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.

Scout Falls Hike

Scout Falls from the trail

Scout Falls is a beautiful hike located along the Timpanooeke route to Timpanogos Peak. 

It is a nice easy trail. The first half is relatively flat and the last half is a bit steeper, but very doable. 

First half of the trail

Trail begins to get steep at the first glimpse of the falls

 From the parking lot you need to find the trail. We thought this would be easy, but as we passed the restrooms and headed up the trail there were 3 different trails and no sign to Scout Falls. There is a trail to the left, a trail up the mountain in the middle and a trail to the right. Take the trail in the middle near the ranger house and the sign with the map. It is the same trail you would use to hike Timp. Continue along this trail until you come to the second spur in the trail. The first spur is found about .6 miles and looks like it would take you to the run-off of the falls. This is not the correct spur. Continue on the trail about 1.4 miles total and find the second spur. This one is well-worn and heads out to a beautiful view of the falls. 

What a beautiful bowl

Scout Falls

Don't plan on getting in. There really isn't a suitable place to get in without risking a getting injured. These falls are best suited for viewing:) There are several rocks and places towards the end of the hike to sit and eat a snack or lunch.

View from scout falls

Getting there is fairly straight forward. Head up American Fork Canyon or up Provo Canyon to Sundance (remember there is a pay station) about 8 miles to the Timpanooeke Campground. Turn into the campground and continue up the road past the campground. You will come to the Timpanooeke Trailhead parking lot. Here you will find ample parking and restroom facilities. The trail begins to the right of the restrooms.

This is a good hike for families.

Happy hiking!

Earth Day Activities

      Earth Day is a stellar opportunity to take time to appreciate our beautiful earth. From desert arches to mountain peaks to beaches. There is so much for us to love. We have our own personal playground. The earth lends us it's rocks to climb, mountains to hike, trails to run or bike, water to swim. It offers us places to sit and enjoy a picnic or a tree under which to read a book. It gives us grass to lay on as we watch the clouds roll seamlessly by. It offers us sounds of waterfalls and rushing waters, winds blowing the aspen tree leaves.
      The earth also gives us food to eat, materials to build our homes and plants and herbs for medicines. The earth is truly a magnificent creation.
Let's all help celebrate Earth Day by doing something for the earth today or another day this week. Here are some ideas I came up with:



1. For one day, don't drive. Bike, walk, jog. This morning I got my boys up and we walked to school and will be walking home as well. Less emissions in the air the better it is for the earth.
2. Grab a bunch of other families and go to the park for the evening. While there do a clean up project to help keep the park beautiful.
3. Take a hike. Look around and appreciate the beauty. With appreciation comes the desire to protect and help.
4. Plant a tree or a garden.

5. Switch all your light bulbs for energy efficient ones.
6. Introduce someone who isn't very outdoorsy to an outdoor activity. This can be as easy as a walk or taking them fishing. Anything they might enjoy to help build a love for the earth.
7. Eat a sunrise breakfast then work in the yard for the morning.
8. Find 20 things that you can give away, upcycle or donate to reduce waste.
9. Unplug any electronic not in use.
10. Borrow books, go electronic, or check them out of a library instead of buying them.
11. Switch to paperless options for your bills. This means you no longer receive a paper copy, but an electronic version.
 12. Dry your clothes out on a clothesline.
13. Use old clothes for rags instead of paper towels.
14. Teach kids the importance of turning off lights when they leave a room and use lights only when needed.
15. Cook a healthy meal using organic and locally purchased foods.

Love our earth! 

Happy Earth Day.

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!

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!!

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!

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!

Mountain Biking Park City with Kids

Last week we loaded up our mountain bikes and our kids and headed off to find out if Round Valley in Park City, Utah is a place we can take our kids to mountain bike. Having never been there before, we stopped and purchased a trails map at Jans Sport. This is the second map I have owned and it is definitely worth purchasing. All the trails in Park City are on the map and it categorizes them like ski runs...beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Round Valley is near the National Ability Center

Once there we found the trail head we wanted at the South side of the turf fields. It is a nice wide road that didn't appear to be too steep. Keep in mind that we have a 6 year-old without a gear bike. This was a bit difficult for him. He did a great job, but I stayed by him and helped push him up the hills. I would just ride close, put my hand on his low back and pray that he could keep a straight line while I helped him up the hills. Our older 2 children did fantastic on their own.

We were only able to ride for about 45 minutes or so when the smoke from the Alpine fire got so bad that we couldn't breathe well. At that point we called it a day and loaded up to go see the new Spider-Man movie. Our trail was a loop and it was great for beginners. I think that by age 7 or 8, if a child has a gear bike, he/she should be able to bike around the beginner trails of round valley without much problem. If you take a younger child, plan on being on and off your bike, helping them up the hills and always know that when introducing kids to mountain biking you are less than likely not going to get your own ride in. By realizing this from the start, everyone will have a better time and in the future your kids will probably be waiting for you :)

Nice wide trail

Round Valley is located near the National Ability Center in Park City.
Happy Riding!

Mountain Biking Solitude Ski Resort with Kids

Solitude Ski Resort in Utah.

My husband and I wanted to take our kids so they could get a feel for mountain biking. One of the issues with the Wasatch Front is that it can be fairly straight up and down. That scares me when I have my kids with me. My instinct is to keep them as safe as possible. With that in mind...

Down and Out Trail

We decided to head to Solitude. There is a short mountain bike trail along the base of the resort called "down and out" that is easy enough for the kids to do over and over again. We even had our 5 year old...which was a bit of a stretch. Click here to see the trail map. Solitude has a fish pond and the kids also rode the trail around the lower meadow next to the fish pond. 

Biking around the meadow near the pond

This is definitely just a start and to get them interested in mountain biking, but keeping it fun as well. After a few times around the meadow and a few out-n-backs on the lower trail, you can head over for some pizza. That always brings a smile to the boys.

Happy Riding!

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.