Snowshoeing in Utah County
A few weeks ago it was Valentine’s Day and The Husband’s birthday all in the same week–funny how that happens every single year. Historically, we’ve been pretty boring people when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day and his birthday. (There was that one year, though, when I gave him baby boy number 2 as both a Valentine and a birthday present. That was exciting…)
Thanks so much to Sahale Snacks for sponsoring this totally awesome date (and the blog post too, of course)!
Snowshoeing! It has been a while since I went snowshoeing in Utah County, and I knew The Husband would love the chance to get out and hike. I planned out our day–totally in secret, mind you. I got a babysitter for the entire afternoon, rented a couple pairs of snowshoes from BYU Outdoors Unlimited. I found the perfect (easy) snowshoeing trail in American Fork Canyon at Tibble Fork Reservoir.
While we love the outdoors, we had a long spell (pretty much the whole months of January and February) when we had to stay indoors because of the terrible inversion. We live in a valley surrounded by mountains, and, during the winter, we often get long stretches of air pollution trapped in the valley. It gets so bad our kids, who have asthma already, aren’t supposed to go outside.
It was so amazing to escape the inversion and drive up American Fork Canyon to be greeted by such beautiful blue skies!
The hike was just incredible. I’m totally out of shape from having been so sedentary during January and February, but it felt so good to get out and challenge my current physical limits.
If you’ve never been snowshoeing in Utah County before here are some helpful tips (really, this can apply to snowshoeing anywhere). Please note, these tips are specific to shorter snowshoeing day trips. For longer trips, or more isolated and less traveled trails, you’ll need to make sure you take more safety precautions.
What you need to know before snowshoeing in Utah
- Check out this website to find great snowshoeing hikes and trails in Utah.
- If you’re heading out to a hike on an avalanche prone area, make sure to check avalanche conditions before you go.
- You’ll get hot as you hike, so dress in layers. It was a warm day of about 42°F when we started out, so I wore a long sleeve shirt and the quilted liner of my coat. I took of my coat 1/4 of the way into our hike.
- Wear a hat and gloves. Do you see me wearing a hat in the picture above? No? You’re right. I forgot a hat and my ears were so cold they hurt on the way back down the mountain.
- Don’t forget sunglasses and sunscreen. You’ll be up at a higher altitude so make sure to protect your face from the sun.
- Bring plenty of water. My husband wore a hydration backpack so we had both plenty of water. An added bonus of the backpack was a place to hold our gloves and jackets when we got hot.
- Bring a snack. Our hike was only a 4 mile round trip, but you’re burning so many calories while you hike that you’re going to need to bring at least a little snack. Choose something small that will be a good source of protein and calories. We brought along some of the new Sahale Snacks Layered Nut Bars. They’re small, but packed with protein, low in sugar, but a good source of healthy calories.
As a Sahale brand ambassador I get to try out all the new delicious nut blends and bars. Sahale Snacks are already known for the amazing fusion of gourmet flavors they bring to their Glazed Nut Mixes. Now, Sahale Snacks has taken healthy snacking on the go to the next level. The Sahale Snacks Layered Nut Bars are the perfect snack for active people. They’re so easy to throw into your pack and take with you on all your outdoor adventures!
We stopped about a mile and a half into our hike for a little snack. The first part of the hike was the steepest, and I was more than ready for a little break. We found a nice fallen tree and made ourselves comfortable. The Sahale Snacks Layered Nut Bars were the perfect snack to bring. Because we were just going on a day trip we packed super light. The Sahale Bars took up a negligible amount of space in The Husband’s pack. (You can find out which of your local stores carries the Sahale Snacks Nut Bars here.)
After our 15 minute snack break we headed on our way again. Snowshoeing in Utah County is so rewarding. After hiking part way up a dessert shrub covered west facing side of one mountain, we crossed over onto a beautifully verdant east facing side of the next ridge. A forest of lush pine trees and the bare aspens painted quite a backdrop for us to admire. Having hiked for a little while through that beautiful winter wonderland, the forest opened revealing a beautiful snow covered meadow.
Looking back on where we’d been….
Our snowshoeing in Utah County adventure was truly refreshing. Sometimes you just need to take a break from the busy world and your busy lives. Sometimes you need to be reminded there is joy in the journey.
This was just what we needed! Next time we’ll be bringing the kids!
About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom
