Free entry to Bingham Canyon Mine

Here is a great coupon to get you into the mine, kennecott, for free. They will even

donate to a local charity with every visit so get out and Enjoy!

Click HERE for your coupon.

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!

Ski Utah 5th Grade Passport

September is a great time of year here in Utah. The trees are beginning to change, the mountains are beautiful and it is time to think about ski season. Ski season is right around the corner. One of the best programs we participate in as a family is the 5th and 6th grade ski utah ski passports.

September is the earliest time to get them. It costs a mere $35 and gives your 5th grader 3 lift tickets to every resort here in Utah...that's right...3 to each resort! How great is that? For us it is fantastic. The 6th graders get 1 pass to every resort for the same price. By the time you hit 7th grade your kids will be hooked and unfortunately there are no more ski passports :)

Simply click here if you have a 5th grader. If you have a 6th grader click here. They will be available sometime this month so please keep checking back until the forms are up. You will need to submit a fairly recent photo of your child along with the money and the forms. It takes a few weeks to get the passport in the mail so plan appropriately. I always seem to put it off and put it off until I find it November and we are headed out to ski...without our passport. This year I am getting a jump on it.

Happy Skiing!!

Black Sheep R/C Racetrack

One of the best Christmas presents our boys received were big remote control race cars. They were a hit right from the beginning. There is something about boys and cars that never gets old. My 12 year old recently asked me if I wanted him to drive to pick me up. I told him no way! He then explained that he had a dream and in his dream he drove the car....in short, he assured me that because of this dream, he could drive the car :) I love it when my children make me laugh!

If you get one of these cars for yourself or your child (my husband now wants a car), be sure to invest in a bigger battery. I think a battery that runs the car for 30 minutes costs about $40. The only problem we have is knowing where to go to run the cars for fun. The street and church parking lot are always options, but we were looking for something more.

After a long Saturday of garage cleaning and chores we decided to load up and take the boys to race their cars. We found a race track in Spanish Fork called Black Sheep.

I have yet to find out what the fee is. Every time we go, no one is ever there. I will call again to see if I can find out. If you go, please be sure to respect the rules that are plainly posted.

• No Sunday Use
• This is a Family Track
• No Foul Language
• Pay Use Fee for Non-Members

Getting ready to race around the track.

Cars need a bit of a fix and a battery change to continue the fun. Little brother had the job of righting the cars when they flipped or went off the track. He should like that for another year or so until he finally decides it is his turn to run the cars. This is an inexpensive and fun family activity if you already have a car.

To get to the track you take I-15 to the Spanish Fork exit. Turn right off the exit and follow the street until you get to 2700 North. Turn right until you come to 200 East and turn right again. The track is located about 1/2 mile down this road behind a business called....Ideal Machine.

Look for a small narrow dirt road to the south of the business and turn right. Follow the road behind the building and you will come to the track. It gets really dusty and the wind blows so beware :)

You can also get there from Springville by taking 2700 North west over the freeway and turning left onto 200 East. Go 1/2 mile or so until you come to Ideal Machine and turn right on the small dirt road just south of the business. 

Happy Racing!

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!!

Spanish Fork Reservoir

Today we took the kids to the Spanish Fork Reservoir with a group of friends. I have put off going this summer and realized how much fun we have missed out on. Next year this is going to be a weekly trip for us. If you have not been to the reservoir before it is a nice treat. The crowds are low, the beach is nice, it is free, the kids can build in the sand or float out into the lake with life vests on. The area is clean and there is even a playground and pavilion further up the road for parties or get togethers.

This is one of our favorite things to do as a family.

To get there, take I-15 to Highway 6 (Exit 261) towards Price. Follow Highway 6 for 6 miles, take a right on Powerhouse Rd. Drive 1 mile and you will see Spanish Oak Drive and a sign for the Spanish Fork gun club. Turn left here. Follow the road up through the neighborhood and after you enter the gates there is a parking lot to the left. Park there and take the stairs up to the reservoir.

