Finding a beautiful trail that leads to a great destination is key to making a hike enjoyable. The Wind Caves Trail does just that. The trailhead is located above Cache Valley in Logan Canyon and leads to stunning views of natural arches and caves overlooking the valley. The hike is just under 4 miles long and is surrounded by wild flowers and large trees that offer just enough shade to stave away the heat.
As we began hiking the trail the women chatted with one another about their hobbies, families, careers, and the people they love. Having just met one another at the trail head they were curious about each other’s lives. Some of them had come with a friend or sister but most of them had come alone. The fear of not knowing if they would find someone to connect with quickly dissipated. All of the women instantly opened their hearts to one another and began to find a common ground and connected.
Along the trail there were portions that were a bit more difficult as it was narrow with a cliff on each side. For those women who had come without much hiking experience beforehand they put their best foot forward and kept hiking even though they worried about their ability to reach the end of the trail. They pushed themselves physically and were delighted to see the view at the top of the climb.
There is something remarkable that happens to us when we force ourselves to do hard things. Women had come not knowing if they would make a friend or be able to endure the hike. Having to face both of those two fears in the same moment brought about an inner strength that connected them. Within a mile up the trail new friendships had been made and courage was found.
At the top of the trail we reached the wind caves. We climbed the arches, examined the rock formations, and explored the caves as we freed our minds of the worries of the world. It was exhilarating to stand atop the arch with narrow rock below our feet. We then relaxed and enjoyed the spectacular vistas. Being in nature had a powerful impact on our minds as we realized how big the Earth really is and truly see the beauty of the trees, the flowers, the blue sky, and most importantly the people we experienced it all with.
Finding a beautiful trail that leads to a great destination is key to making a hike enjoyable. The Wind Caves Trail does just that. The trailhead is located above Cache Valley in Logan Canyon and leads to stunning views of natural arches and caves overlooking the valley. The hike is just under 4 miles long and is surrounded by wild flowers and large trees that offer just enough shade to stave away the heat.
As we began hiking the trail the women chatted with one another about their hobbies, families, careers, and the people they love. Having just met one another at the trail head they were curious about each other’s lives. Some of them had come with a friend or sister but most of them had come alone. The fear of not knowing if they would find someone to connect with quickly dissipated. All of the women instantly opened their hearts to one another and began to find a common ground and connected.
Along the trail there were portions that were a bit more difficult as it was narrow with a cliff on each side. For those women who had come without much hiking experience beforehand they put their best foot forward and kept hiking even though they worried about their ability to reach the end of the trail. They pushed themselves physically and were delighted to see the view at the top of the climb.
There is something remarkable that happens to us when we force ourselves to do hard things. Women had come not knowing if they would make a friend or be able to endure the hike. Having to face both of those two fears in the same moment brought about an inner strength that connected them. Within a mile up the trail new friendships had been made and courage was found.
At the top of the trail we reached the wind caves. We climbed the arches, examined the rock formations, and explored the caves as we freed our minds of the worries of the world. It was exhilarating to stand atop the arch with narrow rock below our feet. We then relaxed and enjoyed the spectacular vistas. Being in nature had a powerful impact on our minds as we realized how big the Earth really is and truly see the beauty of the trees, the flowers, the blue sky, and most importantly the people we experienced it all with.
It is the nature of women to look at our hearts, minds, and physical appearance and only see the flaws. We examine the pieces of us that we consider to be imperfect or broken and focus on them so much that we ultimately view ourselves as less valuable. At the Yoga Retreat we learned that although we all have weaknesses and have faced hardships in our lives we are indeed, not broken. It is natural that we feel pain, worry, heartache, fear, insecurity, and all the negative emotions that pass through our hearts and minds. They are a part of life and feeling them is not indicative of being broken.
The Wind Caves
We had a total of 16 women on the retreat and stayed in a beautiful brick laden AirBnB in North Logan. We kicked off the retreat with a 4 mile hike to The Wind Caves. The sun was shining, the women were brave, and the views were spectacular! After settling in at the house we enjoyed a delicious and healthy dinner prepared by Chef Lindsey followed by a workshop taught by Niki Olsen, a licensed therapist. We learned tools used in Mind and Body Bridging, a therapeutic approach that helps women understand that their pain and emotions have a powerful effect on their physicality. She taught us that we can, with practice, lessen that effect. Doing so can leave us feeling more powerful and in control of our emotions and negative thoughts leaving our bodies and minds relaxed and available to connect with those around us and feel joy in our lives. We finished the night off with an outdoor yoga session with Jasmine and cleared our minds with peaceful meditation as we watched the sun set over the beautiful Cache Valley.
