Memorial Day 2018: Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Our family seems to keep losing track of spouses.  Papa Kay and I have been hanging out for the last week since NomiAnn wandered off to Seattle and Jason is back in Salt Lake.  Over Memorial Day, NomiAnn and Grandpa Charles had to work, so Papa Kay and Grandma Susie joined us for our adventure.  Mix and match grandparents!

As the trip organizer, we owe a thousand thanks to Papa Kay for researching a great place for us to spend Memorial Day.  We headed to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a stunning national park in Colorado that is only six hours from Salt Lake.  Truth to be told, I hadn't even known it existed.  Papa Kay drove out several days early just to stake out a good campsite that could accommodate our group.  Thank you!

The rest of our crew headed out early Friday morning.  Given the amount of gear we needed, it's a good thing Jason's a skilled packer.

When we arrived at our campsite, we found this deer waiting for us.


The big girls were super excited to try out Brooklyn's new backpacking tent for the first time.


Talia's new hammock was equally appreciated.


Eli thought the bear box made a great hiding spot.

As for Annika, she immediately broke out her watercolor paints and started to decorate every rock she could find.


Shortly thereafter, she became best buds with Finn, a boy from the campsite next door.

Last but not least, she got really really dirty.

Seeing as to how the water at Black Canyon must be hauled in from fourteen miles away, a shower was not an option.  (By way of information, neither were flushing toilets.)


At least the skies were clean and beautiful.

How about some pictures of the canyon itself?  Black Canyon is known for being deep, steep, and narrow.

Its beauty took my breath away.  I felt bedazzled by this relatively unknown gem.

We spent much of our time atop the south rim of the canyon, exploring the many overlooks.


Here's a view of the Painted Wall.  It's hard to believe that a few daring souls have actually managed to climb it.

Hiking out to Warner Point.  Papa Kay's hat is perfect for wildflowers.

This picture kind of melts my heart.

As does this one.  How did I get such beautiful girls?

Made it to the end.  So glad you could share the moment with us, Grandma Susie!

Feeling contemplative.  The immensity of the canyon certainly provides perspective.

Later that day, we drove down East Portal Road to the bottom of the canyon.  While it's possible to hike down, the trail is extremely steep and best undertaken with a bit of preparation. 

The river landscape has changed a bit since they tunneled through the mountain and constructed a diversion dam to irrigate the valley on the other side.  Decades ago during construction, this area was actually a thriving little town.  Now it's the perfect place for a snack.

Papa Kay brought the refreshment.  Here he is sampling the Snake River Sarsaparilla.

Jason, meanwhile, broke out the the Toxic Slime.

These went right along with the Brownie Caramel Cream we tasted the night before.

Other flavors we indulged in: Zombie Brain Juice and Bug Barf.  'Cause I know you wanted to know.

The next morning, Jason and Alan, our camp neighbor, arose early to brave the strenuous hike to the bottom.

Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely morning around camp...

...including dutch oven popeye pancakes.

Three cheers for Grandma Susie!

After breakfast, Papa Kay broke out the stepping stone painting.

Colorful enough to brighten anyone's day.

Of course, this stone's pretty spiffy as well.

When Jason returned from his hike, we all hopped in the van for a long drive to the north rim of Black Canyon.  When carsickness threatened, we paused for lunch at Curecanti National Recreation Area.

The north rim was spectacular--absolutely worth the drive. 

 Talia thought this picture looked photo-shopped.  I promise, it's totally real.

The cliffs on the north side are even steeper than the opposite rim.

It's pretty dizzying, even for those not afraid of heights.  The girls loved seeing all the swallows swoop and dive below.

Happy campers.

We stopped for a short loop hike along the Chasm View trail, then continued our drive home, making a giant loop around the canyon.

Once we got back to camp, it was time to start dinner.  I found willing hands that were eager to make banana boats...

...and eager mouths willing to eat them.  Num num!

Most mornings I got up early and went for a short hike/run.  The canyon was stunning in the early morning light.

It was a little bit scary too.  One morning I could hear a bear snuffling noisily in the thicket nearby.  I couldn't see it so I can't tell you exactly how I knew it was a bear--the snorts were so big that I just knew.  The next day I heard more loud trampling.  It was obviously more than just one animal, so at first I thought that perhaps I'd run across some very noisy deer.  That is, until I saw brown furry ears poking up through the bushes.  I went back later that day with my family to show them exactly where I saw the ears and how close the bear was to the trail.  Fortunately, the black bears at Black Canyon aren't really aggressive.

