Hike #8: Twentymile Lava Trail

 Our family had gone a few miles on this trail years before, but since then I had wanted to hike all the way back to the vent of the lava flow. Seth was in Island Park hunting, the kids were at school and the trail is too uneven/rocky/spiky for dogs, so I saw the kids off to school and went by myself on the 11-mile hike on Thursday, September 28. 

I had the trail to myself the entire time, which could be troubling if I hadn't had a cell signal the entire time. Seth checked in with me multiple times throughout the hike, but besides slightly twisting an ankle, everything was fine on my solo hike. 

This trail is different than most because there isn't really a trail. Rather than following a dirt path through a forest, the entire trail is over lava rock and therefore isn't really ... followable. Instead, you have to look for poles painted red at the top and hike toward them until you see the next pole. Sometimes it was easy to see the next pole or even multiple poles. Sometimes I would get to a pole and have no idea where the next one was, so I'd keep hiking in the same general direction until I'd catch sight of the next marker. Sometimes I'd have to pull out my phone with my hiking app that was tracking the trail and my location on it and change course to get back on the trail. 

When I got to the end of the trail according to my app, I thought, "This isn't much different than what I've been seeing the entire time. I guess there isn't much of a point on going all the way to the vent." Then I saw a crater just a little farther ahead of me. As I approached it, I realized that the crater was much bigger and deeper than I had thought. That was, of course, the actual vent. And it was absolutely worth going all the way to to see.

There's no coverage on the entire hike, so it made sense to go in late September when it's cooled down. This would not be a fun hike in July or August.

One of the poles that marks the path. Some of them were this tall. Others were shorter and harder to see.

At the vent. I sat on the edge and ate lunch. This picture doesn't do the vent justice by any means.

Rebekah goes to college

 I didn't think I'd get as emotional as I did when Rebekah left home for the first time. I mean, her college is only 30 minutes away from our home, and we have text, email, Google Meet and a myriad of other ways to keep in touch. We were all excited for her to set out on this grand new adventure, but it still tugged at my heartstrings as we drove away and left her at her apartment for the first time.

Move in day was Saturday, September 9. I know it's been more than 20 years since we started as freshmen at Ricks College, but we still couldn't believe the differences between then and now. Our parents just dropped us off and we took care of campus business ourselves. Now there's a whole day of orientation for parents and students. 

We showed up at Greenbrier, Rebekah's apartment complex (and the same one I lived in for three years) at 8 only to find out that the office wouldn't open until 9 a.m. We unloaded Rebekah's things onto the sidewalk and got in line to get a key. After receiving that, we helped her move everything up and in to her apartment and get things settled before we went to campus so Rebekah could meet with her student mentors and freshmen group and we could attend some parent meetings. After a parent and student meeting with the new president and his wife in the BYU-I Center, we met back up and said goodbye. 

Rebekah and Andrea posing next to the Greenbrier sign. Rebekah is in apartment #24. I never lived in that specific apartment (but I lived in three different ones), but it's a small complex, so I was nearby.

Seth helping unload Rebekah's bike.

Rebekah in her bedroom.

Rebekah and Seth (and all of Rebekah boxes/bins for moving) figuring out the wifi.

Rebekah pretending to enjoy a cup of something while a fire burns on the TV in the fireplace where nobody has been allowed to have fires for decades.

Seth and Andrea after saying goodbye.

Hike #7: Upper and Lower Palisades

Everyone but Rebekah was in school, so we took the opportunity to get in one last hike for her before moving to college on Wednesday, September 6. The weather was perfect, the trail was muddy only in a few places, and the view was beautiful. The only hitch with this 14-mile hike was a weird ankle problem I had during the last three miles out. 

I didn't want to wear the boots that gave me blisters on Union Falls, so I wore the boots I had used for years before Miriam adopted them. They kept pushing against the side of my foot in an annoying way, but I figured I could just deal with it. I did until I experienced several bouts of searing pain that made me dance about the trail. We stopped and I offered a prayer to help me make it the rest of the way. Rebekah traded boots with me, and I used a bandana to try and brace my ankle. It didn't hurt to put weight on it (I hadn't twisted anything), but the movement of the ankle is what would stop me in my tracks. I limped along slowly at first, then managed to speed it up to a regular walking pace until we made it back to the van. 