Bring sunshades, sunscreen, water toys, sand digging toys, water, food and flotation devices. There is an old log in the reservoir that provides hours of fun for kids.

The reservoir also provides great open water swim training. Please take a buddy and be safe!

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.

Backpacking with Kids

Miles 23-30.5 in our 100 mile hiking challenge

Trailhead Marker

So we decided to take our kids on a backpacking trip to the Uintas to add to our miles hiked this summer. This is the first time we have ventured to take all of our boys. We were a little scared, but now realize what fun it was for them and for us as a family. We chose to go to Hoover Lake via the Fehr Lake trailhead off Mirror Lake Highway.

Fehr Lake

The total hike in to our camping spot was 1.5 miles to Hoover Lake. We dropped our packs and set up camp. The kids got right to fishing while we fixed dinner. This was a perfect distance for our 6 year old. He carried his own pack, while not heavy it was still 10% of his body weight.

Shephard Lake

Maba Lake - We camped between this and Hoover Lake

I couldn't get enough of the Lily pads on this lake...beautiful!

The next day we explored and found Marshall Lake as well as a few geo-caches along the way. We hiked about 6 miles total. The first day was all downhill and the return to the car was all uphill. The kids didn't seem to have any trouble on the hike out and went about the same speed as on the way in. The youngest in our group was 4 years old.

To find Marshall Lake you will need a GPS as it is bush-whacking and there are no trails leading to it from Hoover Lake. On this trip we saw 4 beautiful lakes and a small pond. All within 1.5 miles. It seemed very secluded after passing the first 2 lakes. We saw only one other party of 2.

Stay tuned for my tips on backpacking with kids:)

Moab River Rafting Trip

I recently returned from a river rafting trip with the young women in our area. We went to Moab, Utah and floated down the Colorado River. Fun, fun, fun!

Beautiful red rock

It would be a great trip for families. The guides at World Wide River Expeditions did a great job! They had clean language, they do not drink or smoke at all on the river (that is a plus for me when taking my kids) and they are nice to be around.

3 of our fearless guides

The pricing for a youth trip was $149 per person for 3 days and that includes all meals. This is pricing for youth groups, but I noticed that the pricing for day trips was only about $50 per person and I have seen coupons on City Deals for around $39. The portion of the river that we floated was very mellow with only a few rapids. I think the 3-day trip would be a bit much for my kids right now, but the day trip would be perfect!

Games on the raft

What a great group of girls!

This year is a very low water year on the river...the 3rd lowest of all time. With that said, there is
a lot of paddling to be done to get you where you want to go :) I did see some families who had a guide that did all the rowing instead of having everyone paddle. Our group paddled, and paddled and paddled!

Ice cream fights, water fights, paddling in the ducky's, sunscreen, lemonade, floating in the river...my kids would love it. I guess it's time to book a family trip.

Overall it was a great time and one I think you could take younger children on and have so much fun!

Maple Canyon Equestrian Trail Hike

Maple Canyon has a nice 1-mile (each way) hike that is fantastic for small children and easy for adults as well. It is located in Mapleton, Utah and is a very 
beautiful trail that winds next to the road although you never see the road. It is nice 
and cool due to all the shade. I find this particular trail very beautiful in the fall when the 
leaves begin to change color. It is also a wonderful trail to run if you enjoy trail running. 
It is also open to mountain biking. (With it being such a short trail it is best for beginners, 
children age 8-10 and up, those making loops or those who want to continue on up through 
the campground to the trail at the top of the parking lot for more challenge).

To get there:

From I-15, take Springville exit 260. Head east 2 miles to the intersection of Main Street and
400 South. Turn right on Main Street, staying in the right lane toward Highway 89/Price.
Continue 2.3 miles to Maple Street. Turn left on Maple Street/State Highway 147 for .9 miles
to Main Street in Mapleton. Turn left on Main Street, then right on 400 North. Drive east on
400 North until you come to the canyon. After passing through the open gate you will drive
up a hill and after the hill there is a parking lot on the right hand side of the road. Pull in and
park. The trailhead is on the east side
of the parking lot. 