Other highlights of our trip included the ranger programs.  Eli, in particular, gets very engaged by the Junior Ranger activities. Here he is receiving his night sky patch.  Black Canyon of the Gunnison is actually recognized as an International Dark Sky Park.  We happened to be there during a full moon, so it would be fun to go back when we can really appreciate the stars.

Eli's enthusiasm was contagious, inspiring some of his siblings to earn their Junior Ranger badges as well.  Annika was willing to abide by the Junior Ranger oath, right up until the point where she was asked whether or not it was okay to take rocks from the park.  Not wanting to leave her large collection of painted rocks behind, she coyly responded, well, yes and no.  Papa Kay said she was on track to become a lawyer.

Finally, Memorial Day.  Papa Kay may not have worn flag shirt, but his glasses made up for it.

Besides, NomiAnn got Eli a flag shirt as well.

Thanks to Susie for taking this picture of our crew.

After multiple days without showers, we were pretty grimy by the time we broke camp.  We headed straight from our campground to this gorgeous rec center in Montrose.  We showered, played in the pool...


...and went climbing!  Their rock wall was super fun.

Even Annie got in on the action.

Plus, fussball!

So many thanks to Papa Kay and Grandma Susie for making this Memorial Day so special.  

Every year is a unique adventure, and this was one that we will never forget.

Adams Canyon

Happy Fourth of July!  So our family is in the midst of an epic road trip right now.  Long Island beaches, a surprise 60th birthday party, water-skiing at Lake George, the Brooklyn promenade--we've experienced a little bit of everything.  Just like this picture, the only thing missing from the fun is our dad.   As much as he would have loved to stay and play, he flew back a week ago to finish up the fiscal year at work.  We miss you Jason, and appreciate everything you do for our family more than you'll ever know.

In the meantime, we're loving this time with our northshore aunts and big cousins, plus our littler cousin Eila.  Tomorrow Eila and NomiAnn will fly back to Seattle while Papa Kay and the rest of us start the long drive back to Omaha, taking the scenic route through Canada.  So much adventure!

Back to the pictures, I wanted to share some photos of a beautiful hike we took in the middle of May up Adams Canyon near Layton.  It starts off with a fairly steep ascent up dusty switchbacks.  The kids were kind of whiny until we met a gopher snake.

Before long the trail entered a beautiful wooded canyon that coursed beside a babbling stream.  Attitudes improved...

...mostly.

There's an Eli smile!

A Brooklyn smile too.

So the trail tricked me.  From our "Sixty Hikes within Sixty Miles" guidebook, I knew we were headed to a waterfall.  At first I thought that this was it and felt satisfied.  

Then we came across this waterfall and I was seriously impressed.

Jason convinced me to trek a little bit farther and we finally found this beauty.

Thanks to Brooklyn for being our family photographer.

I'm not sure we could have squeezed another person onto the rock anyway.

The hike back was beautiful as we watched some storm clouds roll in.


And one more photo of our Daddy Jason, shouldering his little gal.

On this special Day of Independence, I believe that it is the strength of fathers and families that makes America truly great.

ELPer trip to Moab

Jason and I are currently in New York celebrating our fifteenth anniversary.  It's been amazing!  Our hotel room has a great view of the Empire State, we went to see a Broadway show, and plan to walk the High Line this afternoon.  Our celebrations are a bit overdue since I wasn't around for our actual anniversary.  Instead, I was in Monticello/Moab, helping to chaperone Brooklyn's school trip.

To be completely honest, the trip was both good and hard.  Our accommodations were great.  My group was assigned to this lovely bed and breakfast, the Grist Mill Inn, in Monticello.  The girls in my group were polite, punctual, and helpful.  There was a giant kitchen, the beds were great, and I had my own room with a private bathroom.

I also loved getting to know Brooklyn's friends better.  She's connected with some really great kids--kind, smart, creative, and fun.


On the downside, I was pretty disappointed by the trip itself.  This "Pando" trip included 140 seventh and eighth graders, all ELPers at West.  The trip organization was shockingly poor, and the kids sensed how nobody really knew what was going on.  I'm all about spontaneity, but winging it with an enormous group doesn't work well.  Half the stuff promised on the original itinerary never came to fruition.  And an educational component?  Um, notsomuch.  Three weeks before the trip, the responsibility for all of the food was dumped on a couple of parents.  If I were them, I'd never volunteer again.  Most disappointingly, instead of establishing high expectations and encouraging the kids to be their best selves, the trip organizer (a teacher) was most interested in appearing cool, playing pranks in the middle of the night, and other nonsense.