As soon as I doffed the boots and put on my Chacos, my ankle was better. I still don't know what caused that scare, but in the weeks that followed if I wore shoes that touched the side of my foot by my ankle, I felt a dull pain. 

Selfie at the beginning of the hike.

Rebekah registering us.

Rebekah at a cute little waterfall across from a cabin along the trail.

Selfie at the upper lake. We ate lunch next to the shore.

Selfie at the end of the hike.

Labor Day weekend/hunting camp

 Labor Day weekend had much of the same as other years. We hauled the trailer and our equipment up on Friday, September 1 and camped with the Grovers in our usual spot. Seth and Rebekah went hunting while the rest of us hung around at camp. We thought we'd have a Grover dinner together on Sunday like we usually do, but the rain drove most everyone out, so we had a quiet dinner instead in our trailer. Nobody harvested an animal this year, but we enjoyed our time in nature.

Some of us returned other times throughout the month for more hunting/camping.

Rebekah pets Peach outside the trailer on Friday, September 1.

Miriam pets Peach in camp on Saturday, September 2. 

Rebekah the majestic beast hunter in the forest on Saturday, September 2.

Seth is also a majestic beast hunter on Saturday, September 2.

Ana crochets in camp on Saturday, September 2 while Winnie poses in the background.

Winnie follows a cattle trail through the woods with Lizzie (Dennis' dog) and Peach on Saturday, September 2.

Rebekah naps in camp with Peach nearby on Saturday, September 2.

Rebekah practices trombone in camp on Saturday, September 2.

Seth, Peach and Andrea in the forest (we were checking our texts/calls by the quarry where we could get a signal) on Saturday, September 2.

Andrea and Winnie ride on the four-wheeler on Saturday, September 2.

The fairy house Winnie made in camp on Saturday, September 2. It had been a wet year, so there were more mushrooms and more types of mushrooms than I had ever seen before up there. 

Rebekah snuggles up to a very dead elk she and Seth found in the woods on Saturday, September 2.

The girls point to a monstrous mushroom we found at Grandma Hendricks' cabin on Sunday, September 3. We went to church at Mack's Inn and spent most of Sunday at the cabin because of the rain.

The girls all cozy in their trailer beds on Sunday, September 3.

Andrea and Seth cozy in our trailer bed on Sunday, September 3.

The foggy forest on Monday, September 4.

Seth and Rebekah hunting on Saturday, September 16.

Seth hunting on Tuesday, September 26. He took the entire week off of work to go hunting with his dad.

Rebekah and Seth hunting on Friday, September 29.

Winnie playing Phase 10 with Andrea in camp on Saturday, September 30.

Seth, Dennis and Rebekah hunting on Saturday, September 30.

Back to school

 Winnie the 6th grader had her first day at Fairview Elementary on Monday, August 28. Miriam the 8th grader and Ana the 11th grader had their first day at Praxium Mastery Academy and Bonneville High School on Tuesday, August 29. (For secondary students, Monday was for new students, so 7th and 9th graders. Although Miriam did go on Monday to help as a member of Yeti Squad, her school's student council.) Rebekah the college freshman had her first day at BYU-Idaho on Monday, September 11. 

Winnie before heading off on the bus.

Showing her grade.

Showing off her backpack.

Before driving to school. 

Showing her grade.

She was showing me her backpack, but then she got a phone call.

Miriam before getting a ride to school with Ana.

Miriam's grade.

Miriam's backpack.

Rebekah outside the Snow Building on her first day. (She put her phone camera on timer to get the shot.)

Rebekah with her backpack.

Summer miscellany

Selfie time: Friday, June 2

Andrea takes a selfie with Rebekah, Ana and Miriam in the living room after Rebekah's graduation.

Iconic water tower: Wednesday, June 7

Seth poses under the Idaho Falls water tower. He got to go to the facility for work.

Nap at Grandma's and Seth's birthday: Thursday, June 8

Rebecca takes a nap on Grandma Hendricks' couch during the visit to her home in Rexburg.

