Hiking: Stewart Falls, Utah

Stewart Falls is probably the hike I have frequented the most in Utah.  It's not too long, but not too short either.  When I'm alone or with other adults, I can do this hike in under 2 hours.  If I'm with my kids, it takes closer to 4. 

Here is the Trailhead.

This is such a beautiful lookout.  I usually spend a few minutes here just to be.  There are a couple of places along this hike where you could sit down and take a breather.

Here are the falls.  This is a perfect place to sit and have lunch or a little snack, and let the kids play in the stream.  

Stewart Falls Hike Details

Distance – 3.6 miles roundtrip

Approximate hiking time – 1.5 hours to 3 hours

Difficulty – Easy, the first mile is shaded; partial shade for the second mile
 
Trail – This is a well maintained trail of dirt, gravel, and rock. Watch out for tree roots as well.

Bathrooms – At the trailhead

Permits – $6 fee paid at ranger booth, unless you have a National Parks Pass, then it’s free.
 
Pets – Yes

Kids - Yes,  but keep in mind their hiking level and how much whining they will emit and how much you are willing to put up with.  I'd recommend small children in a pack and little ones hiking on their own starting at age 5 or 6.




How to get there:

Take I-15 to the Orem 8oo North off ramp (Exit 272) and then turn east onto 800 North. Follow it to the mouth of Provo Canyon.  As the road splits, take the left curve to go up the canyon. Stay on this road (US 189) for appox. 7 miles. You will go through a short tunnel.  After the tunnel, you will make a left turn up the road toward Sundance Ski Resort.  You will follow this narrow road PAST the Sundance Ski Resort and PAST Aspen Grove.  You will come to a ranger fee station where you will need to pay to use the park.  There is parking on the left just past the ranger station.  Park here.  The trailhead is to the right of the toilets.

Hiking: Bridal Veil Falls

Hiking Bridal Veil is super easy if you're only going to the bottom.  This trail is paved all the way from the parking lot to the base of the falls.  So, it's accessible for anyone.  Keep this in mind when you head up there: there are lots of longboarders, bikers, walkers/runners, and hikers.

There are lots of picnic tables along the paved trail up to the falls.  It's a great place for lunch before heading up to the falls.

Make sure you bring your water shoes because at the bottom of the falls, you can play in the water and rocks.

I'm not really sure where the hiking distance is measured.  Just know that you will probably hike somewhere around 1 mile.  If you continue up the paved walkway, past the crowd of people at the bottom of the falls, the beginning of the trail to the top of Bridal Veil will be on your right.  It's directly across from the bridge.  (sorry for no picture)

The trail to the top is pretty easy.  There are a couple of places along the trail where there is a lot of loose rock.  So, if you choose to go to the top, be careful. 

At the top of Bridal Veil

Bridal Veil Hike Details:
 
Distance – less than 1.0 mile roundtrip

Approximate hiking time – 10 minutes to one hour

Difficulty – Easy.

Trail – Paved to the bottom of the falls. Rocky trail to the top.

Bathrooms – none

Permits - none needed

Kids - Yes.  I'd pack anyone under 5 years old.




Pets allowed – Yes, leashed.





How to Get There:

From I-15, take the 800 North off ramp (Exit 272) in Orem,  and head east (toward the mountain) on 800 North. Follow it all the way to the mouth of Provo Canyon. The road splits right at the mouth of the canyon. Make sure you take the left lane into the Canyon.

Stay on this road (US 189) until you see a sign for Bridal Veil Falls.  Take the exit off the Highway. After you turn off the highway, you’ll see a parking lot on your right. If you want to walk on a paved trail to reach the falls, park here. 

If you prefer to park closer to the falls, continue straight on this road, passing the first parking lot on your right. Follow the road for about 0.5 miles and you’ll find another parking area.  The falls will be across the bridge from this parking lot.

Hiking: Lisa Falls

This summer, I really wanted to get my kids out and enjoying our beautiful mountains.  And what better way to get out of the Utah Smog than to head to higher ground?  So, I set up a weekly schedule.  Most of the weeks I kept to it, but sometimes there just needed to be adjustments. 

Our first week was Lisa Falls.  Because of our sedentary lives throughout the winter, I wanted to make sure to start slowly for my kids.  This hike was perfect.  It's super short and sends you to a fun little waterfall. 

Lisa Falls is located about 3 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon. There is parking right next to the trail head and across the street.  We didn't have any trouble finding a place to park.  I don't really remember this hike being very well marked.  I don't remember seeing a sign, but there might be.

I read differing distances for this trail.  Everything from .3 miles round trip to 1.1 miles round trip.  I didn't happen to GPS it that day, so we'll just go with it's short.  Only a hop skip and a jump from the road.  My kids and I got out of our car and headed up the trail.  There were a lot of rocks and protruding tree roots along the trail, but nothing little kids can't climb and jump off of. 

There is a little stream to cross right before you reach the falls.  Once at the falls, there are many rocks to sit on and have lunch or a little snack.  There is lots of bouldering to be done.  My kids loved climbing all over the rocks. 

This is definitely a great hike for little kids, or anyone carrying kids.  I was relieved to find that it was so short.  I thought I would spend the day with whining kids.  No whining = success.

Things I learned from this hike:

1.  Shoes:  I learned that real hiking shoes are an absolute must.  My kids were just in their runners and spent most of the hike slipping and sliding around.  It made them quite nervous.

