our almost family

Leslie and I hiking toward Hidden Falls/ The Allred family up Cascade Canyon

Why do we love the Allred's?

Clay set Brian and I up on our first date.

They work for the Park Service-- a bond by itself (and saves us a lot of explaining).

They're on the same baby plan as us-- so if one of us forgets a diaper, a sippy, a bib, sunscreen-- the other usually has them covered. And what a bonus to have people who understand that it takes 2hrs to get ready to leave for an overnight?

Liesel already loves Owen 

and it looks like they'll have another boy to match up with baby girl #2

Liesel and Leslie are all the same letters. 

They have the best water toys (stand up paddle board and now a raft big enough for both families?!)

And they make the 10 hr drive to the Tetons the day after getting home from California after being at the beach for a week. . . dang. 

did I mention their son Owen is adorable?

Leslie would rather carry Owen prego and hike up a canyon than chill at home (Clay's back is hurt and Brian was on a SAR that day-- thus the reason for the pregnant ladies also carrying the kids)

They'll hike to Hidden Falls

unintentionally insult those at Inspiration Pt. by declaring it unworthy of a photo

hike up beautiful Cascade Canyon

See the 2nd highest peak in the range with the same name as their son (Mt. Owen)

get caught in a rainstorm

They love to play outside

and are willing to paddle across a very large lake 

and spend the night in a very small cabin

that is very quaint, has no running water and is right on the lake

and endure yet another night of semi-descent (or maybe even terrible) sleep

They'll pick huckleberries all week.

clay paddle-boarding our gear across String Lake/ Liesel excited to find a rock and Leslie hiking with Owen

They love to hang out at beaches

don't sweat missing their kids' bedtime

will chill by the fire at night

arriving at our destination! The NPS cabin at Leigh Lake and Liesel hanging out in the "swing"

Brian and Clay together are constant entertainment

and incredibly ridiculous

and almost bordering on insane-- but in a "brother from another mother" kind of way

they'll hike to Trapper Lake in the evening and 

eat massive amounts of spaghetti and meatballs so we won't have to carry out leftovers

They'll swim in cold water 

and watch Liesel while I paddle board around the lake

Owen and Liesel jumping on the bed

me paddle boarding on Leigh Lake

will help catch minnows to entertain the kiddos

and then make it a contest to see who has more man-fishing skills 

point out a leach on my foot and laugh at me when I scream for Brian to pull it off

guard B's sand sculpture of the Teton range (including jenny lake) from getting crushed by little feet

(at least until I got this picture)

watch us almost get our canoe tipped by a gust of wind

and lose Owen's hat in the process

play botchi-ball at night

and buy chocolate ice cream for milkshakes

Brian in my wetsuit and goggles. . . hmmm

and generally just be awesome. 

And that was only the first half of the week . . . 

Huckleberry/"Happy-dee"

My mom and dad on their honeymoon at Island Park, Idaho with a bag full of huckleberries.

Liesel testing the produce 

Went huckleberry picking with Liesel and another mom, Kate, who lives around these parts.Liesel learned pretty fast what huckleberries looked like and was constantly saying "happy-dee!" as she picked and then proceeded to eat. I was a little nervous we'd have a Blueberrie's for Sal moment (my favorite kid's book btw) but we didn't see any bears gorging on their favorite food (berries-- not people, fyi). 

I'll have to go back with Brian when we can have four hands picking and only two stealing them for snacks!

man stuff

I just walked down to the rescue cache to meet Brian. He's been gone for a few days climbing (N ridge of the Grand) with another ranger visiting from Black Canyon. I'm waiting for him to put his gear away and now he's talking climbing with a co-worker. . .

Brian has done some seriously cool things this summer. I love this picture of him on Mt. Owen with the Grand behind him. This was serendipity arete (the Alex Lowe variation) on Mt. Owen. 

him on the splitter cracks

The next couple of photos Brian took while short-hauling:  

Marty and Brian--- posing for a self portrait 3,000ft in the air. 

