Winter Hike and Sledding at Mount Olympus Wilderness

Earlier this month I had an exciting winter date. After church on a Sunday morning we met for brunch at the Porcupine Grill. We had a great, filling meal so that we would have lots of energy for our winter hike and sledding excursion. After filling our bellies, we went to REI to pick up snowshoes, but after consulting with the staff there we concluded that it wouldn't be necessary and instead we got chain treads instead. 

Heading up the trail

We drove up the canyon to a trailhead a few miles up. We geared up at the car, grabbed the sled disc and headed up the trail. The snow was breathtaking and the spikey treads helped our feet grip as we climbed up the mountainside. We stopped often to look around and enjoy the views... and horse around a little by throwing snow. We also stopped occasionally to let skiers and snowboarders pass. My companion said that people liked to hike in, on snowshoes or spikes like us, and then would ski or board back down.

We stopped after just over a mile in to let several skiers pass and ended up talking for quite a while. When we tried to continue on, we discovered that the next part of the trail wasn't well enough packed to continue on with just our spikes; we should have gotten those snowshoes after all. 

We decided to turn around and head back down - making use of the sled disc of course. He gave me a good push, and down the mountain I went. Trying to stay on the path and avoid going over the edge to the river was a challenge. I wiped out, on purpose, a few times to avoid greater danger, but oh did I have fun! (The next day I had a good little bruise on my knee to prove it!)

After a few more pushes down the trail, I stopped before crossing the bridge over big sharp rocks. We were almost down the trail and walked the rest of the way. Taking the chains off, we hopped in the car and headed back down the mountain where we stopped at a sports bar to catch the tail end of the Seahawks game. It was a great introduction to winter hiking and I hope to do more.

Lake Blanche

New friends - new hike

As if a my first ever 5k race in the morning wasn't enough, when a friend texted to share about me run, he invite me on a hike that afternoon and I said ok, afterall, he'd done a 10k that morning and if he could do it so could I. I had just enough time to find and buy a hydration pack, grab some lunch, and because of a delay I even got in a power nap.

So after a quick clothing change, sunscreen reapplication, and I was ready to go on a hike. When my new dancing friend pulled up with a car-load of people, I was psyched to go to Lake Blanche, though I had no idea where it was. After a short drive up the canyon we were at the trailhead and fortunate enough to find a parking spot in the lot and not on the side of the road.

Lake Blanche

We all strapped on our hydration packs, except the guy who only brought a frozen Coke, and we hit the trail. It was a beautiful trail along a creek, though it was very narrow. We stopped occasionally to let other hikers pass by on their way down and to take in the views.

With every stop we were awed by the breath-taking views. At one stop, about 3 miles up, while we were waiting for a couple people in our group to catch up, the guy and girl I was with with decided to stop and do some dance poses on the rock outcropping we were sitting on. The background scenery was stunning and the light hit at the right moments.

The hike was not easy, but it was so worth it. Once at the top, at Lake Blanche, we thoroughly enjoyed the views as we stopped to rest and snack on trail mix.

The trip down was easier than going up, as the descent usually is, but still a workout. My legs were burning and shaking from the exertion of the day. About 7 miles and went up 2,720 feet in elevation on the hike (plus the morning 5k). But it was all worth it for these views:

We could see the Lake!
Look through the branches.

Can you see it?

Lake Blanche

The other two lakes at the top.

Adventures With Bloe

"You're Becca and Chloe,

together you're Bloe." 
(quote from Pitch Perfect 2)

Girls night out!

Just another adventure with Bloe!

Yah, that's us - Becky and Chloe, together we are Bloe and we have some awesomely crazy adventures together. I can't divulge all of our adventures, but let me tell you about what happened today as we tried to celebrate Chloe's birthday with a morning hike and early lunch.

Wildflowers along the trail.

Chloe came over to my apartment around 8:45 this morning and we flipped through my hiking guide book to find a trail with a short hike nearby. We looked at several options and decided that Willow Heights, one of my favorite close short hikes, would be best for our purposes today. 

The sky was overcast but only a small percent chance of rain (20% according to my phone's weather app). We were both dressed in capris and had long-sleeve shirts to go over our tshirts. Being teachers of small children we took our own advice and hit the bathroom before heading out - "everyone needs to try, there won't be bathrooms there."

A short drive later we were half-way up the canyon and at our trail by the Silver Fork restaurant. We parked on the side of the road and meandered through the little neighborhood to find the trail head.

Love the birch trees and the views.

The sound of the wind through the birtch trees is magical. And with the wildflowers growing tall and close to the trail it was like walking through an enchanted fairy forest land. 

...and then there was a low rumbling in the distance. And it got louder and closer. Then in a blink there was a flash of light. I really hoped it was just Chloe taking a picture using flash, but the startled look on her face told me no. We had just started to wonder if we should keep going or turn back; the flash of light was all the answer we needed. 

