Big Spring Canyon Overlook - Canyonlands National Park, Utah

We hiked two trails (Pothole Point trail and Cave Spring trail) and stopped at the Big Spring Canyon Overlook while on a day trip to Canyonlands National Park's Needles district in Utah. Although mountain biking is not allowed on the trails, we did see several people road biking from trail head to trail head. Click the links of the aforementioned trails to get more information including maps, directions, pictures, and videos.

Big Spring Canyon Overlook

The following are pictures and videos are from Big Spring Canyon Overlook which is located at the northern end of the Needle's district. Specifically, Big Spring Canyon Overlook is where the park road dead ends so no hiking is required to experience the following views.

Pothole Point Trail - Hiking with Kids in Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Pothole Point Trail Map and Parking

We visited Canyonlands National Park's southern set of trails which are located 75+ miles southwest of Moab, Utah. Reach the south entrance by driving 40 miles south on US-191, turn right on UT-211, and drive 31 miles to the Needles district visitor center. The park has a northern entrance which is much closer to Moab but the two sets of trails are isolated from each other. Primary activities for Pothole Point trail include hiking and hiking with kids but hiking with dogs and mountain biking are not allowed. A week long pass was required to enter the park. The Needles district visitor center has water and restrooms but the trail heads do not have either. Cell phone service was not available while in the park.

Pothole Point Trail

Pothole Point trail is a 0.6 miles loop with unnoticeable changes in elevation and at around 5,000 feet. The only challenging aspect of this trail is the long drive it takes to get there from Moab, Utah.
It is important to stay off of the cryptobiotic soil, which can be seen on both sides of the trail in the following picture. Other interesting vegetation near the trail includes Plains Prickly Pear Cactus.
Pothole Point trail quickly transitions from dirt trail to slickrock. The slickrock contains numerous depressions called potholes. Carbonic acid rain and windblown sand grains deepen the potholes. Heavy rains can fill the potholes creating a water environment suitable for tadpole shrimp, clam shrimp, spadefoot toads, and red-spotted toads. Many of the organisms survive the dry season by laying drought-resistant eggs in the mud. It is important to preserve the natural ecosystem in each pothole by staying out of them because the limited rain is crucial to many organisms' survival.
Pothole Point trail is fun for kids because it is short, flat, and full of interesting rocks for kids to explore. The kids on our hike had fun identifying the cairns we needed to follow to stay on the trail; see a little cairn in the back left of the following picture.
The landscape opens up on the western half of the hike to expose views both near and far.
The following panoramic picture illustrates the breadth and depth of Canyonlands' geology.
Needles (red and white pinnacles), canyons, fins, arches, spires, buttes, and mesas can be seen looking west and south.
The geological formations in Canyonlands are formed by weathering and erosion against sandstone; a sedimentary rock.
We had a two year old and a three year old that enjoyed leading us around the trail. The 0.6 mile hike was enough to stretch out their legs after an almost two hour drive but not enough to wear them out, so we headed to Cave Spring trail for more hiking.
The following video highlights a 180 degree view experienced on Pothole Point trail.

In sum, Pothole Point trail is ideal for anyone, especially families, seeking a quick, easy hike that features some of Canyonland's majestic geological formations.

City Park Railway - Train Ride for Kids in Fort Collins

Yesterday, we walked to the City Park Railway. The City Park Railway is located across the street from the City Park pool in northwest Fort Collins. The train is open 10 am to 4pm Monday through Friday and 10 am to 6 pm on the weekends.

The City Park Railway is a train ride for kids on a miniature sized train. Each ride costs $2 per person ages 2 and above. Tickets can be purchased at the City Park pool across the street.
The train completes three laps around the track per ride, totaling about 5 minutes. Each lap includes train whistling and passage through a tunnel. Our two year old was a little scared during the train ride but was very excited both before and after. Older kids had fun sitting in the enclosed train cars where they can be independent from their parents.
In sum, the City Park Railway was a fun, family activity that coincided nicely with a visit to City Park's playground and lake.

