Let It Snow!

Looking back at the blog post I wrote almost exactly one year ago I am intrigued by the vast difference in snow conditions we are enjoying now compared to this time last year. We have had an incredibly productive snow season the past couple months and conditions couldn’t be much better to be riding the slopes. 

Last year we had very little snow and took the opportunity to explore other winter recreation pursuits. This year it seems like we have a snow storm at least every two or three days! This has given many of us (well, the students, myself and a few other winter-loving team members) much to celebrate and an enthusiasm to ride our skis and snowboards as often as possible. 

It has been a fantastic year with many more students than usual learning to ride the slopes and several more progressing their skills they brought with them to Logan River Academy. We are crossing our fingers that February will bring with it many more powder days for us to enjoy.

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator 

The Adventurous Review of 2015

It is a difficult job to try and objectively compare one year of adventure to another because each of our adventures are unique and each year we explore new areas and try to build new skills. We enthusiastically added outdoor rock climbing to our repertoire this year and it definitely elevated the quality and variety of many of our trips. And with several generous snow storms already blanketing our mountains we are on track to head out of 2015 with some big shoes to fill for next year.

The 2014/2015 ski season was one for the record books, just not the record books we generally want to associate with. While it is hard to complain about skiing and snowboarding in general, much of the western United States received record low snowfall and we definitely felt that here in Utah. We pushed on however and rode as much as we could while mixing in yurt trips, snowbiking adventures and snowcave building instruction.

Climb On!

The Adventure Learning Program at Logan River Academy has made a huge addition to its repertoire.

We are now offering our students the very unique and rewarding experience of rock climbing in the most natural environment, the great outdoors. Over the past years we have happily used a quality rock climbing gym in our area that has recently gone out of business, leaving a huge void in experience and growth opportunities for our students. 

After the always-exciting gear acquisition period we have put plans in place for trips to local crags, high elevation sport routes in the Uintas, and world-class granite climbing at City of Rocks in remote southern Idaho. 

Stay tuned for trip reports and pictures from our adventures!

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator

Adventure Learning Trip Report - Stillwater Canyon Canoe Trip

Stillwater Canyon runs 52 miles down the Green River, through the heart of Canyonlands National Park, and separates the three distinct districts within the park; Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze districts. Completely “still,” Stillwater Canyon features flat water from the put-in at Mineral Bottoms at the terminus of Labyrinth Canyon to the confluence of the Green River and Colorado River at Spanish Bottoms, the beginning of notorious Cataract Canyon. Redrock walls, towers, buttes and mesas rise prominently along the corridor and hide ancient ruins, rock art and other historic features.

More often than not our seasoned adventure guides have completed a trip prior to pushing off from shore with our students. This trip was special though because we were all in the same figurative boat; we were all, students and staff, laying eyes on this majestic landscape together for the first time. While extensive research was done to familiarize and prepare for the trip, there is always a different feel to a trip when you’re not totally sure what is around the next corner; it provides a great opportunity for learning together, increased camaraderie, and adventure.

We took three full days to float all 52 miles and landed at our final camp two miles above the rapids of Cataract for our jet-boat pickup. Because this area of Utah is so remote there are no roads that access the confluence, the only way back to civilization is a 67 mile jet-boat ride back up the Colorado River to Moab. Unfortunately we did not have good luck spotting any of the elusive wildlife besides a quick glance at a River Otter and several Great Blue Herons. The top risk of a river trip through Canyonlands is wind. There are dozens of stories of lost gear, scattered boats, stranded people and miserable times because of the wind that can howl up and down the canyon. Our first night on the river brought with it strong winds and slight rain around midnight, but after that small scare we had nothing but sunshine and mid-90’s. Our best defense against the relentless sun was a swim in the mighty river as we floated along around three miles per hour. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the trip despite the early wakeup calls and long days in the sun with the promise of another beautiful landscape around the next bend.  

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator

Life on the River

A few blog posts back I admitted that my strong reliance on February and March snow storms finally betrayed me and left much of the western U.S. with the worst snowfall accumulations on record. Two months later, Utah is currently on pace to have the third wettest May on record. Between relentless rainfall and absurd snow accumulations at high elevations we have seen our rivers and reservoirs swell to almost-normal rates. So what’s up with this weird weather? I wish I could tell you, but what I do know is that it has ensured our late-spring and summer plans on the water are still intact.

The first item on the river-agenda is a six-week fly fishing course that will take a handful of our students and give them the opportunity to learn the art, the difficult art, of river fly fishing. With several rivers draining out of the nearby mountains we will be able to fish different waters with different characteristics each and every week. This course starts at the beginning with personalized instruction on gear, casting and knot techniques, safe river wading procedures and hopefully, and unfortunately, not guaranteed, the joy of landing a fish on a crystal-clear river on a dry fly. It is seriously hard to top that.

