Lewis Peak - The Wasatch - Eden, Utah

Lewis Peak sits along the Wasatch Mountain Range between Mt. Ogden and the more iconic, Ben Lomond Peak. With a 10.4 mile out and back trail, Lewis Peak is the perfect hike/run combination of elevation gain and distance.

Getting There

The trail starts at the North Ogden Trailhead, the same trailhead as Ben Lomond, located along the North Ogden Divide (E 3100 N).The trailhead has ample parking and facilities.

The Trail

No time for a warm up on this trail. The trail kicks into high gear out of the gate with steep switchbacks, climbing 1500 ft. in the first two miles. The majority of this part of the trail is covered in trees, so make sure to bring a headlamp and a light layer if you’re hiking. The trail quickly opens up to beautiful views of Ben Lomond, Eden and Pineview Reservoir.

The fun really starts once you make it to the first sign, telling you 2.5 miles to the summit! The trail changes from steep, rocky, uphill, to smooth, golden, rolling hills. As you make your way to the peak, you have the option of climbing each hill and getting in more vert, or continue along the lower trail. These options make Lewis Peak one of my favorite trails I’ve discovered so far in the Wasatch.

Made using Suunto Movescount

 

Distance: 10.4 miles
Elevation gain: 2687 Ft.

Gear

Shoes: Salomon Sense Ride - Before working for Salomon, I trail ran in my road shoes. Now, I trail run in best in class trail shoes, and the difference is significant. I love the quick lace technology, so I can keep my focus on not tripping over rocks, instead of my laces. The Sense Ride's have Vibe technology throughout the entire sole of the shoe, providing extra shock absorption, and extra cushioning. Out of the box I ran 13 miles in these shoes. No pain. If you're looking for your first pair of trail runners, or for an upgrade, consider Salomon. 

Pack: Salomon S/LAB Sense Ultra 5 - This pack holds two 16 oz. flasks in the front pockets, leaving amble room for snacks, gels, phones, cameras, keys, headlamps, etc. You want the fit to be snug. I'm 5' 2'', and wear an XS.
 

Photo shows how you can take the high vs. low trails for different vert. 

Watch: Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR - This is my go-to every day / every workout watch. With built in wrist HR, I know when I need to pick up the pace, and when I need to dial it back I bit. More importantly, with the incredible GPS I feel safe when running alone, and know I can find my way back if I get lost (which happened for the first time this weekend, thank you bread crumbs!) 

Water: 2 - 8 oz. flasks and 1 - 6 oz. flask

Nutrition: Dates and a waffle (Organic ones are dairy free / egg free, but made with honey. NOT vegan)

Have a favorite run in the Wasatch? Comment below!

On-the-Go Snacks

When you’re on-the-go and living a healthy active lifestyle, having go to favorite snacks are a must. Here are a few of mine that you can almost always find stashed in my purse, car or gym bag!

Some of my favorites!

1.     Fresh and dried fruit: Fresh is always better the number one choice, and usually will be an apple, banana or dates. However, my go-to dried fruit is Trader Joe’s “Just Mango Slices”. I usually bring these on hikes as my own plant based “Jerky”.

2.     Bars: while I’m not proud of it, I don’t make NEARLY as many homemade granola bars as I used to and picking up some bars on-the-go is extremely convenient. 

a.     High Activity: Luna Bars, Lara Bars Clif Bars and Clif Builder Bars. These extra calories, Carbs and Protein are definitely needed.

b.      Low Activity: Lara Bars, Clif Kid’s Bar, Trader Joe’s Just Fruit bars, local natural bars. 

3.     Coconut Water: after a hike, or a long day of being in the sun, I look to Coconut Water (regular, not flavored), to re-hydrate!

4.     GORP : Good ol’ raisins and peanuts, AKA trail mix!

5.     Pretzels/Chex Mix:  definitely not the healthiest option, BUT sometimes after a long day of hiking (and sweating away all your salt) you want something crunchy and salty!

Comment below some of your favorites!

Mt. Baldy Sunrise Hike

We all have those moments in life when we are 100% content with what we are doing. Your mind isn’t wandering, wishing you were somewhere else, or doing something different with different people.  These are the moments we have to stop and pay attention to. 

At some point along the 4,000 ft. hike up to the summit of Mt. Baldy, with only the moon and our headlamps lighting the way, I had one of these moments. 

Dressed in running tights, base layers, an awesome Patagonia Nano-Puff, my Michigan State winter hat (still celebrating the B1G Championship Game win from the night before), and a head lamp to top it all off, we started our hike around 3:00 AM.  Stowed in our packs we had cameras (mine being a Cannon Rebel SL1) thicker gloves for the top, snacks (Clif Bars and dried fruit), and of course water (we each fill our CamelBak’s and carry another 1L water bottle). This hike is strenuous, and the path can get a little unclear at times, but I felt safe. I had done the hike twice before, and was with more experienced hikers.