Neti Pot Nasal Washing for Outdoor Recreation

We are excited to announce that we are selling neti pot nasal washing starter kits and salt solution refill packets by Nasopure. Cleaning your sinuses daily is as important as brushing your teeth daily because, like clean teeth, a clean nose is good for your overall health. Specifically, outdoor enthusiasts can reduce the effects of exercise induced asthma and allergies by nasal washing daily. What's more, anyone above the age of two can nasal wash. The following diagram illustrates how Nasopure's patented neti pot bottle facilitates nasal washing with the head in an upright position; which makes it easy to use over the sink and in the shower.
We endorse nasal washing because outdoor recreation exposes the nasal passages to environmental irritants such as viruses, allergens, and bacterial organisms. Particularly, nasal washing is an inexpensive and natural treatment to common sinus problems and, thus, it can help people spend more time outdoors connecting with nature and less time stuck indoors watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Internet.

We offer neti pot starter kits that include a neti pot bottle and enough salt packets for up to 20 weeks of use. In addition, we offer a neti pot travel starter kit that includes a four ounce bottle that is valid for passage through airport security.
In addition to the nasal washing starter kits, we offer a bulk set of the neti pot salt packets that can make up to nine months of saline nasal washing solution. The following salt packets are compatible with all neti pots including Nasopure, Nasaline, NeilMed, SinuCleanse, Himalayan, and Ayr.

Salt Lake City Cross Country Skiing

Periodically, we visit Salt Lake City, Utah and with each visit we do our best to explore Salt Lake City's seven canyons. We have been cross country skiing twice and have ranked the two places we explored. Click the following links to view maps, pictures, videos, and more information about the trails.

1. Mountain Dell in Parleys Canyon - Mountain Dell is a golf course that transforms into an elaborate set of cross country ski trails in the winter time. Mountain Dell is a popular cross country skiing destination because it has trails for beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers. It is located about 20 minutes outside Salt Lake City in Parleys Canyon on I-80. A parking day pass for $5 or an annual pass for $50-$60 is required. Water and restrooms were not available but cell phone service was strong while in the park. The park sits at about 5,800 feet in elevation.
2. Jordan Pines in Big Cottonwood Canyon - In the winter, Jordan Pines campground transforms into a winter sports recreation area and is ideal for activities that include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snow sledding, and snowboarding. Jordon Pines is located about 30 minutes outside Salt Lake City in Big Cottonwood Canyon on UT-190. Parking is free and on-site restrooms are available. At an elevation of 7,400 feet, Jordan Pines offers scenic views that include Big Cottonwood Canyon's majestic mountains. Regarding cross country skiing, Mountain Dell offers a more expansive set of trails that are clearly marked whereas Jordan Pines is a smaller park with unmarked trails.

Colorado National Monument - Canyon Rim Trail

Colorado National Monument Trail and Parking

The Colorado National Monument is a national park located west of Grand Junction, Colorado and south of Fruita, Colorado. The park has two entrances: an east entrance accessible from I-70 near Grand Junction and a west entrance accessible from I-70 near Fruita. We entered the national park from the west entrance because it is closer to both the visitor center and the kid friendly hiking trail heads. Following signs from I-70 to the west entrance, the park is 6 miles away including 2 miles on CO-340 and another 4 miles to the visitor center. Primary activities include hiking with kids, camping, backcountry camping, rock climbing, and cycling on the park roads but dogs are only allowed on campgrounds and parking lots and not allowed on the trails. The park requires an entrance fee that is valid for up to a week. The visitor center included restrooms, water, interesting exhibits both inside and outside, and friendly park rangers. Cell phone service was weak while in the park. The following Google Map is a rough estimate of the Canyon Rim and Window Rock trails.

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Canyon Rim Trail

The Canyon Rim Trail is 0.5 mile trail with unnoticeable changes in elevation and hovering at around 5,700 feet. The trail starts from the visitor center and runs along the edge of Wedding Canyon.

