First, we rented a Chrysler Pacifica minivan, and drove 12 hours to North Platte, Nebraska. We stayed one night in the hotel and jumped back on the road in time to make it to Estes Park, Colorado by noon! We were able to check into our cabin, so we unloaded our things and then went to check out some of Rocky Mountain National Park (about a mile from our cabin)!
The following morning we drove all day to Bryce Canyon, Utah. But let me warn you... along the way we drove through the den of hell, otherwise known as Loa, Utah. Altimony, Utah. Population, 14. Dead cows on the side of the road. Nothing for hundreds of miles. Only 100' and no water. No gas stations, no food. We were all laughing about what it'd be like to live that far from civilization, and you actually said that you would like it because you're an introvert and you hate the whole world. We stopped at "Henry's Swing", a creepy baby swing hanging from a dead tree near an abandoned house.
We finally made it Bryce Canyon before sunset. We had just enough time for our heads to explode from the beauty, and we decided to hike the "Navajo Loop". Winding trails through a diversity of colored canyons and hoodoos. It is no wonder this is probably my favorite site of all time. The next morning we sat in our hammocks outside the lodge, until we forced away by park rangers because it's illegal to put up hammocks in the national park because it hurts the trees. You almost killed him.
Later that afternoon we went to the Willis Creek Slot Canyon, about 45 minutes from Bryce Canyon. First of all... nobody warned us about the crazy back roads to get there. Long, winding, dirt roads on narrow canyons. Thank God the minivan was a rental, because she took a beating that day. You kept wanting to drive, because you have some kind of a death wish. We finally arrived and found an awesome slot canyon out in the middle of nowhere. We were the only people within 30 miles, and it was scorching hot. There was a trickling stream throughout the slot canyon, and we paused for a few great photos.
This might be my favorite picture. of. all. time.
The next morning we had to wake up early and drive to meet the shuttle into Zion National Park. We actually hired a shuttle van out of East Zion Adventures, and an awesome guide named Brooklyn dropped us off right at the foot of the Narrows. The ride in and out of Zion National Park is spellbinding too, with amazing mountain and cliffs and majestic walls everywhere. As far as the eye could see, we were felt like we were in heaven! We entered the Narrow River, and began to forge our way forward... We had a running bet that Teresa would be the first to trip and fall into the water. As it turns out, you stumbled first and then again and again! Haha!
The common agreement about the universal mystery of the Narrows of Zion is that we would be so concerned about where to place our feet among the moving river stones, that we'd forget to look up and take in all of the beauty! SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK UP!
We had a enough time at the end to jump into a deeper section, and let the river current spit us out between boulders a bit further downstream. Only you and I tried this, because you have a spirit of insanity.
We slept like champions that night. It was 104' Fahrenheit. We rented an Air B&B in Hurricane, Utah. You had your own room, but refused to let Ashlyn use the associated bathroom. Meltdown. We'll talk about that later...
Day 2 of Zion. Well, for almost a year we were excited to hike "Angel's Landing" but thanks to Covid 19, the top was shut down. Due to the heat registering at 108', we opted for the nearby Sand Hollow State Park, a reservoir of water. We rented ski doos and drove out the cliffs to explore.
When we got to the cliffs, I asked you if you wanted to jump off the top into the water below. You said, "Sure." So I stayed with the SkiDoo and you swim over to the rocks. I watched as you climbed up to the top, passed the older teen boys that were hesitant, and marched right to the edge without even calculating the drop. You marched like a soldier into combat. Step. Step. Step. JUMP!!!!
The next morning began our long drive northward to Yellowstone. We made it to Driggs, Idaho and checked into the Teton Valley Cabins. Teresa and I got our own cabin next to you girls. It was a long drive, and we failed to make our scheduled appointment for a boating tour over Jenny Lake. Everyone was crabby, and tired of driving. Something seemed to shift in the collective family mood.
We woke up to much cooler temperatures at Yellowstone. Due to heavy snowfall at the top of Table Mountain, we opted to take the ski lift from the Grand Targhee Ski Resort nearby. We took a ski lift to the top of the mountains and looked directly into the face of the Grand Teton Mountain Range! It was glorious! Once we got to the top, we stopped for pictures and built an altar of rocks and had a "Devotional Thought" in honor of Grandpa DePoy. Then attempted to start an avalanche with the loose rocks.
Later that day, Mariah chose to stay home in the cabin and play on her phone.... but the rest of us jumped into the van and drove into Yellowstone National Park! We were blown away by the beautiful sights around every turn, and I thought I saw the stairway to heaven. We saw two Grizzly Bears, an open field of Bison, Moose, Elk, and an Eagle. There were hot geysers randomly exploding around multiple turns, and we stopped to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We hiked to the bottom of the stairs and took some epic photos, and then got back into the van to make it to see Old Faithful just as the sun was setting! Because Bucket List.
The next day you and Teresa and myself decided to continue hiking around the base of Table Mountain. The cold, rainy temperatures created a dense cover of clouds that prevented us from seeing the majestic Grand Teton Mountain Range. But still, we were able to see a deep forest with trees and mountains and a river running through it all. Of course you tried to catch a fish with your bare hands. Because Bucket List.
Day 3 of Yellowstone - I was super bummed because I had scheduled an epic helicopter tour over Yellowstone, to surprise you girls. The weather required the tour to be canceled, and everyone was in a crabby mood. Mariah still won't leave the cabin, etc.
However, the 5 of us climbed back into the minivan and drove into Jackson Hole to go White Water Rafting. In the snow. Because we are fearless. We put on wetsuits and got into the empty bus and drove quite a distance downriver. Our rafting guide, Maddie, talked us through the safety plan. We huddled up and climbed in for a crazy journey down the Snake River! The class 3/4 rapids were loads of fun, despite the freezing snow and rain! At one point, you decided to jump into the Snake River while it was sleeting rain/hail/fire/ice - because Bucket List.
After the rafting experience, we went back into Jackson Hole and went shopping. I had arranged for you to get a new/used Snowboard from one of the local ski resorts. We went inside the Snow King Resort and got hoooookkkkeedd up! You got your first snowboard and you were stoked! It is a Never Summer brand, and it's retail is $580. You got it for $150! You smiled all the way back to Michigan.
And then, we were finished.
We packed up our things and headed east. We had a long drive through Wyoming (speeding ticket), then Nebraska, then Iowa, then Illinois, then Indiana, then... Michigan.
The whole time, we had been journaling as a family. I had carved out individual bible studies with questions for each of you to answer. We studied the biblical narrative of Creation/Fall/Redemption. We asked hard questions. We looked in the mirror. We journaled our thoughts. We found our place in the story of God's redemption.
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