Back in high school I worked on the rock climbing wall at our community recreation center in Sandy, UT. I loved climbing, so when I landed a job in college at BYU Outdoors Unlimited I was pretty excited to have a steep discount on climbing gear. Not only that, I associated with others who shared the same love. By the time Sam and I married I had completed a few lead climbs and felt pretty comfortable out on the rock.
Then came the small kids and the “dry years”. There are ambitious climbers that take their kids out on the crag (I follow a few on Instagram), but we just weren’t the type. While traveling we haven’t done much climbing either despite our kids getting older. Andrew & I had a date in Canada to a climbing gym, and last year we went out with fellow Airstream friends in Prescott, AZ for an afternoon on the rocks. For the most part though, our climbing gear just gathered dust and took up much needed space in our Airstream.
Just before we went to Manti for the month of June, we stopped in Sandy, UT to take care of some logistics. We put all the rock climbing gear in our storage unit as we weren’t ready to part with our harnesses, rope, and shoes permanently. Once in Manti though, I realized we were only 30 minutes from Maple Canyon! Whoops. Its a premier and unique rock climbing location in Sanpete County with some of the coolest conglomerate rock. I had climbed there once or twice in college and knew there were some easy routes the kids could handle. When Sam went back up to Sandy for a conference a few days after we arrived, he dropped by the storage unit and reclaimed our gear. We were good to go!
With our pageant schedule, we had Sunday and Mondays off so our first Monday we took the evening and drove up to Maple Canyon to check out some climbs. I had looked around on the internet and the best route I could find were Bob’s Bolts, a 5.4 in the Schoolroom area. I figured I could handle lead climbing a 5.4 and the kids would be able to climb once I did.
Unfortunately when we got there it was difficult to find the route exactly. We looked around for a bit, but I wasn’t super comfortable with any of our options.
A little farther up the trail is Road Kill Wall. There was a couple climbing there and after talking with them a bit, we decided to do an easy climb basically up a large gully. There weren’t any bolts but it was no problem for me to get up there, anchor and create an easy climb for the kids.
Turns out my kids aren’t really into climbing.
Rachel lacked interest before we arrived at the wall, and came prepared. She practice on the jamstik+ while lounging in the hammock while the rest of us climbed.
Cara made it barely up the wall and decided to come back down. Andrew did a little better, but he was still pretty nervous.
Since the kids were happy to hang out and eat snacks I decided to tackle Tomato Man, an easy rated 5.5 with “great clipping stances” and only 6 or 7 draws.
I was terrified. Despite having done some lead climbing, I’ve never taken a real fall and I hear the first one is always the worst. I took a deep breath and started up the wall. Right hand, left hand. Feet placement. Stand up. Reach for the rope. Clip in. Despite my nerves I managed to make it up to the top without any serious problems.
We managed to coax Andrew about half way up the wall, Sam climbed, and we had brought a friend who did awesome for her first time ever climbing! Overall we had a great evening and finished the night with dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.
We will never be an avid rock climbing family. Sometimes I’ll look at kids or families on social media that are easily climbing 5.10 routes and simply be amazed. We are social climbers – its great to go with friends or when its really convenient but I doubt we’ll go out of our way to make it happen.
That said, I was super stoked to know I could still pull off a lead climb. An easy one, turns out, but I still felt pumped when I reached the top. Sometimes a sense of accomplishment is important for us adults too!
We turned up the winding canyon road and our excitement mounted with every foot of elevation we climbed. We turned off the main rode and drove the last few hundred feet up a dirt road to the very top of Powder Mountain Ski Resort. We crested the final hill and were in awe of the view that would be ours for the next 4 days. This was truly going to be a spectacular weekend.
Partnered with REI, the brains behind an all women’s outdoor adventure summit went all out. From amazing REI guides and teachers from all over the country, world class food, national championship level athletes, prominent vendors in the outdoor industry, and a full schedule, they worked to cover every detail to create a one of a kind event.