Right in middle of all this fishing is our five day canoe trip down Stillwater Canyon on the Green River. Stillwater Canyon runs 52 miles through the heart of Canyonlands National Park and ends at the confluence of the Green River and Colorado River at Spanish Bottoms. River trips are hard to put into words if you’ve never done it, but I can honestly say it tops landing a fish on a crystal-clear river on a dry fly.

The month of July is full of white water rafting on the famous Snake River outside Jackson, Wyoming. With multiple trips running each week and all of our students being invited to participate this is one of the most fun months of our year. Hey-O river!

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator

Adventure Learning Trip Report - Goblin Valley Camping Trip

Our latest excursion took us to the remote, south-central Utah area known as the San Rafael Swell, or maybe more commonly referenced, Goblin Valley. Our goal was to link up two slot canyons right through the heart of the “swell;” Little Wild Horse Canyon and Bell Canyon. While not technical in terms of rappels, ascensions, or other rope work, both of these canyons offered very narrow passages, climbing, descending, stemming (hands and feet on opposite walls to move forward) and plenty of water. 

The entire hike was just over eight miles, with over six of those miles in the two canyons themselves. This area of southern Utah is home to the iconic redrock sandstone that displays the powerful forces of wind and water erosion constantly. Several passages through the canyons required us to scrape through with both shoulders touching walls. Also, while we were eventually forced to get in the cold, thigh deep water to keep making progress, we did cover several hundred feet of slot canyon where we suspended ourselves over the pools of water and stemmed forward. 

The first mile or so of Little Wild Horse was relatively busy with other people, but once we got into the heart of the canyon we had much of the hike to ourselves. After we completed the hike, with everyone in high spirits I might add, we visited Goblin Valley State Park to gaze over the dozens of hoodoos that litter the valley. 

Despite the downpour during dinner on our first night, we had excellent weather and a great group that really contributed to the enjoyment of this trip. 

Well, I Was Wrong

If you have read our blog in the last few weeks you may remember that I made a bold prediction about the snowfall for the month of February. Well, I was wrong. Not only did my beloved February not pull through, but the ol’ reliable March snow showers also did not appear over the mountain ranges in the west. While the East Coast has been completely buried in snow this year, almost every mountain range across the Western United States currently sits below 50% of average water content due to the extremely low snowpack. In fact, many areas of the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain areas have seen record-low snowfall totals. So what did we do with our ski program, cancel it? Certainly not! We embraced what opportunities we did have and made the best out of a poor situation.

On a normal snow year with lots of powder days, our students generally do not stray from their tried and true ski or snowboard discipline. But when all we had to ride on all day were groomers, we encouraged the students to try the other way of sliding down the hill just for fun. Several of our students took us up on this and really enjoyed the new experience while a handful of them were more than impressive.

Another high point of this season was how skilled several of our students became at either snowboarding or skiing when they began the season at a beginner level or having never set foot on a ski hill before. We have a blast with all our students at the various ability levels, but this year was especially fun to watch the progression climb quickly and the excitement and enthusiasm match it.

As we head into spring we reluctantly put away our snow gear and excitedly get out our paddles, fishing rods, hiking shoes, tents, bikes…this part of the list can get quite long. 

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator

Adventure Learning Trip Report : Emigration Canyon Yurt Trip

We always look forward to our annual yurt trips, generally taking place in February or March to capitalize on the winter weather. This time around was no exception as we were heading into a new yurt that none of our adventure learning staff had been to before. 

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Still Go Skiing

January is one of my least favorite months; the ski season is well under way, but for our portion of the world, the real winter weather hasn’t shown up. Sure we’ve got snow from a few generous November and December storm cycles, but generally January is hesitant to add to the snow pack. This creates alarm amongst winter-loving folks; I have a hard time not falling into the same trap. However, there is that short month everyone dismisses, February. That is the month storms around our area come alive, when staying in a yurt for three days gives you a true sense of what 36” over a 48-hour time period really feels like. I love February.

Adventure Learning Trip Report: Capitol Reef National Park Trip

Our latest camping trip took us to Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. When most people think about the beautiful national parks in Utah, they usually think of the red-rock wonders of Zion, Arches and Bryce Canyon. Also a red-rock gallery, but a true oasis in the desert, Capitol Reef is home to century-old orchards and fertile soils, fed year round from the flows of the Fremont River running through the heart of the canyon. 

Capitol Reef is a geologic anomaly; an immense exposed fold in the earth’s surface called the Waterpocket Fold captures water from the high plateaus surrounding the low-lying desert giving the small canyon ample water despite the dry climate. 

Visiting Capitol Reef in October is about as good as it gets for nice weather and awesome scenery. The many Quaking Aspen and Cottonwood trees throughout the park wore their fall colors with pride, making for picturesque views from the edge of a cliff, or along the riverbed. 

