Marty's Farewell

We took Marty to the MTC today. We left St. George early in the morning and drove up the state. Pizza Factory in Provo was our meeting place for lunch where we met up with Sheri and her girls and the Plumb family who was also taking Marty's friend Will up to the MTC. After a leisurely lunch we drove up to the Provo Temple where we got out and took a few photos and then drove the last remaining block to the entrance of the MTC. That place was buzzing with activity, missionaries and arriving cars. We were directed to a spot along the curb where 4 missionaries assisted Marty in unloading and then escorting him into the MTC. We took literally one minute to say good-bye and then hopped back in the car and drove off. It was really hard in some ways, but also very exciting in others. This is exactly what we wanted Marty to do, but at the same time we will miss him a lot! We are very proud of him and I'm sure he will make a great missionary. The weekend before he left many of our family gathered and spent some time with us. Marty had a lot of support on Sunday when he spoke in sacrament meeting. Our chapel was packed and the meeting was spiritual. Marty gave an awesome talk. His setting apart by our Stake President last night was so good. He received an awesome blessing. In the weeks before his departure, Marty and I did a lot of things together. We went climbing often. We canyoneered, golfed, hiked, wake-boarded, and watched football games, movies and did lunch at our favorite places, etc. Did I mention that I am going to miss him!?

Lake Powell in October

We did our annual Lake Powell Trip this year over the UEA weekend. It was late in the year, but our lucky streak continued. We had fabulous weather! Since our group was small this year, we chose to camp further up the lake below Gregory Butte and not at Cookie Jar Canyon as in many previous years. We also didn't get in a cool hike at the end of a slot canyon, but we did make it to Rainbow Bridge which does require a 2/3 mile hike since the Lake is still low. Our attempt to find a neat slot in Cathedral Canyon was thwarted by very narrow waterways that I was not willing to take my new boat into. Still, we had smooth water, warm temps, and a great sandy beach and a star-filled sky at night. I really look forward to this annual trip each year and my only regret is having to leave so soon each time. We especially relished our time with Marty as he will not be able to join us for a couple of years.

Kolob

Marty and I just got back from a 2 day adventure down Kolob Creek. We started Monday morning and drove up to Lava Point and bushwhacked over to the head of Kolob Creek. Canyoneering through Kolob is always a challenge and thick wet suits or dry suits are a necessity. We chose to don dry suits this time. We also had heavy packs as we planned to spend the night in Kolob before hiking out of the Narrows the second day. These heavy packs make rappelling and swimming more challenging. The first part of the canyon is quite technical and has several raps and some very deep and cold pools of water. Everything was going well until the last (and the longest at 165 feet) rappel. Marty got hung up on a knot about 100 feet up and while free hanging. It took him 30 minutes to solve this problem and continue rappelling down into the large pool below. Once down we began to hike down the deep and narrow canyon. A few more swims and short rappels we passed the MIA route (our usual exit from the canyon, albeit a steep and grueling hike out) and continued down Kolob. We finally made our camp somewhere above the confluence of Kolob and the North Fork of the Virgin. The next morning we began the fairly long journey down the Narrows. The fall leaves were beautiful and the river clear. Of course it was cold and it was nice to get home and be warm again. The hike down the Narrows is always spectacular, but it is challenging with a heavy pack. I did slip and fall down hard once and it left me with some bruises. Marty did well, but also admitted to some sore back muscles. It was fun to do a challenging canyon with Marty and spend the night in the backcountry of Zion. Choosing a difficult and seldom visited canyon added to the adventure.

Rattlesnake Creek

I did take the scouts down Rattlesnake Creek into Ashdown Gorge this past weekend. We made it to our camp spot right at dark. The next day was fun as we hiked down the Gorge. This trip a few of us did hike up the bottom portion of Rattlesnake Creek to see the waterfalls there. I chose to jump the stream all day to keep my feet dry. It proved to be a challenge and was the cause of much soreness the next day. One of the scouts decided to count how many times we crossed the small stream that day. The final count............77 times. No wonder I was so sore! As usual, Eric did fine and carried the tent for us. I think his pack was actually a bit heavier than mine. Cool.

Zion Narrows

A few weeks ago I guided the scout troop through the Zion Narrows. We had 5 boyscouts, including Eric, and 5 fathers for the overnight hike down the famous Narrows. This is the 3rd time I have guided our ward's scout troop down the North Fork of the Virgin River. The first group included Marty some 6 years ago. We had splendid weather and sleeping on a sand bar next to the flowing water in the narrow canyon is always eupherial. We did not come across any other hikers until we were at Big Springs, then the onslot of humanity crescendoed and climaxed with the crowded bus ride down the canyon. It is really fun and rewarding to introduce the "Narrows" to these young scouts as I believe it is one of the great classic hikes on our planet. Feasting on a "Murder Burger" at Oscar's Cafe at the end of the 2nd day is becoming tradition.

