Jan 30, 2011

Climbing Timpanogos Mountain with Loren

I have been on a lot of hikes with the scouts over the years and have climbed, what we refer to in Mapleton as Maple Mountain, several times. I have also been up in the High Uintahs and the mountains above Price. In all of those climbs I have wondered what it would be like to climb the tallest mountains in Utah, King’s Peak and Timpanogos. I almost got to climb King’s peak when I took my scouts around it base to Farmer’s Lake and Milk lake but never had a day to actually climb to the peak. I often wish that I had planned that trip better so we could have but at the same time have been glad I didn’t due to the ages of the boys I had with me. I did however finally get the chance to Climb Timpanogos with Loren and his scout troop as an adult supervisor several years after being released from being scoutmaster. I remember thinking that it would be so much harder than Maple Mountain (Spanish Fork Peak or Sierra Bonita) because it was nearly 3 hundred feet taller. I didn’t ever stop to think that it was actually easier as far as height because you travel in cars up to the trailhead several hundred feet before even starting the hike. I enjoyed the hike and even though it did have a lot of switchbacks it was finally completing that part of my life that I hadn’t yet accomplished. That was the first that I learned about a cabin below the peak where you can stay if caught in sudden bad weather which thankfully we didn’t have happen to us that day. It was still a long hike to the top to where we could see over into the valley but when we got there if was well worth it. I only made it to that point since I had climbed with the slower boys and was met by the others coming back from the very top as we arrived and were running out of daylight to return to the cars. Even though I didn’t go to the shack on the very top I felt satisfied to have finally made it to that point. It was a lot of fun being there with Loren also since all of my earlier scouting had been done with the three older brothers before he was old enough to become a scout. I was glad that later we would have excellent scouting experiences together at Timberline and would be able to make memories in scouting from those experiences.

Jan 29, 2011

Climbing Maple Mountain: Youth Midnight to sunrise.

