Mount Borah

Last spring Grandpa Scott said he wanted to hike Mount Borah again before he physically couldn't handle it. I had been wanting to hike it again as well. The last time we made that trek, I was 13 years old. We set a date at the end of July (the only time Rebekah and Ana were available to come with us), and I spent the summer getting ready for the grueling 8.2-mile, 5,301-foot elevation gain hike.

Because it's such a difficult hike, we decided to haul Grandpa's trailer up the night before, camp near the trailhead, hit the trail early in the morning, then acquiesce in the trailer that night before heading home. So on Thursday, July 28, we drove to Mackay. 

We had hoped to get one of the first come, first served spots at a campground near the reservoir, but those were all taken. So instead we reserved a spot at an RV park, checked in and set up. Between the bed, the dinette sleeper, the sofa sleeper and a cot we brought, the four of us had comfortable places to sleep before our long day.

The next morning we got up and to the trailhead, then took off up the mountain. It's crazy-steep, so we often took rests just so we could breathe. Not too long into the hike, Rebekah voiced concerns about her ability to make it. 

The poor girl has been iron deficient all summer. When she hiked Tablerock for Young Women camp, she said the first mile was the worst; she was dizzy and had tunnel vision, and she wasn't sure she'd make it. But because she had made it, and because she'd been on prescription-strength iron supplements for nearly a month, I thought she'd be fine to do Borah. Her body thought otherwise.

We committed to stopping more frequently but for shorter periods of time. Rebekah still huffed and puffed. At one point, I followed along behind her and saw her drop to her knees mid-step. At that point, we gathered and I offered a prayer of safety and direction to know what to do. 

Our group continued down the trail and made it to above the tree line and to where we could finally see the mountain we were headed toward. Rebekah knew that her body was incapable of summiting that day. (When we'd stop for breaks, everyone else's breath would eventually slow back down; Rebekah kept breathing hard as her body attempted to get the oxygen it needed. She also was dizzy/lightheaded and couldn't see well.) She wanted to turn around and head back alone ("Give me the bear spray. I'll be fine!"), but I couldn't let her out of my sight, and I couldn't make her wait for us all by herself. We took a picture of the mountain, I handed the GPS to Ana, and we parted ways: Grandpa Scott and Ana to the top, Rebekah and I back to the trailhead.

We got back to the truck, drove back to the trailer for some items to keep us engaged while waited for Grandpa and Ana, then went back to wait for them. We watched some Stranger Things. I did some Sudoku. We read our books. We talked. We listened to the thunder and watched the rain that came and went. Six hours later, we finally spotted then coming down the very last part of the trail. 

Not bad for a 72-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl. 

As for Rebekah and I, we'll make sure her iron is where it's supposed to be, but she's already talking about summiting Borah next summer.

Reading the sign at the trailhead.

Headed uphill.

Rebekah's body was already starting to feel it.

Still going uphill.

As close as Rebekah and I made it to the top (behind our thumbs). She was feeling so crummy she wouldn't let me take a selfie of anything but our thumbs.

Ana headed up after we parted ways.

Ana on top and waiting for Grandpa.

Ana and Grandpa on top of the tallest peak in Idaho.

Going back down.

Visiting in the trailer that night.

Our truck and Grandpa's trailer at the RV park.

Miriam's bunionectomy

We put off the surgery as long as we could. She wore custom orthotics for over a year. She treated the pain with over-the-counter painkillers. She even got a cortisone shot in each foot. When the pain was so debilitating that she couldn't play catcher for more than an inning (and only the last inning of the game because her feet would be ruined after that), spend a day at Lagoon without a wheelchair, or enjoy her daily walks with Peach, we knew it was time for more drastic and permanent measures.

We met with the podiatrist and told him our intentions. He gave us the go-ahead, but recommended fixing only the left foot as the right foot's bunion isn't that bad yet. Both of Miriam's feet had been hurting, but we wondered if the right foot would feel better once the left foot was fixed and she wasn't putting all her weight on the right foot all the time.

The day of the surgery (Monday, July 25), Miriam took the valium the doctor had kindly prescribed her, then Seth and I drove her in to his office where the surgery would take place. Everything went according to plan, and Miriam came home with a large incision from from bunionectomy and a tiny incision where the doctor had done some soft tissue work on her second toe that had developed into a hammer toe from the bunion. 

For the first two weeks, Miriam could only spend 15 minutes of every hour on her feet. We borrowed a rollaway bed to put in the music room for her, and she spent her nights there and her days on the couch in the great room. She also wore a medical boot for the first four weeks, then switched to an orthopedic shoe for two weeks. Miriam was still wearing the shoe when school started this year.

