the kid project 
As I type this, my kids are urgently digging for treasures in the sand around camp. Sea lions are ‘barking’ off a nearby island. Life is good. The blog has been quiet for awhile and will continue to be for the next few weeks as we wind our way up the coast. If you’d like…
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I do some “risky” things. Climbing. Backpacking. Some might even say skiing. But not that risky. I am that person who sits down after a fun multi-pitch 5.7/5.8 trad climb (for you non-climbers, 5.7 is easy) to read Climbing Magazine or Backpacker Magazine. I like absorbing other people treacherous tales and the lessons they’ve learned…
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Today, I want to introduce you to Dave from 14ers4kids. In case you don’t know, a 14ers is commonly know amongst mountaineers as a peak topping out at 14,000 feet above sea level. And Dave’s story inspired me because he took something he loves, summiting mountains, and is using it to help orphaned children. Last…
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Recently I have been more aware of the harmful effects of the sun’s rays on our eyes. My friend Haley over at ClimbRunLiftMom, was diagnosed with UV Keratitis after a long day climbing at high elevation (and around snow). The sun actually burned her corneas! And she had sunglasses on, albeit cheap ones from the gas…
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I cannot say this was my first time on a Stand Up Paddle board (SUP)…. but it was a first for my family. See I grew up windsurfing every weekend and windy day for most my youth and on non-windy days we just took the board out with a paddle. We didn’t have a name for it….
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After an inspiring all-women’s backpacking trip in Colorado last year, I was motivated to plan my first trip out here in Utah. After much debating on location, I settled on The Notch Trail, High Uintas because it was super scenic and pretty tame in terms of trail difficulty. We had a few “first -timers” and…
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I promise I’ll never give you fake. Consider it a personal goal I have never to be fake. But sometimes it happens on accident, doesn’t it? Especially with bloggers. See, everything is going along fine and then wham! You get hit by something. And if you are like me, that something takes me out of…
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Every once and awhile I have some romantic, glorious idea…albeit ambitious. And last winter, when the snow swirled deep, I was dreaming of sunshine and wild flowers and high mountain lakes. I got it in my head to try taking my kid’s backpacking…not a long distance, but far enough to feel like we were getting…
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I really don’t have any idea how to approach this post. Every person requires a different amount of food. Quantity also depends greatly on age of kids and gender! So what I am going to do is add in a bunch of qualifiers. First, we went with another family of four and there was much…
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This last week we embarked on our first backpacking trip as a family, and our first trip into Willow Heights Lake in the Wasatch. Really it could not have been more perfect and our trip report is coming soon. But for now I wanted to share a glimpse into our time on the trails through…
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It’s that damn pricker again. You know, the one that has left the faintest sliver of a thorn lodged somewhere in the threads of your sock. You stop. You remove your shoe and feel around on the outside of the sock. Nothing. You take the sock off. Wipe free your foot. Put it back on….
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Weather, snow pack, and location permitting, we are headed on the first of our family backpacking trips this weekend! And so, my posts have been less frequent because I am spending most my brain energy on packing lists. I figured I’d share my list and a few a guidelines in choosing our gear/clothing for the…
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This last weekend we were side-lined by a small running injury so we decided to kick around close to home. Which led to a whole host of new adventures up near Rockport Reservoir and the High Uintas. But we also frequented one of our favorite Salt Lake hikes perfect for kids, Bell Canyon Reservoir. Not…
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Chris and I were at the movies last night, (the new Star Trek which I loved by the way). Ten minutes in there was some cooky preview for a Google movie, including the ever-present socially awkward young adult that was unable to do even the most simple of social tasks, like shaking hands. Of course,…
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Two weeks ago our family had a mind-boggling line-up of outdoor activities that only one canyon I know of could supply at the same time: Little Cottonwood Canyon. We hit the trail Saturday morning in our snowshoes and hiked a 1/2 a mile up White Pine trail where lots of snow castle building, tractoring, and general mischief…
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Good morning everyone! I am sitting her, sipping away at my coffee, and typing away at the keyboard. To be honest I feel sort of frenzied this morning. But I am going to try to SLOW DOWN. I am joining outdoor bloggers from across North America today and sharing our favorite campgrounds. We all know…
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Last year, our annual Labor Day family climbing trip headed south an hour or so to the infamous Maple Canyon. Not having ever been there, and not having ever lead a large group into the area, I was a little nervous as to what we would find. Maple Canyon is well-known for its sport climbing….
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Mom, why isn’t there a kid’s day?! My son asked me innocently. I cannot blame my kids…I distinctly remember asking my parents this very same thing. And like my parents, and their parents before them, I responded by saying, Everyday is kid’s day! As a mom, I really don’t know what to think about Mother’s…
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Well, after last week’s successful hiking and climbing day, we took a look at another weekend full of 70 degree forecasts and decided to head out camping for the first night of the season. I like to think of these as “trial trips.” We make sure all the gear is in working order (or the…
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After weeks of rain ruining our weekend plans, last Sunday dawned bright and brilliant. But after a few moments of consideration, we realized our go-to Wasatch trails were still under a few feet of snow. What to do? Having checked out Mill Creek Canyon this winter for some easy family-friendly snowshoeing, we decided to head…
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