Sometimes we do not understand our limitations until we try to do something that pushes them to the limit. That is how I found out about my ability to climb mountains. I learned in one night where my limitations were and thus will never try it again. We had a youth activity when Marie and I were in the Young Men’s and Young Women’s organization. I was Scoutmaster and she was a Counselor in the Young Women’s. We had decided (well the youth council decided) to do a sunrise hike up to the top of “Maple Mountain”, at least that is what we in Mapleton call it even though Spanish Fork people refer to it as “Spanish Fork Peak” and the original explorers called it “Sierra Bonita”.  Anyway it is the mountain that shades Mapleton from the early morning sunlight and the early evening moonlight. It has been said to be the most beautiful mountain in the United States since it is the only one that from it’s center to the outside edges it almost appears to be a mirror image of itself. Well it really isn’t but of any mountain in the U.S. it is the only ones that comes close. So it is a logical mountain for us to have a sunrise hike to it’s top in time for the sunrise and then be together for a testimony meeting. Well the plans were to meet at the church at 12 A.M. and then drive up to the trail head in Maple Canyon and walk up during the night. 4 boys from the Young Men’s Priest quorum decided to hike to the top from the front side and meet us there in the morning, they were more crazy than I. However, the rest of the plans were for the Scouts to take a horse with camping gear to the top starting at 5 pm so that in the morning we could make breakfast for the all night hikers. So I went with them up to the top. Unknown to me and the assistant scoutmasters, one of the young men was hiking on feet that had been operated on not long before the hike. He wanted to go so bad that he didn’t tell us and he was one of the younger boys so did not know how difficult the hike would be for him. We ended up carrying his pack over two thirds of the way just so he could make it. Well we each had a pack since we had plans to stay overnight and get up when everyone else arrived. We got to the top at about 10:00 P.M. as I remember it. I helped the boys set up camp and then headed back down the trail to meet up with the others that were coming later, one of which was Marie. I headed down the trail and not much later time wise but a long way distance wise I began regretting the decision to go back down. I must have scared a lot of deer for there were often sounds of trees being disturbed by rapidly moving animals all of which I suspected must have been a bear or mountain lion and truth be known could easily have been. But I made it down to where the trail crossed the creek at the end of the road coming from the campground. There I laid down and rested for a short period of time since I got there at about 12:30 and the group didn’t get there until nearly 1 or even 1:30 A.M.  I did get a bit of sleep since I had now been to the top with a backpack and ran back down the trail for 3.5 miles in the dark. As the group got there I fell in with Marie and hiked the rest of the way to the lake where the scouts were camped. We got to the lake around 5:30 A.M. and thus were a little early for the sunrise. There were several times on the way up that I had to continue to assure Marie that she had made the right decision. My batteries went dead when we were nearly there so we hiked part of the distance with only the one light since I had left my spare batteries in my backpack. It was a neat experience and one I will probably never forget and at least only skew the actual facts to make it appear worse than it may actually have been. Anyway when we arrived at the camp (and for me arrived for the second time within almost 12 hours and approximately 15 miles of hiking), we decided to rest until the sun was close to rising. I took a hammock and hung it between two trees and crawled in and slept of about 20 minutes. I nearly killed myself hiking up the steep mountain two times within one night and during normal sleeping hours to boot after working a full day just prior to the hike. I couldn’t believe how drained and sick I felt after stopping at the top the second time. (I say top meaning camp since the actual top was still another mile up the mountain from the lake.)  After we had breakfast and our sunrise ceremony we decided to hike to the actual top only instead of following the trial that was still covered with winter snow we just hiked up the edge the mountain. We started up one ridge which soon ran out and we were forced to snake our way in a ziz zag pattern until we reached the rim overlooking Mapleton. It was a beautiful site and the hike the rest of the way to the top was still pretty hard but also worth it since from there you could see for 360 degrees around you with no trees or hills to block the view. It was great, of course I had actually climbed this at least four time before by myself and later with my sons and later the scouts. However for Marie it was the first (and only) time that she had been there. I believe that Tia was with us and maybe even Hayden  but I don’t remember for sure. We enjoyed the top and then hiked back down the mountain to where the trail was covered with snow at which point we did some sliding on our coats on the snow. It was a lot of fun. (Yes we did get wet also.)I will never forget Marie’s comments though as we hiked back down the trail. She would look off the edge where it dropped suddenly a number of feet into dense brush and tell me had she been able to see that hiking up she would have turned around and gone back. Maybe there was some wisdom in hiking it in the dark after-all. She was the only female leader that went on the hike with the young women. I will always cherish this experience even if it just about did me under and I thought I was going to die when all of my energy just melted out of my body and I could hardly get into the hammock before fainting to the ground. Yes I now know I have limitations and will not pull a stunt like that again but I sure am glad I did it once.

Jan 28, 2011

Climbing Maple Mountain: Ben, Jeff & Hayden

My third trip up the mountain came within two years from the second. It was now time to take Hayden up the mountain.

We decided this time to hike to the lake and camp there so that we could have more time to play at the lake. I also packed a video camera up this time so that we could show Mom and Tia the sites. So this year the hiking was slower in that I had to stop and photograph the trail and sites from the trail. Also Hayden was having a little trouble hiking that far with his pack since he was still only 8 years old.

We did get to the lake in time to set up camp before dark with even enough time to play in the lake and cook supper. It was a neat camping spot up from the lake in the trees. The area was secluded and well worn from years of hunters and other using it to camp. We had brought along hammocks to use for sleeping that night. They were a lot better than the ground.

We arose early in the morning to have breakfast before climbing to the top. Plus we wanted to have plenty of time to play on the snow at the bottom of the cliffs. We went to the top this time with no incidents of pain since both of the snow drifts encountered on my other trips were not there this time. The only snow was at the base of the cliffs in the glacier that probably never ever totally melts.

We had fun up at the monument again and spent quite a bit of time there looking off the cliff to the lake and our camping area. Then we went back down to the snow and had a lot of fun sliding on the plastic bags we had brought along with us this time. Each trip up the mountain was a learning experience for me and made it more fun for the boys as well.  It would be years before I would finally get a chance to climb it with Tia or Loren. And to date I still haven’t been there with Brittany. In fact I am not sure whether Brittany has ever been up it yet. She probably has with the boys but I don’t remember for sure.

