Time to Visit Some State Parks

Well, the federal government may be partially shut down, meaning that National Park Service units are closed. That sucks, but it's not the end of the world. To try and find a silver lining, this is an opportunity to explore the state parks in more depth. And we are fortunate to have some wonderful state parks!

Here are a few we've enjoyed over the years:

* If you wanted to visit Everglades, Biscayne or Dry Tortugas National Parks, try Zachary Taylor State Park in Key West instead. Great snorkeling, nice beach, and some interesting history.

* In lieu of Arches, Canyonlands, or Capitol Reef National Parks, visit Goblin Valley State Park. It has a cute campground, neat goblin features, trails, and is close to some great slot canyons.

* Instead of Golden Spike NHS or Timpanogos Cave NM, Antelope Island State Park is in the Great Salt Lake of Utah.

And instead of the marvelous Great Basin National Park, you could try

• Cave Lake State Park
• Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park
• Cathedral Gorge State Park

And although I've been to all of these state parks (some quite recently), I realized when I put together this post that I don't have posts on any of them! Time to get busy!

State parks are often overlooked, and this is a time where we really need to thank those who run them and maintain them. It's good to have such a diversity of places to go and appreciate.

A Fall Hike with Nine Kids

What's more fun than a regular hike? Why, take nine kids with! Fortunately we had five adults too.

Last weekend we decided to go high up on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive to see the fall colors. Our first stop was Mather Overlook, where the kids delighted in running all over.

A sprinkling of snow on the mountain made it look quite different than the previous week. After the kids had run out some of their energy and sufficient photos were taken, it was time to head higher up the road.

The road up the mountain starts in Baker, NV at 5,300 feet elevation. About 5.5 miles later, the Scenic Drive starts at about 6,500 feet elevation and then ascends to over 10,000 feet elevation in 12 miles.

That means you gain about a mile in elevation in about a half hour. It is an amazing drive!

Almost near the top of the road we had a good view of the Wheeler Peak cirque, which holds Nevada's only glacier. Wheeler Peak is on the right, Jeff Davis Peak on the left.

We then passed the Wheeler Peak Summit Trail parking lot, which was nearly full (go summit hikers!), and went to the parking lot for the shorter trails, which also had a lot of cars in it. Then it was time to decide what to do. We decided that given we had nine kids, all six and under and one not yet walking, a trip to Stella Lake (0.9 miles away) and back would be doable with great views.

Quickly the older kids banded together and led the way. They were delighted with the snow and started making snow angels.

Of course the younger kids thought that was pretty cool and copied!

The other popular activity was an ongoing snowball fight--Ava even has some on her nose!

We trekked along at a slow but steady pace. (We averaged a mile an hour, if you were wondering.)

Snow eating was also a common sight!

I was so impressed with little Isaac, who walked almost the whole way. He did a great job!

We saw some non-native wild turkeys along the way. They look like they've been eating a lot.

And then we arrived! The kids rushed to the water and I wondered who was going to fall in. We didn't have any extra clothes, so we told the kids to be careful.

But you know how well kids listen!

After eating, we posed for some photos.

What a beautiful day!

Only a few kids got their feet wet, so that was good.

Desert Boy took off running from the lake, his cowboy hat over his hoodie.

Later he slowed down to have a snowball contest with his friends.

Even moms got into the snowball fight! (Look at how Isaac is trying to steal his mom's snowball!)

Good aim!

The kids were definitely more tired on the way back, but it was downhill. We had plenty of time for conversation.

And Desert Girl posed for a few photos on a tree bench.

At the end, some of the kids still had a little extra energy!

And then it was time to wind our way back down the mountain. (And naps for quite a few of the hikers.)

At this moment, Great Basin National Park is closed. Here are ten things (actually twenty!) to do while you're in the area, and some are outside the park.

Desert Destination: Antelope Island

 We visited Antelope Island over Memorial Day weekend, and it blew away my expectations. Anyone visiting the Salt Lake City area should take a trip out here. Antelope Island is one of ten islands in the Great Salt Lake, and it's the largest, covering about 42 square miles.

 To reach it you cross a seven-mile causeway. During really low water years, the island becomes a peninsula. During really high water years (like in the early 80's), the road was inundated and the island closed for many years until funding could be found to rebuild.

 Once we got to the island, we went to the visitor center and checked out some interesting exhibits, picked up a junior ranger booklet, and watched the park film. Then we decided to head out and check out a trail.

We chose the Buffalo Point Trail, 0.3 miles long but a little steep and rocky. The kids thought we were hiking to the moon, they weren't very cooperative.

For those a little more enthusiastic about hiking, Antelope Island has about 20 miles of trails. It also has trail runs! I might have to come back for one of those! Some of the trails are open to horseback riding and mountain biking. (Another good reason to return!)

 The views were great. The Great Salt Lake is so large you can almost feel like you're at the ocean. And the high salt content (about 25% at times) makes it even smell a little like the ocean, although it's too salty for fish to survive in the lake.

 Birdwatching is a major attraction on Antelope Island. We had closeup views of some chukar. (Here's a bird list for Antelope Island.)

 At the top of the trail were some really cool rocks, Cambrian Tintic Quartzite. These rocks are old (550 million years old), but there are even older rocks on the island. Precambrian rocks (Farmington Canyon Complex, 1.7 billion years old) are found in the park, and they're as old as the rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. (You can download a geology map of the island here.)

 It was a little windy, but oh, so beautiful. Sitting up there on the rocks, looking out over the Great Salt Lake made me feel quite serene. It's a little piece of peace so close to the hustle and bustle of the Wasatch Front.