We started to high tail it down the mountain as rain began to fall. As we neared the trail head the rain began to fall harder. A man pulling down a tent in his yard suggested we find shelter from the rain as it increased in volume. We agreed and walked faster back to the car. By the time we got there we were pretty thoroughly soaked. 

As we drove down the mountain to find some hot coffee and toasty bagels to warm us up, we laughed about this adventure. I had wondered what we would get up to on a hike, what mysterious adventure awaited us today. At least we didn't fall off a cliff, get chased by a swarm of killer bees, mauled by wild animals, or lost in the woods. We laughed as rain ran from our hair down our faces. It was a good adventure, but we are definitely taking a rain check for another hike.

Happy birthday, Chloe!

Always an adventure with Bloe!

Silver Lake Hike

Silver Lake, I assume....

So this is my 100th post on the blog and what better way to celebrate than by posting about a hike!

Heading up the trail and looking down at the lake.

A friend invited me to go hiking on a weekday morning at 8 am. Now for a teacher on summer vacation - a SINGLE teacher on summer vacation - this is kind of early, but I accepted the invitation because I enjoy hiking and I enjoy this friend's company. I had no idea where we were going or how long the hike would be, so I over-prepared by packing two water bottles and three snacks.

When my friend arrived to pick me up the morning of the hike all they said is we are going up the canyon. I had no idea how far up or where - there are two main canyons and many hiking trails along both. This was a mysterious trip. (For all I knew, they were taking me into the woods to kill me! just kidding....)

The dammed lake at the top of the trail.

We drove past several popular trailheads. Past the Silver Fork restaurant and the trailhead to one of my favorite little spots. We were going pretty much all the way to the top of the canyon at Solitude and Brighton ski areas.

Just when I thought we were either going to run out of road or start down the canyon on the other side, we pulled into a little parking area at a little visitor center that said "Solitude" and "Silver Lake" on the outside of the building.

Still some snow up here.

The hike was about 3 miles round-trip. It was fairly steep in some areas and I was breathing hard, because of the elevation and physical exertion. But the views along the way were amazing. I'm so glad I got up early on a weekday morning during my summer vacation.

Green and beautiful against a clear,
blue sky without a cloud in sight.

At the top we came to a dam and lake. There was snow on the far side of the lake. We decided to stay on our side of the lake to just sit and talk instead of wander to the other side. It was a beautiful day with clear skies, and because we'd gone up in the morning, it wasn't too hot out yet.

After sitting and talking for a while, we headed back down the trail taking some slightly different routes, but still enjoying the gorgeous scenery. The views were breath-taking.

We saw some wildlife. An unidentified rodent of some sort - a little smaller than a beaver. There were also birds and ducks and even a few chipmunks along the way. Thankfully we did not see any snakes!

And thankfully, they didn't take me out into the woods and kill me because I lived to tell you all about it in my blog. Now, I wonder how many more hikes I can get in during my next 100 posts?... TBD!

Heading back down the trail.

Back at the bottom of the trail we circle the lake again.
A momma duck and her babies swim by.

Amazing views of God's beautiful creation.

Willow Heights

Finally, a sunny beautiful weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah and I did not want to be stuck inside all day. After sleeping in to recover from dancing until the wee hours this morning, and after completing my week 2, day 3 Couch to 5K workout, I met up with a friend for an afternoon hike.

The last time Sarah and I went for a hike we got caught in a downpour at the top of the hill and ended when we got back to the car. This time, there was no rain in the forecast and hardly a cloud in the sky, so we strapped on our hiking shoes and headed up the canyon.

We decided to go to Willow Heights (check it out on All Trails). Its' about 2 miles round trip and takes about 1 hour. We found it without too much of a problem (unlike the first time I went there last fall with my roommate). The drive up the canyon was easy and we found it just past the Silver Fork restaurant and parked on the shoulder of the road because there's no parking in the neighborhood by the trailhead.

We walked up the neighborhood roads stopping briefly at one intersection only once as I pondered which turn to take to get to the trailhead. I'd left the hiking book in the car because I thought I remembered. I was right about which direction to go and we spotted the trailhead just down the road.

The trail is listed as an easy hike in the guidebook, but we did breathe a little hard on our way up and stopped a few times to get water and take a few pictures of the view.

We found a small meadow and crossed a little stream. Then a little farther down the trail was the big meadow and the lake. Looking from the big meadow across the valley was a great view of Solitude ski resort. We saw a deer as we looped around the lake. And we decided that it would be a nice hike to pack a picnic on and relax for a while.

The walk back down the trail was much easier, but we did stop once to have some water. My legs were a little tired and wobbly. Had to do some stretching when we got back down to the car. I'm pooped, but in a good way. Hopefully it'll help me sleep well tonight.

Two moose, one in the pond and one in the bush!

Check out those awesome hiking shoes!

The lake at Willow Heights.

Solitude ski resort