Melissa Fields

Fish flops through the glassy water surface just out from the nose of my paddleboard. I glide lazily along under a clear, blue sky, watching for another. Eventually, I sit down, secure my paddle and roll off into the cool water. After swimming around for a few minutes, I hoist myself back up on the board and lower down onto my back, letting the warm sun dry my goose-pimply skin.

 If you’ve ever tried standup paddleboarding (SUP, for short), you’re familiar with this delicious summertime scene. Thanks to multiple reservoirs, natural lakes and rivers peppering the state from north to south, Utah has many SUP spots. But what many seasoned paddlers and paddleboard neophytes alike may not know about SUPing is what a fantastic workout it can be.

 “Done correctly, paddleboarding can be one of the best, full-body workouts,” says Trent Hickman, owner and operator of Park City SUP (801.558.9878, parkcitysup.com). Hickman offers SUP lessons and rentals, yoga and Surf-fit SUP classes and guided SUP tours at the Jordanelle Reservoir and Pebble Beach, a sandy beach at the Deer Valley Resort snowmaking ponds, just off the back deck of the Deer Valley Grocery-Café in Park City. Leveling up your SUP session from a leisurely outing to a calorie-torching, strength-building workout is not difficult, Hickman says but does involve tuning in to your movements and giving it a little practice. “Paddleboarding is all about transferring energy from your body to the paddle and into the water,” he says. “And, so, if you can master the paddle stroke, you can work your body from your feet on up.”

Hickman’s tips for achieving a dynamic paddle stroke

A) Place your hands on the paddle farther apart than feels natural. “Think of how you’d hold a shovel,” Hickman says. “The farther apart your hands are, the better leverage you have.” To locate the optimal paddle hand placement, stand in front of a mirror and grasp the paddle handle with your dominant hand, and the shaft with your other. Raise the paddle over your head and lower it vertically until it rests on the top of your head and your arms form 90-degree angles. This is how far apart your hands should be when paddling. To help you remember where to place your non-dominant hand along the paddle shaft, mark the spot with a piece of brightly colored tape.

 B) Keep your arms straight and hinge at the waist to place the paddle blade in the water. Instead of bending your arms back and forth to pull the paddle through the water, straight arms engage the larger muscle groups in your chest, back and core. “Having bendy arms,” Hickman says, “works just your arms which will fatigue much faster than those larger muscle groups.” And then as soon as the paddle blade is submerged, straighten your legs and drive your hips forward, which, in turn, drives the board forward.

 C) Keep the paddle vertical, or perpendicular to the water. This will keep the board moving forward in a straight line and allow you to paddle on one side several times before switching sides. A good way to maintain a vertical paddle is to make sure your hands remain directly over one another. “To get this you’ll have to lean over a bit on the paddle side of the board, which works your balance and taps into your core,” Hickman says.

D) Other tips for achieving an efficient stroke include: maintaining an athletic stance with your hips and knees aimed toward the front or nose of the board; stopping the paddle stroke at your feet; and lifting the paddle out of the water at the end of the stroke by rotating the thumb on the hand grasping the handle (the top hand) toward the sky, which turns the paddle blade parallel to the board and allows for a clean lift out of the water.

Staying Safe on a SUP

Whether you are paddling around a calm pond like Pebble Beach or embarking on an hours- and miles-long paddling tour around the 3,000-acre Jordanelle Reservoir, be sure your board’s leash is in good condition and use it properly; wear a PFD (personal floatation device); stay close to the shore; and consider going early in the morning, when the water is calmer and motorized boat traffic is at a minimum.  

Flatwater Paddleboarding Destinations in Utah

• Pebble Beach, at the Deer Valley Resort’s snowmaking ponds, Park City, is open daily in the summer, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It’s the best place in Utah to learn and you can paddle a third of a mile on flat water while never being far from shore,” Hickman says.
• Mirror Lake, Trial Lake, Lake Washington, Smith Morehouse Reservoir and dozens more lakes in the Uinta Mountains. Some require a hike to reach (amplifying your workout!) and the water in most of these high-altitude lakes is very cold.
• Rock Cliff Natural Area is located on the Jordanelle Reservoir’s eastern arm. This section of the reservoir is a no-wake zone and tends to be much less visited than the reservoir’s popular Hailstone area.
• For advanced SUPers ready to progress to moving water, the Provo River offers gentler rapids surrounded by stretches of calm water. Hickman notes that a helmet, PFD and leash are mandatory for SUPing on moving water
• Causey Reservoir, located 15 miles northeast of Ogden, is open to non-motorized watercraft only.