It's been a slow and painful healing process, but it's apparent that the surgery has made an impact on Miriam's overall health and happiness. We're looking forward to her being able to enjoy skiing, hiking and softball once again.

Miriam's foot before the surgery.

Seth talking to Miriam after the surgery.

The x-ray that shows the placement of the screws in her foot.

Winnie with the "welcome back" sign she made and met Miriam with in the garage.

The first post-op appointment. Miriam couldn't look at her foot at this point.

Miriam's "before" x-ray and "after" x-ray.

Scott reunion

I picked up Rebekah, Analee and Miriam from Young Women Camp on Wednesday, July 20. I picked up Seth from the airport after his work trip even later on Wednesday, July 20. Everyone was home and ready to spend time with uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents during the Scott family reunion on Thursday, July 21.

My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage in May. The only thing they wanted as a present was to spend time with family. So nine months prior, we coordinated our schedules so everyone could be in town for three days of fun times. Unfortunately, Spencer couldn't make it, but the rest of the Neal and Annette Scott progeny made memories together.

I wanted to make Grandma and Grandpa's dreams come true, so I consulted them every step of the way as we planned this reunion. Grandma wanted to go to Tetonia. Grandpa wanted to build and shoot off rockets. They both wanted to eat together, play together, and help the cousins build meaningful relationships since Ethan's family lives in New Mexico and Jon's family lives in Meridian. We had to adjust our plans as we went because I didn't realize how long some things would take, but I think it turned out well.

Day 1: Thursday, July 21

First we met for breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's house and said hello to everyone. Then we drove to Tetonia to take pictures and spend time on the Egbert family dry farm. Robert and Alice Egbert had a house and barn on the property, and my grandma grew up there. No buildings exist, and the land is about to be sold, so Grandma wanted to have family photos taken here before we explored the well and spring. 

Then we had lunch at a park before going to the cemetery to visit headstones, then to the house where my great-grandpa grew up. 

After spending most of the day in Tetonia, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner (and birthday cake for Oakley and Grandma) and to start constructing rockets.

Whole group photo. Everyone that belongs to the family minus Spencer.

The OG Scotts.

Winnie with a bunch of wildflowers she picked on the property.

Everyone near the house site.

Down by the spring property.

Winnie eating her lunch at the park.

Seeing the Egbert graves.

Day 2: Friday, July 21

We started the day with breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's again before going to the zoo. We ate lunch at Jill's Chicken Shack in Iona, then floated the dry bed in Rigby (no pictures because you can't really take your camera/phone with you on a float trip) before having dinner at our house and playing a few family history games.

Miriam's feet were very sore from walking all over the dry farm/cemetery the day before, so we rented another wheelchair for her at the zoo.

Lunch at Jill's.

Grandma showing her wedding dress to the family. We played a "guess who" game with baby pictures and a family trivia game with questions written by ourselves before playing a wedding anniversary trivia game with questions written by Grandma and Grandpa. Then Grandma showed us wedding pictures and her dress.

Day 3: Saturday, July 22

Most of this day we spent at the church building where Grandpa and Grandma help with the Young Single Adult ward. We played softball and kickball in the field before it got too hot, then finished building our rockets, ate lunch (and got sprayed by the sprinklers that came on and watered the picnic shelter), then moved inside to play basketball/lighting, pickleball, etc. That evening we watched Lightyear at the St. Leon church building (where our ward meets), ate dinner, then shot our rockets off in the field. Only a few of them got lost forever. :-/

Finishing rockets. Each family had three rockets. Everyone in our family worked on the construction of all three rockets, then we used our phones to randomly selected who would pair up with whom to paint the rockets. 

We thought it would be fun if all our rockets fit within a "Teen Girl Squad" theme (from the Strongbad emails at Homestar Runner). Rebekah and Ana's was "Tompkins." Miriam and Winnie's was "The Ugly One." Seth's and mine was "Lil Brudder."

Playing pickleball in the gym. I don't know if that gym's air conditioning worked. It was nearly as warm inside as it was outside.

Dinner at the church after watching our movie.

Shooting off rockets. We had a couple of miracles with our family's rockets. First of all, Rebekah and Ana's rocket shot farther north than the church field. I eventually drove over to Par Tee Lane to see if I could help them find their rocket. Ana finally did ... in the backyard of a house on the north side of the street. We couldn't believe it had gone so far. Then Miriam and Winnie's rocket went a little south of the field. Seth searched and searched through the tall weeds and grass of the mostly empty lot, but to no avail. I finally joined them to see if I could help. Seth and Winnie went back to the church field. Miriam and I said a prayer behind a shed. I asked her a few questions about where she had been, then I climbed through a barbed wire fence and walked in a straight line, looked down, and saw the bottom of her rocket poking out of the ground. It didn't fly again, but at least they were able to bring it home.

