recreation

Creating Fun in Your Life – Just Do It

March 2, 2011 by Shelli

Since selling our business in September 2008, some people think I’m retired, or semi-retired. While I’ve certainly gained more personal time and freedom, I’m not retired and don’t plan on retiring anytime soon — if ever.

P2270055 — Family fun in our backyard, Sinks Canyon.

In fact, in addition to doing my best to be a good mother to our three sons and a good wife, this past week I worked at least 40 hours a week, coaching clients, working on consulting projects and developing my new business.

Like most people — and other parents — it’s easy to come up with excuses for not having enough time for many important things, such as exercising, making time for relationships that are dear to us, and having fun.

Although I’ve always been pretty good at having fun, at times it takes effort even for me to do so. This past Sunday we went to church, and I had loads of laundry to catch up on and some consulting and coaching work to do. We helped our middle son on a big solar system project, bird-dogged homework, and so on. By 3:30 pm on Sunday, Jerry, I and our three sons had each/all had a very busy day. We were tired and feeling pretty lazy. It was tempting, and certainly justified, for us to just settle in, lounge, and call it a day.

At the same time, upon looking outside, I spied a cloudless, blue sky, a bright sun, mild (30-degree) temperatures, and sparkly white snow everywhere. We should go out and do something fun, I thought. But frankly, I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated to do so.

So I forced it. I “notified” the family to get their snow gear on, we were headed to Sinks Canyon for some sledding. Jerry, my wonderful husband, went along with it and helped me rally our sons and puppy for the sudden adventure.

It would have been easier to not do anything. It’s work to get out the door with kiddos and pets and winter clothing and sleds. But one of the things I want to help my life coaching clients do is to create more fun in their own lives. I need to practice what I preach, right? And I knew from past experience that we’re always better as a result of such adventures.

So, to see what happened next, watch the following video. And to think we almost missed out on this! The moral of the story is to create fun. Don’t think about it, just do it. It can happen in five minutes time and doesn’t have to be an elaborate, or outdoor adventure. It just has to cause smiles and/or laughter, even if for a very brief time.

Of course, the house is a mess. But that’s okay. (Just please don’t stop by unannounced!) I have a feeling I won’t regret that I didn’t keep a super neat and tidy house. I would, however, regret it if I didn’t take time to create fun with my family.

Biking to Frye Lake, in Wind River Range

June 19, 2010 by Shelli

P6180513 — Good morning. Stopped pedaling for a quick timer photo in front of Frye Lake.

Right now, the “Switchbacks” and road that connects nearby Sinks Canyon State Park and Bruce’s Bridge to Highway 28 and South Pass, above my town of Lander, WY, is closed to vehicular traffic, which means as a cyclist you can have the 8 miles of pavement up the Switchbacks all to your self.

Or, as a mountain biker, you can ride the full 26 miles, which climbs to Blue Ridge Lookout, at 9,600′ elevation while passing or traveling near a handful of beautiful lakes set in the foothills of the southern Wind River Range.

Recently, I enjoyed a morning bike ride from Lander up to beyond Frye Lake – just another stellar day in my back yard!

Come along with me and see for yourself:

Angel’s Landing Hike in Zion National Park

April 24, 2009 by Shelli

Zion Trip, Pt. 2

Wow. I knew Angel’s Landing was exposed and that as a result of its heights and exposed nature it was to be an adventure.

We had been to Zion a few other times but as a family. Our sons are small so we had been (wisely) advised to stay away from Angel’s Landing… until the kids grow up.

But in early March, Kathy and I were going on a girlfriend adventure vacation and Angel’s Landing would be the “big star” on our itinerary, around which everything else revolved.

We got to the trailhead around 7 am to get an early start. We highly recommend that hikers start early. This way they’ll get to enjoy the views and the trail in solitude. I can’t imagine what it would be like hiking the narrow ridge to the top of Angel’s Landing if there was a line of hikers coming up and down. You don’t go hiking in a national park’s backcountry to be pressed and crowded. You can sleep in another time. (Or so we thought…)

We started up. It was pretty mild. A climbing and switchbacking trail to be sure, but nothing too tough to start. However, we had hiked to Observation Point the previous day which was 8 miles roundtrip and a gain/loss of 8,000 vertical feet. So we were “warmed up” anything this hike would throw at us.

Angel’s Landing is a 5 mile, roundtrip hike. For the first two miles, it’s a climbing trail but on a good trail that isn’t scary. Then, at two miles, the trail’s personality changes, big-time.