After checking in, receiving my welcome packet (an Osprey day pack will all sorts of goodies inside!) I was led to the spot where Camp Outessa was being formed. I opted to bring my own camping gear and stake it out in the temporary camp, but immediately became aware it wasn’t going to be easy. We were set up in a parking lot at the top of the hill, and naturally, the ski resort uses a hardening agent in the dirt so the entire top of the mountain doesn’t slide off when the snow hits. It also makes it really hard to stake in a tent. Outessa had laid out fresh sod over the dirt which helped the stake situation (we angled all our stakes in practically sideways) and also provided a soft surface to sleep on. I was extremely grateful to not have dust and dirt in the tent area! We had some resourceful people helping us try to get our stakes in the ground, and resorted to a lot of sandbags, rocks, and sharing of large tent stakes so we could have at least one corner staked down well.
Thinking I was set up as well as I could be, I met back up with my friend and we explored the REI village where vendors were setting up. There wasn’t really anything going on that evening, just mostly checking in and getting set up. Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized meals weren’t provided until the following day, so by the time dinner rolled around I was one of quite a few hungry people hanging out. We snaked protein bars, almond butter, and a few other snacks laid out for the weekend, and after chatting on the deck and watching the sun go down we headed to bed excited and ready for the following morning.
Then the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and nobody slept.
I swear it was the worst night’s sleep I have had in my entire life and I’ve been pregnant three times. Not being able to fully stake my tent fly out it was flapping loudly all night long while consistently hitting me in the head. It was also bitterly cold. I woke up around 2am and donned almost every single piece of clothing I had brought. Layered up I still slept fitfully with the noise and wind chill.
Miserable, angry, and feeling utterly defeated I woke up at 6:45am the next morning and grumbled my way out of the tent to attempt a sunrise photo. I wasn’t feeling it and I’ll admit I had some not nice thoughts going through my head. I was hungry, cold, tired, and not sure how I was going to manage a full schedule of outdoor activities on little sleep and no real food. Breakfast was light (tofu burritos) and I longed for oatmeal, eggs, or anything that could help give me a boost for the day.
At this point I had a choice. I could suck it up, change my attitude, and purposely strive forward knowing that nothing is perfect. Or, I could give in to the demons in my head, pack up and head for a hotel later that day where I knew I could get a good night’s rest.
I chose the former option and am so glad I did.
My first class wasn’t until 9am, so I went back to my tent determined to fix the fly problem. There were some helpful men running around with large hammers, more rocks, and helpful attitudes. We managed to stake my fly out a little better and I also found the Big Agnes camp hostesses walking around with ear plugs and hand warmers to help both the noise and the cold. Bless their souls.
Buoyed by this success, I started my classes and had a fantastic day. I made my own ProBar, tortured myself with a Trigger Point foam rolling session, conquered an overhang in an intermediate rock climbing class, and headed out on a mountain bike for a trail ride. I loved being surrounded by passionate women who excelled in their sports and were there to encourage and support us in whatever we were willing to try!
Thankfully there was very little wind Friday night (I fully attribute that to all the prayers that I’m sure were being said all day!) and woke refreshed and ready to pound another day.
Mountain Biking Tight Turns, SUP, Backpacking Cooking, and an amazing, travel photography workshop with Chris Burkard kept me running on my feet until dinner. Perhaps my schedule was a bit packed (I did manage to squeeze a few minutes to sit in the ENO hammock lounge) but I thrive on doing all the things. With so many options it wasn’t difficult to keep busy.
Saturday night we hiked a mile to dinner as a group where we were treated to a crab boil! I ate salad, cornbread, seafood, and potatoes amidst some great company, and a charged, positive vibe from the group.
Afterward we retired to the campfire and sat huddled against the cold laughing, talking and enjoying each other’s company. To top it off we were served grilled peaches, pound cake, and whipped cream while we watched the sun sink on the horizon.