I sensed that many generally good kids were sinking to the lowest common denominator.  I was appalled by much of the language and music I heard; it certainly expanded my meager knowledge of profanities.  Appropriate dress?  At one point I would have settled for any clothing at all.  During a hot hike at Arches, a coed group stripped off their shirts completely, with the gals wandering around in their bras.  (Not sports bras--think Victoria's Secret.)  Teachers saw, and nobody said a word!  I was so ashamed as I heard a passing hiker exclaim, "This is a school group. How do they get away with that?"  Once I caught up with the flashers, I requested that they put their shirts back on.  Frankly, they seemed relieved to do so.  I suspect most of them were uncomfortable but felt pressured to test the limits.  Whether they know it or not, kids crave boundaries.  (Come to think of it, adults do too.)

Overall, I was reminded of just how tough the middle school years can be.

This year, it took a huge leap of faith to send Brooklyn straight from elementary to 7th grade at a high school.  As I walked through the halls at orientation with upper classmen towering all around, I thought, "I'm not old enough for this; how can she be?"  But then she found a sweet group of friends, and it was easy to forget what a challenging environment they face every day.  This trip helped me remember.

But enough of that, let's remember the great parts.  The Canyon Country Discovery Center hosted an amazing service learning experience for our group.


For the most part, the girls wrestled to yank invasive species (mostly clover) from the rock-hard ground.  However, they also got to help plant a few trees.  One group even got to construct a composting system.

Brooklyn helps get some water.

Aw look, such a cute little lizard!

Next stop, Arches National Park.  Here we have Brooklyn with her friends Jasmina, Maddie, and Chantel.

Mr. Taber originally suggested we get a picture of all 140 students standing under Delicate Arch. Um, not sure that's a brilliant idea, especially with all the wind gusts.

Dinnertime.  That's a lot of pizza boxes.

Okay, this is kind of embarrassing, but I have no idea where this picture was taken.  Some place with models of Native American dwellings, such as tipis and this hogan.  Wish I'd been given an itinerary with more detail so I could check.

The bus drivers could have used an itinerary and accurate driving directions as well.  Turning around on a dirt road is certainly not easy!  One of the buses ran over a juniper tree and got quite scraped up.

Despite the drama, we finally made it to our destination, some Ancestral Puebloan ruins reminiscent of those at Mesa Verde.

On the positive side of spontaneity, the kids loved the ice cream that Mr. Taber bought them at Hole In The Rock.  Newspaper Rock was on the original schedule, but I guess this is just as good?

The best part of the trip was some gentle river rafting down the Colorado River.  It was so beautiful!  No pictures (for obvious reasons), but our raft had a great time.  I was shocked when every single girl jumped out and went for a quick swim.  It was on overcast day, so brrr!

Another great highlight--the final dance party.  Music selections were great and everyone seemed to have lots of fun.

Despite the challenges of the trip, I am so glad that I took the time off work to go on this trip.  I have so much for more appreciation for our youth and the good choices they make.  In particular, I have so much more appreciation for my daughter.  In many ways, standing up for what's right feels harder here than other places we've lived.  When it comes to religion, Salt Lake is very polarized; standards are often perceived as haughty judgment.  Even as a grown-up chaperone; I know how intimidating it was to speak out on this trip.  Yet Brooklyn confidently chooses to be different in positive ways every day.  That takes immense courage. Thanks for your example, Buttermilk.  We love you.

Jason and Grandmas Susie, thank you too!  This trip wouldn't have been possible without you.  It's a full-time job holding the fort at home, and you guys went above and beyond.  Susie watched Annika in Hyde Park for a few days so that Jason could get some work done.  Here they are at a park when he went to pick her up.  Stunning!

And a little bit scary.  If you ask Annika, she insists that "I won't fall, I won't fall!"  I'm not sure gravity agrees.

As if he didn't have enough to do, Jason volunteered to make ALL the cookies for the women in our ward on Mother's Day.

Wow.  You're positively amazing, Peanut Butter!

I love you ever so much and feel your love for us in ever so many ways.  Happy Anniversary!