Seth poses with his coworkers at work on his birthday. They had surprised him with party hats, treats, and gifts.

Soup kitchen: Friday, June 9

Andrea and Grandma Scott work at the soup kitchen. Andrea worked there just one day, but Grandma and Grandpa worked there several times during the month.

Graves: Saturday, June 10

Winnie, Andrea, Rebekah and Miriam pose next to Grandma and Grandpa Wirkus' headstone in the Lincoln Cemetery. We brought rocks to put on their headstone.

We pose next to Martha and Emil's headstone in the Ammon cemetery.

Ward dinner: Tuesday, June 13

Winnie sports a tiny sombrero that was part of a decoration at a ward party.

Chukars game: Thursday, June 15

The family at a Chukars game. Seth was able to get discounted tickets through his work.

Temple baptisms and weeding the yard: Friday, June 16

Miriam, Seth, Andrea and Rebekah outside the Idaho Falls Temple after doing baptisms for the dead.

Weeding the area where we had put grass and clover seed down. This part of the yard had been all torn up during our home addition construction, so we had to spend a lot of time and energy getting the area flat and sloped before we could put the seat down. Then we had so many weeds spring up.

Enjoying new lawn and daddy-daughter date: Saturday, June 17

Winnie enjoying the new grass and clover next to the house.

Ana and Seth pose after completing an escape room for their date.

Anna and Seth at Cold Stone on their date.

Grilling: Sunday, June 18

Seth grilling dinner for Rebekah's birthday.

New pillow: Monday, June 19

Andrea pretending to lie on the new pillow she ordered. It had just come out of the packaging and hadn't had time to expand.

Grandpa's Mustang and Rebekah the model: Wednesday, June 21

Winnie sitting in Grandpa Scott's 1965 Ford Mustang parked in his shop.

Rebekah posing with a lovely wig she found at D.I.

Visiting Grandma: Thursday, June 21

Miriam and Winnie watch VHS tapes about LDS prophets at Grandma Hendricks' house. The VCR hadn't been working, so we used Google and YouTube to learn how to take apart the VCR and clean the heads. Then, miraculously, it worked!

Youth Conference: June 29-July 1

Seth carries a bin of T-shirts over his head at the Idaho Falls East stake youth conference at Sellers Creek. Seth is serving as second counselor in the stake Young Men presidency, so he got to help plan and execute the youth conference.

Barbara Bird and Seth emerge from a bathroom at youth conference. Barbara had said that she kept feeling vertigo as she went into the tiny room, so she asked Seth to see if the same thing happened to him. Another leader thought it would be hilarious to take pictures of them coming out of the bathroom together.

Ana and Andrea preparing to play a game at youth conference. We competed against the other words in a cup stacking competition before the dance. Andrea was invited to attend as a historian. I shot pictures and some video, and I compiled others pictures and videos into a video that they showed at a follow-up activity later.

Ana ballroom dancing with her friend Emelia Bare at the youth conference.

Miriam shooting video during testimony meeting at the close of youth conference. Miriam was technically too young to attend the youth conference, but she and Winnie came with me Saturday morning to help.

A sweet note: Friday, June 30

My Yoda onesie and a sweet note from Rebekah. She missed me while I was gone for youth conference, so she folded up my onesie and left me this post-it note.

More graves and one big mushroom: Saturday, July 1

Seth looks up information on his family as we visit headstones at the Ennis cemetery.

Set the next to Leslie and Lois's headstone at the Archer cemetery.

Seth with an enormous mushroom that was growing in our front yard.

Trip revision: Sunday, July 9

Seth notes his sudden change of plans on our family calendar. He was supposed to fly from Idaho Falls to Denver and from Denver to Arlington on the 10, but the travel agency that his work uses canceled his flight from Idaho Falls. So instead he had to rent a car and drive from Idaho Falls to Denver on Sunday in order to catch his flight from Denver to Arlington. Needless to say, he was quite irked.

Rexburg date: Thursday, July 13

Andrea, Miriam and Winnie smile at Rexburg Rapids. When he had completed her swimming lessons and earned the trip.

Eating gelato at Kariann's after swimming at Rexburg Rapids.