Jan 27, 2011

Climbing Maple Mountain: After Kitchen Plane crashed

Marie and I moved into Mapleton the day we were married. We rented our home from Verl O Behrmann, Marie’s father. We were lucky as a young couple to have a home we could move into rather than an apartment. We lived in the basement as the home had been in a fire several years earlier and it had burned part of the floor out that was upstairs. Verl and Lois would often come down and work on the house on the weekend. We lived in the basement for a couple years before being able to move upstairs. During that time I worked for American Television service as a repair technician in the field. Three years after we were married I left American TV and went to work for Signetics a couple of months later. I worked for four years on Swing shift, then four years on day shift and 7 on graveyard.

It was during the time on swing shift when I had decided it was time to climb the beautiful Sierra Bonita mountain peak east of our home. I had wanted to for several years but just never had a chance or the proper motivation I suppose. One year however in the early spring a plane took off from Provo airport with a Dentist, his wife and two daughters traveling south to California. It was foggy up in the lower altitudes and as they headed south they were flying just east of our home near the mountain. The instruments on the plane apparently failed and they missed going over the ridge by just a few feet and crashed into the hill. It killed the family and the pilot instantly and then endangered the lives of several men who were searching for it the next few days. The following Saturday morning I was watching from our back porch as the men climbed up the ridge in search of the plane. It was slow climbing as the snow was quite deep and they had to break a trail as well as climb. I had to go to work that afternoon at Signetics and so I then continued to listen on the radio as I drove into Orem. The clouds had lifted early that afternoon and it was shortly after I left for work that the plane was spotted. The men then started to cross the ravine toward the peak to the south where they had spotted the plane. It wasn’t long after when there was an avalanche and the men were in the middle of it. The rope that they had tied to everyone came free from the last climber who was the son of Collin Allan our neighbor. They have since recounted the experience and how the Lord made it possible for them to quickly find him and another climber who had been swept several yards don the mountain. They didn’t reach the plane that day but others from the military were to the ridge just above the plane where they were able to retrieve the bodies of the pilot and family.  Later after the snow had melted they used helicopters to remove the plane as well from the mountain.

 It was that summer as the snow had pretty well melted that one early July morning I decided it was time for me to hike the mountain,  I left at 5 o’clock in the morning and went up Maple Canyon past Whiting Park to the end of the road where I understood the trail started. I hiked by myself and could see the trail quite well since it had gotten light just as I made it to the actual trail that starts nearly 1/2 mile past the park. It was a beautiful day and the hike was fun. I did notice though that there were often what looked like motorcycle tracks on the trail. I figured that they must be ahead of me or have been in the prior week since they were still not covered by any other tracks except mine. I later found out that it was the Walpole boys that had gone up earlier that week and had then gone down the face of the mountains to get home. I thought they were crazy and they confirmed it by telling me about the experience and that they would never do it again. 

I didn’t know the trail but felt safe in not getting lost since there only seemed to be one trail all the way up to the little lake a 100 feet from the top of the mountain.  After the lake the trail wasn’t quite as distinct so I had to watch a little more closely for signs of the trail. I finally could tell where it went up the side of the mountain even though a good share of that trail was still covered by the snowy glacier that had still not melted. I soon found myself after a very steep climb overlooking the valley. I could see my house down below and wondered if the rest of the family had awaken from their peaceful sleep since it was nearly 9 am by then. I then could see where there were two trails, one that went straight up the ridge and a second that wound around the face of the hill. I chose the latter since it wasn’t steep and I had already climbed a pretty steep part. (In later years I did go up that trail as well.) As I went around the front of the mountain I came to the ridge where I had to navigate my way up around the large snow drift that covered the trail and the ridge for nearly a 100 yards up and down from the trail.  I was surprised since it didn’t look that big from down in the valley.  I then continued around the face and had to stop and watch a lone cow Elk that was also on the ridge several feet below me. She was beautiful and I envied her ability to quickly navigate the steep slopes. It didn’t take her long to be gone from my view. I continued the slow uphill climb as I went around the face of the hill and then crossed over the ridge and the next snowdrift. The last part of the climb was the hardest as it went straight up to the summit and the geological marker. It was fun to be up there and to be able to see so far. Utah Lake was so large and Timpanogos Mountain so beautiful in the early morning light. Utah Peak and Provo peaks were also so neat and I seemed to be almost as high up as they were. I stopped to eat a little breakfast and to write a little note in the book in the mailbox that was mounted inside a rock monument there at the top. I also spent some time reading the notes left by other and still remember one written by an 87 year old woman whom had climbed earlier that year. I was stunned knowing how difficult it had seemed to me, a man in my prime, and how long she must have taken to be there. I was very impressed.