Although the trail is modest in difficulty, it offers an obstructed view of majestic plateaus and deep canyons inside Colorado National Monument.
The following panoramic picture captures the breadth and depth of Wedding Canyon.
The trail is smooth and wide so kids can easily navigate it. Further, the trail is great for quick family hikes because it is near the visitor center (i.e., water, restrooms, shelter) and short in length.
However, the trail does run extremely close to fatally steep canyon drop offs.
At one time, the canyon was one large plateau that was created as part of the Uncompahre Uplift that occurred millions of years ago. Over millions of years, weathering (i.e., wind, ice) and erosion (i.e., rain) have washed away weaker sedimentary rock. More durable sedimentary rock is what remains and is showcased in the form of large, vertical monoliths. The weathering and erosion have been amplified by the uplift that occurred millions of years ago.
The following picture shows Independence Monument which is the large monolith centered both left-to-right and front-to-back. Harder to distinguish are smaller monoliths including Praying Hands, Pipe Organ, and Kissing Couple.
Canyon Rim trail ends at the Book Cliffs Overlook (seen in the back of the following picture) which includes a covered area with benches and interpretive signs. The Book Cliffs Overlook is the only source of shade on these trails.

Window Rock Trail

Window Rock trail is 0.25 miles long and extends from the Canyon Rim trail at the Book Cliffs Overlook. The following is a panoramic view from Window Rock trail.
The sedimentary rocks' red and orange colors are from iron and other minerals. The following picture peers north from the Window Rock viewing area.
On both the Canyon Rim and Window Rock trails, there are several interesting plants including the Plains Prickly Pear Cactus and Great Plains Yucca. What's more, kids can have fun spotting antelope ground squirrels and lizards scurrying across the trail.
In sum, Colorado National Monument has several kid friendly trails that offer stunning views of plateaus and canyons along with an interactive opportunity to learn about geology, wildlife, and plants.

Brainard Lake - Snowshoeing + Hiking near Ward, Colorado

Brainard Lake Trail Map and Parking

Brainard Lake is located in Ward, Colorado and part of the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests. Specifically, it is located just north of Ward, CO, reached by turning left (i.e., west) off of CO-72 onto Brainard Lake road, and driving 5-6 miles to the trailhead. We visited Brainard Lake in early May so there was still a lot of snow on the roads and trails. Primary winter time activities include snowshoeing, cross country skiing, hiking with leashed dogs, horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. The final two miles of Brainard Lake road were closed to all motorized vehicles due to snowy conditions. However, there was ample free parking at the trailheads east of the road closure. Further, parking is free from October to mid-June and a fee is required the rest of the time. We did not see open restrooms or available water during our May visit but they should be available during summer months. Also, cell phone service was nonexistent.

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Hiking on Brainard Lake Road

We hiked 2.2 miles one way on Brainard Lake road since it was closed to motorized vehicles. The elevation gain was about 300 feet from 10,000 feet to 10,300 feet. We decided not to hike on the designated snowshoeing trails because we did not have snowshoes. We saw several groups of people using mountain bikes to quickly transport themselves and either their skis, snowboards, or fishing poles up the closed portion of Brainard Lake road.

Red Rock Lake

Red Rock Lake was the first scenic destination we came upon during our hike towards Brainard Lake. Camping and fires are not permitted near Red Rock Lake but fishing and non-motorized boats are allowed.

Continuing to Brainard Lake

We continued toward Brainard Lake by hiking on Brainard Lake road. The road was covered with several feet of snow in most spots with a few spots of dry road. Although peaceful, the hike/snowshoe on this road is not particularly scenic because of the dense trees adjacent to the road. However, we saw a mole and several Gray Jays and chipmunks near the road. What's more, moose can be seen near the trails and consider dogs to be enemies so it is important to keep your dog leashed at all times.

Brainard Lake

Brainard Lake is surrounded by breathtaking views of mountains to the west and north. In addition, it is the starting point for trails that head to Mitchell Lake, Blue Lake, and Long Lake.
In the summer, Brainard Lake is a popular destination for camping because many of the 55 Pawnee campground camp sites include benches, fire pits, access to several hiking trails, and an up close and clear view of the mountains to the west.
Brainard Lake is nestled next to 12,000 foot mountains including Mount Audubon, Little Pawnee Peak and Shoshoni Peak. My pictures do not do the scenery justice because they were taken at the end of a cloudy day.
In sum, we only experienced a small part of what Brainard Lake and the surrounding trails have to offer but it was readily apparent that Brainard Lake provides family friendly outdoor recreation in the middle of some of Colorado's majestic scenery.