Hiking Plans

This week has been quite the baptism into what I have decided to call my "active season."  I am just finishing up a very sedentary season because I have had to commute to where I'm working and haven't even ridden my bike for weeks.  This week I went to Capitol Reef with some awesome friends from school and did stuff like this:

I scrambled up the rocks from the bottom of that ravine to this vantage point (and a little past that).

Then I went backpacking up a pretty strenuous trail to a campground, which was crazy and full of unexpected adventures.

This summer- as it has been many previous summers - it is my goal to hike my favorite peak and the only one I have ever scaled before - Mount Timpanogos.  It's a very high and very popular mountain peak to hike in my area, probably the most popular in Utah.  (Click here for info on the hike.)

It is not just a goal I've had for a while and want to finally check off my list, but I feel it is a metaphor that will be rather fitting as a way to celebrate the completion of my college degree that took me 10 years.  I've done a lot of personal growth (and am still in the middle of doing that), so it will also be a good culmination of that and a way to express my appreciation for all the good things that have happened in my life.  Plus it'll be wicked fun and beautiful!

So, in order to work my way up to that strenuous 15 mile hike, I have plans to do a lot of fun hikes this summer leading up to the Timp hike in August.  Two I for sure want to do that have also been on my list for a while, are Squaw Peak and Big Baldy.  So here, I am going to list information for many local hikes I would like to try some day, and several of which I will do this summer leading up to the Timp hike. I suspect this will be useful information for many people in my area anyway, so here you go.  (Work in progress...I wanted to get this published but I will add more hikes to this in the near future.)

Sites with good info on lots of hikes
Provo Trails on Utah.com - lists 6 easy, 2 moderate, and 2 strenuous hikes in the Provo, Utah area, with info on each hike including pictures, directions, etc.

Salt Lake Trails on Utah.com - lists 5 easy, 9 moderate, and 3 strenuous hikes in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, with info on each hike including pictures, directions, etc.

6 Family Friendly Hikes to Waterfalls - article from KSL

I am going to categorize these hikes to my own specifications of how I will work my way up through them, obviously others will want to do it the way that works well for them.  By "kid friendly" I mean preschool/ school-age kids.  Depending on what your kids are used to, toddlers and infants should probably be in a carrier for most of the kid friendly hikes because I'm not really listing here what I would consider to be strolls rather than hikes.  "Moderately kid friendly" are a bit longer or steeper, so probably wouldn't work for most preschoolers if they've not already been conditioned for that kind of thing.  All the moderate hikes I plan to do without my school-age children.

Easy: Kid Friendly

Devil's Kitchen
Location: Nebo Scenic Loop in Payson Canyon
Distance: 0.5 miles round trip
Info: Sounds like it's a bunch of rock formations! :)
Additional Info and directions to trailhead:  http://www.utah.com/hike/devils-kitchen-trail

Bridal Veil Falls
Location: Provo, Utah
Distance: 0.2 miles round trip
Elevation: 150 ft. gain

Info: This is a short little hike from the pool at the very bottom of the falls to the base of the big waterfall.  Very short and kid friendly, although the trail can be a little narrow/ steep in some spots so you'll need to watch little ones closely or carry them in a pack.

For added exercise or fun, you could hike or bike up the Provo River Trail from wherever- it's a really nice paved trail that is well used.  If you park at Nunn's Park just south of Bridal Veil Park, it would add just 0.8 miles each way.  Going from 800 North in Orem via the Provo River Trail is just 4 miles to Bridal Veil which makes a fun family ride.  The pool at the bottom of Bridal Veil is a fun way to cool off.  If you have good water shoes/ sandals and are adventurous, you can even hike straight from the pool up the waterfall itself rather than taking the 0.2 mile trail.

The pool is just in front of where my son is standing, and those are the rocks you could climb straight up to the waterfall.

