Month: July 2019

11 Peaks in 11 Days: Utah Climbing Itinerary

IMG_2268Unfurling Banners to STOP CHILD ABUSE!!!

July 24 – Aug 3, 2019

Over the course of 11 days, 11 peaks and trails will be hiked to raise awareness that our children need protection, especially in religious institutions where so many of our precious little ones have been abused.

Tyler Slack has meticulously lined up the itinerary below.  I thank my friend for the hours of thought and toil required to put this all together.  He plans to join me on many if not all of the hikes.

There is a wide variety of climbs.  From easy to strenuous.  Around the Salt Lake Valley, up to Ogden and down to Utah Valley.  Some start before sunrise.  Some last past sunset.    Pick a peak and join us.

Day 1, Wed July 24:  Mt Timpanogos

Meet-up time:  4:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Timpooneke trailhead, 40.4313, -111.639

Estimated Time:  8-12 hrs (Likely shorter depending on snow pack)

Length: 14.3 miles (4,389 ft. elevation gain) 

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information

Notes:   Climb from 7,360 ft to 11,749 feet for a total of 4,389 feet elevation gain. Allowing many extra hours to complete due to anticipated congestion due to the holiday. Possible $6 fee if starting later in the day.  The actual length of the hike may be impacted by snow pack blocking the trail.  For safety reasons, we won’t be going beyond that point.

Day 2, Thu July 25:  Mount Baldy from top of Snowbird Tram (Hidden Peak)

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  9385 Snowbird Center Dr, Sandy, UT 84092

Estimated Time:  2 hrs (4 hrs including tram ride)

Length:  2 miles (240 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Notes:  $18 Tram Ticket (if purchased in advance) 

Day 3, Fri July 26:  Donut Falls

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Donut Falls Trailhead (40°38’22.6″N 111°39’04.4″W)

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  3 miles (531 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Depending on how busy it is, parking at the trailhead may not be possible, in which case it’s an extra .5 mile hike from overflow parking near the canyon road.

Day 4, Sat July 27:  Ben Lomond Peak

Meet-up time:  7:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Pioneer Trail, Ogden, UT  (41°19’13.8″N 111°53’55.7″W)

Estimated Time:  7-9 hrs

Length:  14.9 miles (3,618 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information 

Day 5, Sun  July 28:  Sunset Hike, Ensign Peak

Meet-up time:  8:00 pm

Meet-up Location:  166 Ensign Vista Dr, Salt Lake City, UT

Estimated Time:  1.5 hrs

Length:  .8 miles (374 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Day 6, Mon July 29:  Night hike, Big Beacon Mt. Wire Trail

Meet-up time:  9:00 pm

Meet-up Location:  Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Salt Lake City, UT (40°45’46.6″N 111°49’23.1″W)

Estimated Time:  3 hrs

Length:  4.7 miles (2,184 ft elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Moderate

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Bring flashlights

Day 7, Tue July 30:  Sugarloaf Peak (Including Cecret Lake)

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  9530 S Campground Rd, Alta, UT 

Estimated Time:  3 hrs

Length:  5 miles (1,801 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Moderate

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Possible $6 fee to park at trailhead.  Possible shuttle to avoid fee.

Day 8, Wed July 31:  Battle Creek Falls

Meet-up time:  10:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Pleasant Grove, UT (40°21’46.5″N 111°42’02.8″W)

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  1.2 miles (400 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Note:  We are only going to the waterfall which is 1.2 miles round trip.

Day 9, Thu Aug 1:  Grandeur Peak

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Church For trailhead, 5861 Mill Creek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT

Estimated Time:  4.5 hrs

Length:  6.5 miles (2,647 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information  

Notes:  $3 fee for Millcreek Canyon.

Day 10, Fri Aug 2:  Temple Quarry

Meet-up time:  10:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Little Cottonwood Creek Trail, Little Cottonwood Rd, Sandy, UT

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  2 miles (300 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Day 11, Sat Aug 3:  Hidden Falls

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  S-Curve in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Estimated Time:  1 hrs

Length:  .6miles (42 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty: Easy

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Trail Information  

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Temple Side Chats

Starting on July 25, each evening after the hikes, I’ll be stationed across from Temple Square.  With microphone in hand and Facebook Live rolling, our chat will be broadcast around the world.  One hour long, it will start at 7pm MDT.

Who are invited?  Why everyone of course!

  • I hope to see friends and make many new acquaintances.
  • Parents, grandparents and any one interested in protecting every child.
  • Victims and survivors of childhood trauma are particularly welcome.  We mourn for what happened to you.  We cheer for your healing and progress.  We love and support you.  We are standing up to protect today’s children from the indignities that your suffered.

