Montgomery trip to Bryce Canyon

It had been a while since we have had an extended Montgomery family trip. We decided to go to Bryce Canyon since it had been decades since mom and dad had been there. Joni booked a group camp site at Ruby's Inn and we left on Thursday the 21. When we all got into camp that afternoon we had a dinner and then headed into the Park. We drove the road to Rainbow Point that evening and on the way would stop to look at at the different view points. We also saw Pronghorn, deer, and prairie dogs along the way.

 We came to the Natural Bridge look out and the evening light really made the colors stand out.

We had pictures taken at the look out.













As we all stood along the guard rail looking at the sight we noticed that our shadows were cast against the wall of one of the cliffs.

We continued on to Rainbow Point and watched as the sunset over this pretty landscape of hoodoos and red and pink cliffs.

The next morning we went to Sunrise point and hiked down the trail of the Queen's Court. While there are great views from the overlook getting down into the canyon is the way to really see Bryce.

 Mom and Dad could not hike down into the canyon but the did walk along the rim and then waited for the rest of the group to return near the general store.

 

 We returned to the camp, packed lunch and then most of us, except Cindy, Payton and Connor went on ATV's. It was not something that the little ones could do and Cindy let Shannon have this experience while she watched the grandchildren. Shannon had LaRae on her ATV and I had Dad. It was a very dusty trail ride but there was some pretty views at the edge of the forest. We had lunch at one view point. While others have the "dirty pictures" of the trip I did not take any.

Saturday morning we drove out to Grosvenor Arch. It was a wash board dirt road for 20 miles but the arch was just as great as ever. Payton was happy just playing in the fine sand.










Tyson scampered up a rock face to a ledge but got stuck on finding a way done. With 16 people giving advice he was finally able to make it down. 

After the arch, Grandma, Grandpa,, Jan and Seth went back to camp while the rest of us went to Round Valley Narrow to go hiking in the canyon We came to the slot and the younger ones of the group dropped down in the hole. When Joni dropped in he heard   !*#@ its broke. We above thought it was her camera but she had slipped and landed wrong on her ankle and she heard a pop. It swelled up immediately. The nature of our hike changed and it was now how do we get her out.









 Cindy kept the little ones occupied while we figured how to get her out. The girls who were in the slot made a splint with wood they found and some rope that we had. Then we lifted her out with Spencer on the bottom then Tyson a little further up and Mark and then me at the top.







Tyson and Spencer carried her back the mile to the car.  It was good we were all together as a group because it really turned out to be a good rescue.

Father's Day

The other day I went out in the yard in the morning and found a young Kestrel. We have had a couple of Kestrels in our trees all spring long but this was not an adult. It was a small one learning to fly. It only took it a couple of days and it was up in the trees.

On Father's Day I received a lot of great gifts which I am grateful for but we got Skype and were able to do a screen chat with Maddie. It was great to have the whole family around so that they could see and talk to her in Alaska and she could see them.

Our Trip to Escalanate

This last week Cindy and I went for a three day trip. It was suppose to be a youth conference but since they released me from the Bishopric and changed ward boundaries we canceled youth conference. I turned in the other camp ground reservations but decided to keep the one that I had and Cindy and I went. Maddie was having her own adventures that week with her whale watching excursion. The day before we left it was 90 degrees and then a cold front moved in and on the 6th of June there was snow on the peaks.

We headed off by noon- now real rush. There were several forest fires along the way as southern Utah is dry and hot. Going over Boulder Mountain is a great view of Capital Reef and the Henry Mountains.We made it to camp before sunset.

The next day we hiked along the Escalanate River and saw some beautiful sites. The wind and the rain carve some unique shapes in the sandstone.

We even walked in the river for some distance. We saw several trout moving in the stream with us.

We finally came to our destination which was an arch. We were the only ones there. It was so quiet and peaceful and we laid under the arch in the cool shade and just looked at the colors on the rock, the green of the trees and the blue sky. It was really nice.

In the afternoon we went along the Burr Trail and again were amazed at all the colors and the rock formations.  We found a small alcove that was in shade with tall walls and soft sand. We thought this would be a fun place for the grandkids to play in.

The hike the next day was to lower Calf Creek Falls. It is a six mile or so round trip hike but a lot of the trail is sand which makes it harder to walk. Along the way are signs that point out different things like this Indian Rock art on the canyon wall.

 

After two hours in the hot sun we could see the falls and in a few minutes were wading in its cold water. While the photos look like we are alone there were a lot of people there. We enjoyed our rest at this beautiful spot.

We made it back to the car, tired and exhausted. Ice cream was the only thing to revive us so we went to an ice cream shop in Escalanate before returning to camp.  I spent the afternoon talking to the Swiss couple who was next to our camp spot which was one of the sites I turned back a week earlier. This young coupe had been a year traveling in their van from the tip of South America to this point and were now heading east to New York and then back home. We were amazed at their adventures and how they could even do such a thing.

The next morning we packed up and headed home. There was an eagle nest on a cliff near the entrance to the camp ground so I took this picture of the young eagles.

We stopped at the Manti temple and went through a session. The wind was blowing so strong. Once we got to Nephi the wind was blowing strong but the other direction and the temperature had dropped so that by the time we got home it was in the mid 50's.