June 1-3 were spent up at Utah State University with my 40 SBOs and Class Officers. I have really great kids this year (including Timmy) and the whole conference was a success, even though I kind of went through it in a daze with all that has been going on with Brian graduating and my dad passing away.
I got home late on Wednesday night and went the next morning to set up for my Dad's funeral services that started on Friday night. I documented the funeral in the last post.
After the funeral, we went back up to the ranch the next day to be with family. A neighbor brought everyone delicious breakfast burritos and the kids enjoyed each other's company. My Dad would have been pleased. He always loved watching everyone enjoy being together.
A few days later, Brian had the amazing opportunity to do a huge climb with Bishop Spencer Halvorsen. Spencer took each one of the Young Men in the ward on this climb before their missions. We are so blessed that Brian had Spencer as a Bishop through most of his years as a youth. It was a hard climb and a great experience!
It was already June 9th, and we had the big Havasupai Falls hike scheduled for the end of June. I had not done conditioning like I had wanted through May, so I thought I better get to it and do some hiking. The closest steep hike is the Mt Olympus trail. I only did the first few miles.
Brian and I took days to go through his room and get rid of years of accumulated junk. He found all kinds of things in the process. I am so glad we did this when we did. It would not have happened if we waited until he was packing for the mission because that was also quite the process.
Timmy went to FSY in Provo for a week with his friend Charlie. I never saw any pictures from that.
I hiked the Olympus trail again. This time I almost stepped on a rattle snake.
Mark hauled the trailer and stayed at Stake Girl's Camp in Weber Canyon for 4 days. I met him for dinner and the testimony meeting on the last night. This was the only picture he got from camp.
Brian went on a weekend trip to Eden with some of his friends.
I ended up in Oakley with Emily and Melanie and we went for a little walk up on the hill.
Then another day, while the boys were in Moab for YM camp, I hiked the Oakley trail with Pip.
We enjoyed it very much. Pip seriously just sat up there and looked out over the valley the entire time. I think she enjoyed the view as much as I did.
There were some gorgeous Indian Paintbrush flowers up there on the top of the ridge. Dad's favorite. It really felt like he left them in that spot for me. It was a very special experience to be up there enjoying the sunset on the perfect evening. It was like Dad was there with me just soaking in the beauty like he often did. What a wonderful and needed blessing for me that evening.
The boys went camping, hiking, climbing and rafting for Young Men's camp in Moab. Brian took some nice photos.
On Sunday, June 21 before church, Brian was ordained to the Melchizedec Priesthood by Mark and joined by our good friend, Taylor Meadows.
To celebrate after church, Luke and Timmy cooked up some delicious Yakitori!
The next morning we headed out in the RV for our epic Havasupai Falls trip! We drove straight to Peach Springs Arizona to pick up our hiking permit for the next three days. We tried to sleep for a few hours and then at 2:00 AM on Tuesday, Jun 23, we drove the long sketchy drive to Supai Hilltop. We still laugh about that drive. We almost hit about 30 rabbits, 10 elk and a whole herd of wild horses. It was nuts. One gigantic bull elk ran himself right into the side of the RV (luckily no damage to him or the RV). It was a crazy harrowing drive, but miraculously we made it to the hilltop without any casualties. We left our bags at the top for the mules to haul down, used the restroom and snapped this picture just before 4:00 AM. We were beyond excited (I was also nervous) to start the 12 mile trek to camp. I was mostly worried about hiking out of the canyon and also a bit worried about Timmy's knee. His doctor he had been seeing for his patella avulsion fracture recommended that he did not make this hike. There was no cancelling or rescheduling so we just went for it!
We strapped on our head lamps and started our decent. Brian stayed with us for about 20 seconds and then started jogging. He had requested and planned this trip and was determined to go get us the best campsite. Soon the sun started showing it's color on the horizon. We left so early because we wanted to arrive at our campsite before it got too hot.
After the steep part was over, Timmy's knee was doing better and he and Mark went out faster than me. So I was left on my own, which I didn't mind. It was a lovely hike down and I did better than I had expected. Mark and Timmy rested for a bit in the village and waited for me to catch up to them.
Brian arrived way before before us. He found a campsite and he ran to see Mooney Falls and Havasu Falls and he took pictures of the mules heading up probably to get our bags at the top.
He got into the canyon before the sun and was able to catch it coming up.
Between 7:30 and 8:00 am, Mark, Timmy and I made it almost to the top of Havasu Falls. After taking this picture below, we just started hiking again when Brian came running up the hill to meet us. He had the biggest smile on his face I have ever seen. He gave me and Mark giant hugs and gushed how grateful he was that we did this trip. It was so fun to see how happy and excited he was.
We walked just a little ways down the hill and he eagerly showed us the incredible Havasu Falls.
Then he took us to the beautiful campsite he found.
Mark and I were so beat, so we lay down right there and took a nap on the ground while Brian and Timmy climbed down to Mooney Falls and back up again.
After setting up camp and hanging out in the cool river for hours, we decided to hike the few miles back past Havasu Falls to see if the fry bread stand was open. It was later in the afternoon by this point and very very hot. Like over 100 degrees hot.
I almost died hiking to the top because of the heat and the steep hills, but I made it to the top, the stand was open and we got to eat the delicious fry bread.