Additional Info: http://alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/bridal-veil-falls-trail--2

Grotto Falls
Location: Nebo Scenic Loop in Payson Canyon
Distance: 0.6 miles round trip
Info: Sounds short and easy!
Additional Info & Directions: http://www.utah.com/hike/grotto-falls-trail


Battle Creek Falls
Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Distance: 1.2 miles round trip

Battle Creek Falls

Info: This is an easy little hike with a pretty waterfall at the end, very kid friendly.  It's a tad steep at the beginning, but nothing unmanageable for kids.  Might take an hour to get to the falls, and it's fun to take a picnic lunch or snack to have at the falls.
Additional Info and directions to Trailhead: http://www.utah.com/hike/battle-creek-falls-trail

Warm Up: Moderately Kid Friendly

Scout Falls
Location: Timpooneke Trailhead, AF Canyon
Distance: 2 miles round trip (or 2.8?  The site was a little confusing)
Elevation: 700 ft gain
Info (from source): When you leave the parking lot, pass the outhouse to pick up the trail, then immediately go to the right. The other trail will require bushwacking to find the right trail again, so you might as well take the right trail to start with. You meander through trees for awhile. At the next junction after 1.4 miles, go left to see Scout Falls or left to continue to the summit. Scout Falls is only 100ft off the main trail.


Timp Falls
Location: Provo Canyon, on the Aspen Grove trail up Mount Timpanogos
Distance: 2 miles round trip

Timp Falls

Info: This is a fun little hike and at the right time of year, you will see a lot of bonus waterfalls from mountain run-off.  It is the kind of hike where you could go as short or as far as you want.  I'm putting it under moderately kid friendly just because it is slightly steep at times, so if you go all the way to the falls, it could be a little harder on little tikes.  You might find for your family that it's actually plenty easy.
Additional Info: http://www.utah.com/hike/timpanogos-falls-trail

Stewart Falls
Location: Aspen Grove in Provo Canyon
Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 100 ft gain
Info:  Beautiful waterfall that is over 200 feet tall!  It's a fairly even up-and-down hike on a slightly narrow trail.  Once you get to the waterfall, you can hike down a pretty steep part to the bottom of the falls and there is a nice area to sit and have a snack, and if it's hot outside, enjoy the spray from the waterfall.  This hike goes off from the same trailhead parking area as Timpanogos Falls, Emerald Lake, and Timp Summit- (Aspen Grove TH).  This has a separate trail to the south of the other.
Additional Info and directions to trailhead: http://www.utah.com/hike/stewart-falls-trail

Fifth Water Waterfalls & Hot Springs
Location: Spanish Fork Canyon
Distance: 4.5 miles round trip
Info: Locally known as the "hot pots", this is a popular destination.  I've heard people tend to hang out in the pools nude, so be prepared for that if you're bringing kids, or try to go at off-peak times.
Additional Info & Directions: http://www.utah.com/hike/fifth-water-waterfalls-and-hot-spring-trail

Timpanogos Cave
Location: American Fork Canyon, Utah
Distance: 1.5 miles, steep
Elevation: 1,092 ft elevation gain, total elevation: 6,730 feet
Info: strenuous, steep, but paved and short.  Smaller children may struggle a bit or take a longer time.  To take the tour of the cave, you have to buy tickets.
Additional info: Cave tour and stuff (National Monument website)


The Y
Location: Terrace Drive in Provo, Utah
Distance: 2.4 miles round-trip, steep
Info: Fun hike for kids cause they get to climb on the Y, and it's fun to eat lunch up there.  The trail is pretty wide and well-maintained, but it's rather steep so beware of that.  Nice views of Utah Valley and Utah Lake from up there.
Additional Info and directions to trailhead: http://www.utah.com/hike/y-on-y-mountain-trail

Moderate: Steepness Practice

Big Baldy

Big Baldy is the large round peak spanning between Battle Creek Canyon and dry Canyon (labeled)

Location: Orem/ Pleasant Grove, Utah
Distance: about 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 3200 ft elevation gain
Info: This can be hiked from either the Dry Canyon trailhead in Orem, or the Battle Creek trailhead in Pleasant Grove.  When I do it, I'd like to start at one and end at the other to get the full range of scenery.
Additional information:  On Summitpost.org


