is about .25 miles up the road. 

This hike is not for beginning hikers and you should leave plenty of time to get back before dark. We parked our car near the lodge before the hike or you could have someone pick you up.

Happy Hiking!

Yum! Chocolate "Moose"

 With all this clean eating that has been going on at our house, my boys thought they were so funny to 

find some chocolate "moose" to eat by the lake :)

 Open wide!

8 Ways to Successful Outdoor Activities with Kids

I have 3 wonderful boys. I have always loved all things outdoors. I had some great guy friends in high school and college who helped me keep my interests alive and introduced me to new adventures. After that I married my husband who, at that time in life, had been a backpack guide, an excellent rock climber, a skier, a sponsored snowboarder and an avid fly fisherman. Together we took up mountain biking, road biking, backpacking, telemark skiing and much more.

Now, back to the 3 wonderful boys. You see, they didn't stand a chance. They have been in baby packs, bike trailers, etc. since they were 6 weeks old.

I definitely wanted my children to love the outdoors and the peace and clarity that comes with each outdoor experience. I did not want them to start to dislike the opportunities to admire and reflect on the creations of this world.

My all time favorite photo of my son fly fishing.

As my husband and I talked it over, we decided to do what we could to help them learn to love it. Our children, although still young, are a bit older than when we started 12 years ago and we have learned a few thing over the years.

1. Purchase quality clothing for the activity. One reason our children love to be in the outdoors snowshoeing or skiing is that they have the gear to keep them warm. This is such as important thing. I have seen children come ill-prepared to an outdoor activity and by the time it is over they have decided to greatly dislike the activity. Spend the extra money and get the gear that will keep them dry, warm and comfortable. Quality gear in my experience, lasts long enough to hand down from child to child without wearing out. Although you may pay more up front, in the end the return is great.

So he may be a bit overdressed to ride his trike :)

2. Purchase shoes and gear from a reputable store like REI that stands behind the products. Just this week we took back 2 pairs of hiking boots. Each of the boots had an open eyelet break off. One pair was only 2 weeks old and had broke the first day of scout camp on the hike (the boots were over $100) and the other pair had been worn by one child for a season and saved for my youngest. REI was great and refunded the money ...without a sideways glance, so we were able to purchase them each another pair of hiking boots. If the feet are comfortable it makes the day much more enjoyable for all.

Good shoes are needed when they find gems like this climbing rock.

3. Make sure the child is comfortable. For example, if the child is in a bike trailer make sure he has water, snacks, an activity (crayons/paper, electronic learning games, books, etc) and maybe a pillow and blanket.

Yes. We gave him the cell phone to take pictures while in the bike trailer.

4. Keep them hydrated. Camelbacks and other water reservoirs are perfect for the small hikers. They often don't drink until they are thirsty. That can lead to a bad situation. With water on my boys back they seem to drink more and overall end up being happier during our adventures. My husband has started to carry a water filter with us on longer hikes. As long as there is water nearby, we don't need to worry about running out.

5. Sunblock is a must. Nothing is worse than realizing that you forgot to apply sunblock to your child and now they are red and irritable.

6. Have fun with them. Make the experience memorable and interesting because they have fun with mom and/or dad. Take time to build a snowman, have water fights, look at the fish in the river, have adventures or whatever else presents itself as an opportunity. We play games while hiking like hiding and scaring the next group. We have taken kites to the tops of peaks to fly them. We have stopped to watch a small bird learning to hunt and being taught by its parent. We have awed over 2 moose swimming the lake and playing. Having fun is something adults sometimes need to remember to do.

7. My boys would argue that this next point is the most important of all. Food. Always bring extra. Sometimes all the kids need is a pick me up...otherwise known as a snack in our home. My boys are always hungry. When they aren't hungry they are happier and more cooperative.

Another tip for those of you with infants. When I started taking my kids in the bike trailer I found it is much easier to keep them in their car seats and then strap the car seat into the bike trailer. This allows the head and neck to be supported until they are old enough to sit upright. My boys always fell asleep on the ride so I made sure to take them during nap time.

