Sunday, October 27, 2013

Activity #4 Hiking at Harriman State Park

I've heard good things about this state park and decided to make use of an opportunity I had to go with the Outdoor Resource Center on campus. This could easily be done without the ORC but I just had the convenience of having transportation provided through them.

The things to bring are similar to any other hike. Bring good snacks, shoes, water, and a good camera. For the path I did today, it probably took around 3 hours to do.

I met up with the ORC at 9:00 AM to plan and gather the things we needed. By about 9:45 AM, we were on the road heading towards the park.

The drive is about 45 min. Go out on to highway 20 and head north towards Island Park. The drive there was very pretty with a clear blue sky looking out over the landscape. It was a little chilly in the morning this time of year so I'd recommend some warm pants and a coat to wear.

There are signs to direct you to Harriman State Park on the left from highway 20 about 40 miles north. The road is called Green Canyon Rd and when we pulled in, we took the first right and and stayed on the road past the lake on the left (Silver Lake) until we came to the trail head beginnings with restrooms and maps. 

I would rate this particular hike around Silver Lake as an easy one. It's a good trail to walk and talk with somebody while enjoying the great views of the lake and mountains. We took about 3 hours to go around Silver Lake that included a half hour lunch break and little stops along the way. We were also going at a very casual walk speed. Overall, it's a nice getaway spot to just relax and take it easy while hiking around. There are many other trails that would be a little more challenging that you could do if you decided. Enjoy!



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Activity #3 Hiking "R" Mountain

If you're from the Rexburg area then you are very familiar with this activity because you see the big "R" on the mountain across the valley for most the year. I wanted to be a little bit more relaxed this time and it only took a couple of hours instead of a half-day or more. This is a good activity to do with someone else and talk along the way because the hike up the mountain is pretty short. Bring a lunch or snack and have a little picnic up there if you want as well because the view is great over the valley with many places to sit and eat.

The parking lot on the back side of the mountain is where I did this hike from. It is about a 15-20 minute car drive from Rexburg. All you need to do is take Main Street out past Highway 20 and keep going for about 8-10 miles until the turn comes at your left which is indicated by a noticeable sign that is kind of hard to miss.

As I mentioned earlier, the hike only took my friend and I only 30-40 minutes to get to the top at a little bit faster pace than casual walking. The walk down is a little bit quicker and make sure you watch your step going down some of the steeper parts.

Overall this is a quick, fun, and enjoyable activity to do on Saturday or any other day. If your really up for it like I did once, take the challenge running up it and then coming down. I had a blast coming down the mountain in my jog/run through all of the twists, curves, and hopping over rocks!

Photos:

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Activity #2 Mountain Biking at Webster's Dam

I decided to mix up the activity this week and do some mountain biking. I signed up with the Outdoor Resource Center at BYU-Idaho for this event because it was only $10. The ORC provided the mountain bikes, helmets, and transportation.These are the things that are needed for the trip:
  • Backpack
  • 2-3 liters of water
  • A snack lunch (sandwich and fruit)
  • Camera
The drive out to Webster's Dam was about 20-25 minutes from BYU-Idaho campus. Once at the trail head, the group of people that came along was 10. I believe friends who can come along make the trip better to talk to and compete during downhills (just don't crash each other!). The trail that we biked was a total of about 10 or so miles if I recall correctly. I was too busy having fun!

One of the things we did was have a contest of biking down hill and seeing how far up the really steep hill we could get. This is what I'm talking about:



We stopped many times throughout the trip to allow everyone to catch up and take pictures if wanted. I personally loved a lot of the landscapes that I saw on the ride. This is a video of some of that view I had:


The thing about mountain biking that I love is finding jumps for the bike. Here is a little something I found with some guys to try and get a better jump. I could work on my landing a little bit...



Overall the trip was a great success. There are also some great downhill stretches on this trail where you can get going really fast and have the most fun. I think mountain biking is a great activity to get rejuvenated in your life no matter what is happening. When going out there, make sure to be safe!


Pictures of Mountain Biking at Webster's Dam

All the pictures from the mountain biking. Enjoy!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Activity #1 Hiking Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon

That's right, I jump started this blog by going to one of my favorite places to hike...the Tetons! The scenery of these mountains is hard to beat (in my opinion) during the beginning of the fall season. This hiking trip consisted of going around Jenny Lake and into the Cascade Canyon about 7 miles total one way. If you're a beginner then going to the Hidden Falls is about 2.5 miles one way which is a good hike. If you're like me, then go the distance and enjoy the fantastic view!

Make sure you bring $25 to get into the Grand Teton National Park. Bring some friends if you'd like and split the cost!

The drive to this spot is about an hour and a half from Rexburg. You'll want to get to the spot around 10-11am to enjoy a full day. Going earlier wouldn't hurt either. There is a $25 fee to enter the Grand Tetons National Park but trust me, it is well worth it!

When you've entered the park, be sure to stop at the visitor center and a grab a map of the Jenny Lake hikes. You can also pick up some other cool things they have there if you want.

Go to Jenny Lake junction about 8 miles down the road and turn in there to park the car. The time I went the parking lot was almost full.

Get on the trail to head over to Cascade Canyon which will take you around Jenny Lake. There is a boat ride available to avoid the hike around but I loved taking pictures of the mountains and lake along the trail. It's simply beautiful! Here is an example:
Be sure to take many other pictures like these because it'll blow your away of how beautiful it is!

Once you get around the lake, you'll be able to go and see Hidden Falls. It's a pretty tall waterfall that comes down the mountain which I took a video of:


 After the waterfall, continue up the path to Inspiration Point. It's a little steep but not terrible. You'll be glad you went up with this view.


From this point you can head back if you're a beginner and not be disappointed because you got some great views. If you're adventurous life myself, then keep going! You're now at the point to go through Cascade Canyon.

As you're hiking along the canyon, be sure to take many pictures! It was gorgeous going through the canyon and have 12,000-13,000 ft. tall mountain peaks to each side of you. There is a chance that you'll be able to spot some moose or elk as some hikers told me. Take pictures of the river flowing through that eventually turns into Hidden Falls. About 2 miles in you'll be able to see water coming down the peaks of the mountain from melting snow. It's incredible!



You'll come to the fork of continuing to Solitude Lake or another trail after 4.5 miles hiking through the canyon. At this point it was getting late in the day and I needed to head back before dusk. Be sure to give yourself enough time to get back safely. I personally took about 3.5 hours going in (taking lots of pictures/videos and having a little lunch) and about 2.5 hours getting back to the car (not taking the boat across but hiking again around the lake).

Well there you have it for the first activity. It's a great outdoor place and activity to accomplish. Jackson is a great town to visit and grab a bite to eat afterwards and talk about your fun day experience.

More Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon Pictures

These pictures will be in chronological order as I did the hike. I picked out what I thought was the best. Enjoy!