Y Mountain
Location: Terrace Drive in Provo, Utah
Distance: 6 miles round trip
Elevation: 3346 ft gain, 8,522 total
Info: The hike to the Y can be extended to go to the summit of the mountain.  The trail sounds a little complicated, so be sure to look at the directions and maybe see if you can find a good map.
Additional Info & directions: http://www.trails360.com/hikes/view/y_mountain

Mount Olympus Summit
Location: Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City (about 4500 S)
Distance: 7.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 4100 ft gain
Info: Beautiful hike, very steep
Additional Info & Directions: http://www.utah.com/hike/mount-olympus-summit-trail

Moderate: Distance Practice

Squaw Peak
Location: Provo, Utah
Distance: 7 miles
Elevation: 2709 ft elevation gain, 7876 total peak elevation
Info: This hike heads up the popular and beautiful Rock Canyon in Provo, Utah, and then goes around the back side of this peak until it comes to the front and heads to the peak.  I have gotten about 3/4 of the way up this when we ran out of water, so make sure you take plenty of water!  I'll be taking my 3 L Camelbak and maybe a bit more.  (I drink a lot of water!)
Additional Info: Directions and trail info at rockcanyonutah.

Squaw Peak is the jutting point to the left of Rock Canyon, right about the middle of the picture

Emerald Lake
Location: Aspen Grove Trailhead, Provo Canyon
Distance: 9.6 round trip
Elevation: 3500 ft gain
Info:  This is going up the Mount Timpanogos trail but ending before heading to the summit.  (Only 2 more miles/ 1100 ft elevation gain from here to the summit of the mountain.)  It is a pretty area, a great "practice run" for the real thing.
Additional Info: This link has great details on the hike to timp, including a bunch of stops on the way.  http://www.wasatchhiker.com/home/wasatch-trails/timpanogos-aspengrove/

Strenuous: The Goal

Mount Timpanogos Summit
Location: Aspen Grove Trailhead in Provo Canyon, or Timpooneke Trailhead in American Fork Canyon
Distance: 15 mile round trip, Timpooneke
Elevation: 11,700 total, 4,800 ft gain

Mount Timpanogos

Info: I plan to take the Timpooneke trailhead.  The difference from what I understand is that the Timpooneke is 1 mile longer each way but less steep than Aspen Grove.  That is one reason I will take the other trail, but also because I plan to take a separate hike to Emerald Lake via the Aspen Grove trailhead earlier in the season, so this way I will get to see pretty much all the scenery both trails have to offer.
Apparently I only have pictures of Timp with snow on it!  I look forward to getting some new pictures when I go. :)

Timp in the early winter- view from Alpine Loop

Additional Info: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/intermountain/MtTimpanogos/index.shtml
Timpooneke trailhead: http://www.utah.com/hike/mt-timpanogos-summit-via-timpooneke-trail
http://www.wasatchhiker.com/home/wasatch-trails/timpanogos-timpooneke/
Aspen Grove trailhead:  http://www.wasatchhiker.com/home/wasatch-trails/timpanogos-aspengrove/

Why I'm Not Making "Resolutions": A Case Against Dieting

I haven't made New Year's Resolutions for a long time, but I do still enjoy making goals for myself.  I do it twice a year, in January and July typically.  I write down goals of stuff I plan to do anyway, not lofty crazy things.  This year I plan to graduate from college!  Let me tell you about why I no longer follow the "New Year's Resolutions" crowd.

The scene may be familiar to you, you may have even done it yourself in the past few days.  You might be gearing up to do it right now!  The thinking goes something like this:

"Okay, self.  This is it.  We've been slovenly and stupid, but THIS is a new year!  This is THE year, this is OUR year, the year we ______[turn 25/ turn 30/ graduate from college/ stop being stupid]_____ and it's going to be the year we transform our body as well!  Let's DO this!"

Feeling all pumped up, you set out to make a goal real by writing it down and planning it out.  The actual goal is unstated and goes something like this: "transform my physical body into something unrecognizable but totally hot, sexy, and above all: acceptable to others."  For me this particular body has never existed since I've always been a fat girl, but I just knew it could exist.

