The End is Only a New Beginning

October 17 Ends the 2020 Broads View Hiking Challenge

Sad the challenge it over. Melancholy as the days grow darker. Challenged by the day to day changes COVID 19 has brought to our lives. Excited for the coming of the winter hiking season and looking ahead to next year!

The summer hiking season has come to an abrupt halt. As I write this the outside temperature on October 26 is 14 degrees at 8:00 am in Ogden, Utah. Wow, time to get out the wool hat and gloves. 

For me, the hiking challenge offered an opportunity to set a goal and work to achieve it. I wanted to discover locations ignored by me in the past and at the same time slow my pace, look around and listen. Summer on the trails exceeded my expectations in many ways. I didn't reach huge summits or go extreme distances but that was okay. A sprained ankle in September required revisiting my final month of the challenge and that turned out to be a good thing!

I picked up trash on the trails along with dog poop left behind by un-informed hikers. I wrote thank you notes to public land managers and local trails organizations, and I donated money. My efforts reinforced how important these outdoor spaces are to my day-to-day life and the lives of my family and friends. 

I ended my challenge on October 17 at Winter's Grove Nature Trails in the Ogden Valley on the east side of Pineview Lake. The Greater Wasatch Broadband of Great Old Broads for Wilderness adopted this USFS trail last fall and have since fallen in love with its charm. 

Bright blue sky greeted Jan Larson (my Broadband co-leader) and I as we wandered along the path that bridges Hawkins Creek and then the north fork of the Ogden River. The towering cottonwood trees, willows and ash were showing off their multiple shades of yellow and orange as we wandered along the trail enjoying the spender this outdoor cathedral was offering. Soon they will be stripped of their leaves in preparation for another winter season. And that makes me happy. After all, the end is only a new beginning. Can't wait!  Barbara

Hiking Challenge Photo Contest - New Story

Amy has entered the Best Hat/Head Covering category and it's a beauty. Check out the hat and her fun story:

Year: 2015
Location: Fantasy Canyon, Utah
Whose in the photo: Amy Brunvand
Why it's a favorite: My friend Amanda and I went out to Fantasy Canyon on a whim because I saw it on a map.  We didn't know what we would find there and it turned out to be amazing and wonderful.  We took our kids who have known each other since they were infants, and they pretended they didn't want to go but they liked it when we got there.  I'm wearing a dark green wool hat that is at least 30 years old by now.  My friend Lori gave it to me after her dog ate my blue wool hat. There's a Norwegian enamel butterfly pin stuck in the hatband that I've had since I was 15 years old.   If you looked through my hiking photos you'd see a lot of this particular hat.  I especially like this photo because it looks like I have rocks sprouting out of my head, which is exactly what I was going for when I took it. 

Thanks for the Challenge!

 Thank you Old Broads for giving me motivation for my hiking challenge. I've done 11 hikes so far just in my area.  I've had some great company and seen luscious forest, however dry it is. I know my surroundings better an appreciate how close all the trails are.  I'm not done yet!

1- Lambs Canyon with Ann, 3.7 miles,

 2- Deer Crest Loop with Kristi ,4.35 Miles,

3- Solamere loop with Sue,  4.35 miles, 

4- The Avenues in Jeremy Ranch with Stephanie, 4.73 miles, 

5- Black Forest at PCMR using the lift to get up and down, 3.6 miles on top

6- Keystone Trail at PCMR with Kristi, Nina, 3.6 miles

7- Rob's Trail with Allison, 5.2 miles (she crashed on a root and we hobbled home)

8- Keyston to Guardsman summit with Kristi and Nina, 5.1 miles

9- Keystone to Shadow Lake with Kristi, 6.3 miles

10-Lambs Canyon with Joan, Donna and Joan 4 miles

11- Blood Lake with Kristi, Allison, and Christine 3 miles

My challenge was to hike with friends as a covid/social activity.  I haven't been able to do long  hikes in the past few years because of back issues.  I got that fixed and appreciate the Old Broads Challenge to get me out on the trail. In not done yet!

Hiking Close to Home in Salt Lake City

 

Hiking Close to Home in Salt Lake City
By Amy Brunvand

Last Spring when the COVID-19 pandemic first started, Utah Governor Gary Herbert issued  a “Stay Safe, Stay Home Directive” that included the instructions, “do not go to or engage in activities at a State Park located outside the county in which you reside.” The Wasatch and Uinta Mountains were still snowed in.  The health department had closed public lands in southern Utah to camping.  It seemed like a good time to explore hiking trails and open spaces close to home in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County.

The first challenge is, there are not many guidebooks for these local trail systems. I got a lot of beta from city and county planning documents. In 2016, Salt Lake City began working on a Foothills Trails Master Plan with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail as the backbone.  So far they have maps for the northern edge of the city to the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Once I started exploring I realized that the trails are more extensive than I imagined. I’d been in a rut using the same trailheads out of habit. Salt Lake City is starting work on a new public lands master plan for parks, urban forests and natural areas called “Reimagine Nature, ” and one good reason to explore trails is to be able to offer public input from personal experience.  