Will there be an empty chair this year?  Yes!  During the hunger strike the chair remained empty for the entire 23 days.  This year I hope it will be occupied every single night.

Who is the empty chair for?  Representatives of any institution that has implemented strong child protection protocols….especially churches.  I invite a pastors, bishops, leaders or members of a congregation to share with the world how they Protect Every Child in their organization.

News Conference

In the midst of the hiking schedule, a new conference will be held.  Please, please come.

  • Date:  Sunday July 28
  • Time:  10:30 am
  • Place:  50 West Club & Cafe
  • Address:  50 West Broadway, SLC

March to End Child Abuse

Remember, the huge upcoming event:  March for the children on October 5, 2019 in Salt Lake City.  Be a part of this historic happening.  Help us leave a lasting imprint on the lives of children who will never experience the horrors of abuse.  We need **5,000** people to show up.  Please come and bring every single person you can muster.

Register HERE.

 

 

Grass Roots Changes in the Mormon Church

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka the Mormon Church, still has a policy in place that requires congregational leaders to regularly take children behind closed doors and ask questions of a sexual nature.  There is no requirement to notify parents when these “worthiness” interviews take place.  The meetings are usually one-on-one unless the child “desires” that another adult be in the room.

Except for the vague instruction that they should not be “unnecessarily probing,” there is no limit to what untrained Mormon leaders can ask a child.  As a result, many bishops continue to ask totally inappropriate, shaming and harmful questions like those found HERE.

The Mormon Church MUST change their irresponsible and outdated policies that have harmed so many children.

Fortunately, there is anecdotal evidence that thoughtful parents and local Mormon leaders are stepping up to protect children on their own.  Here are 3 recent examples.

#1:  Stake president instructs, no one-on-one, no sexual questions!!!

Message receive this morning, July 13, 2019:

Sam, just thought I would drop you a line.  I have followed you for a while and have appreciated your efforts and thought you would enjoy hearing some positive news.

I was recently put into a bishopric in a Utah ward.  During my interviews with the stake presidency, I was determined to tell them that I would not do one-on-one child interviews and would not ask sexual questions.  If that were to be an issue, I could not accept the calling. 

To my great surprise, I was told by the stake presidency without any prompting from me that while I would be doing interviews with children, under no circumstances was I to ever interview a child without a parent present and I am not to ask questions of any sexual nature.

While I don’t know if that same advice was extended to the new bishop I was relieved to hear that from local leadership.  While it is a small step, it made me feel like if enough local leaders feel this way the church will change regardless of the brethren…common consent will eventually win!

#2:  Bishop eliminates one-on-one interviews

A message received yesterday:

Hi Sam, 

I have a family member who is the executive secretary to his bishop.  In their ward there has to be a chaperone for interviews with all minors and all women. Basically their bishopric has decided that if a minor or any female meets with any member of the bishopric, one of the other members of the bishopric or the executive secretary has to also be in attendance as a “chaperone” as they put it.

I know this isn’t being done everywhere and that it may not be the policy at a stake level.  Either way I know I’m happy to see it’s being done in that ward and a good step.

#3:  Bishop asks all parents to be in interviews

Recently the Mormon church sent out a survey soliciting opinions about a “proposed change” to the age for “worthiness” interviews.  Following is one of the public comments on 2KUTV’s FB page.

My brother in law is a bishop.  Every interview with a minor, he invites the parents/guardian to join them. Sometimes they refuse and other times they join. He says he interviews the same.

Good for the bishop.  There is no policy to ask parents to be present in the interviews.  He has chosen a path of protection for both the child and himself.  I can only hope that this bishop has also ditched the sexual questions.  To ask them in front of parents would be doubly shaming for the child.

Help Us Stop Child Abuse

*Protect Every Child (PEC) is no longer a lonely voice.   A COALITION of 7 organizations have rallies to our cause.  If you are part of an association who is working to protect children or support survivors, please let me know if you would like to be added to the coalition.  PEC applauds and supports the good works that all these organizations are doing to stamp out child abuse.

*Climb a mountain and save a child.  Climb a mountain, a hill or a driveway.  Unfurl a banner, take a picture share it everywhere you can.

*On October 5, 2019, bring your banners to Salt Lake City and March for the Children.  Please register in advance.  This will be an historic event.  The first major march aimed at halting child sex abuse.  Be one of the 5,000 participants shouldering our sacred responsibility to protect every child.

Protect Children Quote