A few minutes later as I contemplated the return trip I was joined by a couple of young ladies that I recognized from Mapleton. They asked if I had seen the Rattle Snake on the snowdrift. I hadn’t but apparently it had slithered up there just after I passed so that it was sitting on my tracks as they came to cross the trail. I looked for it as I went down but it apparently had left by then. To that date I had still never seen a rattlesnake in the wild and was somewhat disappointed.

As I got back down to the ridge where I had crossed the first snowdrift I met a couple and their young scout age son. They had climbed up to see if they could find where the plane had crashed. I went down the ridge with the boy until we found where they had removed the plane. I was amazed how far off from the ridge the crash had been since again it looked closer from down in the valley. We didn’t find any debris which is what he wanted but we did find the crash site and the spot where I felt again the pain of those young sons who had been left without parent s and sibling sisters just a few months earlier. I climbed with him back to his parents waiting by the trail and then left to return home. I had taken several pictures that day and loved the beauty of the earth that I had now for the first time had the opportunity to see up close. It would be a trip I would repeat at least four more times.

Jan 26, 2011

The next few entires are going to be stories from my life and a little repeat of what I just wrote about.




Climbing Maple Mountain: Ben & Jeff sliding on glacier

I have previously written about my first time that I climbed Maple Mountain, Sierra Bonita, Spanish Fork Peak. These are all three names used to refer to the mountain east of Mapleton. Of course Mapleton residents call it Maple Mountain even though a mountain behind BYU is already names that. Spanish Fork residents call it Spanish Fork Peak and others call it Sierra Bonita. I suppose all might be correct.
Anyway when Ben was 10 and Jeff 8 years of age we decided it was time for us to climb the mountain together. I knew Ben could do it but wasn’t sure Jeff was old enough to make it especially since they would be each carrying a backpack as we had decided to camp part way up in what is referred to as the first meadow. We left in the evening and arrived at the first meadow in time to pitch our tent and to cook supper. We all three slept in a small two man tent that was barely big enough for me but was still Ok.
We slept that night fairly well considering I was starting to remember why I hated sleeping on the ground. I woke first just before it got light. I lay there for some time just thinking about the day ahead of me. I then heard some movement outside of the tent so I cautiously opened the tent to discover a small doe feeding just a few feet in front of the tent. I lay there watching her wishing I could get to the camera but due to the size of the tent all of the gear had been stored outside. I woke the boys so they could see her as well.
We got up shortly after that and cooked some oatmeal cereal for breakfast. After breakfast we took what gear we could easily carry in smaller packs and stowed the rest of the gear in the trees.
We left there and climbed on up to the lake where we stopped only for a short time before climbing on to the top of the peak. As we went around the ridge there was no snowdrift as had been there when I first went up. We continued on to the second ridge where we did find some snow still on the ground. It looked inviting until I slid down the first time and found it hard to stop. That didn’t stop Ben or Jeff though as they went down several times until Jeff didn’t stop in time and went sliding down the rocks instead of stopping on the snow.. I was scared somewhat and ran down to get him getting there in time to stop him but not before he had scraped himself pretty good. That was enough to stop that fun so we continued to the top so we could have our lunch. It was an incredible view as the day was so clear and bright. We enjoyed the view and the rest for some time before deciding to go back down.
When we did go down we stopped on the glacier above the pond and did some more sliding. It wasn’t nearly as dangerous but was just as fun. It made going down mush faster. We used our coats to make the sliding faster and found them very wet by the time we were done.
We went on down to the lake and went salamander hunting. There were a lot of them in the lake and a lot of fun to try to catch. Jeff wanted to take one home but I convinced him to leave them there to swim around in the lake. It took some convincing but we finally left and returned to our camp where we collected our packs and went on down to our home in the valley. It was a lot of fun which we repeated again two years later.