Another underappreciated trail in Salt Lake County is the Jordan River Trail, a 45 mile paved non-motorized trail that follows the river from Utah Lake through highly urbanized areas to Great Salt Lake marshes.  I admit, the Jordan River is in need of some TLC—it’s full of garbage and the water is kind of stinky.  But the river corridor also has groves of big cottonwoods, wetlands full of birds, and a rudimentary water trail.  Elliott Mott has published a detailed guidebook about the river trails. So far I’ve done two water trail excursions in the Kokopelli packraft I bought from the Great Old Broads silent auction a few years back.  My favorite river segment  goes through nine acres of restored floodplain at the Little Confluence in Murray. There are so many birds you can’t believe you’re in the middle of a city!

One thing I’ve realized is how important it is to have funds for acquisition of public open spaces. Planning for urban trails is  incredibly complex since they cross a lot of different municipal and management boundaries. Parcels of private property that block trail completion can cost millions of dollars to purchase, particularly if the trail is competing with high-end developers. 

I also have a new appreciation for how wonderful these local trails really are. I doubt anyone ever travels to Salt Lake City  just to float down the Jordan River or hike in the foothills, but maybe that’s just because we’ve been a little too good at keeping these places secret.  

Here are some useful resources to start exploring Salt Lake City and County open spaces:

·       Salt Lake County: Open Space https://slco.org/open-space/

·       Salt Lake City: Reimagine Nature: https://www.reimaginenatureslc.com/

·       Elliott Mott. Jordan River Water Trail and Bike Path. $12.95. https://www.utahmapstore.com/products/jordan-river-water-tr

Broads View! 2020 Hiking Challenge Part II

Broads View! 2020 Hiking Challenge

PART II - PHOTO CONTEST

Nothing to track, just send us a photo!

PART II. What’s up with that?

 
We are nearing the half-way point of the 2020 hiking challenge and it’s been fun seeing how all the participants are doing. Everyone probably slows down a bit during the dog days of summer so we thought of something ALL Great Old Broads and Bros can be a part of – PHOTO SHARING!
 
So, here is the deal. Email your VERY favorite hiking photo (with you in it) to us and tell us the location of the photo and the year it was taken, the name(s) of the people in the photo, and why it’s your favorite. It can be old or new, doesn’t matter, just as long as it’s your favorite. We will post all photos on the BLOG and that will help us get to know one another since it’s impossible to gather together in person. Email your photo as an attachment to greatwasatch@gmail.com.
 
PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO:
First to submit a photo
Oldest photo (need year photo was taken to qualify for this prize)
Most scenic photo
Best hat or head covering
Most broads and bros in one photo
Photos must be submitted by the October 17, 2020 deadline.
Prizes will be awarded by the end of October
Please join in the fun and submit your photo today!

www,thewasatchbroadsview.blogspot.com

And here's the first photo! It's mine so I'm not eligible for any prizes, but I wanted to share this with you. It was taken in 1973 at the top of the Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park. My boyfriend, and now husband indulged my need to climb this mountain that he had been doing since he was 11. This photo reminds me of the struggle (2 days of hiking and camping on the mountain, one day of climbing) and also the reward I felt when we got back down. Those feelings have stayed with me throughout my life.

New Month, New Trails

Our 2020 Trail Challenge was to hike or bike all the trails on the Trails Foundation of Northern Utah's trail map. There are 66. Well, we got the new 2020 map and there are 77 trails. Not sure how we are going to get them all in by October 17 but we are working on it! So far this week we checked out two trails new to us. Today it was Gibbs Loop, an urban trail above Weber State. Fun loop with a stream for the dogs. On Monday we ventured to North Fork Park and hiked the new Cutler Twist loop on the north end of the park. Lovely canopy of oaks and elms keeping the trip cool. Check it out! 

I hiked the Solamere Trail at Deer Valley with my friend Kristi June 14th.   It’s only 4 and 1/2 miles with a great view of all the ski resorts and the Jordanelle from the top.  Not many people and I even saw a red tailed hawk dive into the ponds near the parking lot and catch a coy fish.  Spectacular! 

A Favorite Place, A Secret Retreat

We all have our favorite places. Spots we only share with our closest friends and family. That sounds a bit selfish I know, but it's true. As our outside world grows increasingly popular there are just some special places you keep in reserve. Places that recall fond memories of past adventures. This spot always calls in June when the winter snow has retreated and the bugs have yet to emerge. It's a place with special meaning. 


My friend Rose loved this plateau of towering pines and dramatic sunsets. The trails meander along the rim and traverse flagstone terraces providing endless views of sky and water. Osprey, eagles and vultures share the airways and bighorn sheep visit during cocktail hour. Rose is gone now, taken too early by cancer, but her voice remains. No one laughed so long and hard as Rose, even when she forgot to bring her clothes bag and we all pitched in to make sure she was taken care of. She always made the best of every situation and made me a better person.

As sunset approached on this years camping trip, Rose said hello from the clouds as they morphed from scarlet to a soft and soothing rose. Miss you my friend, thanks for visiting!