Save the Date

The Park City SUP Festival will be held at the Jordanelle Reservoir on June 22, 2024. This annual event includes SUP demos, races, rentals, food and live music. For details, visit parkcitysup.com

Nine low-mileage hikes offer great views, interesting destinations and, most importantly, post-work decompression

Though you may be unfamiliar with the term “wildland-urban interface,” if you live anywhere along the Wasatch Front, you bear daily witness to the unique shoulder-to-shoulder closeness of Utah’s biggest metro area and millions of acres of undeveloped forests, canyons, mountainsides and alpine meadows. What this means, of course, is that rather than having to relegate spending time in nature to the weekends, Utah urbanites can get from desk to walking on dirt in under an hour. As such, we encourage you to take advantage of this unheard-of proximity and spring’s balmy, longer days by ending your workday in a way that undoes the damage done by our technology-driven daily lives like almost nothing else: going for a hike.  

1. Adams Canyon, Layton—3.5 miles, out-and-back

This super-scenic and very popular trail runs along the North Fork of Holmes Creek to the impressive 40-foot-tall Adams Waterfall. The trailhead, with bathrooms and ample parking, is located just east of Layton off Highway 89 on East Side Drive. The route begins with steep switchbacks and plateaus as you work your way into the canyon past the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Leashed dogs are allowed in Adams Canyon. Climbing or attempting to slide down the waterfall is prohibited. 

2. Jack’s Peak, Salt Lake City Foothills Natural Area—2.8-mile loop

This loop trail begins at the end of Lakeline Drive, just north of Parleys Canyon. Short but steep, and with sweeping valley views throughout (i.e. lots of west-facing exposure), this excellent trail is best hiked in the spring or fall. Mailboxes at the summit memorialize Jack Edwards, a toddler who passed away from leukemia in 1995. On-leash dogs are allowed. 

3. Grandeur Peak (Face) Trailhead, Salt Lake City to Rattlesnake Gulch Trailhead, Millcreek Canyon

This newly completed section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail runs just under five miles (one way) through the foothills from the Grandeur Peak (Face) Trailhead at the very north end of Wasatch Boulevard to the Rattlesnake Gulch Trailhead in Millcreek Canyon—with a valley viewpoint located conveniently at the halfway point. Options for hiking this trail include walking to and from either trailhead to the overlook platform; hiking the entire section as longer out-and-back; or leaving a second vehicle (or a bike) at one trailhead to shuttle to the other. Note: mountain bikes are allowed on this trial and off-leash dogs are allowed in Millcreek Canyon on odd calendar days only.

4. Neffs Canyon, Olympus Cove, Millcreek—3 miles, out-and-back

This route is popular, especially with dog walkers, for good reason. Ample parking and multiple route length options—all shady—make Neff’s a convenient choice for both a quick, leafy jaunt or an all-day objective. Get there by turning off Wasatch Boulevard at Churchill Junior High onto E. Oakview Drive. Turn left onto Parkview Dr and follow the signs to the Neff’s Canyon Trailhead. Walk past the water tank up the dirt road. Bear left at the top to continue along the canyon trail (the right-side option makes a quick, mile-long loop back to the parking lot) that climbs steadily through the forest. You’re a mile-and-a-half in when you encounter the Mount Olympus Wilderness sign. If time allows, continue another mile along the continually steeper trail until arriving at a gorgeous high meadow flanked with aspen trees and craggy peaks. 

5. Mt. Olympus Trail, Holladay—3 miles, out and back to the stream

Looming large over the eastern Salt Lake Valley is the impressive Mount Olympus. While hiking to its peak is a popular bucket list item for both new and longtime valley residents, knocking out the first third of this route is easily done in two hours, and offers a heart-pumping workout along the way. The trail travels south along switchbacks from the Wasatch Boulevard trailhead and then heads directly up as it approaches an intersection with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Keep right until the trail meets the BST again, where you’ll again keep right. The route continues to climb as it turns a corner into Tolcats Canyon. You’ll soon reach the stream, which runs year-round except in the driest years. Leashed dogs are allowed.

6. Heughs Canyon, Holladay—2.5 miles, out-and-back

In the spring and early summer, this steep but lovely hike ends at a gorgeous moss-flocked waterfall. Park in the marked stalls on Wasatch Boulevard just east of the Old Mill Golf Course. Walk half a mile along Oak Canyon Drive and to the end of the private Berghalde Lane to the trail’s start. (Please respect area homeowners by keeping your dog leashed until you’re at least .3 miles up the trail.) Once off the pavement, the 2-mile round trip route climbs steadily along the shaded Heughs Creek. After crossing a second bridge, the trail steepens until arriving at a boulder field. Make the short scramble over the boulders to the base of the waterfall.