Monument/YW camp

 This year's Young Women camp was momentous for a number of reasons: (1) It was Rebekah's first time at Darby. (The camp was under construction her first year at stake camp, so we went to Pasa la coma.) (2) It was Ana's first time at stake camp is any form. (She and Rebekah were supposed to go to stake camp in 2020, but COVID put a stop to that.) (3) It was Miriam's first time at YW camp. (4) It was the first (and probably only) time all three girls would be at camp together. 

Unfortunately, the girls couldn't stay at camp for the entire week. We had scheduled our Scott family reunion around the camp dates we were given initially, but then those dates changed. At that point, we couldn't reschedule our reunion, so the girls had to leave early.

Seth was in Washington, D.C. for work, so it was up to me to pick up the girls from Darby. Winnie got to accompany me so she wasn't home alone. And since we were in the canyon anyway, she and I hiked to the Wind Cave before getting her sisters.

Winnie looking at what we call "barn rock." 

Outside the Wind Cave.

The message Ana left for us on the van. She also hiked to the Wind Cave that day with a group of girls from the stake. Their group left after us, so we saw them on our way down.

Then we drove in to camp and waited for Rebekah and her group to get back from hiking Tablerock.

Winnie and Miriam at the ward's site. Normally I wouldn't bring my 9-year-old to camp, but I didn't really have a choice. And I had no way of knowing when Rebekah's group would be back (and there's no cell reception up there anyway), so we just had to hang out.

The three girls at camp. Poor Rebekah was tired, sunburnt and sore after going on the longest and most strenuous hike offered at camp. She was also iron deficient at the time, so that made hiking more difficult.

While the older girls were in Europe

 If Rebekah and Ana got to go to Europe for a summer trip, it only seemed fair that we find some fun times to spend with Miriam and Winnie. 

First we had to finish the softball season. That meant I didn't have my extra dugout helpers during the tournament. Grandpa Scott and I had to manage with Rebekah and Ana, but I think that turned out okay. We celebrated the end of the season by letting Miriam choose where we should go out to eat after our final game on Wednesday, July 6.

She chose Hokkaido Ramen House.

Usually I take whichever girls are available when I visit Grandma Hendricks in Rexburg. We drove there on Thursday, July 7, only to find out I was there on the wrong Thursday. (I usually go on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays). So Miriam, Winnie and I had some time to kill in Rexburg.

First we went to D.I.

Then to Kari Anne's for custard and Italian ice.

Seth and Winnie slept out on the trampoline on Saturday, July 9, but came in early the next morning (we're talking, like, 4 a.m.) when a multitude of demonic roosters roused them from their slumber.

Posing before snoozing.

We only thought it fair to ask the younger two if they'd like to go on a little trip while their sisters were away, and they unanimously decided on Lagoon. We spent Thursday, July 14 at Lagoon, then Friday, July 15 at Hogle Zoo and watching a movie before picking up the older girls at the Salt Lake airport that night.

Miriam and Winnie on the train. Last time we went to Lagoon, we waited in line FOREVER to ride the train before giving up and moving on. We learned that if you go to the train first thing, the line hasn't had time to build up. 

Andrea and Seth on The Bat.

Rattlesnake Rapids before picture.

Rattlesnake Rapids after picture. Because Miriam's feet were to the point that even standing for extended periods of time hurt her, we rented a wheelchair and pushed her through Lagoon so she didn't have to be on her feet while moving or waiting. And then we learned that, if a member of your party is in a wheelchair, you have a separate entrance to the ride (usually going up the exit ramp). And that you usually get right on the ride. And that the ride operators usually ask if you'd like to go twice in a row. It was a pretty sweet system, and we're wondering who can be disable the next time we go to an amusement park so we can enjoy the system again. ;-)

Eating at Red Robin that night.

Breakfast at the hotel the next morning. We were trying to decide between Hogle Zoo or a water park, but we woke up to rainy, overcast skies, so the zoo was the better choice.

Watching the sea lions at the zoo. We rented another wheelchair for Miriam.

The cheetah.

Enjoying the rain. Miriam didn't like it as much when Winnie pushed the wheelchair.

Riding the conservation carousel.

Posing by/on the elephant statue.

Watching the dog show. Usually the dogs perform more tricks than we watched, but with the wet ground, the trainers didn't feel like it was a good idea to do their entire routine. Still, it was entertaining.

At that point we still had an afternoon/evening of waiting around in Utah until the older girls' flight came in, so we found a theater and watched Minions: The Rise of Gru. 

In our seats at the theater. It took us a little while to realize that we were sitting in electronic recliners. It was luxurious.

Winnie and Andrea walking around the airport waiting for the sisters to come home.