Ann and Kathy's Trail Challenge Has Begun

Ann and Kathy are getting the Park City Broads excited about the Trail Challenge and kicked the year off with a fun hike in Lambs Canyon. Ann's challenge: "My goal is to hike at least 5 new trails this summer. The first I did with my good friend, Kathy Turner, who took me up to Lambs Canyon. It was a wonderful hike followed by a visit to her sister's place tucked way up high in the canyon where hummingbirds will perch right on your hand! Fantastic day!!"

 

Celebrating 50

Ann and Kathy have been hitting the trails in the Park City area with friends and having a great time exploring new places and views. Here's one they did a few weeks ago.

"My friend, Kimberly, turned 50 and we celebrated with a birthday hike on Gambel Trail! Set up ahead of time were photos of Kimberly’s life followed by a picnic at the top. Such a special hike!!"

Ann B

Di's Excellent Adventure in Montana

Di, Zinnia and Amber on the trail in Montana.

Di has been out and about in Idaho and Montana as she visits with family at the cabin in Island Park. She's working toward her trail challenge of reaching Lewis Peak in October!

"Targhee Creek Trail, Montana. 6+ miles with my daughter, Carmine, and Zinnia. I forgot to turn on my trail app so don’t know elevation gain but fairly gentle. It’s a beautiful hike with Targhee Creek beside it and new wildflowers for me, Sugar Bowl being my favorite. The birding was good. Family is my COVID pod and hugs at last were grand!"

Soon it will be July

How did this happen? July just a few days away? Where did our spring and summer run off too? Have they been hijacked by the novel coronavirus, COVID 19? 

I find myself hijacked by the Pandemic that is sweeping through our world, our country, and communities. But during these uncertain times I cling to the trails, open spaces, and public lands that are so near my doorstep. Each day I find a new appreciation for the lush brush, wildflowers, and canopy of green that greet me on the trail. The spring feed stream that parallels my favorite trail-a playground for butterflies, bees, and my dogs-never disappoints. I know I'm lucky, and I am learning to be more thankful for these spaces. I'm becoming a vocal advocate for their preservation. None of us can forget that many of the wild places we love and care about are under attack and we must take action to keep them safe for now and future generations.

Our trail challenge has begun. We started out slowly, planning on visiting all the trails on the 2019 Trails Foundation of Northern Utah map. There were 66 of them so we started early, in May. Then, two weeks ago we got the 2020 map. Trouble! Now there are 77 and the pace must pick-up since we need to have them done by October. Thank goodness REI has opened back up, I really needed new shoes. So off we go!

To date we have concurred Winter's Grove Nature Trails (6 times). This is our Greater Wasatch  Broadband adopted trail so we get their a lot. In addition we have hiked the WSU Discovery Trail, Bues Canyon, Taylor Canyon, Pine Creek Trail at Nordic Valley, parts of the Centennial Trail (Church Loop and Uinta section), Jumpoff Canyon and the North Bonneville Shoreline Trail, the Ogden Valley side of the Pioneer Trail, and on our bikes the Mountain View Corridor, Pleasant View Parkway, and the Independence Parkway. Most of these locations were new to us and we always found something unexpected. We saw cranes and pelicans at Winter's Grove, found no humans on the Pioneer Trail, and witnessed so many early wildflowers on the Centennial Trail my camera ran out of battery. 

Get outside and find your unexpected!

Wild Rivers Running

Several years ago I started trail running as a a way to release my brain after hours or days of studying for my Environmental Science degree.  This need for an outlet has evolved into an something I do just because I love getting outdoors and moving my body.  It has become a way to experience wild places, national recreation areas, forest reserves and river pathways.  We are lucky to have so many protected places to nourish our mind, body and soul!

Wild Rivers Recreation area sits along the spectacular Rio Grande Gorge just north of Taos, NM, where I call home.  It lies within the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument, which was established in 2013 and runs from the Colorado border to just south of Taos.  Home to big horn sheep, river otters, and many other species, you are sure to have many wildlife sightings as you walk its trails and boat its waters.  I like to spend my early springs and late falls here when the mountains get too snowy and cold.  Whether running the trails for exercise, sitting on the edge of a cliff enjoying a sunset or floating down the river, I have found peace, enjoyment and sometimes a little excitement in the RGDN National Monument.
                                                    

The Trail Challenge Begins

Remember to only leave footprints behind.

Get close and personal with natures beauty.

STOP and take in the view.

The Broads View 2002 Hiking Challenge has begun! 

If you haven't registered it's still not too late. You can join anytime, but make sure you give yourself enough time to achieve your goal by October 17, 2020. 

A few Ogden Broads are going to work toward hiking to Lewis Peak from the Skyline Trail. A Broad and Bro are going to attempt to either hike or bike all the trails listed in the Trails Foundation of Northern Utah map (the new one is out and lists over 70 trails). A SLC Broad is going to explore urban and urban-adjacent trail systems close to home, and a Park City Broad is going to get to know more trails around her community and take a friend or family member with her.

It's going to be a fun summer sharing all of these great adventures. It's easy to register for the challenge. Register here and start your challenge. Tag your adventures with #broadsviewchallenge2020 on all your social media.  Let's get hiking!