Mountain Mom and Tots

Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, California

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Alcatraz Island is one of the top tourist destinations in the San Francisco Bay area. As part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, it is protected under the umbrella of the National Park Service along with John Muir Woods National Monument, Marin Headlands, Presidio and Angel Island State Park.

The boat ride to Alcatraz was a quick trip via Alcatraz Cruises from Pier 33. My sisters-in-law and I enjoyed the sea breezes and view of San Francisco from the wind and solar powered vessel.

The view of The Golden Gate bridge from the water just as the sun began its descent was beautiful, just as the view of the skyline from the island was. For a prison, Alcatraz was situated in a particularly beautiful place.

Of course, Alcatraz Island wasn’t always a prison. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore declared the island a military reservation. Troops used the island as a place of defense for the city of San Francisco. It was also the site of the first lighthouse in the west.

But it’s most well known for its years as a maximum security penitentiary (1934-1963). Some of the nations most infamous criminals spent years of their life at Alcatraz, including the likes of Al Capone and Robert “The Birdman” Stroud.

I was especially impressed with the audio tour of the facility, narrated by past prison guards and prisoners. It was like stepping into the pages of history, listening to the stories of escape atttempts and daily prison life.

It strikes me as a little odd that Alcatraz Island is now a National Park. Why do we as Americans find the prison society interesting enough to warrent making it into a tourist destination?

Truthfully, walking the halls and examining the vacant cells reminded me of how lonely and boring life in jail must be. In general prisoners days were filled with monotony and tedium, hardly something tintillating enough for the average population to revere. However, I could not deny my intense interest in Alcatraz, even a voyeuristic fascination of it.

The boat ride, the audio tour and the views of and around Alcatraz all merit a visit to the island. However, I would suggest leaving young children at home if you really want to enjoy this excursion. I could not imagine Big E or little g being patient or interested enough to really appreciate it.

Pier 39, San Francisco, California

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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

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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

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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.

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