7. Ferguson Canyon to Big Cottonwood Canyon, Cottonwood Heights—3 miles, out-and-back

A more rolling route along one of the newest sections of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is the out-and-back route from Ferguson Canyon to the Dogwood Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Begin at the new Ferguson Park, located just south of Big Cottonwood Canyon on Prospector Drive. Follow signage for a quarter mile up to the trailhead on Quicksilver Drive. Walk up the hill past the water tank onto the well-marked trail that alternatively runs through shady groves and sage-covered hillsides. Bear left at the first fork you encounter (right continues up Ferguson Canyon), crossing a seasonal stream. The trail continues through meadows, along an open hillside overlooking the valley and ends at the Dogwood Campground restrooms. Note: Though dogs are allowed in Ferguson Canyon, they are prohibited on this trail’s Big Cottonwood Canyon section.

8. Bell Canyon Upper Bridge, Sandy—3 miles, out-and-back

Though the full route to Upper Bell Canyon Reservoir is more of a full-day endeavor, hiking from the amenity-heavy Bell Canyon Preservation Trailhead (on the south side of the intersection of Wasatch Boulevard and Little Cottonwood Canyon Road) to the bridge offers a route more appropriate for an evening outing. From the trailhead, keep bearing left at each trail junction you come upon until reaching the bridge. Hungry for more? The canyon’s lower falls are 1 mile farther up the trail, but the route gets significantly steeper and rockier along the way. Before you go: pack a dinner to enjoy at one of the trailhead’s picnic tables with views of the Salt Lake Valley. Dogs are not allowed in Bell Canyon.

9. Rock Canyon Cave, Provo—3 miles, out-and-back

This popular Utah County hiking and rock climbing destination is located directly east of the cupcake-shaped Provo Utah Temple. The route begins as a paved road at the Rock Canyon Trailhead but quickly changes to a shady trail that meanders over five numbered bridges. About a mile and a half up the trail, between bridges #3 and #4 on the north side of the trail, is an old mining cave and an apt turnaround point for an after-work hike. If you have more time, continue on the main trail to a fork right after bridge #5: stay left to continue to Khyv Peak (formerly known as Squaw Peak); the lesser traveled right fork is a very steep route leading to Y Mountain. The 7-mile round trip route to Khyv Peak passes through evergreen stands, a meadow and a campground before becoming steep for the last half mile or so to the summit.

A Trail Tome for Ever Hiker

Ashley Brown wrote Urban Trails: Salt Lake City as a homage to her late grandmother. “My intent behind this book was creating something for every hiker, from the hardcore trail runner to people like my granny, who knew and loved the restorative benefits of getting out into nature,” Brown says. As such, Urban Trails is an apt tool for hikers of all abilities to explore more than 40 routes both within and adjacent to cities lining the Wasatch Front. Pick up your copy at REI, Kings English Book Shop or from mountaineers.org/books.  

“The gym makes your body strong but your mind soft” is an adage many seasoned rock climbers know all too well. And it’s no wonder. Even the most mindful climbers let their brains revert to autopilot while spending the winter cruising from one colored plastic hold to another in the climbing gym. But as the first hint of warmth hits the Wasatch in the spring, dusting off those outdoor climbing-critical decision-making and body-awareness skills you’ve let lie dormant all winter long can feel a lot like being a beginner all over again. 

To avoid the dreaded springtime two-steps-back feeling, spend time on the Spray Wall, Tension Board or the Moon Board. So says Natasha Hodges, Climbing School Manager at Momentum Climbing Gym in Millcreek. “People are often intimidated to try the training boards because they are where the really strong climbers tend to hang out,” Hodges says. “But the boards are really useful for all levels of climbers and everyone using them is there for the same reason: to get stronger, both physically and mentally.”

All three of the aforementioned walls are bouldering features, or climbing walls that don’t extend more than 15 feet off the ground. A Spray Wall is densely packed with holds of all shapes and sizes; a Tension Board has an adjustable incline and uses sleek wooden holds set in distinct patterns designed to maintain body tension and improve footwork; and the Moon Board is fixed at a 40-degree incline and is made up smaller, oddly shaped holds focused on improving finger strength and power. Both the Moon Board and Tension Board also feature LED-lit holds that offer an endless variety of problems accessed through free apps. Additionally, the Tension Board allows users to flip, or mirror, routes for symmetrical workouts. A few of the drills Hodges utilizes with her students include…

Timed movement: Set a timer for two, three or four minutes with the goal of continuous movement around the Spray Wall for that entire time. Rest for the same amount of time you worked and then repeat the set twice. Mix it up by finding holds where you can comfortably rest for 30 seconds. “Playing around with doing things like dropping a knee or opening up your hips to find a rest position, especially on holds that aren’t so good, will give you awareness of how to use your body to find rests on those long routes outside,” Hodges says.