Looking for arrowheads: Saturday, July 15

Pieces of rock Rebekah, Seth and Winnie found while looking for arrowheads.

Rebekah and Winnie in the stream looking for arrowheads.

Winnie with the snake Seth picked up while they were arrowhead hunting.

Blue-eyed fox and Grandma's birthday: Sunday, July 16

Seth holds up a bag of cherries next to Andrea. He was complimenting her by saying that she was a blue-eyed fox.

Grandma's got checks out the wind chime we gave her for her birthday present after eating dinner at our house.

Rebekah's endowment: Friday, July 28

Seth, Rebekah and Andrea pose outside the Idaho Falls Temple after Rebekah received her endowment. It was the sweetest experience. She had all four of her grandparents and her great-grandma there as well as her parents and several members from the ward.

Rebekah's T-shirt quilt: Monday, July 31

Rebekah lies on the T-shirt quilt Andrea made her as a graduation present. We had saved up Rebekah's T-shirts since she was really little. She picked which one she wanted to have in the quilt.

Rebekah rolled up in her quilt.

Carburetor, Roscoe, and mommy-daddy-daughter date: Saturday, August 5

Toad watching Grandpa Scott as he works on our lawn mower. He helped us replace the carburetor.

Seth cuddling with Roscoe at his parents house. Doug was living in his trailer parked in the backfield, so Roscoe was often in the house as well as outside.

Seth, Andrea and Miriam with our painted ceramics at Possibly Picasso while on a date.

Winnie's room: Wednesday, August 9

Winnie sitting on her bed in her room. She had bought a betta fish not long before that. You can see it in the bottom left corner.

Roaring Youth Jam: Thursday, August 10

Kelsey, Winnie and Hudson posing at the Roaring Youth Jam at the Idaho Falls Greenbelt. Ana worked as a nanny and chauffeur for the Wildes over the summer. We arranged to meet up at the Youth Jam so the cousins could get together.

INL tours, a new van, and INL barbecue: Friday, August 11

Ana, Rebekah, Andrea, Miriam and Winnie pose next to Seth's desk at the INL. Only authorized people are allowed in the building on a regular day. We had to sign up to go on a tour on a specific day.

Andrea posing in the van we purchased from a family in Rigby in between our INL events. The gold van's alternator had gone out. For years we had had such things replaced/repaired, but the van was old enough that we had decided the next time a major repair needed to happen, we would pull the plug and get a new vehicle. Miraculously we found a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan being sold nearby that fit our specs and budget.

Winnie rides the blowup slide at the INL barbecue held at Melaleuca Field in the evening. The family enjoyed dinner and games at the event.

Temple sealings and a wedding reception: Saturday, August 12

Seth, Andrea and Rebekah pose outside the Idaho Falls Temple after doing sealings together. It was Rebekah's first time doing this proxy ordinance.

Andrea, Ana and Seth at a wedding reception for a ward member. 

Rescuing Toad: Sunday, August 13

Seth rescuing Toad from a tree. He was very good at climbing up the trees, but not so good at getting down all the time. Toad was still skittish around Peach, so sometimes he would climb up a tree and get stuck.

Coscto treat: Friday, August 18

Miriam and Seth getting frozen yogurt at Costco while the rest of the family comes is gone hiking Union Falls.

Wisdom teeth removal and a trip to D.C.: Monday, August 21

Rebekah at the dentist office waiting to be called back for her wisdom teeth removal.

Rebekah in the car with a mouth full of gauze after her wisdom teeth removal. She adamantly refused to be recorded after IV sedation, but she didn't say anything crazy anyway. She was just more stubborn than usual. 

Seth on a flight to Arlington for work. His coworker Melanie fell asleep behind him.

Cooked cat and the White House: Wednesday, August 23

Toad lies down in a pan destined to go to college. Rebekah and Andrea were sorting through dishes and cookware we had collected in the shop so Rebekah could choose which ones to take to college.

Seth in front of the White House while on his work trip.

Alternator replaced: Monday, August 28

A dirty Rebekah posing next to the van after replacing the alternator. We told her that if she would do the repair on the van, she could keep the money from selling it. Thanks to YouTube tutorials, she did it! She also washed and detailed the van.