This is where those bringing horses into the canyon must park. The sign says equestrian trail
 parking I believe. 

The trail will end up at one of the campground parking lots. This is an out-n-back trail and is
easy enough to start the littlest of hikers :) If you choose to take the trail on the west side of the
parking lot, the bonneville shoreline, it ends where a property owner has put up a huge fence
and you will be considered trespassing. So stick to the east trail.

Go in a group in this canyon as occasionally we hear of weird people or experiences. There
has never been trouble when you are with a buddy. It is always important to never go 
alone wherever you find yourself.

Happy Hiking!

Utah's FREE Activities in July 2012

As July approaches I wanted to get an early calendar of events out. I will add new posts as I learn of new activities.

Let's start with the....

*FREE Movies in the Park:

SLC Friday Night Flicks

Sundance Institute Summer Series at Red Butte Garden on Wednesdays

Utah State Capitol Movies Under The Stars

Cottonwood Heights Movie in the Park - July 13, Bywater Park

Draper Ampitheater Outdoor Family Movies July 19

Sandy City Movies in the Park July 11, July 25

Riverton Movies in the Park July 20

West Jordan Summer Movie Series June 15
Springville City Movies in the Park July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Concerts in the Park
Mapleton Concerts in the Park July 7, 14, 21, 28 at the City Park

Brigham Young Historic Park Concerts in the Park every Tuesday and Friday
The Homestead Resort Saturday Night Concert Series 7pm

And now *FREE events:

The Homestead Resort Friday Night Cowboy Campfire 8:30pm Fridays

Big Cottonwood Canyon Parade July 4 - 11:00am 

Cove Fort Historical Site 8am-sunset

*Free Skating Classes every Saturday @Hollywood Connection 11am-12

*Home Depot's Kids Workshop July 7, first Saturday of the month 9-noon
*FREE Natural History Museum Day July 9 (purchase tickets July 3 @ noon)

*Springville Museum of Art Family Night July 2, 6-8pm the first Monday night of every month.
*Garden Tours on Temple Square Call (801) 240-5916 for scheduling

*Utah Museum of Fine Arts SLC, July 5,  FREE Admission Day

Natural History Museum presents *Science Movie Night July 10, SLC Library

 *Art Activity for Families: July 21 Speed Family Day, 1pm Utah Museum of Fine Arts
*Temple Square Free Events - all throughout July just click for calendar
Firework Extravaganza, Mapleton at Ira Allen Park 1600 So. 800 W.

*Lowe's Build and Grow July 14-15, July 28-29 must register 2-4 weeks prior

*Unbound, A Book Club for Art Lovers  Springville Art Museum July 25, 7-8pm

Maple Canyon Hike

Maple Canyon is a beautiful little canyon located in Mapleton, Utah. The trailhead begins above Whiting campground.

From I-15, take Springville exit 260. Head east 2 miles to the intersection of Main Street and 400 South. Turn right on Main Street, staying in the right lane toward Highway 89/Price. Continue 2.3 miles to Maple Street. Turn left on Maple Street/State Highway 147 for .9 miles to Main Street in Mapleton. Turn left on Main Street, then right on 400 North. Drive east on 400 North for 2.7 miles to the campground. Continue on the road as it winds through the campground to the parking lot. The trailhead is at the far end of the parking lot and is marked with a sign.

This trail allow dogs and horses. It is quite shady so it works well on a hot day. Stay on the main trail. There is no destination here, but kids love it and there are many places to stop and have your lunch on a log or in a small clearing. You can go as far as you want to before turning around.

This trail is open to horses, motorcycles and mountain bikes. We trail run this trail sometimes.

 

This is the trail marker to go to Spanish Fork Peak. It is found across the river on the right side of the trail. It is 5 miles to hike up to the peak. We stayed on the main trail for today and will do the peak another day.

 

 

Happy Hiking!