Month: September 2013

Pier 39, San Francisco, California

Last weekend my sisters-in-law and I went for our first ever sister’s weekend to sunny San Francisco. The tots stayed home with Mountain Dad, while I went with the ladies to shop, eat, and play.
One of the best places for all of these activities was Pier 39, right on the water at San Francisco Bay. Shops line the boardwalk filled with souvenirs, and tasty sourdogh bread, just right to appreciate the well known landmarks of San Francisco, including Alcatraz Island, home to some of the nations most dangerous criminals until 1963.
The America’s Cup finals were going on, adding to the number of sail boats on the bay.

It was fun to see the boats flit about on the water while enjoying a baked treat from the street vendors.
Some of the shops on Pier 39 were typical tourist traps, but overall the vibe was exciting and uniquely San Franciscan.  It was a great spot, and don’t worry I brought the tots some special gifts to let them know I was thinking of them, even if they weren’t with me. Sometimes Mountain Mom needs some time off too.

Cecret Lake, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake City, Utah

The tots and I met up with our friends from Rocky Mountain Mammas Meetup to explore the secret that is Cecret Lake. Above Alta ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon lies the Albion Basin. A beautiful high altitude area guarded on all sides by soaring cliffs and pines. 

In the winter this area is extreme skiers paradise, but luckily for us there was none of the 50 average annual feet of snow on the ground yet. 

I had read about the Cecret Lake hike in Greg Witt’s book, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles Salt Lake City. From the excellent information in that book I had concluded that the hike to Cecret Lake would be flat and easy. Surprise! It was not that flat, especially toward the end and not that easy hauling an extra  forty pounds of pack and baby. 

Little g constantly said “I wanna WAAK!” to which I replied, “Sorry, your legs are just too short to keep up.” Did I mention it was steep toward the end?
Big E, on the other hand, ran the entire way up and back along with his buddies from the Rocky Mountain meetup crew. He loved building cairns along the way, taking mental photos and throwing rocks into the water. Unfortunately he got so distracted by those fun activities he neglected to answer when nature called. Luckily I found a pair of dry pants in the bottom of my diaper bag back at the truck, and even though they were size two, he was able to stretch into them (thank you elastic)!

To get to the trailhead, drive ten miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Albion Basin entrance booth. Follow the dirt road another 2.5 miles to find the trailhead parking lot on your left.

Even though the hike was tougher than I expected it was still a great adventure and good exercise. We saw some beautiful autumn colors along the way and I will definitely visit again. Only next time it might be on my skis.

Trail Info:
Length: 1.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Tips: Bring a sweatshirt. It was surprisingly cold up there for mid September.

Strongvolt Solar Chargers

by Susan Strayer

On my recent campouts I have often missed out on great photos because my phone was out of charge. To conserve battery life I would turn it off, which then left me without a clock. I know I’m a spoiled camper as it is that I carry around my camera, clock, phone and life all in one device, but if I didn’t, how could I document my adventures for this blog?

So when Strong Volt contacted me about reviewing their 7W Solar Charger I easily accepted. I had been looking at getting a solar charger anyway, because not only would it be good for camping, but also as an emergency prepardness device.

When I received the black billfold like package I was skeptical that it would really make a difference. But when I heard the familiar chime indicating my phone was charging, I smiled with delight.

My first attempt at charging was less than successful. I only had an hour and the sunny spot I chose had a shadow within fifteen minutes. Oops.

My next attempt started out strong, with the Strong Volt charger fully charging my phone within a few hours. However, a storm blew in which drenched the whole set up, my phone included, because I had forgotten it was outside. Oops again.

Luckily Strong Volt advised that I cover my device to avoid sun damage, which I did by sticking my phone inside a work glove I had lying around (I know super high tech). At any rate it worked – my phone is still functional and I discovered the solar charger is waterproof.

If you’re interested in a device like this for your next adventure, Strong Volt is offering a 10% off promo code for Mountain Mom and Tot readers. Just enter STRVLT10 to get 10% off (normally 59.99).

I’m excited for the possibilities this device opens up. Now when I’m out on a long camping trip I wount have to worry about how to charge my phone. I’ll only have to worry about the weather.

Motherhood Moments: Preschool

When Big E was only two years old I remember thinking, “How am I ever gonna let this kid go to school?” I loved having him by my side, my little buddy everywhere I went. But now that Big E is four and a half, I’ve realized that school is not such a bad thing. 

As Big E has gotten older his interests have changed. Instead of pulling me over to play trains constantly, he spends hours in his imagination, turning everyday objects into fighter jets, spaceships and Angry Bird weapons. His favorite past time nowadays is playing Lego Star Wars, not reading books on mommy’s lap.

I guess I have to realize that I’m not the most interesting person in his life anymore. When he was a toddler, I was the source of all the fun and games. Now, if another kid is in the room, I’m like the leperous cousin nobody wants to acknowledge.

So when Big E started preschool last week, we were both ready. He was ready to play with kids his own age, I was ready for him to be exposed to more interesting material than I could provide. Congrats buddy!