OCR Text |
Show Volume XV Issue XI The Ogden Valley news Page 15 May 15, 2008 Hiking Is for Everyone By Chandra Barrong, High Altitude Fitness It has been a long, cold winter and as the temperatures rise, the sun warms, and the birds start to “chirp,” I can’t wait to get outside; I can’t wait to hike! Whether you are a mom with little ones at home, a senior enjoying your retirement, or someone that just plain enjoys the outdoors, hiking can be for you. Ogden Valley boasts many, many hiking trails from easy, rolling terrain to rocky mountainous paths that wind straight up into the mountains. Is hiking an effective form of exercise? Well, a 155-pound person hiking cross-country burns an average of 430 calories an hour. That same person carrying a 20 pound pack filled with water and snacks, or a 21 pound infant in a backpack, and hiking mostly uphill (such as Wheeler Canyon, or the trails at the top of the North Ogden Divide) would burn an average of 540 calories an hour. Make it a two-to-three hour hike and you will burn a hefty 1100 - 1600 calories! On top of that most hiking trails in the valley carry their own rewards such as breathtaking views of Pineview Resevoir, creeks, or stunning views of the entire valley. Hiking is a great way to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, improve diabetes, and lead to overall improvement in health. This is a great time of year to set health care goals. Get out and walk around your neighborhood for a few days if you haven’t exercised in a while. This will get your body moving and start conditioning. Then, spend a few weeks hiking the North Arm trail. It is a fairly smooth, easy trail with one or two short steep hills but mostly rolling, smooth terrain, and the views of the lake are breathtaking. Next, work your way up to Wheeler Canyon. It offers the challenges of a rocky uneven surface that proceeds up at a decent rate—if my 5-year-old can do it, anyone can! It gets dusty as the summer wears on; thus presenting its best in the late spring just after the snow melts. Finish your summer with two of my favorite hikes; both start from the parking lot at the top of the North Ogden Divide. Start with the hike across the street from the parking lot if you are still training and conditioning your body. It takes about ½ hour, on average, to hike from the trail head up to the BIG ROCK. It is a group of rocks ½ hour up from the bottom that affords the hiker a panoramic view of the valley. It makes an especially great sunrise hike if you are in the mood to get up early. Most of the hike is exposed so remember to wear sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses, and bring lots of water. Finally, as a grand finale to a summer of hiking—or if you are in the mood for a difficult trek with a great reward—you can tackle a hike that starts at the North Ogden Parking lot. The trails are clearly marked and go up, and up, and up, finally leading to Lewis Peak. The elevation gain is about 1,500 feet in a fairly short time, which, translated, means steep, steep, steep! The first portion of hike is covered in trees and fairly well shaded. As you proceed, the landscape becomes fairly exposed as you hike towards the top where the trail flattens out. Though it is a lot of work, there is a huge payoff. Just make sure you bring enough water. The number one mistake hikers make is not bringing or drinking enough water. By the time you are thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated. Drink water before leaving your home for your hike. Bring lots of water with you in a hydration pack, or in the form of water bottles carried in your back-pack. Drink ½ to 1 full quart of water or sports drink each and every hour you are hiking in the heat. Carry your water bottle in your hand and drink small amounts often. By carrying a water bottle in your hand, you are sure to remember to take frequent drinks. If you are hiking with children, make sure you offer them water frequently. There is nothing worse than being on a trail far from your car and out of water. Wearing layers of clothing is another good idea. That way, you can add or remove clothing as you get cold or warm. If you are bringing children, be patient. Bring M&M’s or Skittles and offer them one every 50 steps they take when the going gets tough. Talk about the scenery, foliage, and animals; children love information. Make sure you’re headed toward an end target; that you’re going somewhere. Children do much better when they have a goal like a waterfall or a view of the valley in mind as the final payoff for their hard word. Also, choose an appropriate trail length when hiking with children; a two-to four-year-old