 We saw quite a few bison as we drove and stopped to take a few photos. The island was settled in the late 1840s, with the LDS Church controlling the ranch, which ran cattle and sheep on the island, until 1870. Then John Dooly, Sr. purchased the island. He set up the Island Improvement Company, which ran the ranches and managed the island for almost a century, from 1884 until 1981.  The State of Utah purchased the northern part of the island in 1969 and the southern part, including the historic Fielding Garr Ranch, in 1881, and removed the cattle and sheep. (Source)

Twelve bison were taken to Antelope Island in 1893 (or 1897--I saw both dates listed). This was the start of a herd that became the largest in the United States for a time (despite an attempt to hunt them all in 1926). Today, with a herd of 550-700 bison, it's one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the nation.

Every October, they hold a bison roundup--and they let the public participate! If you'd like to round up bison, you can, with your own horse or a concessionaire horse (check out the Antelope Island State Park website for details).  Sounds like fun!

By the way, if you're like us and wonder how could animals survive on a desert island surrounded by water that is too salty to drink, there are several freshwater springs on the island that wildlife use. Other wildlife on the island include mule deer, pronghorn (the 'antelope' for which the island is named), bighorn sheep, bobcats, and porcupine.

We couldn't stay long, but we'll be back, just like the California gulls. Antelope Island has a couple campgrounds, and that would be a great way to experience the island. There's also swimming in summer and showers to rinse off the salt and sand.

If you do visit, remember insect repellent. This can be a buggy place!


To see posts about other great spots to visit in northern Utah, check out:
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Hill Aerospace Museum
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Utah State Railroad Museum

Take It to the Lake 10K and Kids Fun Run

 Last year I ran a the Take It to the Lake Half-Marathon near Ely, Nevada sponsored by the Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts. It was a difficult course, with 800 feet elevation gain starting at 6,600 feet. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it (despite being sore for quite awhile afterwards!). I put the 2014 race date on my calendar, but as the race got closer, I realized I didn't have the time to do the proper training for a half-marathon. Fortunately this year they had a 10k option, and I trained for that. Not only did I train, but I trained to do really well (by my standards!), including lots of hill workouts and long runs.

The 10k was scheduled to start at 9am, and the weather was supposed to be pleasant, so we decided to camp at Cave Lake the night before. They have two campgrounds, and we found a spot at the Lake View campground. The campsite was nice, and we quickly set up the tent and had a simple dinner. We checked out the flush toilet bathrooms and hot showers (wow!). Then we walked down to the lake to enjoy the almost full moon reflecting in the peaceful setting. Nobody else was down there, and it was great.

After an okay night's sleep (Desert Girl wiggled out of her sleeping bag multiple times and then woke up), we got up, had a big breakfast, and were nice and close to all the race activity. I took the shuttle to the start of the 10k.

 My husband took the kids fishing and then to the Kids Fun Run. Yonder Yoga from Ely led the kids in pre-race stretches, and my husband got great photos. My kids love doing Cosmic Kids Yoga (we've already tried out a couple new episodes!), so they were into the stretches.

 Well, at least Desert Girl was into the stretches! Like her running outfit? She's so stylish!

 Finally it was time to start. The kids lined up...

...and then were off to run a mile.

 Desert Girl ran most of the race with her friend Rose.

 What a great morning activity in the fall!

 Desert Boy did really well, coming in fifth or maybe better. We weren't certain. The race was untimed and we made sure he knew that it was called a fun run, and as long as he had fun and finished, we were happy.

 Desert Girl did such a good job!

 She may not have always run the straightest line, but that's okay. She finished under her own power and got a medal, and by golly, she's been showing that medal to everyone.

 Meanwhile I was out at the windy flat (or sort of flat, flatter than the canyon anyway). Colorful flags marked our starting line, and we cheered the half-marathoners as they came through.

 Then it was our starting time, and we got a gun start to send us on our way. Ely's cool like that.

 I had a goal for the race of 65 minutes or less. That probably doesn't sound very fast to you runners out there, and it isn't. But for me, running uphill at elevation, it was a goal that would push me but doable. I wanted to be at mile marker one by 10:00, but it was 10:20. I wanted to be at mile marker two by 19:00 (it was not as steep), but didn't make it until 20:00. I wasn't so sure I was going to make my goal, because I figured I would get slower as the road got steeper and I got more tired.

 To my great surprise, I was able to stay at 10 minute miles even as the road got steeper. (The tail wind was much appreciated!) I was ecstatic, and feeling really good as I slowly caught up to half-marathoners. Finally I got to the steep hill at mile six and had to walk up it, totally messing with my time. But at the top it was only a short distance to the finish line, and I finished in less than 65 minutes. Yippee!


It turned out that I was the first 10k finisher, male or female. I have many friends who can beat my time, so if you're one of them, you should enter next year! I felt a little bit like an imposter coming in first, knowing that there are so many faster people than me. Ah well, I guess I'll enjoy it while I can!

 The kids showed me their medals and their goodie bags. (The goodie bags rock at this race!)


Desert Girl and I went and cheered on more runners, then took a little walk by the lake. It was cold water but so beautiful.

 In a little while the post-race BBQ started. Yum! That's another thing I love about this race.

 I tried to get a photo of the kids with all our medals under the finish line, but they were feeling a little tired and uncooperative by this time.

 Nancy, the race director. Thanks for such a great race! And many thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors helping with the race. It's so nice to have a local race where you know the terrain and know more of the runners.

My trophy! Super cool.