Jan. 25, 2011

Reminder:
Write the story of Yellowstone camping trip
Write the story of Maple Mountain hike with B&J and deer

Where were you when they were growing up?
I was thinking about some things at work the other day because of a young man who is my boss. I have been watching him and wondering which is more important: His Work or His Family. As I thought about it and about where I am in life now I had some pretty deep discussions with myself. This was also ignited a bit by a video that I had watched the day before where the founder and CEO of Provo Craft when being interviewed for a very special award in the business world gave an answer to a question that the lady asked doing the interview and it made me think then and again while I was on this topic. The question was "If you could go back, what things would you do differently?" The interviewer I am sure was looking for something in the business growth that he might have changed but his answer was much more serious in the eternal scheme of things. He said "There are always things that you would do differently but as I think about this question I think the one thing I would change the most would be to spend more time with my family." I know his family for the most part. There are a couple of the older children that I didn't know but I do know the rest of them quite well. He is struggling with some issues now that might have been avoided had he spent more time with them. Of course I can't know that for sure but it would seem quite apparent. I would tell you some of those things but it is best not to in this discussion. But as I talked with myself I had to evaluate some of the things that I did. I didn't spend a lot of time taking my family on vacations because I was with them at scout camp and girls camp. Considering I spent twelve years at girl's camp with my daughters and 24 years at scout camps with my sons (16 at timberline) I didn't have a lot of time left of vacation to take family trips. This was possibly a big mistake but as I look at the experiences that I had with my children at those camps I think it was good for the most part. I will never forget some of the trips I took and yes I did did some that were not totally scout related. For instance I took Ben and Jeff up the back side of Maple Mountain. We went half was and camped in the first meadows. I will not forget waking up and showing the boys a small doe that was feeding just outside of our tent and the fun they had seeing her. It was also fun to watch their reactions as we crossed over the hill and could see Mapleton down below. It was a special time for the three of us that went well enough that we repeated it a couple of years later so Hayden could also go with us. I will never forget the scout camp when we hauled equipment up to the lake on Maple as a troop and then I hiked back to the bottom so I could be with Marie and Tia as they hiked up at midnight. I almost killed myself hiking it twice but it was worth it. I don't remember which of the other children were with us but I do remember Marie's comment as she went down the next day, "It sure is good that I came up in the dark because I wouldn't have walked past this in the light." She was speaking of a spot in the trail where it dropped quite a few feet down the mountain to the small stream. There was also the camp when I took Jeff along at 10 years old on a hike that even gave me a lot of difficulty while hiking. We were going on the troop summer camp the first year that I was Scoutmaster and he technically should not have gone but he would be a scout in October so I took him. We hiked up a trail that was very steep and rocky. I would never go in that way again but would possibly go out that way. Anyway we were only half way in when Jeff decided that he had been through enough and wanted to go back. Well I couldn't take him back nor could I help him with his pack since I had my own that was too heavy. He got mad at me and left and I didn't see him again for several hours. I made sure he wasn't behind me but didn't know for sure but some of the others said that they had seen him hiking ahead. Well we got to the first lake where we were to spend the night and to my surprise he was already there and had been for sometime. He had found the strength inside to hike faster than I could and was pretty excited to tell me when I got there. Later in the week I took him for a long hike up to the top of Bluebell pass with the Assistant Scoutmaster. we had a lot of fun and when we got back to camp I decided to have the troop hike to the base of that pass so we would be closer the next morning. We did and by the time we got there we had a huge storm approaching us with lots of lightning strikes along the ridge so I had the boys all camp along the valley separated by several yards so that if the lightning hit down by us there would be less chance for several of them to be hurt. we then woke up early the next morning and before breakfast hike to the summit of the pass. I asked Jeff to go in front since he had already been there and knew the way. The older boys then became mad since I made them go the same speed as Jeff and didn't let them pass.Jeff got mad at me again since it was hard but he took off running or rather walking faster and when we got to the top he disappeared. I didn't worry too much about him until I couldn't find him for several minutes. I finally decided to go back down the trail and see if he had gone back down for some reason. when I did I didn't even start down the trail before he appeared carrying the backpack for another scout who was struggling whom he had gone back to help. I have always remembered that moment as the fears of him missing turned to gratitude for the good turn he was doing for another scout. I am glad that I spent time with the children and do regret not being able to be with Loren as I had the older boys until he was able to go to Timberline with me for the council and the region training of other scout youth leaders in other councils. I will always cherish the hikes and camps that I spent with my children and Marie. I will not have the regret of having worked through all of that period and am thankful for that.