After a very hot night the boys decided to head out the next morning to Beaver Falls.
The hike to Beaver Falls was about 4 miles one way and I was worried about killing my legs for the hike out, so I opted to hike to see Mooney Falls and then say goodbye and let the guys hike on to Beaver Falls.
They had a great adventure while I took a nap and sat in the river to cool off at camp and recovered from the hot hike to the fry bread stand the afternoon previous.
When Mark and the boys got back from Beaver Falls, we made some food and they rested for a bit. We were currently camped at the top of Mooney Falls over a mile down from the drinking spring and the other falls. It was nice to be there that morning to be so close to Mooney and closer to Beaver for their hike. However, we were next to some guys that kept smoking and we wanted to be closer to Havasu Falls. We decided we would move our camp. Mark found us the perfect secluded shady spot close to the water spring. We packed up our things (kind of) and carried everything up to the place Mark found us. It was lovely. We set up camp and played a game of Monopoly Deals, our traditional family travel game.
Brian found a little froggy there.
The rest of that day was pretty rainy, but it was nice that it cooled things off a bit. Brian and I went up to Havasu Falls again to see what it looks like in the rain. It is a beautiful paradise in rain or shine.
The next morning we headed out to 50 Foot Falls up past Havasu Falls. The picture below is not 50 Foot Falls. It is just on the way there.
The trail to 50 Foot is a bit tricky to find and winds up the river and plants.
This first little waterfall is not 50 Foot Falls either, but it sure was beautiful!
You can't see the actual 50 Foot Falls until you come around a corner wading in the river up to the waist. There is no beach or bank to put your things on or sit on.
Once you get around the corner the falls appear and they are gorgeous!
We left our bags around the corner on a rock and spent a long time playing with the little frisbee and enjoying the water. Then Timmy went back to his bag to get something and found that some crazy squirrels had chewed huge holes in our bags and eaten all our food and spread our stuff everywhere! They ran off with full bags of food! It was a crazy critter experience trying to find everything and realize what they had done. Despite the squirrels, our time at 50 Foot Falls was one of my favorites. It was incredibly enjoyable!
After 50 Foot Falls, we found our way over to Navajo Falls. This one was fun to swim in. We would try to swim against the current. It was very lovely. The boys jumped off the sides when no one was looking too. They weren't supposed to, but snuck a few jumps in. Timmy was very close to stepping on a rattle snake on our hike out. Luckily he was safe!
Then we went to Havasu Falls for the last time of the trip.
Brian swam behind the falls. The water was a bit too powerful for me. But it was fun to watch him.
The picture above is zoomed in and the picture below is zoomed out if you can see him way in there!
He found another froggy.
After playing catch with family that had a fun water ball, Mark took some swimming laps around the falls.
And we got a family photo. It really is the coolest place!
Back at camp the kids were tired so took naps on the cots. Taking the backpacking cots was seriously one of the best things we did! It was too hot to sleep in the tent during the day and the cots kept us up off the ground. We used them to sit on and put stuff on and sleep on. They were amazing.
While the boys slept, Mark expertly sewed up our squirrel chewed backpacks. Luckily he had brought a little sewing kit and had the skills so we could use the bags for the rest of the trip. I think it was this day we went back up to the fry bread stand as well. Then we packed everything up for the hike out of the canyon. I was so incredibly nervous about the hike. I was confident I would be okay only if it did not get hot at all while hiking. Since we were there at the end of June it would get hot as soon as the sun was shining. So I planned to hike out starting about 2:30 in the morning. We didn't want to pack up too much after sleeping in the middle of the night, so we packed away the tent and Mark and Timmy slept on the cots and Brian and I slept on the picnic tables.
I actually didn't sleep very much because I was so nervous, but I tried. Finally 2 o'clock rolled around and we finished packing. We took the big packs to the mule drop off location and started the dark journey out of the canyon of paradise. Brian stopped at Havasu Falls to catch this photo.
I am very very glad we left early. I felt pretty good the entire hike out and I know it was because I was not hot. The combination of heat, hiking and POTS makes me so sick. We stayed together for most of this hike.
As we got closer to the base of the canyon walls, the sun started shining on the opposite side.
If you look carefully in the picture below just above the red rocks on the left side, you can see a wild mama horse and her baby a bit behind her. I enjoyed watching them graze along the cliff for a bit.
As soon as the boys saw the ascent, they took off to race to the top. Here Mark and I are close to the bottom ready to start the very steep climb. It was still looking like we would beat the sun out of the canyon.
And we did! This was taken as we were just getting to the top.
The boys arrived long before we did and were passed out in the RV. Oh how nice it was to clean up and stretch out in comfort as we waited for the mules to bring our bags to the top for us.
Our bags actually ended up coming on the helicopter, so we waited a bit longer than anticipated, but eventually we were off driving down Route 66 to Las Vegas for some dinner and then on home. It was so nice to end June with such an incredible family trip. It would be our last rip before Brian heads of on his mission in a few short weeks. I am grateful Timmy's knee did fine and I survived the hike. I am so glad Brian figured out how to get permits and asked for this to be his senior and pre mission trip. It will be the most incredible adventure to remember forever!
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