On day two we prepared our minds and bodies for the day with early morning yoga under the clear blue sky. In this session we learned about the meaning of chakras and offered gratitude to our powerful bodies and the gift they truly are. We followed it up with a 3.5 mile hike up Richards Hollow where we stopped and had lunch at the bottom of a waterfall, giving us the opportunity to chat and connect with one another. Upon returning we were treated with a follow-up workshop with Niki, furthering our skills in bridging the gap between our bodies and minds. After another delicious meal from the chef we enjoyed a sunset yoga session and finished off the night with chatting, connecting and a lot of laughter!
Get Out There Girl retreats are intended to empower women. The Yoga Retreat did just that! Women from all walks of life made lifelong friendships through adventure, pushing ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally. We spent time together crying, laughing, and most of all learning that we are not broken after all and that none of our so-called “flaws” have anything to do with our value as women. We also learned that we have an indelible power to manage our negative thoughts and utilize them as fuel to bring improvement, peace and joy to all aspects of our lives.
When the opportunity arose to attend a Yoga/Hiking retreat with Get Out There Girl, my first thought was that I was too scared to go. I don’t love traveling (an understatement), and I feel an even more intense separation anxiety when I travel without my family. However, someone I love had attended a retreat previously and I saw the way it changed her life. My heart ached to experience a similar change in my own. The idea of reentering the world of yoga was intriguing, but I wasn’t excited about hiking. A few years ago, I had heat stroke and I suffer from PTSD whenever I am in the heat. This led to me feeling fearful about the whole trip. Going with people I don’t know, experiencing things that are hard and my fears screamed loudly that I couldn’t do it. One thing pushed me forward.
My greatest desire is to live anxiety free. Thus far in my 53 years, anxiety has been my continual companion and every effort made to conquer it has fallen short or failed completely. This time in the world with the pandemic has been especially difficult so I took advantage of a brief moment of bravery and signed up. Honestly, I almost canceled many times. But I chose to go and I will be forever grateful! There are a couple of significant things, among many great experiences, that made it worth all the worry and anxiety.
The first is that we had two workshops with one of the most amazing, talented and wise women I have ever met. Her name is Niki Olsen and she walked us through a method called Mind Body Bridging. The process was overwhelmingly impactful for me. Personally, I felt a change in my heart about anxiety. I now believe that, little by little, following this process will help me understand why I respond the way I do and allow me to move through it. Niki is a person I want to be like and I wish with all my heart she lived next door to me! When difficult things happen, I usually fall apart. However, the night after I got home from the retreat my son broke his collar bone in a severe manner and had to have surgery. There was definitely anxiety, but I put in to practice the things Niki had taught and I was far better than I would have been before the workshops and retreat.
The second was on a hike. These women didn’t know anything about my past or difficulties, as I didn’t know theirs, and I didn’t want to appear weak. As we started the hike I began to panic and my heart raced as I worried that the heat would overtake me. I had to stop a few times to breathe and put every effort into believing in myself. It wasn’t a difficult or demanding hike, but my anxiety started to overpower. My self-talk was negative and, with every part of my heart and mind, I had to push myself to keep going. I tried to tell myself I could do it and, step by step, I did it! The chatting among the women, who quickly began to feel like friends, and following them pushed me forward. There were many times that my belief in myself wavered, but I made it. At the top we rested at a beautiful waterfall and took pictures and had lunch. The others didn’t know what a triumph it was for me, but it’s a personal victory that I will always remember. And better yet….I want to go hiking again!
Our time practicing yoga was also amazing. We were outside in the most beautiful scenery and breathing in the fresh air among the trees. The view of the mountains and green grass was healing and invigorating at the same time. The entire weekend was important for me and I believe a turning point in my journey through this life. Bravery and adventure are not my strongest traits, but I am a few steps closer.
