Reconnecting with nature: How Utah hikers are finding mental wellness in the mountains

PROVO — In an era of unprecedented technology and mental health crises, local hikers are finding solace in the mountains.

Springville resident Kayla Meehan found herself needing to get outside during the COVID-19 pandemic while stuck working from home. So she decided to start hiking the Wasatch Mountains, which she grew up next to but never took the time to explore.

"I really felt confined. Just being outside opened up the opportunity to feel like myself again," she said. "After 2020, I have not been able to stay out of the mountains. It's been a consistent addiction. It's more of like a passion that I did not expect to be one of my hobbies."

It's easy to get caught up in work, family and all the day-to-day tasks, where notifications are constantly buzzing in your pocket, she said.

"Being able to go into the mountains and have them close is so nice. We can just unplug literally and escape the noise of everyday life. Taking a break and not having your notifications go off, whether it's important or not, it can wait because your mental health comes first," she said.

Meehan first connected with local business Timpanogos Hiking Co. last year while filming a commercial that included hiking. Timpanogos Hiking Co. has a motto to "escape the noise" and promotes mental and physical wellness through hiking and outdoor recreation.

What started as a business relationship has turned into a friendship with the company owner and employees.

"I just love the mission that the company has ... of wanting to connect with local hikers," she said. "It's a really cool way how he creates this community of hikers, who doesn't even realize that they're hikers, but he is encouraging people just to get outside."

Founder Joe Vogel revived a historical tradition of giving out Timp Badges for people who summit Mount Timpanogos and expanded the badges to a peak challenge last year. This year, the company has a GOAT Challenge for hiking Utah peaks and an Escape the Noise Challenge for popular family-friendly hikes around the Wasatch Front.

Provo hiker Tennison Hunter thinks it's "really cool" what the company has done with the badges because it "draws a community together."

The badges were a "huge inspiration" for him to work on himself, as Hunter said he was headed down a "dark path" three years ago. He decided he wanted to change and began hiking the Y in Provo. After seeing how difficult it was, he was determined to get in better shape, both mentally and physically.

Hunter then saw a news story about the Timp Badges and said it was like "fuel" to him. He has hiked Timp every year since — he summited the peak four times last year alone — along with dozens of other trails.

"I think it's really cool because we all like working toward something," he said.

That drive is now spreading to his kids as they've started tagging along wanting to do hard hikes too. And having a badge you can collect as a reward for completing a challenge certainly doesn't hurt, he added.

"There's something about just being in nature. Get out there and test your own limits. You're going to push your own boundaries, and you're going to be surprised with what you are actually capable of," he said.

An accessible hobby for anyone

Meehan did four of the badge hikes last year — including hiking Mount Timp for the first time — and has a goal this year to do all of the challenge hikes.

"The extra incentive is so much fun, especially if you're the type of person who likes a gold star at the end of a hard hike," she said. "It's cool to look back and see the hard hikes you did and encourage yourself to do ever harder hikes."

Entry-level challenges make hiking more accessible, Meehan said. Not everyone thinks summiting a peak is fun, but almost everyone can enjoy a small hike that helps them connect with nature.

"Whether it's five minutes or a five-hour hike, it really does something to clear your mind where it's just really refreshing," she said. "That sense of reconnect is amazing, and having it so close is so special."

She encourages everyone to explore the state because too many people take the mountains and natural beauty for granted. Meehan finds peace by taking in the moment while on hikes, listening to a river or enjoying the spring blossoms.

"This is such a cool state we live in that offers a diverse landscape, whether I'm in southern Utah wanting to go for a walk in a National Park or I can explore the northern Uintas ... both are doable no matter the skill range. There's so many options and diversity Utah offers to explore and clear your mind (and) appreciate what is around us," she said.

With technology nowadays, "everybody wants your attention," Hunter said. "But when you get out into the mountains, it forces you to put away your phone. Anything that comes through, can't until you get back into range. It forces all the distractions to go away."

Hunter loves that hiking gives him time to himself to think about who he is and what he wants to do with his life.

"It's so peaceful. You get to be with yourself ... it's so simple and that's what you get and it's so enjoyable all at the same time. It's so easy to get caught up in the next thing, but it forces you to be present. Nothing beats it. I love it," he said.

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