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.
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.
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.
Pre-travel I worked as a professional wedding and lifestyle family photographer. About twice a year I would attend a conference or a workshop for personal and business development. These ranged from 1 day local seminars to weekend long retreats where I would board a plane and travel to wherever the workshop was located. I loved these events. Not only for the education and learning (turns out I learn best in a classroom!) but also for the solo time. Being a mom, wife, housekeeper, school teacher, and cook can get exhausting and every once in awhile it was nice to have a break. Sam has always been super supportive of my interests and I never had any problems leaving him in charge for a few days while I was gone. In fact, I think the kids actually prefer it when mom leaves for a bit and they get some solid time with dad.
When we first started out in the Airstream it became very clear to us that our kids still needed to do chores. In our sticks and bricks they would vacuum, clean bathroom counters and mirrors, load and unload the dishwasher and help sweep. Putting the silverware away can be done by a 3 year old and we were all about having our kids do more to help around the house. We never paid them allowance as we are of the “you are part of this household and you just have to help out” mentality.
Family Night
The kids pay us with actual carnival tickets we bought at Walmart. Each item is based on a ticket cost, so if we paid $1.00 for it, the kids have to pay 10 tickets. So essentially a ticket is worth $.10. We will buy items in advance if is something the kids see at a store or a visitor center (stuffed animals were a big one for awhile) but if it’s a high priced item they have to earn half before we will buy it. There’s been a few times where interest has waned and I’m glad I didn’t buy the item up front.
Once done eating, our group took over the back of the bus for the 30 minute ride up the canyon to the put in at West Gulch. Once we arrived we had a short orientation, we all went to the bathroom, donned our rain shells & life jackets and were assigned a guide and a boat. Then it was time to shove off! We had a short stretch of flat water where our guide, Aaron, went over some safety protocol and we practiced paddling while following instructions. Aaron steers the boat, but all the power comes from the paddlers – us!
At the take out there’s a short walk/hike up to the bus where we took advantage of the restrooms and changing rooms. We were able to leave our dry clothes, towels, and anything else we needed on the bus since they just park and wait for us at that take out. We fished out some snacks for the drive back and although the kids were totally pumped from the experience I could tell they were also tired!
We took one night off during pageant performances to watch the entire thing. Many of the other participants were surprised we had never seen it before and encouraged us to do so. We bought dinner from the vendors and had fun hanging out on the lawn before the show started. We loved watching it and we became even more excited for our final performances afterwards.
We had plans to visit the local libraries, but turns out the kids had enough books to keep them busy for the month. Once pageant performances started it really took up more time than we had originally thought and didn’t have the energy for much else!
After Christ in America, we exited the stage and changed into our Pioneer costumes. Once the narrative reaches the end of the Book of Mormon where Moroni (not the same as Captain Moroni) buries the plates for Joseph Smith to find, the pageant returns to Joseph Smith and eventually the martyrdom of Joseph & Hyrum Smith and the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo. As Pioneers we pulled our handcarts across the hill, participated in a campfire scene (that’s where the square dancing came in), and journeyed from Salt Lake City to Manti with the protagonist, Robert Henshaw, who is killed by Native Americans. What follows is a beautiful depiction of life after death and the fact that our families truly can be together forever after we die.