Honestly, when I’m doing a hike for the first time all I can think about is getting to the top. I’m working on this. Yes, I wanted to make it to the top, I wanted to be able to relax and take in this AMAZING sunrise. But I wasn’t as anxious as usual to get there. This is important. During this hike I was genuinely enjoying the challenge, which made me realize how important being outside is to me.

PC: BF

The takeaway is simple: 

make time for whatever it is that you enjoy doing, challenges you, and helps you gain perspective AND GET OUTSIDE!

Dadventures

When your Dad visits you in Southern California for the first time, all the way from Alaska, there is really only ONE place you need to go: the beach. So we did. Three times in one day.

After picking my Dad up from LAX, we headed South to Orange County where my brother lives to escape from the city a bit. My family has always been the type to go to little artsy towns, so I knew we had to go to Laguna Beach. After a long beach walk in Laguna, we ate lunch at one of our favorite spots in Newport Beach, The Stuft Surfer (where you are actually eating on the beach) and ended the night with one of the most memorable sunsets i've seen yet. 

We ended the weekend by going to Los Angeles County Museum of Arts or LACMA and had a good time checking out some of the exhibits. Since being in LA i've spent so much time exploring outdoors, and not as much time exploring the city. This needs to change. Comment any suggestions for places I should explore in the city!
 

**Editor's Note: We also went to In-N-Out. My Dad loved it. Vegan choice-fries.**

A Letter to California Pumpkin Patches

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First time my Pumpkin has had cactus friends..

Dear California Pumpkin Patches,

Going to the Pumpkin Patch is one of the best parts of Fall, and should be treated as such. A trip to the Pumpkin Patch is one of my top three favorite Fall things (behind Football and Foliage).  I suggest taking a quick trip to a Mid-Western state to learn what makes them so amazing.  But in case that is not possible, I have compiled a short list of things that one should experience at the pumpkin patch.
       
      The necessary Trio:

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1. Pumpkins: this one is obvious, and you do a great job. But they're ridiculously over priced, and I ended up getting one for 1/5 of the price at Trader Joe's.

2. Apple Cider: This is a BIG one you're missing. Basically, people care about this just as much as pumpkins.

3. Donuts: because, DONUTS. 
   
   Bonus item: Apples. Apples are ideal, and i've rarely been to a pumpkin patch that also doesn't sell apples.

If these changes are made, I predict a huge increase in revenue, resulting in a corresponding increase in overall Fall cheer amongst Californians!

Best,

Hannah 

Side Note: Shoutout to Trader Joe's for providing me with a great pumpkin to carve, delicious apple cider, Organic Pumpkin Puree, and Brownie Mix. They saved the day, and paved the way for a relaxing day of Football and Baking. 

Fall Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Brownie Recipe:

1 can pumpkin puree + any brownie mix + mix and bake as normal = delicious vegan brownies

Boogie Boards and Busy Bodies

Being a busy body gets way too bad of a rep. Constantly going from one thing to the next, cramming the most into each day. I understand how it can seem chaotic, but it's also incredibly rewarding. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than checking everything off of my to-do list. However, sometimes I have to tell myself it's okay to relax and watch TV for a night, but most of the time I like to be busy. 

With that, planning becomes even more important. It seems like there is a constant list of everything I WANT to do, friends to see, places to explore, hikes to go on, while making sure the things I NEED to get done make it onto the list too.

Going into the weekend there was a strong possibility I was going to try surfing, however that very quickly changed to boogie boards, and it was a blast! We also went hiking in Palos Verdes and were able to see Catalina Island from a different perspective. It's amazing how much i've been able to see in such a short time, just by making the most of every weekend.

Paddles and Poles: Newport and Mt. Baldy

Paddles and Poles.  Boards and Boots.  Ocean and Mountains.
 

SUPing in Newport.

California is a unique place to live, since I now live here! You can be in a completely different environment by driving an hour in any direction. This weekend we got the best of both worlds, a day spent at the ocean and a day spent hiking in the mountains. 

We kicked off the weekend with breakfast at Stuft Surfer in Newport, followed by renting Stand Up Paddleboards and playing in the waves for few hours. Not a bad Saturday.

Sunday we headed North to Mt. Baldy. The hike starts around 6,000 ft., increasing to 10,064 ft. over the course of 3.8 miles. This hike was not only my longest hike, reaching the highest elevation, but definitely the hardest. I'd like to say it was because Friday was leg day, but I know that would be a lie. Investing in a pair of trekking poles was a great decision.

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Part of the hike up to the top of Mt. Baldy.

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The descent across Devil's Backbone.