child can usually only hike ½ mile to 2 miles, depending on the child. Hiking is a great way to spend time together with friends or family, or enjoy some quiet solitude. Start on short hikes and increase the length and steepness of the terrain as the summer progresses. Today’s as good a day to start as any, so get on your hiking shoes and hit the trails! Say Thanks to Mother and Mother Earth Statewide non-profit Utah Interfaith Power and Light urges individuals and faith communities to purchase energy saving gifts for Mother Earth. In May, many people are using their stimulus package rebate money to shop for candy, flowers or perfume, hoping to surprise a beloved mother with a small token of appreciation. Utah Interfaith Power and Light (Utah IPL) would like to urge those shoppers to also honor another cherished family member—Mother Earth—in May and all year long. Like our human mothers, the earth supports our physical well-being. Mother’s Day offers the opportunity to say thanks. “I care for the earth because we are family,” says Reverend Erin Gilmore of Holladay United Church of Christ. “This creation is a part of me and I am a part of it. I care for and love the earth because everyday I wake up and it offers me the ability to live, filling my lungs with air, satisfying my thirst with water and nourishing my body with food.” The perfect gift for Mother Earth can last for years to come and does not need to be expensive. Many energy efficiency items, such as ceiling fans or compact fluo- rescent light bulbs, are not pricey. Energy efficient items and improvements help us reduce and save money while conserving energy. Such improvements can help individuals or faith communities make a smaller carbon footprint—a loving gesture to our Earth Mom. The following list of “Mother Earth friendly” items can be obtained locally and easily: compact fluorescent light-bulbs, ceiling fans, insulation, Energy Star rated appliances such as a washer and dryer, refrigerator, or dishwasher; or even a new bicycle to cut down on the car trips! If you’ve already made these improvements in your home, consider pooling your money together with other faith community members to make similar improvements to your house of worship. Utah IPL promises that energy efficient gifts won’t go unnoticed by Mother Earth. Gift givers won’t get a hug or a peck on the cheek, but a lifetime of great sunsets is also a wonderful token of affection. For more information about Utah Interfaith Power & Light, contact Dale Ann Petersen at<daleann.petersen@gmail.com> Wildflower Walk Planned for National Trails Day Wildflower enthusiast Bill King will lead a free wildflower walk to celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. This easy hike will start at the southwest corner of the Rainbow Gardens parking lot at the Mouth of Ogden Canyon, and follow the beautiful Birdsong Trail. The hike is about a one-mile round trip, and lasts about an hour. Bill is an officer in the Utah Native Plant Society, and in Save Our Canyons. He has also served as an officer in several national plant societies. The Birdsong Trail, which celebrates its second anniversary, has become a favorite for hikers, bikers, and naturalists. It meanders through a forest lined with springs and wildflowers before opening up onto a sage brush plateau with a wonderful scenic view of the mountains and the Ogden River corridor. Then, just as dramatically, it enters another forested area and grotto with a small waterfall. Plants hoped to be found on the hike include the Helleborine orchid, sego lily, Indian paintbrush, horsetail, wild mock cucumber, penstemon, starry Solomon seal, salsify, and more. Hope to see you on National Trails Day! Summer Nature Camps at Nature Center Registration is now open for summer nature camps at the Ogden Nature Center. Kids are invited to join experienced teacher/naturalists at the Ogden Nature Center this summer for a memorable week spent learning about the natural world. Camps are fun, educational, and creative with age appropriate programs for preschoolers to age sixteen. Summer nature camps will include: • Nature’s Myths, Legends & Stories • Mystery & Magic in Nature Camp • Home Sweet Habitat Preschool Camp • Camp Assistants Summer Camp • Junior Naturalist • Green Teens • Volunteens Nature’s Myths, Legends & Stories Camp June 9 -13 / ages 6-8, June 16 -20 / ages 9-12. $145 members / $160 non-members. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday / 8:30-2 p.m. Thursday night campout / 5 p.m., Friday morning pick-up / 9 a.m. From rock art to American Indian legends, from poetry to folklore, people tell many stories about nature, its lessons, beauty and wildness. And nature tells its own stories too! The millennia of geologic history recorded in rock, the decades of climatic fluctuations written in tree rings, and secrets residing in glacial ice and soil samples are all fascinating stories just waiting to be read. Come open the books of nature as we explore the stories we share about nature and the stories that nature shares with us. Mystery & Magic in Nature Camp July 7 -11 / ages 6-8, July 14 -18 / ages 9-12. $145 members / $160 non-members. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday / 8:30-2 p.m. Thursday night campout / 5 p.m., Friday morning pick-up / 9 a.m. Caterpillars that freeze solid and then come back to life! Bird-eating spiders! Frog-eating plants! Giant rocks that slither thousands of feet through the desert! Nature is full of mysterious and magical phenomena like these. Come investigate and explore the strange happenings of the natural world, including bizarre plant and animal adaptations, weird weather events, and other curious and magical mysteries of mother nature. Home Sweet Habitat Preschool Camp Geared for ages 3-5. June 2 6, June 23 27, or July 28 - August 1. $75 members / $80 non-members. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 11a.m. Snoop around snags, delve into dens, and hunt through holes as you investigate forests, deserts, marshes and mountains to find out how, where, and why animals build the homes they do. Camp Assistants Summer Camp Assistants are needed to help with nature camps for kids. Volunteers must be 12-18 years of age. For more information please call volunteer coordinator, Jenny Frame at 801-621-7595, or email. <jframe@ogdennaturecenter.org> Junior Naturalist Certification A summer program for ages 11-14. Thursdays, June 12-July 31 / 9 a.m.-12 noon. Friday, August 8 / 6-7 p.m. Cost: $40 Hone your naturalist skills this summer as you become an expert on local plants, animals and conservation issues, and explore the roles of a naturalist. Attend seven discovery workshops, participate in a community volunteer project, and receive an Ogden Nature Center Junior Naturalist Certification. Preregistration is required. No meeting on July 24. Please call April at 621-7595, or send an email to <aphillips@ogdennaturecenter. org> Register by Thursday June 12. Green Teens A summer program for ages 12-15. July 21 23/ 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost: $30. How is the natural world connected to you and your choices? How can you make a real difference in your community? What does the future hold for our planet earth? Be the first on the block to explore sustainable living practices, alternative energy, and climate change as you spend three fun-filled days in the great outdoors uncovering the answers to questions like these and much more. Green Teens is offered through a partnership with The Ogden Nature Center and The Leonardo of Salt Lake City. Volunteens This is service-based program for youth ages 13-16. Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 10- July 31/ 9 a.m. to 12 noon. There is no cost. Join the Volunteens, a fun, servicecentered nature experience. Volunteens will complete many needed projects at the Ogden Nature Center and learn about ecology, botany, and other natural sciences. Contact Jenny Frame at 801-621-7595 or <jframe@ogdennaturecenter.org> Camp sizes are limited to ensure a quality experience. Call in your reservation and pay with VISA or Mastercard, or come in person to pay with cash or check. We reserve the right to change instructors or cancel classes due to circumstances beyond our control, including illness, inclement weather, or low attendance. To register for camp please call 801-6217595. Camps fill up quickly, so don’t delay! For more information about the Ogden Nature Center, please visit <www. ogdennaturecenter.org> PRICE REDUCED TO SELL! $679,000 ~ 1882 River Run Drive MLS #703705 Exquisite country farm house in East Huntsville. Incredible custom details throughout. 5200 square feet, 1.6 acres, animals permitted, unique guest bedroom/office above garage. Furnished! $2,250,000 ~ 709 Radford Lane MLS #734437 Million dollar views at the top of Radford Hills looking east over the reservoir. The finest of resort living in privacy and seclusion. Indoor Pool, 5.3 acre horse property, 3500 square foot detached garage. Adjacent 1 acre building lot INCLUDED in sale. $1,750,000 ~ $1,600,000 2141 River Run Drive MLS #717714 Fantastic getaway in 5 wooded acres. Incredible solitude with large decks and beautiful landscaping including natural water feature. 5,600 square feet. Furniture included!! Jeff Good (801) 710-3932 jgood@comstockhomeloans.com |