Although I wasn’t in the mood to run, I knew that if I ditched my headlamp run I would forever regret it. Despite the fact that were were full of crab, there were 5 of us that set off on a short 2 mile trail run around 8:30pm. Decked out with Salomon running shoes we made our way down the hill and back up again. Lit by our headlamps underneath the moon and stars it was probably one of the most peaceful things I’ve ever done. Mid-way we stopped to just stare at the night sky full of stars. Proud of myself and warm from the run I crawled into my sleeping bag and slept easily until morning.
Sunday dawned bright and crisp and after a quick breakfast of yogurt, muffins, and fruit I got dressed in my mountain biking gear and headed for my most anticipated class: Mountain Bike Skills – Wheel Lifts. After attending my skills class the previous morning I was dying to add this class and the night before a spot opened up. The instructor for all the MTB classes was Cindy Abbot-Wood – the Senior Instructor for the REI Outdoor School in Austin, TX and one amazing pro-level mountain biker.
You guys – I didn’t know you could take mountain biking skills classes and I was hooked. I seriously wanted to just drink everything in.
Demoing her awesome skills to the class, our group of instructors including pro athletes Sarah Kaufmann, and Rebecca Rusch, and me learning how to balance while doing a wheelie.
If there was anything I got from attending Outessa, it would be the passion, desire, focus, and motivation to follow my dreams. Cindy and I chatted after class (and my amazingly awesome wheelie!) about life, what I could do to certify as an instructor, and how to continuously improve my skills and even get into the racing scene. She could tell I’ve been bit badly by the mountain biking bug and absolutely encouraged and empowered me.
Julia Mallon(co-founder), Cindy Abbott-Wood (REI Guide), Bart Davis (co-founder)
On a total high from my class and chat with Cindy, I skipped my stretching session and opted for a moment or two in the hammock and time to just breathe before taking the shuttle down to the reservoir for kayaking with OruKayaks. The instructors decided to throw in a little origami while we were at it.
Even though I was dying to go ride with the group on the afternoon trail ride, at this point I was feeling pretty spent and knew that 2 hours on the trail might just kill me. Instead I opted to check out the Leatherman class (and got a free Skeletool!) and ended the day with Yoga at 5pm.
My entire experience was a completely packed 3 days, but there were so many other classes I could have taken. Plenty on hiking, photography, campfire cooking, taking care of your body, meditation, or even map & compass. It was great to gather at meals and see what classes other women had taken and how they felt about it. So many felt enabled after taking an Intro to Backpacking, or Rock Climbing class. Many had sports or activities they had always wanted to try but never felt they could get into on their own. Taking a class, learning about equipment and being able to ask questions was just what most of these women needed. No egos, no judgement, just encouragement from all sides.
Outessa is all about empowering women in the outdoors. They encourage us to nurture our passions and feed our curiosities. I came home fueled up, filled, and completely ready to tackle whatever life throws at me. Was the event perfect? Of course not. From a less than ideal camping situation, to dinner on Thursday night, or even shuttle schedules, I know that the brains behind Outessa are working on solutions. For a first time event however, I completely feel Outessa knocked it out of the park. They were so aware of us, our needs, and what they could do to make our experience even better. Just as we learn from the obstacles thrown in our path you can bet Outessa is already hard at work hammering out details to make next year even better than this one and I can’t wait to be there.
In the last two years of traveling we really haven’t made an effort to attend any conferences or workshops. Pre-travel I would attend at least one photography workshop a year, and Sam would often have 2-3 tech conferences he attended. All part of keeping up our skills, networking, and getting inspiration for new projects or ideas. Conferences were also a way to get some dedicated “me time” in and I’ve missed that a lot!
This year we’ve decided to remedy our imbalance. I’m feeling a little stagnant and definitely ready for a weekend away where I can focus on my needs and projects without guilt or interruption. There’s just something about have at least 24 quiet, magnificent hours all to myself that lends itself to increased satisfaction and productivity when I get home. Sam already has a few tech conferences he’s been missing so we’ve added those to the calendar, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted.
