Be warned, this is going to be a LONG post!
Brandon's Mom and Dad decided they were going pretty much right after Christmas. His uncle Brent and Uncle Joe and Aunt Sue chimed in---DEFINATELY going! Brandon desperately wanted to go and since he went when HE was 8, and Lindsay was going to be 8 and Bethany 10, we decided this was too good to miss and the plans began!
Brandon researched the food for packers, the shoes, the outfits, the cooking neccesities, the right pack, EVERYTHING! The girls and I started hiking. :) We hiked every Saturday for nearly three months to get them in shape for this monumental adventure.
At first it was rough! Hysterics and tantrums ensued, but I knew these girls could do this! By the end they were hiking like champs! We even walked from our house to Brandon's office on campus and back!
I talked to several people who had been and who had more experience than I did with these things. Helpful information I gleened: Watershoes, YES--they MUST fit though!;ice chest filled with dry ice and frozen water bottles,(and I added frozen go-gurts and applesauce), to be left in the trunck for when the hikers emerge, YES, YES, YES!!! Bugspray, YES; Properly fitting Backpacks, YES--this turned out to be the very best thing as the girls actually carried all their own stuff into the canyon! Luna and Clif Bars, YES!!!!! And they are WAY yummier than one would think!
We found a great website on hikers easy meals and found some GREAT ideas. Brandon's little portable Sterno Stove could only heat 2 cups of water at a time, so that was the limit for any recipe. We stocked up on those Luna Bars and Clif bars, beef jerky, homemade trail mix, apple chips, oatmeal packets and raisins. And voila!
Everyone cao over here for a huge breakfast at 5:30 am. I made eggs and bacon and cinnamon rolls and OJ for breakfast. Our party included Brandon, Bethany, Lindsay, Mom, Dad, Brent, Sue, Joe, Tamara and her kids Troy, Tiffany and Tyler. They left shortly after eating. That was on Wednesday and I didn't hear anything from them until they returned Saturday afternoon. That was hard. No communication, only many, many, MANY prayers and trusting them to Heavenly Father to be mindful of and watch over. :)
And return they did! Happy, dirty, tired and so full of so many stories and adventures that I almost couldn't believe it!
Fiirst of all, I found out that a massive tree that makes our tallest, fattest Box Elder Maple tree look like kindling fell on the campgrounds the first night--fell, BOOM, to the ground! Brandon told me later that he actually felt that this was the end of their lives---yeah, glad I didn't know THAT little nugget---because it was so loud and the cracking sounded as though it was right next to them! Then when the whole tree came down, it was so deafening that he was sure that was it! When the ground stopped shaking afterwards and they were fine, all he could think was "Thank Thee we are safe, but which of my family were crushed?" He said there was this freakish silence when everyione must have been waiting for someone to start screaming in agony. ACK!! Miraculously, it landed in the one spot it could have landed that caused no injury. Wow. Everyone came out of tents in the middle of that night just to make sure all were safe, and they were! I KNOW that Heavenly Father was in on that, that there were some serious numbers of Gaurdian Angels enlisted for that adventure.
Next I heard about the adventure coming out. Brandon had taken the trip fee per person with him but found out there that only kids 12 and older needed to be paid for. During the time there and hiking to Mooney Falls with water shoes that we thought were the right size but were actually too snug, Lindsay got horrible--HORRIBLE blisters on her heals. Brandon decidded that Bethany and Lindsay could ride out on horses---Oh HAPPY day!!! The girls were exstatic!! Brent,(because of a medical condition), and Tamara because of massive blisters herself were also going to ride out. The morning of departure, Brandon, Om, Dad, Joe and Sue and Tamara's kids left EARLY hiking to get out before the sun was too hot. The horses were supposed to leave 2 hours later but would pass the hikers and take about 2 hours to get out instead of the 5 the hikers would take. They would just hang out and wait at the top. :)
Well, Brandon and the others got to the top and they had never been passed by a line of horses. They waited and waited longer and longer getting more and more fearful and frantic. Dad tried to get some information from the tribesman at the top, but there had been no communication. Finally, Brandon saw Tamara, Lindsay and Bethnay at the top of one of the switchbacks away down and nearly let out a sob at the realization that his girls--- and Lindsay with her blistered heels--- had had to hike up the whole way with very little water, no snacks, and in the very hottest part of the day that the others had avoided! My brave, amazing, incredible girls!! ANd Tamara through her pain, able to keep them moving and cheerful and not dwelling on how hard what they were doing was! I was and AM SOOOOOO thankful for such a strong and courageous Sister-in-Law! I am SO proud of these girls too!!! I know now there is NOTHING they can't do if they just put thier minds to it!!