Four by fours: Climb four routes or problems without resting in between. When all four are completed, rest for the same amount of time you spent climbing the four routes. Instead of running around the gym to find four problems in the same grade, stay at the Tension Board where you can do a problem, mirror it, do it again and then complete the same process with a second problem. “Doing problems back-to-back like that will help give you the power, endurance and confidence to do those hard, tension-heavy moves, typical of outdoor bouldering and climbing, while you’re pumped or fatigued,” Hodges says.

Project mimicking: Because the Spray Wall is packed with so many different types of holds, you’ll likely be able to find, or closely mimic, a move on an outdoor climb you were working on last season. “For example, maybe the outside move you’re working on is a hard gaston off of a crimp with a bad foothold,” Hodges says. “Because there’s so many holds and different options on the Spray Wall, you can replicate moves and continue to get better at a specific outside climb before the season starts.” 

Gear for Getting Outside

Most of my sledding memories were formed on the hilly golf course next to my childhood home in Northern Michigan. But after I moved to Utah in my mid-twenties and had kids in my mid-thirties, I found that my hometown sledding terrain pales compared to the sledding opportunities to be had here. Sledding was a part of most winter weekends when my kids were young; a practice that waned as they entered high school. Recently, however, I’ve realized that whooshing down a snowy slope on a plastic sled is not only fun but a fabulous complement to all the other winter sports I like to do, too. 

The leg muscles we use to propel ourselves up to the top of the sledding hill—gluteus maximus and quadriceps—are also the prime movers for skiing and snowboarding. But that’s not all that gets worked on a sledding hill climb, so says Michael Krushinsky, owner and head coach at Wasatch Fitness Academy. “Additionally and at least as valuable, is how it works your body’s responsiveness to changing terrain,” he says, “Slight undulations in the ground, slipping a bit in the snow and slogging through untracked snow, all ask the body to instantly use stabilizing muscles to support the hips, knees and ankles in ways that are beyond the demand of walking uphill on pavement.” Pulling weight behind you, like a young child in a sled, for example, gets your torso, abs and back muscles in on the action, Krushinsky added.

Along with the physical benefits, I’d argue that adult sledding offers a pretty unique mental health boost. Last winter I began joining my neighbor in her before-work sledding sessions, and I found that on the days I sledded, I felt a bit lighter, more settled and generally happier for the remainder of the day. The fresh air and exercise were probably part of the equation, but I also attribute the bump to laughter. Something about flailing uncontrollably down a hillside, trying to avoid trees and other obstacles with snow flying on my face, strikes me as hilarious. Turns out my post-belly-laugh good vibes are not all in my head. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter enhances oxygen intake, activates and relieves the stress response and soothes tension, leaving the laughter with a greater sense of well-being that can last for hours.

Adult Sledding Hills

As you may have gathered, the physical and mental benefits of adult sledding are mostly about hiking uphill and then using a sled to avoid the knee-wearing walk back down. While sledding hills like Sugar House Park, Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Flat Iron Mesa Park in Sandy and Mountain Dell Golf Course in Parley’s Canyon are home to some of the area’s most popular sledding venues, they are not as ideal for adult sledding. Neff’s Canyon, Millcreek Canyon, Park City’s Round Valley and City Creek Canyon (closed most weekdays until 2027) provide a steady, longish and not-too-steep but still heart-pumping uphill hike followed by an easily navigable descent. 

Just remember to keep an eye out for other trail users, like hikers and skiers, on  your downhill runs and prepare to yield (basically, wreck) to make way for uphill traffic. Happy sledding! 

Sleds that Shred

Zipfy Mini Luge Sled, $54.99, Scheels. This sleek, compact luge-style snowslider is easy to carry uphill and provides a fun, core-challenging ride on the way down. Recommended for tighter, already broken-in sledding zones. scheels.com

Flexible Flyer 48-inch Snow Boat, $28.99, Ace Hardware. This classic sled has a grooved undercarriage for better steering, a cushioned seat to help absorb the bumps and is extra wide to allow for a small passenger. acehardware.com

L.L. Bean Polar Slider DLX Sled, $69. This high-quality plastic sled is an upgrade that is fast and light but still steerable. It comes with a durable nylon webbing tow rope, ideal for hauling a small child back up the hill. llbean.com