It's Been a While

Hey Folks,

It's been almost two years since my last post.  I can't explain exactly why I stopped blogging.  Maybe it was the intensity of planning a trip for 24 to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji; maybe it was major surgery and a life examing diagnosis, maybe it was the move in October 2014.  I suppose it doesn't really matter why I stopped, what matters is I have been bagging tons of new stuff; new places, new ideas...I can't wait to share it all!

I'll keep it simple and hopefully easy to read.  Sticking with the main theme of my title, fitting the outside in, I will tell you about my hiking group.

I was spending fall break at Snowbird and I took my thirteen year old son and his friend, Garrett, on the trail to Cecret Lake.   The sign to Cecret Lake says the trail is a half mile and gains two hundred feet.  When I read it I was perplexed.  It seemed like the last time I hiked it, the trail was a bit steep, and much longer than a half mile.  I shrugged and motioned for the boys to follow me.  If I remember right, my son was wearing flip flops, we had two water bottles to share, and maybe some trail mix in a day pack.

The first quarter mile we stopped near a group of around six women.  The hike was a steady steep trail and all of us became winded enough to want a short rest and a drink of water.  I asked the women if they were from Utah and they said they were from northern Utah County for the most part.  They told me they had created a hiking group of mothers who could hike primarily during school hours.

The group piqued my interest.  They left first.  My boys weren't quite ready to stop resting.

When my boys were ready to continue on the trail, they went another quarter mile and we passed the hiking group on the way.  It may have been only the one straggler from the group we kept frog jumping with.  We would pass her, she would pass us, we her, her us...after a couple of those passings, I struck up a continued conversation with Terri.  It didn't take long for Terri and I to make a connection that my sister in law in Lehi used to babysit her twins.

I was so happy to make a connection with Terri.  As soon as I felt I could be trusted and no longer a stranger on the trail, I asked Terri if they were accepting new participants in their hiking group.  Terri said yes and we exchanged information.  A couple weeks later I was added to a facebook group and i was officially part of a moms with school kids hiking group.   I was not only happy to find other women to hike with during school hours, I was excited about the prospect of discovering trails in Northern Utah County.

After taking about six weeks to figure out that these Mommas were no casual hikers, they hiked two to three times a week and if I wanted to be a part of them, I had to jump on that merry go round and give it a try.

I was anxious about not hiking fast enough, or having the same stamina, or the right clothing or footwear, as these serious ladies so it took me a few attempts at accepting the challenge to leave for Alpine, Utah after dropping my son off at school, and being ready for who knows what kind of hike up American Fork Canyon, but I did it.

I met with Michele, who I have recently learned is the main organizer and encourager of the group.  Nobody else could make it the day we went, so it was just her and I.  Michele was a boat load of fun and encouragement.  We went on a perfect hike, a  little icy, where she shared one of her shoe spikes with me, to a makeshift cabin about a mile and a half up the trail.  We had a pleasant chat about our families and careers and I was home by noon.  I went away with confidence that I was a valuable part of the group, that my gear was acceptable (I owned a pair of yaktrax, I just didn't realize how useful they would be, especially in fall) and these ladies were all right.


Please post about something you would like me to talk about.  I absolutely love helping people plan outdoor adventures so don't be shy.