As I searched around for blogger conferences or something along those lines (since photography isn’t my main focus at this point) a friend mentioned REI’s Outessa Summit. I knew instantly I wanted to attend. After some discussion with Sam about logistics, travel schedules, and plans for the rest of the year we both agreed that this would be really good for me. Even better, through some other connections I was able to talk with the co-founder, Julia Stamps Mallon, and volunteer as a photographer/blogger for the event in exchange for discounted admission. I’m looking forward to an awesome weekend of outdoor recreation and sharing it with all of you!
Outessa Summit is a women’s only weekend getaway at either Kirkwood, CA or Powder Mountain, UT. With over 200 activities to choose from, professional guides and mentors, plenty of healthy, fulfilling food, and beautiful mountain scenery I’m completely stoked for this event! I’ve signed up for the Powder Mountain event that will take place from September 9 -11, 2016 in Eden, UT. They are also setting up “Camp Outessa” where you can bring your own camping gear to sleep, but they provide showers (most appreciated!) & bathrooms.
After registering, you’ll be able to log in and sign up for classes. While I would love to mountain bike ALL day, each type of sport is limited to one class so that everyone gets a chance to participate. I think this limitation also encourages women to sign up for activities they normally wouldn’t try. Have you always wanted to try rock climbing but don’t know how? What about trail running? Nervous about backpacking, kayaking, or even just how to cook around a campfire? They seriously have classes for all of the above!
I’ve signed up for an intermediate rock climbing class, intermediate mountain biking, GRID foam rolling, making healthy granola bars and snacks, a night trail run (Hello! NOT a runner!) as well as an ElliptoGO class. My goals are to hone and develop my skills for activities I already love while trying out some new sports as well.
After breaking into classes for most of the day, everyone comes back for a family-style dinner in the evening, campfire chats, and s’mores.
I’ll admit I was a little hesitant at first about the “women only” designation. I’ve never been one to need a girl’s night out, or feel more comfortable hanging out with my girlfriends rather than my family. Sam is, and always will be, my favorite choice for an outdoor adventure partner, even if it sometimes is logistically inconvenient for both of us to be away. However, recently I was able to go on a ride with a friend from Lehi who loves to mountain bike, as well as hike with Alyssa from Kidproject.org (and all of ours kids!). I’m learning there’s something powerful and comforting in finding like-minded girlfriends who love to be outdoors as much as I do. So even though it may be a little outside my comfort zone, I’m looking forward to making connections with other women like me – those who love and live in the outdoors as much as they possibly can.
Event Details:
REI Outessa Summit: Powder Mountain, Utah
Friday September 9 @ 8am – Sunday September 11 @ 5pm Registration Link
REI Outessa Summit: Kirkwood, CA
Friday August 19 @ 8am – Sunday, August 21 @ 5pm Registration Link
During our recent trip to Utah we had a surprising conversation with my family when I mentioned I was past ready to go on a hike but my kids weren’t going to like it.
“They aren’t going to like it?” my dad asked.
“Oh no,” I said. “They are going to whine and complain.”
I received looks of skepticism from all the adults in the room. After seeing picture after picture of our outdoor adventures, my family had apparently reached the conclusion that our kids never resisted our activities.
Let me clear this up: Our kids whine ALL the time about going outside to hike or bike or just even a walk. “Mom! This is NOT a short walk”, or “I’m tired” and even “I don’t want to go” are very common phrases in our household. Many days the kids would rather stay inside reading books (Rachel and Andrew), playing Lego’s (Cara), or sitting in front of a device playing Minecraft (all three).
The thing that makes the difference is that we go anyway, even when it’s hard. 90% of the difficulty is getting out the door and not giving up when ten things go wrong in the five minutes before you turn on the car and drive away. We’ve tested this theory over and over again throughout the last two years and every single time we all come home in a better mood. Every. Single. Time. With that kind of a track record, how can we not go?