Then they were even more alarmed as Brent was not there and Tamara told them that his condition had forced him to stop right where he was and it was quite serious. Without another word, Troy went tearing down the switchbacks to help him and Dad got REALLY mad and eventually was able to get a horse down there to where Brent was.
Moral of that story, Heavenly Father answers prayers, and thankfully, we were ALL praying for safety and endurance and peace. Thank Thee Dear Father!! I am SO proud of these girls!! Everyone came out of the Canyon safely, Brent was very dehydrated and was SO very tired, but after some rest and much water was able to feel much better. He stayed with us Saturday night before heading back to Los Alamos, New Mexico the next day. I know Aunt Julie was praying mightily for him too!
Now, it wasn't all drama, that's of course just what came out first. After those stories were told and I was done being angry with those who didn't save enough horses for my family, and crying because of their bravery and thanfullness because of thier safety with the tree, all the fun adventures came out---a shower and some time on a cushy couch probably helped too! :)
There were 2 dogs who were the girls instant buddies as soon as they made camp--They named the Chimmychanga and Shaka Lacka Ding Dong. Yes, they are very strange names, but we;ll never forget them! :)Bethany and Lindsay had great fun with these dogs the whole time they were down in the Village.
Then there was the fact that their tent was right next to a stream that was a haven for Spring Peeper tadpoles and full grown frogs in little puddles around the stream andthey had the time of their lives catching these little froggies and making homes for them and making holding pools for the tadpoles. They did this, of course, to their hearts content!
The waterfalls themselves were the grandest enchantment of all!! They went to Havasupai Falls---the closer and shorter of the two big falls---several times and had a blast swimming, splashing and generally LOVING every second in the water! They went to Navajo Falls, a new falls that was created by the flooding a few years back. Brandon got pretty close to that one, as you'll see in one of these pictures. They took baths by this one with thier oh so sheek and trendy biodegradeable hair and body soap! :) There was also a little baby fall that they jumped over---have a pic of that too, SOOOOOOO cool!!!
Now, as you look through these pics, beware, the beauty may scorch your eyes!! I'm so thankful Dad brought his AMAZING camera,these shots are mostly his and they are AMAZING!! Brandon took pics with his camera until it's batts ran out and Tamara sent us the one of Brandon and the girls jumping together---this was a VERY fave thing to do! :) Don't worry, the picture of the kid jumping off Navajo Falls was NOT one of our kids---there were some scout groups there along with our family---and we all know how crazy scouts are on hiking trips! :) I just LOVE these pictures!!! What a treasure!
Mooney Falls was the ultimate!! Brandon lived the look of Indiana Jones going up and then climbing down this one! They were literally climbing down chains and hooks screwed into the side of these massive rocks to get to where the bottom of the fall is, I wonder if I would have let them if I had been there.....I sure hope so! It is amaizng to look through these pictures and realize this very place is somewhere people all over the world dream of going and it's right here, in our own backyard practically! Enchantment and adventure and so much beauty! Just wow!!
Mom told me that she was SO touched by how careful Brandon was with the girls, how much he watched over them and stayed with them even though on the hike he probably would have liked to go faster and at the camp site he might have liked to take some naps after packing in 45 pounds in his pack--all the food, all the cooking neccesities, the clothing for him and shoes, etc. He was right there with them the whole time. I had begged him to do this becasue I am a worry wort, but it warmed my heart and made me love him even deeper to hear of this service and care he gave our girls! You're the BEST Sweetheart!!
After hearing all these tales, Rebekah and Jeremy were absolutely sold and begged to go too!!! So, we will all be going the summer after Rebekah turns 8 and is baptised! I can't wait!!
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