With the Alpine Loop being a popular fall attraction, entrepreneurs Blake and Sam Nelson are taking full advantage of college students' need for adventure.
Blake Nelson, a BYU marketing graduate, and Sam Nelson, an experience management and design major, sold hay rides that traversed the Alpine Loop this season.
The couple's ultimate goal is to start their own business one day and they felt this was a great way to get their foot in the door.
Around a year ago, Blake Nelson purchased a broken-down truck from a company he was working for that was just sitting around.
His original plan was to fix the truck and sell it. However, after having to constantly move the truck around Provo every three days to avoid parking violations, the couple decided they either needed to sell it or think of something to do with it.
Then a friend of Sam Nelson’s helped them brainstorm some ideas of ways they could use the truck.
One idea, that was quickly shot down, was to take students on a tour of Downtown Provo. It was quickly decided that wasn’t the best option.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of cool history around Provo but it doesn't sound like the most entertaining evening for a 20-year-old,” Sam Nelson explained.
So it was back to the drawing board when their friend came up with the idea to do a hay ride through the Alpine Loop.
The couple instantly thought the idea was genius and got to work.
They purchased some hay bales from a local farm, decked out the truck in a fall theme, added some fairy lights to the truck bed and started advertising.
According to the couple, their marketing efforts have not been incredibly professional.
To help spread the word Sam Nelson started creating and posting content on social media advertising upcoming hay rides.
The couple also handed out flyers at places such as Liberty Square, Heritage Halls and even BYU football games.
The hay ride experience is $12 per person for individuals and $10 per person when signing up as a couple.
Each hay ride consists of about an hourlong ride along the Alpine Loop with a quick break at the 30-minute mark. During the break, customers hop out, take some fun fall pictures and drink hot chocolate before heading back down the canyon.
The couple hopes these alpine hay rides will provide a new way to see the changing leaves on the Alpine Loop and allow friends to all experience it together in one vehicle.
“We just want to be a really good experience for people to come and see it in a different way.”
Some BYU students found Sam and Blake Nelson's hay ride to be a great autumn activity.
“I thought it was super fun and a creative way to do something different to celebrate fall,” Shelby Moore, a BYU student, said after participating in the hay ride.