Our first night was spent 30 miles into the backcountry of the park in Cathedral Valley. While the drive to the campground was slow and arduous because of the rough desert road, the campground itself was almost deserted except for two other campers. With no sizeable town or major light-source within 50 miles, the star-gazing was spectacular and offered one student his first views of a shooting star. Around 5:30 in the morning we were awakened by the yips and howls of a pack of coyotes near our campsite communicating with another pack farther off in the distance. With that pleasant awakening we began the day early and completed the circumnavigation of Cathedral Valley with stops at Gypsum Sinkhole, Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon. 

After setting up camp at the Fruita campground, we hiked the Hickman Bridge trail and perused the petroglyph boardwalk learning about the people and cultures who originally settled the area. Our evening hike took us on top of the bluffs overlooking the Fremont River and the Grand Wash, both basked in a warm rose light from the setting sun projected through the high cirrus clouds. 

Our stroll back to camp took us directly through a herd of Mule Deer happily eating apples at the bases of the hundreds of apple trees in the orchard. Temperatures throughout our stay never exceeded 75º nor dipped below 40º at night making for perfect camping and exploring weather. 

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator

Logan River Academy: Surrounded by Adventure, Part 2

In part 1 of our Surrounded by Adventure series I tried to paint a portrait of the unrivaled access we have to recreation opportunities mere minutes from Logan River Academy. This installment will focus on the exciting and freeing world of road trips and the beautiful places we often explore when we can get away for a few days.

One of my favorite things about living in Cache Valley is that we get to thoroughly enjoy four separate seasons. Because of this, we tailor our explorations to chase the best possible weather to maximize our enjoyment of an experience. During the hot summer months we either go north or climb elevation. The alluring Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Sawtooth Mountain Range offer cool, northern temperatures while the Uinta Mountain Range in northeastern Utah offers backpacking and hiking up to 13,528’ in elevation.

Logan River Academy: Surrounded by Adventure, Part 1

A large piece of our work here at Logan River Academy, whether academically, therapeutically, or both, is supported by offering our clients several opportunities for stress release, healthy coping, and confidence building through various recreational pursuits. We are located in beautiful Cache Valley, surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes and rural areas in every direction. Cache Valley is unique in that there are four separate mountain ranges that make this area a true valley. The largest, the Bear River Range, gives us our eastern boundary and a majority of our recreation opportunities are found in Logan Canyon, Blacksmith Fork Canyon, Green Canyon and several others.

Connecting with Your Active Child

Being a reader of this blog, you may not be inclined to label your child an “active child.” You are probably more likely to call them a challenge, a pain in the neck, a frustration, and possibly much worse. There is a chance you have been in such a painful, emotionally-draining time of your life that you have overlooked, forgotten or you just don’t care anymore about the skills, talents and ambitions that your child does posses. Now, I am not here, or qualified, to break down the entire complex skill set of your child and give you advice on how to appreciate, foster and enhance it. But, I would like to give you some advice on a part of your child’s life that you may not be familiar with, or if you are, some advice on how to become a part of that life even if you don’t want to be.

While your child has been away in treatment, perhaps having been through a wilderness program as well as a residential program, they have likely been introduced to many new activities and environments they didn’t even know existed. Most programs have some form of recreation program focusing on new skills and experiences that provide the child with several self-improvement opportunities. While not every child enjoys every opportunity given, I have seen the vast majority of them find excitement and enjoyment in some form of recreation we have presented to them. Your child returning home to your care is a stressful time to reconnect, build back trust, establish new roles and find ways to build a positive relationship. Capitalizing on new interests and hobbies your child may have gained in their time at treatment is a great way to help both parties find common ground for the rebuilding process.

Adventure Learning Trip: Crimson and Riverside Trails

Our next challenge for the Hiking Club was to complete the Crimson Trail and the Riverside Nature Trail; these two trails work in unison as a loop. The Crimson Trail rises steeply from Third Dam as you ascend Spring Hollow, then follows an 800-1000’ tall line of cliffs up the canyon for a mile and a half, then drops abruptly down to the Guinvah-Malibu campground along the Logan River. Once you commit to hiking the trail that skirts the cliffs, you are committed to finishing the trail as there are no shortcuts to complete the loop. The views of Logan Canyon and the Logan River below are fantastic as well as the perspective of the Wind Caves across the canyon at roughly the same elevation in the same geologic-era Limestone cliff band. The beginning and ending sections of trail are quite steep and make for a great workout. The weather was quite pleasant for the trip with partly cloudy skies and temperature in the mid-60’s. The four hour hike included a stop at the bottom of the steep descent for a nice wade in the cold waters of the Logan River.

Lots more pictures after the jump