Canyoneering Birch Hollow

The perfect 24 hour getaway.  We left Provo at 8:30pm and four hours later we were in our sleeping bags under the stars at the Birch Hollow trailhead.  It rained during the night which was a slight cause for concern, but this slot canyon has a low flash flood danger. We were the first ones into the canyon the next morning and really got to enjoy it going as fast or slow as we wanted. After some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever encountered, and eleven rappels later we started the Wild Wind Hollow loop back up to our car.  A GPS was a necessity for the return hike although it was a blessing and a curse.  Most of the time there was a clear path to follow but sometimes we found ourselves pursuing a straight line to the next waypoint and were forced to do some serious bushwhacking.  It was well worth the 5+ mile loop with a 2200 foot elevation drop and rise, and the 4.5 hours it took us to complete. 

 At the top of a 100 foot waterfall.

 At the bottom of rappel #2.

 An unconventional method of getting past this obstacle. 

Packing up the rope after one of the rappels. 

 Dropping down into a cool silo. 

The longest rappel in the canyon. 

 A 60m dynamic rope was just enough for a double rope rappel so we could

 pull it through after the last person. 

Looking up almost 200 feet at the awesome fluted waterfall we just rappelled down. 

Video courtesy of Youtube user calebsl1.

Glow in the Dark Bouldering

Boredom can set in pretty quickly on a weeknight around 11pm.  We really wanted to go bouldering but it was dark...a problem easily solved by a quick trip to Walmart.  We purchased some glow in the dark chalk and went up Rock Canyon to our favorite bouldering area.  This chalk turned out to be a lot more effective than your average glow in the dark stuff.  The pictures couldn't quite capture the complete awesomeness of the chalk so for the sake of being able to see something on camera we used a back light.  Bouldering without any other light source was definitely doable and even preferred.   

It all started for around $6 at Walmart.

Here's a picture of the orange chalk we put on the handholds.  

It looked like glowing embers without any lights on. 

Video courtesy of Youtube user calebsl1.

If you're going to attempt this, make sure you have a crash pad. 

Sandboarding the Oak City Sand Dunes

Winter in Provo doesn't exactly offer a plethora of outdoor activities unless you want to blow all your cash on lift tickets.  When you're going stir crazy on a weekend in February (or any time of year really) you may consider a two hour drive south to the O.C. sand dunes. You may be thinking that Orange County is a little further than a two hour drive from Provo.  I'm talking about the real O.C., Oak City.  Warmer temperatures and awesome sand dunes provide hours of fun.  All you need is something on which to slide down e.g. toboggan, skis, snow skate, wheelchair...? Possibilities are endless. 

 The maiden voyage went as follows...

 

Contrary to popular belief, sand dunes are not wheelchair accessible...at least not without a few modifications. 

Constructing a wheelchair ski was the next matter of business. Huge success. Anyone attempting this may want to fasten the skis to the wheelchair with something other than duct tape.   

 The $14 snow skate from Savers turned out to be a good buy.  

Still shots of the sandboarding turned out to be the most successful part of the trip. 

Pioneer ruins from the 1850's right off hwy 132.  An essential stop on the way down to the O.C.

                                       

Video courtesy of Youtube user calebsl1. 

Pretty much all the videos will be coming from him.

You may just want to subscribe. 

Bonneville Salt Flat Skiing

When you're thinking about spending another Saturday at home, think again.  Go to the nearest thrift store and pick up a pair of snow skis for $5.  So what if the bindings are loose.  Then drive out to the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats, and tow each other around behind your car.  This is great fun and definitely more thrilling than water skiing or snow skiing.  Make sure to go during a dry time of the year so your car doesn't get stuck and also so the skis will glide smoothly across the salt. The area just north of the west bound rest stop worked great and was more dry than other areas we tried. 

  

 Our first stop at the salt flats was the famous "tree."  

               As it turns out, when the "leaves" fall it makes a superb, although oddly shaped half pipe. Should have brought a skate board. 

Just needed to check and make sure the salt flats were indeed salty.

Then the real adventure began: skiing behind the car. 

With a handle made of two wooden spoons duct taped together attached to some rock climbing webbing,                  we were able to reach speeds of up to 55 mph.

Video compliments of Youtube user Calebsl1 who crashed at 55 mph and only suffered some salt rash.  I would've got the crash on video but I was looking away telling the driver to stop.  

Salt skiing: it's the new thing.