Spring is on the horizon, and Weber State University students will have more opportunities to get out into the fresh air in Ogden Valley.
“There is a lot of things you can do in the valley, like ride horses, shoot bows and kayaking,” said Kennedy Velasquez, a WSU freshman. “There is always mountain biking or road biking. If it is a windy day, you can go kite flying. You can see little baby animals and the flowers blooming.”
Ogden Valley is only a 30-minute drive from WSU. Due to rain in the valley during the springtime, students may want to avoid mountain biking. Instead, students could try their hands at street riding after a rainfall. Ogden Valley has a bike path that wraps most of the way around Pineview Reservoir.
“As soon as summer hits, you open up all of the kayaking and paddleboarding; you have access to the water, like Causey Reservoir and Pineview,” said Tim Nguyen, the assistant coordinator of the WSU Outdoor Program. “With that, it allows you to mountain-bike. Some people have been mountain biking now, but the biggest challenge — they obviously can’t reach the summit of some of the peaks, and because the water from the snowmelt is creating a lot of mud, it is best to stay off the trails.”
During spring, some resorts in the valley, such as Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, are still open. WSU students can still get in some spring skiing.
“So, in the springtime in the Ogden Valley, it is a great time to be able to ski, walk along the beach, along Pineview Reservoir, and golf all in the same day,” said Terry Holgerson, an Ogden Valley resident. “With still good snow in the upper elevations of the mountains, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are still a part of our springtime activities. Also, with the ice melting on the reservoir, you can go kayaking. Mountain biking or road biking are also great things with the warmer temperatures during the day.”
In the summer months, horseback riding is an activity WSU students in Ogden Valley could participate in, as well as picnics at Huntsville Park.
“First of all, they have the Eden Pathways they can hike or jog. There are places for them to fish in the reservoirs, as well as the rivers up here,” said London Draper Lowe, an Ogden Valley resident and WSU nursing professor. “There are a lot of different hiking trails at Snowbasin. Harley & Buck’s and Carlos & Harley’s all have live music. There is also the Balloon Festival that is hosted in the Ogden Valley.”
If WSU students are looking to stay in Ogden City, the WSU Outdoor Program offers activities during the springtime as well. The program is preparing right now for the Annual Ogden Climbing Festival that will run April 10-12, and will offer a free rock-climbing gear demo on April 11.