So, time to get writing.  I knew I had to set SMART goals, which included being specific, having time limits, writing it down, etc. Mine were usually about like this: "Okay, I want to lose 100 pounds this year, that's just 2 pounds per week- that's totally healthy and doable!  So, I will completely stop eating all sugar and sweets.  It'll be hard but it's worth it and I can do it.  I will only eat 1200 calories per day and I might even lose weight faster than my goal, and be really looking good by summer!  And of course I will have to exercise, so I will work out 30 minutes, 6 days per week.  I'll swim Mon/Wed/Fri, jog and strength train the other days, and go on a big hike for an hour every Saturday,"  and so on, you get the idea.  I plan every detail and set helps in place, like trying to find workout buddies, getting into online support groups, buying a year gym membership ahead of time so I have no excuse there, maybe buy new running shoes (even though I hate running), throwing out all the sweets in my house, etc.  Environmental control.


These are great goals that I have envisioned a dozen times as the key to "releasing" the real me out of its fat suit prison.  But here was the problem.  They were lofty, they were a stark shift from what I had been used to, they were unsustainable, and in fact they were unhealthy and setting me up for failure.

How will your body react if your norm is to eat around 2,500 calories per day, and only a little walking as your physical activity, and you suddenly cut your food intake by HALF and jump up to a "perfect" workout regimen?  My body reacted like this, as would most:  "Holy crud!!  What the hell is going on?!!  We must be starving, and running to try to find food! What apocalypse is going on out there?  Oh man, this is it, this is the end.  Emergency!  Emergency!  Going to code red- crisis management mode!"  My body senses a sudden catastrophic world event on many January 1st's.

Now time for the science nerd in me to come out.  What happens physiologically while on a low-calorie diet that your body is not used to, is that all food coming in as much as possible will be stored as fat for later in case the emergency gets even worse, and muscle gets broken down to be used for quick energy.  Cause if you're in a crisis, keeping your brain well-fed, and planning for the worst is top priority.  Your brain is not able to use energy from fat, and if you are starving your brain by eating a severely low-calorie diet, muscle is the quickest way to get energy to your brain.  Your body doesn't really have a way to tell how much fat it already has stored so that it can "cap" it at a certain amount, which is why you can get very morbidly obese people.  Your body will just keep making more fat when it is in these crises even though you already have a lot, or when there is a plain old excess of energy coming in.  Losing that muscle lowers my energy and makes sustaining this plan much more difficult.

(That was the cliff-notes version.  If you would like more details on why your brain doesn't use up your fat and a basic run-down on how energy is metabolized in your body, I got you covered.  But I'll put it on my science blog so as not to bog this post down.  Click here for that.  Bio Geo Nerd: Your Metabolism Doesn't Know It's the New Year )

Think of it like a budget crisis.  You're going along with a good job, everything is good, then you lose your job.  You have no money.  You pare down your budget and only pay for the ABSOLUTE necessities, taking more and more out of the budget that you possibly can.  First you get rid of perks like entertainment, start getting things at thrift stores, eventually you might even have to sell your car and take the bus, or even lose your home.  Occassionally you get some money as a gift, and you stick all of it in your savings to help get through this crisis since you have no idea how long it will last, and you continue to live on the bare minimum and leave your savings alone.  This is crisis mode.  
 
And the worst part, is that doing this screws up my metabolism.  So when the diet fails cause I can't sustain starvation (duh), my body has now gotten VERY good at making fat.  And it keeps using that talent, especially now that I'm back up to my normal 2,500 calories per day average.  Going on that diet just doomed me to being BETTER at storing energy (fat).  Just like our budget analogy, if you were able to get through the crisis by being miserly with your money, you will continue those habits and can build wealth while living on almost nothing.  That's great if I'm going to end up walking hundreds of miles in search of resources that have disappeared due to some catastrophic natural disaster, but for me living in the 21st century and wanting to get fit and also be attractive to others, it's not good news.