Jan 24, 2011

What is the earliest thing you remember?

Good Question. I suppose I remember walking through snow that was up almost up my shoulders so I had to have been pretty small. There was a trail that I guess dad had made from the house out to the barn. I don't remember any storms after that which were anything like it. There were a lot of drifts for several years that would form at the top of the hill as the snow would blow off of the bench. They would form over the trees creating caves under them that we would dig into and use as forts. So I suppose a lot of my first memories were about snow and our yard. I remember climbing trees and going for long hikes along the trails through the hills. It was a good place to make early memories.

Jan 23, 2011

As a young child, what did you look like?

I was skinny, and short. But I made up for it by being fast and smart, well kinda smart, I think. I had sandy red hair and plenty of freckles. I could get sunburned in a few short minutes of being in the sun so I learned to pull off dead, flaky skin or wear long sleeve shirts, I choose the latter. Every now and then I would forget but the pain would continue to make me remember the next time. I would have short hair in the summer and longer but never past my ears if mom had anything to do with it and she did. It was short in the summer because we would get a buzz at the start of every summer so that we would be able to work in the heat easier. I wore mostly hand-me-down clothes from the three older brothers. I would get new underwear and socks since they seldom made it past one person.

Jan 22, 2011

Where did your family go on vacation? What are your favorite memories of the trips you took together?

I told about some of these already but I will expound a little more on one of them to Yellowstone. I don't know how big I was but I do remember watching all the bears on the side of the road. We even had one that stood up on the door of the car or rather leaned his front paws on the door as he stood up. I also remember seeing one in a tree, a small cub, and wanting to go over and photograph it with my Brownie Instamatic. I realize now why mom and dad wouldn't let me do it. Also there was a big buffalo in the filed and I did go to the side of the road but that was as far as I could go as well and I also realize now why. It seemed also that Old Faithful went hundreds of feet into the air. I was mildly disappointed in 2010 when we went there again and it seemed to barely get started before it was done. It still is a magnificent thing to behold but to a young child it was all the more spectacular. It was a fun trip as I remember but it seems like the upper falls of the Yellowstone River was viewed from the other side of the river. I think we did actually go down to the lookout as well that was right by the falls. Needless to say it left a huge impression on me.

Jan 21, 2011

Did you have any favorite uncles, aunts or cousins growing up? Who were they and what did you admire most about them?

Gosh this is not fair. I had a lot of favorites depending on whom I was around at the time. I was blessed with great relatives on both sides of the family, mom and dad's. I knew dad's the best since they lived for the most part in Duchesne and surrounding areas. Uncle Mont and cousin Jack were probably the two favorites though if I have to narrow it down . Mont because he was such an old cowboy and loved to have us ride with him and work with him. He was always funny and even gross at some points when he would eat raw eggs just to see our reaction. That doesn't seem so bad to mew now though since I know a scoutmaster that would shock his scouts by eating the shell and all.

Jack was just a lot of fun even though it was mostly at my expense. He and Chuck both kept me on the edge of my senses wondering what they would do next and I must admit I was far to gullible to be very safe AROUND EITHER OF THEM.

I got to know another cousin after I was married though that became a very close friend in the few years that we were around each other. That was Ned Poulson. I loved the way he decorated his house and John Wayne was a favorite movie star for both os us. I am still quite close to his children and enjoy interacting with their families quite often. We have done quite a lot together because of scouting and being in the same district.

On mom's ide I must admit Doyle was probably the highlight since he was such a joker. He kept us laughing (and still does) every time we met at reunions. I enjoyed going finally to California where they live and photographing one of his daughter's wedding. I t was a special experience for Marie and I. It was too bad that I was over 45 years old before I ever got to visit their home. We were there one other time for Thanksgiving prior to that wedding by a few years when we were asked to do a wedding for someone from Oakland who we met at her cousins wedding here in Utah. We ate dinner with them and did a few other activities before heading to the hotel to prepare for the wedding the next day.