2.  Water:  I know how important it is to stay hydrated, but carrying water bottles is such a hassle.  And having two little kids trying to get in and out of their bags to get it, while spilling it's contents all over is a time consumer and very frustrating.   So, I learned that having a water bladder in each of their packs is also a must.  Not to mention fun.  They think the straw is so cool to drink out of.

3.  Sunscreen:  Yes, sunscreen is super important.  Always needed.  But what I learned was, make sure your hands are wiped off and clean before touching your phone/camera.  Otherwise you get pictures like mine.  Clearly showing the smeared sunscreen across the lens.  (And I couldn't see the foggy pictures in the crazy sun. So sad.)

Lisa Falls Hike Details:

Distance – short.  Between .3 and 1.1 miles round trip

Approximate hiking time – 30 minutes to 1 hour

Difficulty – Easy

Trail – Dirt, rock, and tree roots

Bathrooms – None

Permits – None needed
 
Pets – Not permitted





How to get there:

From Salt Lake City or from Provo, take I-15 to the 9000 South exit (Exit 295). Turn east onto 9000 South (UT-209) and follow it for 7.2 miles to the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Even though you stay on the same road, 9000 South changes to 9400 South and then to 9600 South as it heads east and goes into Little Cottonwood Canyon. Arriving at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon, you come to a junction with Wasatch Blvd from the north.  Continue up Little Cottonwood Canyon Road for 2.7 miles, which is between mileposts 6 and 7. You’ll see a small parking area on the right side of the road, followed by a small parking area on the left side of the road. Park on the left side of the road if possible, as the trail to Lisa Falls starts there.

2016 Utah Valley Half Marathon

As you know, I went back and forth about whether or not I would participate in the Utah Valley Half Marathon this year.  When I'm struggling with injury and lack of motivation because of excess weight, racing just doesn't have the same appeal it usually does.  It's even a bit scary to show up feeling unprepared for something others have spent months training for.  But I did it.  I showed up.

 It was super cold

It was a  beautiful morning with a wondrous  sunrise, and I was determined to walk this race, no matter how long it took me to finish.  Especially since I forgot to charge my Ipod Shuffle and would be tackling the 13.1 miles with my own meandering thoughts.  I figured I would survive.  What I underestimated was the amount of stress that walking actually puts on our bodies.  It hurt to walk.  Not at first, of course.  But by mile 2, all my body wanted to do was run.  And listening to my body has been the theme of my past year so, I ran.

Until my lungs needed a break, then I walked.  I went back and forth between running and walking the whole distance.  When walking I had the chance to talk to other walkers.  It was fun.  Everyone participating in a gorgeous morning together.  The birds singing, the water rushing by, the honking cars, and cheering sections along the route were great motivators.  I thoroughly enjoyed unplugging and experiencing the world around me while I moved along the course.

I finished the course way faster than I thought I would.  I finished in 2 hours 55 minutes and 58 seconds.  Under 3 Hours!!  My goal was under 4.  I feel good about this.  Walking didn't even slow my pace all that much.  I was only 20 minutes slower than the last time I ran the Half.  I'm glad that I had to slow down and walk.  It helped me to relax about my time.  It's okay if I have to walk during a race.  It's okay to listen to my body.  Just BE at that moment.

Be what my body needs
Be me
Be present in the experience
Be happy

Maybe my new race mantra?  Just Be.

Reality Staring Me In The Face

Lets talk about Stress.  Stress is sometimes looked at as a burden to an individual/family and sometimes, I've noticed, that stress is idolized as a state of living that is to be desired.  Although I think the second kind of stress is a scary state for our culture to admire, I would like to talk about the first kind of stress.

The first kind of stress effects me more in my adult life than I ever remember it effecting me when I was a kid.  And we all cope with stress differently.  Some express emotions at extreme levels, some drink alcohol, some obsess about activities or work, and some do what I do.  Eat.

I can't even explain it.  I can be full and know I'm not hungry and might even not want to eat, but I just keep going.  It's like my body thinks food is a medicine that I need right then, and I need as much as I can get.  This past year was very stressful for me for many reasons.  One of those reasons was a foot injury.  And because I wasn't really paying attention or addressing my stresses well, I ate.  And I ate. And I ate.

Between my injury and my inability to exercise (this is usually my 1st line of defense to my yearning to eat) I managed to gain 45 lbs in the last 12 months.  And it's rough.  It's hard to watch 3 years of hard work disappear behind a mask that jiggles.

In the first half of the year, I was super excited to begin my workouts again.  I spent months doing no strenuous activity and was excited to get back to doing what I love.  But I forgot how slow one has to go after an injury.  It's been a while since I had a significant injury and my body is definitely older now.  (I never thought I would say that)  It's true.  Gaining my strength and abilities back seems to be at a snails pace, and thus extremely frustrating.

I didn't really account for this 6 months ago when I registered for the Utah Valley Half Marathon.  So, the race is here.  And I'm not ready to run it.  I was thinking that I would try to find someone else to take my place when I was reminded by my sister-in-law that people walk these races.  Now, I usually run.  I tend to do things quickly.  But by body is screaming at me and I need to slow down; in more ways than just exercise.  I have to respect where I am.  Right here.  Right now.  And enjoy it.

Here's to walking my first race.