Tag: hiking (Page 3 of 4)

Deuter Kid Comfort III

Deuter Kid Carrier

I have now been able to use the Deuter Kid Comfort III for a couple of years. I have used this carrier on endless local hikes as well as through National Parks. I have used it in the summer and I have gone snowshoeing with it in the winter. It has made taking the kids to the outdoors a much more enjoyable experience for them and me. I have been impressed by how well it handles the weight of the kids. I have been using it with my boy since he was just over 1 and he still loves to ride in it at 3. It is rated to hold up to 48.5lbs total weight, which includes child and gear.

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Easy Hikes in the Wasatch Mountains – Silver Lake

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The Wasatch Mountains are full of trails, and I thought it would be nice to write about a few of the easier trails here in the Wasatch. If you are looking to start hiking or you have been hiking for years but would like a quick hike, read on. I have come up with 5 hikes that I think everyone should at least do once, if not multiple times in their life. The 5 hikes are: Silver Lake, Cecret Lake (Secret Lake), Ensign Peak, Willow Heights and Ferguson Canyon. Over the next week I will be posting about each one of these hikes. First up is Silver Lake.

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We need to get kids outdoors!


I was just going over the 2009 Participation Study by the Outdoor Foundation. It is a interesting report covering what is happening in the outdoors and who is participating. The report showed that there were increases in outdoor activities and that more people were returning to nature. Both hiking and camping showed increases of 9% and 7% respectively. 48.6% of Americans ages 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation and 43% of the outdoor participants are female. One of the sad statistics showed that “43% of outdoor participants get out less than every other week — shedding light on America’s current obesity and inactivity epidemic.”

The report shows that the most popular outdoor activities by participation rate are:

  1. Freshwater, Saltwater and Fly Fishing (17%)
  2. Car, Backyard and RV Camping (15%)
  3. Running, Jogging and Trail Running (15%)
  4. Road Biking, Mountain Biking and BMX (15%)
  5. Hiking (12%)

I think the most discouraging statistic is that outdoor participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped by 6%. This has been a trend for the last three years. The greatest decline was among the youngest (ages 6-12) surveyed. This shows that it is important for all of us to try and help get children outdoors earlier. Children also said that “fun” was an important part of motivating them to get outdoors. So it is important to remember to take it slow and make it fun for kids will want to do it again and again. I believe as we do this, children will learn to love playing outside and the obesity rate will decline.

There are many programs to help children get outside and play.

This is just a few. There are many more in your local area. If you have would like to read the full report please visit  Outdoor Industry Association. Also if you have any great ideas of how to get kids outside, please comment so we can help each other get kids outdoors.

One of Winters Best Recreational Activities

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Winter can be a time for many people to be wishing for the summer months to come and the snow to disappear. Many people are ready for spring and summer, so they can get back out into the mountains and experience some of the favorite trails. Living in Utah, I hear a lot of people complaining about the snow. There are some days, even I am ready for the snow to be gone, especially after a slow commute into work during a blizzard. But since I was a little kid, my mom was always so excited when it snowed. So by default I have always enjoyed playing in the snow. I have snowboarded and snowmobiled since I was little, but a few years ago I came across snowshoeing. Snowshoeing is now one of my favorite things to do in the winter weather.

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Most hikes that are done in the summer can now be accessed in the winter. You can find yourself in solitude while snowshoeing even on some of those over-crowded summer trails. A hike that you might have been on a hundred times in the summer will look like a new hike in the winter. So head out and rent some snowshoes and give it a try. I believe one time out and you to, will be hooked. So far everyone that I have taken, has either went out with me again borrowing a pair of mine or went out and bought their own pair. If your planning on taking kids, I recommend dragging a sled up for they can ride down. Or at least for I can ride down with them.

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Battle Creek Falls

This is a short hike that we did today. Getting to the trailhead is simple enough and the falls run all year because of a spring. It is a simple 1.6 miles round trip making it a quick and easy hike to go on one evening. Dogs are permitted on leash. It was a pretty hike and I don’t think that I have ever seen as many catepillars in one day as I seen on this trail. They were every where. My son loved it.img_5572img_5574img_5580

Getting There: Battle Creek Trailhead- From I-15 take the Pleasant Grove exit 275 and go northeast on Pleasant Grove Blvd. At the intersection with State St. continue straight onto Center St. Turn right onto 100 E and then left onto 200 S. Follow 200 S to where it ends at a small dirt parking area. The trails starts just before you go over the bridge to Kiwanis Park to your left.

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