Visitor From Iowa - Part 1

During the last week of July, while Nate was off at the soccer game mentioned in the last post, I headed down to visit my family with Austin. My brother Ben was here visiting from Iowa, so it was nice to spend some additional time with him as well.

My mom took Austin, my brother Nathan, and I to the Museum of Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point that Wednesday afternoon.

Nathan particularly enjoyed the music room!

Austin seemed to enjoy most things until the very end, when he started acting tired and cranky. By the time we returned to my parents', it was pretty apparent he wasn't feeling well, so he didn't enjoy the rest of the evening much. Luckily, he was feeling better by the next morning. My mom watched Austin while I hiked up to the top of Y Mountain with Ben. This is something I have been wanting to do for years, and now I have finally done it!

The trail was pretty steep, but not terribly long. The trail is really much more interesting after getting past the big letter Y. There was quite a bit of stinging nettle along the path though after we reached the meadows, so I was grateful we wore pants.

The next week we started August with another trip. This time we headed to Capitol Reef National Park with my family. We like to go somewhere when Ben is around and able to go with everyone else. We arrived late afternoon on that Wednesday. We made and ate dinner before trying to go on a hike. We found the area the hike was supposed to be along the Fremont River, but the trail quickly disappeared in the brush. Unable to find a way through, we gave up and returned to the hotel. At least the sunset was pretty that evening.

Thursday morning we set out to hike Cassidy Arch. This trail starts by going up the Grand Wash, which is a hike we did another year.

Austin & Nate sitting on a natural bench in a wind pocket along the Grand Wash

The trail climbs fairly quickly though after turning off to go up the canyon walls toward Cassidy Arch. The arch appeared in the distance before we actually got there.

View of Grand Wash from the trail to Cassidy Arch

Cassidy arch itself was pretty cool. While we were there, another group was rappelling down it and into the canyon below...another route that would be fun to do someday. It does require eight rapels to get down the canyon below the arch though.

This guy was hoping for a handout from us.

After coming part way down from Cassidy Arch, a portion our group returned the way we came, and part of us went up the Frying Pan Trail and then down Cohab Canyon. Those of us hiking this route ended up hiking about 6.6 miles total.

View to the south from the high point of the trail
with Ferns Nipple to the far right

Descending into Frying Pan Canyon

Water pockets just off the trail in Frying Pan Canyon

So many intriguing rock formations...

Heavily wind pocketed walls in Cohab Canyon

Awesome view of Fruita Cliffs from just before the mouth of Cohab Canyon

Originally, the group that had not continued along the Frying Pan Trail was going to hike up and meet us in Cohab Canyon. However, it started raining and they decided to stay put. Instead, we met them near the Gifford House and ate lunch there.

Fawns eagerly eating fallen pears in a field
near the Gifford House

After that, we returned to the hotel, cleaned up, went swimming, and had dinner.

Family Reunion and Such

We've had a series of family events in the last few weeks.  On the 15th, Ruth Albina was sealed to Melissa Johnson and her family.  They adopted her from Kyrgyzstan. She is 5 years old and is blind.  It was a very happy and special occasion.  After the sealing, Ruth gave everybody hugs and kisses as we congratulated them.

Ruth Albina's sealing to the Johnson Family at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple

After the sealing, we spent some time hiking with Jonathan and his family.  We did the Bell Canyon hike which went to a reservoir that the kids had fun playing at while Rebecca and I finished the rest of the hike to a waterfall. Then they stayed at our house that night.

Thunder, Wilcken, and Austin

My parents stayed with us that Monday, and then Brian's family stayed at our house for the next couple nights after the sealing. Austin enjoyed playing with Jackson and Avonley.

The week after the sealing, we had the Wilcken family reunion at the Heber Valley Camp owned by the LDS Church.  We did a ropes course that Friday afternoon where you climb up steps on a hanging log, walk across a wire and then slide down a zip line.

There was also a "low course" where we had to work together to get everyone through a rope net without touching the ropes or re-using any openings.

Lee and Nate dragging Austin through the net.

Lee and Nate passing Lee's daughter through an opening.

Nate hitting the rope, thus unleashing
the dreadful punishment on the group
of singing the ABCs.

A family of deer that came through camp

The Wilcken Family

Wilcken Family Siblings & Spouses

After breakfast Saturday morning, we went on a short hike and played some volleyball.

Austin playing in the sand before our turn on the lake.
He was trying to wash all of the toys.

During our turn on the lake Saturday afternoon, we raced around in a canoe.  When we encountered others from our group we tried splashing them with our paddles.  To avoid their returned splashes, Timothy and I leaned away and ended up capsizing our canoe! That was pretty dumb of us.  But Austin got to ride the motor boat after they came to rescue us, which he really enjoyed.  Rebecca wasn't so thrilled. She was very glad though that she had decided to return her camera to the shore before the incident.

Nate, Austin and Timothy

The week after the Wilcken Reunion, my brothers and dad and I all went to the CONCACAF gold cup championship soccer game in San Jose.  We also went to the California Great America theme park since the game didn't start till the evening.  Aaron and Daniel and I took an early morning flight from SLC to San Jose and had breakfast at Denny's.  We got to the park before it opened and were able to ride a few rides without any lines before meeting the rest of the group who were driving from Sacramento.

Aaron, Daniel, Michael, Floyd,
Jonathan, Brian, Timothy, and Nate

USA won 2:1 against Jamaica