Typically the descent is six miles, the last three of which along a fire road. We chose to ride the ski lift down, cutting off around three miles. 

Potato Chip Rock

My initial sun-burn is finally starting to turn to tan as I've been in California for a little over a week!

Weekend #1 in California was spent soaking up the sun on a 8-mile, slightly harder than we were expecting, hike up to Potato Chip Rock. The trail winds along Lake Poway, leading to the top of Mount Woodson where Potato Chip Rock is perched. We left around 10 AM, so it was hot, and we probably had to wait a bit longer to take our memorable picture (personally I think this is a missed marketing opportunity for Pringles).
Regardless, the hike was great, and I can't wait to check out more of the San Diego area!

MI-->CA in 4 Days

Hanging Lake

Two Fridays ago (this post is a little late) my mom and I left Kalamazoo to drive across the country so I can give my job search a real shot in the LA area. 

With my car busting at the seams (because i'm optimistic!) we drove to Indianapolis to see One Direction perform at Lucas Oil Stadium!

From there we hit the road and drove a few hours to get a head start on our biggest leg of the trip, Indy to Denver. After a long day of driving on Saturday we ended up not being able to find a hotel in Denver, and opted to save money and slept in our car a little west of Denver. This actually worked out perfectly. We were able to get up early to make our way to our first stop of the trip: Hanging Lake. The hike up was pretty strenuous, but definitely worth it! It's a little over a mile each way, and takes a few hours. This was a great way to stretch our legs!

Next stop: Zion. From Hanging Lake we got right back on I-70 and headed West towards Zion. We stayed at a rustic B&B 15 minutes away from the East entrance, allowing us to quickly get up and get to the park. Due to time restraints we had to chose one hike, Angels Landing. This hike is definitely challenging, including 21 switch backs, and my first experience using chains! 

After Zion we headed to Las Vegas, where my mom would catch the red-eye home. 

This 4 day adventure covered 2,412 miles in 38.33 hours (according to my mom's calculations.) Now, to find a job so I can keep doing these amazing adventures!

Top of Angels Landing

Packing Afterthoughts

After returning from my amazing 33 day, 10 country European adventure many people have asked me if there was anything I brought that I didn't need, or items I wish I had. Thankfully, only a few items come to mind.

Things I wish I had brought:
1. A thicker jacket - it was much colder than we were expecting, I ended up wearing lots of layers.
2. My long rain coat- I was originally planning on bringing my long rain coat, but changed my mind last minute. Had I brought my longer coat I would've probably been okay with the colder temperatures.
 

Things I did not use:
1.  Black shorts
2. 3/4 sleeve black dress
3. Black flats
Had we been in warmer climates for more than a week, I probably would've used both my shorts and dress. I also only brought my flats in case I needed them for any of the churches we were going into, but didn't end up needing them.

London

We arrived to our Airbnb in London, by the tube, in enough time to head down to Picadilly Square. We bought an Oyster pass since we planned traveling along the Underground a lot, and this made it super easy to do so. In Picadilly Square we bought tickets to see Gypsy, and hopped on the hop-on hop-off to get our bearings of the city. 

Our second day in the city we went to the National Museum where we saw some works of Monet and Piccaso. From there we went to the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels, then took the river cruise along the River Thames.  We also made it to the iconic Abbey Road to reenact the Beatles cover, and to King's Cross station to Platform 9 3/4.

Our last full day began with a walking tour to Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guards. This was cool to see, especially because it's a ceremony that takes place ever day. We continued on to Oxford Street to do some shopping before seeing the amazing musical Gypsy! After the show we rode the London Eye, walked through Harrods,  and found Elizabeth James' house in Parent Trap. 

Overall, London was one of my favorite cities so far. This could be partly due to the lack of a language barrier, or because I felt completely confident riding the Tube. Either way, I know I want to go back!

London -> York

He wanted to pay  

Bath

First stop in England- Bath.

Our first full day in Bath we took a train to Cardiff, Wales for the long awaited One Direction concert!! We headed to Cardiff early to look at the Cardiff Castle, and spend some time wandering around the Cardiff Market. The market was a very cool mix of a farmer's market and a supermarket.  After we had wandered through the city enough we headed to the concert! As a big One Direction fan, it was cool to see them in a foreign country.We returned to Bath after the concert, where my mom happily greeted us at the airbnb! 

The second day in Bath we did a mini-bus tour with the company Mad Max through the English countryside. We visited Stonehendge, Avebury, Lacock and Castle Combe. This was a great way to see picturesque English towns, as well as learn the historical significance of the region. After returning from the tour we did a hop-on hop-off bus ride around Bath. The natural hot springs contain 43 minerals that have a wide range of physical benefits, and originally drew in the wealthy to the town. 

The third day we did the second hop-on hop-off route through the Bath countryside, and ate at Sally Lunns tea house before heading off to London!