And guess what?  I've done this to myself dozens and dozens of times!  I've been helping my body hone those skills to be metabolically conservative, and been getting fatter and fatter.  My metabolism is in a bad state for the world I live in.  And I did it to myself.  By dieting.  I have "yo-yo dieted" my way UP the scale for the past 2+ decades, and now here I am.

Food and my body have been the enemy. My mental state of being completely obsessed about food, weight, dieting, my body have caused an eating disorder of the mind.  Through much counseling and introduction to the book "Intuitive Eating", I realized I had to quit dieting for good, and also learning about the Physiology and Biochemistry of it clenched that.

So, I don't diet.  I don't make weight-related New Year's Resolutions.  There may be some people who have not screwed up their body as badly as I have. I hope you haven't restricted yourself to the point that your body and brain are starving, and your body has to develop the talent of living on a shoe-string calorie budget.  It does a good job of scrimping, saving, putting away every calorie it possibly can, like a true miser.  I can just imagine my metabolism as an Ebeneezer Scrooge- never putting coal on the fire, but instead, hoarding all the gold into the money bins of my fat cells.
So instead, I choose to live an abundant life.  Enjoy food, really enjoy it.  When I eat what I want and actually pay attention to how great it is, and when I don't make any certain foods "the enemy", I can enjoy the pleasure of eating without overeating, and without guilting myself into wanting those forbidden foods more.  When I deprive myself I end up eating a lot of stuff I don't even like just to get a sugar "hit" or try to satisfy cravings with low-cal junk that makes me more hungry.  I'm letting my body know I'm there to take care of it.  I'm not going to jerk it around anymore with deprivation-abundance cycles.  I'm regaining my body's trust, however long it takes. I'm just going to take care and enjoy life, and my body and I are going to be on the same side.

Me last October, RIDICULOUSLY excited to be out riding with my kids.

Have a blessed 2015!

Poverty nutrition

Some people may not realize it, but poverty contributes to poor health.  Not just for the obvious mental stress of living on a shoestring budget, no time to work out or money for a gym membership or fitness equipment.  But let's talk food.

Let's do a thought experiment.  Imagine you are a single mother with two children.  You work to try to make ends meet and provide for yourself, and get about $200 per month in food stamps. Your income goes to rent and other bills, so you try to stick with only your food stamps for food.  Besides, you still have to use your "real" money to buy non-food necessities like soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper.

$50 per week to feed a family of 3.  Let's look at two hypothetical grocery bills for a week's worth of food.  The healthy and the budget-conscious.  (Prices estimated from my own shopping experiences in Provo, Utah.)

Image source

Health-friendly
One loaf of whole grain bread - $3.00
Peanut butter - $3.00
Three gallons of milk - $9.00
2 boxes whole grain cereal (Raisin Nut Bran, frosted mini wheats)- $8.00
Fresh spinach - $2.50
Lettuce, cabbage, kale, other greens & veggies for salads - $10.00
Blueberries - $4.00
Apples - $6.00
Bananas - $5.00
Frozen fruit for smoothies - $10.00
Greek yogurt - $4.00
Quinoa - $8.00
Brown rice - $6.00
Whole grain pasta - $5.00
Frozen vegetables - $6.00

Oh wait......I'm already up to $89.50 with the whole grains and produce, and I haven't even bought any meat, cheese, condiments, or snacks....All this healthy food would be enough to cover breakfast for the week, snacks, lunches (Peanut Butter sandwiches for the kids, salads with no dressing for the mom), and about half of the items needed for dinners.  How filling will these foods be?  Will the kids eat them and be satisfied?  Well, since we went way over, the $50 would probably only get the produce and no whole grains.  Can you fill up on fruit and vegetables only?