Return to Costa Rica

Marty and I took a "Father & Son" trip to Costa Rica this past week. We went with Marty's friend, Jeff Hicken and his father Alan. We flew to San Jose, the capital, and spent a couple of nights there before renting an SUV and driving to the Pacific coast to stay in Nosara and surf. The first day there we went on a rafting trip down the Pacuare River in eastern Costa Rica. This river cuts through a jungle laden gorge and we negotiated 53 rapids over an 18 mile stretch. We went with Costa Rican river guides that were recommended by our cousin Andrew Taylor. This may have been the highlight of our trip, but we also had some great sessions of surfing at Playa Guiones. Our trip coincided with the rainy season and we did get rained on nearly every day, but the rain is so warm and the ocean warm also that it didn't seem to matter. We still were able to complete our activities. The jungle was especially lush and green with many exotic flowers in bloom. While there we attended church at a small branch in the city of Nocoya. We met the missionaries there and enjoyed the members friendly welcome that Sunday morning. Marty and I had lots of time to talk and discuss his upcoming mission and his plans for life. I am proud of his choices and his desire to do the right thing. No doubt I will miss him a lot when he goes!

Mission Call

Marty received his mission call. He was called to the St. Louis Missouri mission and will report to the MTC on November 18th. Everyone in the family is very excited about his call and Marty is becoming prepared for the day. He was ordained an Elder a few weeks ago. Marty has a great attitude about his call and wants to serve the Lord the best he can. His good friend, Tyler Nash, is already serving in the same mission and was so excited to hear that Marty is joining him in the mission field.

Cara Arrives!

My newest granddaughter has arrived.  Cara May Romney was born on July 31st.

Tuolumne

The upper elevations of Yosemite National Park is known as Tuolumne Meadows. The road from the Valley winds it's way up and over Tioga Pass passing several granite peaks and domes and beautiful green meadows and meandering streams. The winter snows give way to pleasant summer temperatures and sparkling mountain lakes. Rock climbers from all over come to Tuolumne in the summer to climb the exquisite granite faces of these domes and pinnacles. I had made plans many months in advance to visit Tuolumne with a climbing buddy, Chad Farr and test myself on some of the classic routes. For weeks prior to leaving on this climbing trip I had searched the internet for information about the different peaks and rock climbs of Tuolumne. I had made a list of classic route names and their difficulty grades and hoped to take advantage of every minute of daylight while I was there to climb. Chad had climbed there more than 5 years previously and had great things to say regarding the climbing in Tuolumne.

We arrived late one night after driving for 8 hours across the Nevada desert. All of the formal campgrounds were full, therefore, we ended up "boon-docking" along side of a spur road overlooking a beautiful mountain valley with a small but fast flowing stream running through it. Chad had fixed up the back of his pick-up truck with a shell and wooden platform which provided us with a fine place to sleep. The next morning the air was crisp and cool and the mountain peaks were still covered in some snow left over from the previous winter. We soon broke "camp" and headed into Yosemite to choose our first climb. We decided upon "Cathedral Peak", (it seems like every mountain range has at least one peaked named Cathedral Peak). This peak's southeast side was known to have a moderately easy climb of about 6 pitches up a beautiful sweeping granite face ending on a spectacular summit block. We got a relatively late start and the approach hike took us two hours and left us gasping in the thin air and sweating profusely in the summer sun. White puffy clouds began to appear on the horizon, but none that looked too concerning to us at that time.

Upon arriving at the base of the peak we put on our climbing harnesses and sorted our gear of cams, nuts, slings and carabiners. Chad tied into the rope and lead up the first pitch following easy terrain quickly up to a ledge with a small tree on it. Soon I was at his side getting ready for my lead of the second pitch. Our rope was 70 meters long (about 229 feet) and helped us progress faster up the face compared to the old standard 50 meter ropes of the past. My lead up the next couple of hundred feet of rock was fun and relatively easy except for one 15 foot section that required commitment and confidence in my gear placements. Chad then lead the crux pitch through a chimney section that proved to be quite fun. As we neared the summit the skies to the east began to darken as thunderstorms began to form. Rumbling from distant thunder began to makes us nervous. The final climb up to the summit was interesting. This peak truly had one block thrust up about 20 feet. I climbed up onto it and realized it was about the size of our kitchen table on top. I took some quick photos and then quickly scrambled back down to Chad belaying me in a notch between the summit and another lesser leaning block. I couldn't think of a better place to be to try and be struck with a bolt of lightning. We could see and hear an impressive storm bearing down on us from the east. Our scramble off the summit and down the flanks of the other side of the mountain was swift considering that we were still wearing our climbing shoes. A moment before reaching our packs the storm hit us. Hail the size of dimes with occasional nickels pelted us fiercely. Sometimes the hail would hit my ear or some other part of my head and it hurt! Then came the rain. We huddled under a tree further down the mountain and waited out the storm. The ground was covered in so much hail that it looked as if it had snowed. Forty five minutes later we began to hike out and the sun came out again and began to dry things off. The stream did rise and become muddy confirming the strength of the storm. The forest smelled wonderful and the leaves were all green and wet from the rain. We began to meet other hikers as we neared the road and the main trail. We both looked forward to making our pasta dinner that evening as we rested from the hike and climb and began to plan our adventure for the next day.