 

Stonehendge

Florence

Second stop in Italy- Florence! Our first full day here we went on a 12 hour tour through Tuscany. We left Florence and headed to Siena, where we did a walking tour of the city. Siena is an interesting city that is heavily based on tradition. It is also home to the banking system, and holds the oldest, fully functioning bank.  

From Siena we went out into the countryside to enjoy a 4-course lunch and wine tasting at an organic farm. This was my first time having pasta since in Italy, and it was amazing. It was also interesting to learn the proper wine tasting technique, even if I didn't enjoy all of the wine. The tour continued on to San Gimignano, where we tasted award winning gelato, and took in more amazing views.  

Our last stop on the tour was Pisa! We were able to explore not only the Pisa Cathedral, but also climb up The Leaning Tower of Pisa.  

Our second full day in Florence was spent relaxing by the pool, doing some shopping and enjoying a nice dinner. Tomorrow we're off to Rome! 

The whole floor was made of marble artwork  

Starter: bruschetta  

Main Dish: pasta was tomato sauce, this was followed traditionally by a meat and cheese course (mine was instead boiled vegetables)

Dessert: almond cookies dipped in wine

View from the top of the tower. 

Inside the Pisa Cathedral

Austria

First stop is Salzburg.

We got into our 4 star hotel, which I'm still not sure how we got for so cheap, before heading to Fortress Hohensalzburg. The Fortress was used to intimidate others from attacking Salzburg. It was extremely large and can be seen throughout the city! We wanted to get a feel of the town before heading out for the....SOUND OF MUSIC tour!

We went with the Panorama tour company, who actually drove the cast of the Sound of Music around during filming, so we knew they would have some good facts. It was awesome to see all the places used in the film, as we are both big Sound of Music fans. 

 After the tour we took the 2.5 hour train ride over to Vienna (we've now logged over 24 hours on the train!). We went to an awesome restaurant for dinner where Abbi tried the Wienerschnitzel, and loved it. Sunday night we just hung out at the hostel. So far we've been very happy with our hostel experience as they've all had nice atmospheres, good music, and clean facilities. 

Today we woke up to no rain and slightly warmer temperatures! We toured the Belvedere, where we saw more amazing art. We noticed we've spent most of our time in beautiful palaces looking at famous paintings, which is just fine! From there we headed to the "old town" and looked at more amazing buildings, but didn't do any more tours.

Tomorrow we fly out to Italy, where our first stop is Sorrento! 

See if you recognize the different Sound of Music locations! 

Do-Re-Mi!  

Where Maria hits the high note! 

Munich

We arrived in Munich about 7 hours later than expected due to rail workers striking. Our night train was cancelled, we were put in a hotel, and took the day train instead. We quickly dropped off our bags at the Wombat Hostel in downtown Munich, and headed toward Nymphenburg Palace. This was used as the summer residence for the Bavarian royalty. 

Our second day we took a tour that left right from our hostel to the Neuschwanstein Castle. It was a two hour train ride each way, but definitely worth it. King Ludwig II grew up in the Hohenschwangau Castle in the Bavarian Alps and built the castle Neuschwanstein Castle nearby to have a place of his own.  It was cloudy and cold (as in actually cold, I have on a T-shirt, running jacket, down vest, rain coat and we bought scarves) but the landscape was beautiful.

Tomorrow we will hopefully make it to Olympic Park in the morning before heading off to Salzburg!

Drinkable fresh water from the mountains. 

Amsterdam

After settling in to our first hostel, the Flying Pig in downtown Amsterdam, we headed out to tour the Anne Frank house. This was one of those things i've always wanted to do, and so glad I finally had the opportunity. After this we took a canal tour. We opted to buy a combination 24 hour hop-on hop-off canal boat pass with a museum pass.  

On day 2 we did another canal tour (well really two more...we had time to spare), ending up at the Rijcksmuseum. We saw lots of amazing art, including Van Gough and Rembrandt. After the museum we wandered and grabbed some food. I learned a ton about Amsterdam through the combined canal tour and museum, I would definitely recommend both.

Now we're taking a night train to Munich!

Belgium

First stop: Brussels!

After a restless night (around 3 hours of sleep) on the plane we hit the ground running to see the city center in Brussels, before catching an afternoon train to Brugge. We enjoyed a Belgian waffle in the city before hopping on the hour train to Brugge.

Brugge:

The first day we enjoyed wandering along the picturesque streets of Brugge, found a nice place to eat, and crashed. We stayed in an Airbnb here that worked out perfectly. On the second day we toured the Bell Tower in the city center, saw the only Michelangelo statue outside of Italy (Madonna and Child), tried Belgian chocolate and wandered the city for hours. We're off to Paris in the morning!