Mountain Mom and Tots

Motherhood Moments: Preschool

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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!

Hidden Falls, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake City, Utah

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I’m a sucker for waterfalls, especially if the hike to them is short. Last weekend the whole fam went out to see Hidden Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, thanks to a tip from the book 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City by Greg Witt.

Hidden Falls is just a short walk starting at Mill B North Fork Parking Area, about 4.5 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It could be added as an addendum to any activity up the canyon, as the hike to the falls took all of five minutes. Well, to be honest it took Big E and little g a little longer, but mostly because of the rocks along the way.

Hidden Falls is surrounded by variegated cliffs, towering titans guarding the precious water. As we followed the stream just across the road from the parking area, Hidden Falls appeared within minutes, a beautiful mountain waterfall.

After splashing at the base of the waterfall, Big E scrambled up the nearby rocks like a true Mountain Kid. We all enjoyed the sounds of rushing water and the energy of being in the great outdoors.

Trail Info:

Distance: 200 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Tips: Combine this hike with a visit to Doughnut Falls just a few miles further up the canyon.

Red Butte Gardens, Salt Lake City, Utah

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Recently, the tots and I went to explore Red Butte Gardens along with some friends from the Rocky Mountain Mammas meetup group. We started our journey by pushing our strollers through the fragrance garden, rose garden and medicinal herbs garden before stopping to feed the ducks and fish at the grasslands area of the park.

Beautiful plants lined the path all around, but my favorite were the pear and apple trees growing up the archway that surrounded the path near the rose garden.

The best part of the trip was the Children’s Garden Area. Big E and little g loved the kid sized house, complete with tree trunk seats. A sandbox, lizard statues and kid friendly displays on vegetable gardening were fun to play in and around.

We spent most of our time in the water, however. Red Butte Gardens boasts a rattlesnake fountain splash pad that was perfect for spontaneous soaking. Tots can travel inside the rattlesnake tunnel (a trellis with creeping plants covering the top) through to the snake’s head, complete with fangs and a flickering tongue fountain.

I had never been to Red Butte Gardens before, so I didn’t know this splash pad even existed. If I had, I would’ve come better prepared; Big E ended up riding home in his soaking wet jeans.

The outing was a fun one, but probably not worth the general admission price of $10 for adults, $6 for children. If you enjoy exploring the local flora I would suggest an annual pass, or become a University of Utah student since they get in for free.

Red Butte Gardens:
Distance: Varies
Difficulty: Easy, paved trails are stroller accessible
Tips: Don’t forget a water bottle, sun screen and a camera. The place is truly beautiful.

Sliding Rock, Alpine, Utah

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Tucked among the subdivisions of Alpine, Utah is a secret swim spot that’s a favorite with the locals. The hike there is an easy stroll along a mostly paved but traffic free road, to a beautiful end result – a natural water slide.

To get to Sliding Rock the whole family headed North on Alpine’s Main Street and turned left on Fort Canyon Road. We followed the curves in the road for about a mile and a half until we reached a metal gate on the north side of the road. The sound of flowing water from nearby creek, plus the other cars parked along the road signaled that we had arrived.

As we passed through the gate to start our hike, I immediately wished I had brought a bike. The trail began as gravel but quickly changed to asphalt and the lack of shade would’ve been less noticeable with a biking breeze in my face. Big E and little g survived the uphill trek well, but we were excruciatingly slow thanks to little g’s tiny stride and resistance to being carried.

One mile up the well defined trail we reached our destination – Sliding Rock! Water spills over rocky slopes creating a fun water ride into a cold pool below.

Playing in the water was so fun, but I also made sure to keep a close eye on the tots as there were some ledges to the south of the water slide area.

Mountain Dad was like a kid himself, scrambling up the sides to slide down the slick rock surface. And just so we’re clear, it doesn’t hurt your backside to enjoy this trip.

The return hike was a pleasant downhill stroll past trees and wildflowers. The perfect end to the perfect summer afternoon.

Sliding Rock
Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy hike, Moderate scrambling required at the sliding rock
Tips: Stay on the pavement until you reach the water. At the fork in the road take the right.

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