About the Turner Tornado

We’re Jules and Clay, an Air Force family of five with three boys, a long love for the outdoors, and plenty of family chaos to keep things interesting.

We come from different corners of the country — Clay was raised in Texas, and Jules was raised in Washington State — but the military brought us together at The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado (even though we never met while living down the hall from each other!). Both of us were then stationed in Montana, where we met, got married, and started building our life together. Since then, the Air Force has taken us from Montana to California, Hawaii, Washington, Nebraska, and now Utah.

Through every move, the outdoors has been part of our family story. Before kids, we were avid hikers, campers, and backpackers. We loved getting into the mountains, finding trails, carrying packs, sleeping outside, and seeing what was around the next bend.

Then came the boys.

Like a lot of families, our adventures changed when the kids were little. Backpacking trips became day hikes. Big routes became shorter trails. Camping became more about snacks, sleep systems, weather, bathroom logistics, and figuring out how to make the outdoors fun instead of miserable. We still got outside whenever we could, but it took more planning, more patience, and a lot more trial and error.

Now, as we move to Hill AFB, we’re excited to be back near the mountains and ready to take full advantage of everything Utah has to offer. We’ll be exploring trails, campsites, lakes, ski areas, snowshoe routes, paddleboarding spots, and eventually backpacking routes as we find our groove again as a family.

Turner Tornado Trails and Trials is our place to share what we learn along the way.

This site is for families who want to get outside but need real-world information before committing to an adventure. It’s for military families arriving in Utah and trying to figure out where to start. It’s for parents wondering if a hike is actually kid-friendly, if the payoff is worth the effort, if there’s shade or water, if the trail is too steep, or if the drive is going to be longer than the hike.

We’re not claiming to be experts on Utah. We’re learning it as we go.

Our goal is to share honest notes from the trail: what worked, what didn’t, what our boys loved, what pushed us, what we would bring next time, and which adventures we would absolutely do again. Some trips will be smooth. Some will be messy. Some will probably involve whining, forgotten gear, questionable weather decisions, and snacks being used as a bargaining tool.

That’s all part of it.

These are the trails and trials of the Turner Tornado — and we’re glad you’re here.