When we arrived at a narrow slick rock ridge that had chains/cables on which to hold, I thought to myself: “This must be where we get our money’s worth… This must be what all the fuss is about.” Even though I’d heard it was exposed and that small children shouldn’t go on the hike due to heights, for some reason I wasn’t mentally prepared for the reality.

I think it’s safe to say that Kathy, a flatlander from Omaha, was even more surprised than I was.

We ooohed and aahhhed and took in the views in all directions. I knew we hadn’t received the prize yet, but I think Kathy thought we had reached the end. Certainly the views were breathtaking and spectacular. The views at that point would have met my expectations in terms of scenery, no doubt.

But then when I was capturing some video I noticed that the cables/chains went all the way up, much further over a knife’s edge and to a precipice about a quarter mile away, yet.

Kathy’s response when I pointed out the cables that followed the very narrow steep ridge to the “top” was priceless. But she’s a trooper and we were off.

It was a thrilling adventure that left us anxious at times. The views at the top, and all the way up and down really, were striking and beyond words. The beauty was worth the hike, and all of the anxiety is stirred in us.
For an 8-minute clip of the “middle” of the Angel’s Landing Hike/Trail:

Zion National Park or Bust

April 23, 2009 by Shelli

(Zion Trip, Pt. 1)
In early March, I met Kathy, from Omaha, in Vegas. Our destination was Zion National Park.

I was looking for an adventurous getaway where I could capture some video for the MyZionPark.com website we’re working on while getting some great hiking and sightseeing in. It would be a short adventure vacation.

My husband, Jerry, and I and our sons had been to Zion a couple of times. We had done some serious hiking even with our kiddos, including the 8-mile, steep Observation Point hike. But that had been about 5 years ago and I was eager to do it again, and this time with a digital camera and Flip Video in tow.

Most exciting was our plan to hike Angel’s Landing. On my previous trips with our kiddos, Angels Landing had not been an option. But, since I first learned about it, it beckoned. It’s been like an itch that needs scratched.

Kathy is a chiropractor and is married to my cousin, Jody Kloewer. They have three kids. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding in 1990, and Jerry was a groomsman. That’s how Jerry and I met, so Jody and Kathy hold an extra-special place in our hearts.

Kathy is in great shape, is a real trooper, loves nature and photography as much as I do â€“ and very important, she has an easygoing (great) personality. I knew if she accepted the invitation to join me, it would be a fantastic trip. Also, did I mention she’s a chiropractor? That can come in handy on a hard-charging hiking trip.

So, we met in Vegas, rented our yellow Corvette and off we went toward Zion.

In a few hours we were pulling into the Desert Pearl Inn, our home for the next four nights. Desert Pearl Inn has loads of raving reviews on the internet, and many people claimed it’s the best place to stay while visiting Zion. By the looks of it, I was sold and we booked our stay.

Desert Pearl Inn, near Zion National Park.

Normally I’m only interested in a clean roof over my head, especially on these hiking adventures where not much time is spent in the hotel and all I need is a bed to plop on and a shower to clean the grime off. But this time, since we’d be hiking hard, I figured we’d splurge a little. What the heck, we’d be deserving of nice accommodations.

Some people, including myself before this trip, would say that a hotel can’t really be a reason to visit a place. Until this trip, I agreed. But Desert Pearl Inn made me change my mind. Desert Pearl Inn is situated under the shadows of the towering Watchmen red rock cliff and its back yard is cut by the Virgin River. Our room had a balcony with deck and we had the luxury of the sounds of a babbling brook in the background thanks to slightly-opened windows during sleep after a long day on the trails. But that’s not all. We had a kitchen, a wide screen television, big comfy beds, wood floors, great earthy and rustic interior design, and even a â€“ get this â€“ bidet.

Beautiful, spacious rooms with comfy beds.

A bidet you ask? Well, being a small town girl from Wyoming, I definitely didn’t know what it was. It looked like a mini-me version of the toilet, but it had a faucet. Hhmm. But after Kathy told me how it’s pronounced (It’s French and it’s pronoucned bee-dey), I sensed whatever it was, it was special and it was a luxury to have one. Suffice it to say it’s not a small sink for your kids…

If you’re visiting Zion National Park or the other national park wonders accessed by southwestern Utah, Desert Pearl Inn offers truly a wonderful retreat after a day of exploring nature’s wonders.