Hansel and Grettling our kids

Last year on a vacation to Southern Utah in search of some beautiful arches, we found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. 

My son was too big to carry in the baby backpack, but not quite big enough to do as much hiking as we had done that particular day. Within 1 mile of the car he just stopped and refused to take another step forward.

We tried piggy backing him, switching off with each other and promising long rests if he could just go a bit further. Our efforts were to no avail. Then it hit us.

Why not "Hansel and Grettle" him back to the car? 

We had some licorice nips with us (it was our lucky moment of the day), and with the nips in hand, my husband set out ahead of us. He left the licorice on rocks along the trail. As soon as my son realized that he could hunt for treasure along the way and eat it when he found it....our problem vanished. He had a renewed energy and we made it back to the car. We lovingly refer to this as

"Hansel and Grettling our children".

After this experience we never leave on a hike or other physical activity without a snack in our packs....

...just in case! 

Happy hiking :)

Alpine Natural Water Slide Hike

My friend called me to go find the natural water slide in Alpine, Utah. It is something I had read about and wanted to take our hiking group to. Sadly we never did make it there. So we loaded up the kids and headed out in search of an adventure. And an adventure is what we got.

Getting there was our first adventure. My friend looked up directions before we headed out. We got somewhat confused and took a right turn where we should have gone straight. This one mistake led to at least an hour of searching, hiking, hot and hungry kids and bewilderment. We finally determined where we had made our mistake and headed up the road to the correct trail.

Once there, the kids had a ball. My 6 year old went down the slide and came out crying. When I asked if he was hurt, "no" was the answer, when I asked why he was crying, "it is just so cold". I told him he did not need to go again and his reply, "It was fun, I want to...(between tears) I just need to get warm first".

The water slide is made of a large, smooth granite slab in the river. It is about 25 feet of slide. The water is freezing cold and the hike up is a bit slippery, especially with chaco's on.

To get there, take I-15 to the Alpine/Highland Exit and head 5 miles east towards American Fork Canyon.  Turn left at the stop light in Highland (near the grocery store and gas station). Drive on this road a few miles. You will come to a round about. Continue on the same road through the round about. When you come to Fort Canyon Road you will turn left and follow that road until you come to a gated off road with a large No Trespassing sign. Park anywhere along this road. Go through the No Trespassing gate and stay on the road for about a mile.

You will pass a right turn... continue straight. You will come to two forks in the road...always stay to the right. When you finally come to a large yellow metal thing on the east side of the road, there is a small parking lot. Continue through the parking lot to the dirt road on the other side. Off to the left of the dirt road is a trail that heads through the trees and ends at the waterfall in about 100 feet or so.

And have fun!!

Bloods Lake, Silver Lake and Silver Isles Lake Hike

Bloods Lake

We have done lots of hiking in Big Cottonwood Canyon so we decided to try a new hike.  Here is a map of the lakes that we visited on this hike. We saw Lake Brimhall, Silver Lake Isle, Silver Lake (not the one we all know near Brigthon Ski Resort) and Bloods Lake.

View Larger Map

We started the hike from the Park City side of Guardsman Pass. The trail head that we used starts in the Brighton Estates off State Route 152 (the road that goes from Midway to Guardsman Pass). 

Brighton Estates is a gated community and is private property. Anytime you choose to go onto Private Property please be courteous. Clean up after yourself and do not be a nuisance in any way so that we can continue to use these trails. With that said, if you choose to go this way, pull into Brighton Estates and follow the road until you come to Larkspur Road and turn right. Take another right onto Boulder Drive. Stay on Boulder Drive (be aware that you must turn once more I believe to stay on Boulder) until you reach Mars Way and turn right again.

The road is seen on the left near the tree line. Photo taken from other side of meadow.

Here you will come to a nice size meadow. The trail head begins right before you cross the road that goes over the small stream (if the water is flowing). The trail is on the left side of the road and once on the trail you can follow it up to the left or it crosses the stream bed and heads up the opposite side. Take the left trail. We accidentally took the right trail and that took us up to Lake Brimhall which is private property. They are very serious about the private property as it serves as a youth camp. Avoid this.