I admitted in a past blog post that we are cheaters. Suburbia IS hard to get away from. Outdoor sports are less conveniently located, and its difficult to find wilderness (or even something resembling wilderness) in many places. In that sense, we have it easy because often just the act of getting OUT of the trailer is enough. There’s usually a bike path, or trails, or something in every state park we’ve stayed at so proximity is not the problem. We just have to overcome our mental laziness, which can sometimes be extremely difficult to do.
Just yesterday, our experience proved true yet again. After hearing complaints from ALL three children, we all went mountain biking as a family. It was chilly, difficult, and long. Cara even fell off her bike three times during the ride. It was very dark when we finished, and everyone was tired. But we were happy. We had accomplished something difficult together and all three children had smiles on their faces.
It’s no joke we fell in love with Prescott, AZ (really, we did a pretty awesome April’s Fool Joke) and one of the reasons was the plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities. We were only going to drop into Prescott Valley, spend a night with college friends and then leave, until another full time Airstreamer (whom we met at Organ Pipe National Monument a few months earlier) started posting photos of Point of Rocks Campground and the Granite Dells. Although we were slightly nervous about a private RV park (they are never our favorites) we couldn’t resist coming into town and seeing what the hype was all about. We warned Rich & Jodi we were coming to crash their space, and Rich even visited their storage unit and pulled out his climbing gear in anticipation of our visit.
When We Visited: March 27 – April 2, 2015
Ages of Kids: 9, 7, 4
Where We Stayed: Point of Rocks Campground is not your typical RV Park. The park has lots of shade, dirt roads, and huge granite boulders everywhere. Definitely more of a campground than an RV Park. We loved it. We were given a smaller site on the end (the best spots are in the back loop up against the boulders – note to self for next time) and settled in. And then we kept extending our stay again, and again, and again. By the time we left we had spent a week in this awesome town rock climbing, exploring, visiting nearby Watson Lake, and mountain biking.
Sam and I climbed quite a bit in college, so rock climbing isn’t new to us, but our kids had never been outside on “real” rocks. Andrew especially was pretty excited as we try to have regular rock climbing gym dates.We lined up an afternoon and a small group of us (including the awesome Ty, Sarah, Luna & Aki from mywifesadventure who we met the day before) walked out the back of the campground and into the Granite Dells.
Rich & Jodi frequent this area as a sort of “home base” of operations so Rich has been climbing all over the Dells and took us to a spot with a pretty easy 5.5/5.6 to start. Sam and Rich walked to the top of the crag to set up a top rope and the rest of us made our way to the bottom. After getting set up we took turns climbing the relatively easy first route and then Sam went up and switched the chains over to the next one for a little harder of a climb.
We had a great afternoon! We encouraged each other, talked, the kids made forts, scrambled over the rocks, and ate snacks. The littlest ones didn’t climb, so we took turns entertaining them. I also couldn’t resist pulling out my camera and doing a little impromptu lifestyle session of the Bennett family:
Sarah’s first time rock climbing – doesn’t she look like a natural??
How did it go with the kids that did climb? Andrew spider-manned his way to the top, but had trouble coming down. Jodi eventually went around to the top and pulled him over that way so they could walk down. Rachel struggles with heights and didn’t make it very far at all before she decided she was done, but had no trouble coming down. Sam, Jodi & I all climbed twice, Ty & Sarah both got in one climb (they had the youngest baby to juggle) and since Rich scraped up his leg mountain biking, he designated himself as belayer. After everyone had climbed we had Andrew practice climbing a bit, leaning back on the rope and coming back down. He was much more confident after that!
I’ve warned Sam that if we really end up back here for a month or so next winter I’m so buying a rope and we are going climbing at least three times a week. We had such a fantastic time, that we did it again a few days later – only this time we brought livinginthemomentum with us as well! We are so grateful to Rich & Jodi for the use of their gear and expertise. You really can’t beat a rock climbing location with a view like this!
I’ve warned Sam that if we really end up back here for a month or so next winter I’m so buying a rope and we are going climbing at least three times a week. We had such a fantastic time, that we did it again a few days later – only this time we brought 