Hiking and summer are two of my favorite things. Combining them is pure happiness in my opinion. Here are 5 great hikes to do in the summer time in Utah.
1-Lake Blanche: This is a 6.9 miles out and back trail located in Big Cottonwood Canyon and rated as difficult. This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Utah in my opinion. It includes a mountaintop lake, awesome views, and abundant wildlife. I saw two moose last time I hiked it. Plan on it taking 3–4 hours and bring plenty of water. Bug spray is always a good idea as well as a head lamp if you start your hike later in the day and you get caught in the dark. Dogs are not allowed on this trail.
At the top of Powerhouse Overlook
2-Powerhouse Overlook: This is a 2.9 mile out and back trail located in Springville, Utah that is rated as moderate. It has a steep incline but the views of the valley are worth every step. Dogs are allowed on this trail. Trailhead has plenty of parking, but requires a capable vehicle to reach.
Hiking the Wardsworth trail with my 3 year old on my back. He walked most of it but got tired.
3- Wardsworth Trail: This is a 6.3 mile out and back trail located in Springville, Utah that is rated as moderate. I believe it is rated as moderate due to the length. The hike itself is easy. I have done this hike with my kids a couple of times. We hike a couple miles in and when they are getting tired we turn around and hike back. The trail follows a stream and even has a few backpacking camping spots along the way if you are feeling extra adventurous and want to spend a night under the stars. Dogs are allowed on this trail.
The view of Bridal Veil Falls during the Lost Creek Falls hike.
4-Lost Creek Falls: This is a 2.8 mile out and back trail located up Provo Canyon and is rated as moderate. This hike ends with a waterfall and is across the street from the popular Bridal Veil Falls waterfall. You have great views of Bridal Veil during the length of the hike. Dogs are allowed on this trail. Some hikers are confused about the location of the actual falls and turn around too soon. When you get to the top of the ATV trail where it crosses the creek and you have to start going up the streambank, look up the canyon. You’ll see a small cliff face cutting across the canyon, with a small waterfall on the right side. The main falls is hidden on the left side of this cliff.
The view from Observation Point
5- East Mesa to Observation Point: This is a 6.7 mile out and back trail located in Zion National Park and is rated as moderate. This hike ends with the best view in Zion National Park. It positions you with views looking down on the famous Angels Landing. The trailhead does require an off road vehicle. You can hike on the dirt road if you don’t have a capable vehicle, however that will add an additional 3 miles to your hike. The drive up to the trailhead is long and is where you climb the most elevation. The hike itself only has about a 700 foot elevation gain. It’s not a hard hike, but man it has a breathtaking view.
I love hiking with my kids. My kids haven’t always loved hiking with me.
I have learned several tricks over the years that have worked wonders.
Here are 5 of them:
1- Bring snacks! Bring things the kids consider treats and don’t get often. Once I brought Oreos and a thermos of milk to eat at the top of the hike. It was a huge hit. I also like to pack things that the kids can eat during the hike with out stopping. Fruit snacks, string cheese etc.
2- Have plenty of water. A dehydrated kid is a miserable kid. To keep your kids energy up make sure they are hydrating frequently during the hike. Stop and remind your kids to drink often! I have my kids carry their own water so I’m not carrying everything. Read the blog post I wrote all about how much I love these kids packs.
3- Bring friends. Having a friend along to chat with keeps kids distracted from tired legs or a hot sunny day. My kids have complained on a 1 mile hike when we have hiked alone and have happily finished an 8 mile hike when they’ve had friends along. It works magic!
4- Take time to stop and let the kids be curious. Don’t rush them to the end point. It takes patience. There is a balance to it because some kids would never make it to the destination if you let them stop every time they wanted. Encouraging your kids to finish the hike while also letting them explore at their pace is the goal. You want them to have a good experience so they want to go hiking again.
5- Don’t give up! If you have a bad experience hiking with your kids don’t throw in the towel. Kids have good days and bad days. Some experiences will be better than others. Follow my other tips and try again.
We stopped to play in the soft sand for a little whilePierce loves sticks. He picks up several during our hikes and plays with them for a few minutes before realizing they are to heavy to carry for the entire hike. I often tell him we will get the sticks on our way back but he forgets and gets distracted with new sticks.