Going left is beautiful and takes you up to Silver Isles Lake , Silver Lake and we went as far as

Bloods Lake.

Silver Isles

Silver Lake

We took our dog as dogs are allowed up this side of Guardsman Pass.

Harry Potter

This hike was beautiful. Our 6 year old completed it without any trouble. It gets steep in a couple of sections, but nothing he couldn't handle. We ate lunch at Silver Lake and took plenty of water and snacks. I recommend taking a GPS if you have one. It helped us know what lake we were at and to find them in the first place. 

There is another route to the lakes that does not start on private property. We will be exploring this new route in a couple of weeks so I will post the trail head and pertinent info when I have it. 

Happy Hiking!

Brighton Bowl Hike - A Family Favorite

As we tick off our hiking miles, yesterday's hike around the Brighton bowl was 6.5 miles putting our family at 37 miles out of 100 hiked. We are getting closer to our summer family goal with every step:) The boys are most excited about getting big root beer floats from Silver Fork restaurant when we hit 50.

This is one of my favorite hikes in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is one that usually will not appear in a hiking book because the first portion is cross country (no trail) and steep. The steep factor is not far so don't let that scare you off. We seldom see anyone on the majority of this hike...which is great on busier days.

Great Western Lift on right and water mine on the left

The hike starts under the Great Western Ski Lift at Brighton Ski Resort. Follow the lift to the second hill you can see (there is a 3rd hill, but you will follow the gentle slope of the ski run to the right instead of up and over the last hill). You will know you are on the right track if you pass a water mine on the right. The 2nd hill where you stay right is the hill after the water mine.

Just finishing the hill and starting on the ski run

Follow the ski run through the meadow to the Snake Creek Chairlift. The kids always love to hop up on one of the chairs to rest.

Taking a rest on the lift

Off to the right of the ski lift you will see a service road. The hike continues up the service road. Follow this road for about 1/2 a mile until you come to the field where Brighton keeps about 20 snow making machines.

Just before we turn off onto the trail

Follow the road another 100 feet or so and you will find a trail that crosses the service road. Take the trail to the right where it leads you into the trees. This is my favorite portion of the hike.

Starting my favorite part of the trail

The trail exits the trees at Dog Lake. We always see moose at Dog Lake and yesterday was no exception. Can you find them in this photo?

Moose near Dog Lake...look hard

And they all gravitated to the top of the rock

Stay right on the trail and you will come to the main trail that leads to Lake Mary. To cut the hike short at this point follow that trail right and it will take you back to the base of the ski resort. To continue around the bowl however, turn left. You will cross a small stream and begin up the rocky trail.

The stream on the main Lake Mary trail

Watch carefully for the cut-off to Twin Lakes. It is marked by a small wooden sign. Follow this trail to the right. The trail gets rocky at this point but is still easy to follow. You know you are on the right track when you pass a building that looks like this...

Can we just sleep here?

Almost to Lake Mary

We stopped for lunch at the top of this hill where we could overlook Lake Mary and sit on some of the big rocks to eat.

Wow! What a view.

Time for lunch

After a snack or lunch, continue on this trail. This is another beautiful portion of the hike as it takes you through more trees and across a rock field. It eventually comes out above Twin Lakes. Follow the service road down the steep hill and then continue straight until you see the trail. At this point, take care to follow the single track trail and not the rocky service road. It stays just to the left of the road and is much nicer to hike on.

On the single-track trail heading down to Silver Lake

This trail continues down the mountain and comes to a beautiful view of Silver Lake. Pass over the boulder field and the trail splits left or right. I prefer the trail that stays left because it goes through Aspen trees, is quieter and is less traveled. Either way you choose to go lands you on the Solitude Lake trail. Take a right and follow it until you reach Silver Lake and the boardwalk.

Stop by the visitor's center if it is open for some fun activities for the kids.
To get back to your car at the Brighton Ski Resort parking lot, follow the main road going right.