Let's try again being a little more budget-conscious.
Budget-friendly
Loaf of white bread - $1.00
Peanut butter - $3.00
14 Ramen noodles - $3.50
7 Canned corn or green beans - $3.50
3 gallons milk - $9.00
2 boxes cheap cereal (store brand Cheerios most likely) - $5.00
Pasta - $2.00
Rice - $3.00
Pasta sauce - $2.00
5 Packaged meal items (Stove Top, Mac & Cheese) - $5.00
1 pound ground beef, high fat - $3.00
1 pound chicken - $4.00
Bag of chips - $2.00
Package of cookies - $2.00
Granola bars for snacks - $2.00

That's better, $50.00 exactly and we covered all the meals and snacks this time.  We've packed the cart and our bodies with salt, fat, sugar, and processed foods.  Vitamins?  Not many- probably just in the fortified cereal.  Fresh fruits or vegetables?  None.  Whole grains?  None.  Lean meats? None. But our family is fed and doesn't go hungry.


Was that surprising?  I hope it was eye-opening for some.  Is it any wonder so many of us are obese?  Unhealthy food is cheap and easy to come by, easy to prepare.

What if you were homeless?  If all you have for preparing food is a microwave at a shelter, and no access to a fridge, what then?  This great article answers that question: Why Judging People for Buying Unhealthy Food is Classist

And, when given freedom with some extra money, what would a homeless person really want to buy?  What I Learned After Taking a Homeless Woman Shopping

Another story to illustrate this.  One day I was shopping at Big Lots, which has a small section of non-perishable groceries at low prices.  A woman approached me with a box of Nutri-Grains and $2 in her hand and asked if I could spare any money for her to get something to eat.  I told her I had no cash.  But when she got behind me in the checkout line, I asked the cashier to add her purchase to mine.  She thanked me.  Coincidentally, we both then walked to the grocery store nearby and I happened to get in the checkout line behind her there.  With her $2 she was able to get some fresh cut vegetables with dip to add to her Nutri-Grain meal.  Notice what item had to come first in priority (processed, cheap, more filling), and what a little extra money could then give her the freedom for (healthy).


I can relate to these stories in a small way because I've lived on food stamps as a single mom for a very long time.  I also was homeless for one week (lived in a hotel paid for by someone else).  It was definitely limiting to only get to cook with a microwave.  We had lots of Cup Noodles and canned soup that week.  At least I was lucky enough to have a small fridge, and free all-you-can-eat hotel breakfast every morning.


One last caveat to poverty and food, at least for me.  This may surprise people.  It surprised me when I came to the realization. When you have no money to go to a movie, buy yourself new pants, get snow boots for your kids, etc., that is a very helpless-feeling situation to be in.  Your "real" money is always lacking, and the bank account frequently goes into the negative.  There are no fun things or perks unless you have people giving you things, cause you can't even afford all the necessities.

But the ONE thing that is constant is food stamps.  During the times (like now) when I'm lucky enough to have a good amount of food stamps coming in, that is the one area of my financial life where I have freedom, within a certain limit of course.  I cannot "treat" myself to a movie, new clothes or jewelry, or hardly even afford to pay a babysitter so I can have a night out with friends.  What is the ONE thing I CAN treat myself with?

You guessed it: food.
Let the cookies and ice cream flow.

That's the only way to reward myself for my hard work, or even unwind after the stressful days.  (Now I'm not condoning this, I've definitely had an unhealthy relationship with sweet foods my whole life, there are better ways to treat yourself and unwind.  Just none so FREE and easy, and enjoyable, for me.)

Now, I do love healthy food.  I could treat myself to a nice Pomegranate or smoothie and I often do, but back to the cost again, it would take 10 times as many pomegranates to fill me up as it would ice cream, at about 20 times the cost (A single pomegranate is $2.50, and a whole carton of ice cream is the same price.).  Junk food is much cheaper to fill up on than healthy food, as I established at the beginning.

Why the importance of "filling up"?  Well this is a curious thing I have found.  Hunger pains make me feel helpless.  They bring home that feeling of poverty and lack of control over my own financial life.  Those fat-filled sweets take that feeling away a LOT quicker and keep it away longer, so I can focus on my schoolwork, for a much lower hit to the grocery budget.

So the next time you feel tempted to judge what is in someone else's grocery cart, please remember you might not know the whole story.  All of this is not me trying to make excuses, but point out the natural limitations for those in poverty.  Please be kind.  Maybe even buy the next homeless person you see a Pomegranate. ;)