He also got to climb the North Face of the Grand. This is a pretty amazing route that climbs the steepest face of the Grand all the way to the summit. Then they cruised down the other side to the ranger hut on the saddle and spent the next few days up there climbing and helping with a search for a missing person. 

Brian almost in full camouflage. 

Table Mountain pregnant and carrying L

Brenna and her bro Parker crossing the stream

Remember last year when Liesel became a mountaineer? I decided to repeat carrying her up to Table Mountain. Oringinally I was thinking that B would watch her since it was his day off, but he had too much to do for grad school and I had it in my mind that it was a tradition (I've done it every year). About 2 minutes in I decided that this would be the last time I carry Liesel uphill until babyHays is born. It bordered on death. 

But aside from lumbering up the hill and breathing embarrassingly loud, I was glad I did it. I have never been up there in the peak of wildflower season-- meadow after meadow of wildflowers. I may not be able to grow a garden in a National Park but I can certainly enjoy Mother Nature's. 

we took the canyon route to the summit (7.5 miles) and then the ridge down (3.5). 

the mushroom looking bump at the horizon is Table Mountain and you can see a shadow of the top of the grand in the clouds. 

You can see Liesel in the photo in the left going for some Marmot poo. . . oh man. 

A storm was rolling in by the time we got to the summit-- just rain and clouds (nothing too serious), but it blocked the view of the peaks and put a damper on our summit chill-party. 

Liesel stretching her legs before we head down. 

We were lucky that the bulk of the storm rolled in when we were almost down. I got home that night and about collapsed into bed. Brian told me the night before he thought it was kind of insane to try and haul three heartbeats all the way up there. . . and it probably was. 

Grandma Hatch

I LOVE this photo. My grandpa was/still is a stellar photographer and he took this on their wedding night. 

A few weeks ago I attended my grandmother's funeral. The service was really moving-- a spiritual experience for me. . . especially hearing my father (her son) speak. I wanted to record just a few things about Verena Ursenbach Hatch.

My Grandma Hatch was a musician. She loved music-- especially the hymns. Their house (they moved just this past year) had an entire room dedicated solely to music-- compete with a pipe organ and a grand piano. She also was proud of her Canadian heritage. She had a very practical home and it was always clean. I remember her insisting that I wash my hands often-- something my mom never really insisted on when I was a child-- and it used to really bug me. We fed the ducks, I dressed out of her costume box and loved her banana chocolate chip squares. 

My grandparents lived just a few blocks from BYU campus and while I was in school, I would frequently visit. I think everyone I dated came to their house and would get a little "interview" from them both. While Brian and I were engaged, I moved into their home for two months before we tied the knot. It was kind of amazing that they did this for me considering my grandma was in the middle of chemo for breast cancer. I was surprised by their kindness-- they knew I had weight-lifting class on tues/thurs and made sure to include a hard boiled egg on those days for extra protein. Grandma loved to show me the booties she was crocheting and a book that she was working on later in life. I would sit by her and she would show me her latest project on her 32inch Mac computer. She would offer me bags of dried apricots from her food storage. And most of all, she gave me comfort during a very, very difficult time for me. I'll miss her, but know one day we'll be together again.

current events

I've had a mellow past few days. Lots of laundry, lots of lake time, lots of reading books, lots of sweeping and mopping, lots of smoothies, lots of sleeping. Brian has had an intense few days. Lots of climbing. I would add something else, but I'm pretty sure that was about it. Tomorrow it's going to be lots of studying. 

current obession: wildflowers and huckleberries (they're on early!!! we saw two bears gorging on them roadside on our way to church this evening). 

current craving: fruit and dairy. I want smoothies all. the. time. 

current Liesel phrase: "there ya go, yo welcome." Apparently I've said this 1000x a day the past few months and someone has picked up on it. 

current trail food: Pringles. Not healthy. Not even a real food. I know

current love: our new oven/stove. Thank you NPS

current frustration: our internet. This is the first day it's worked in a week. 

Cascade Canyon with the folks

the cathedral peaks: Teewinot, Owen and the Grand 

my parents are in their 60s. the last time they hiked to lake Solitude (7.5m one way) was over 10 years ago when I graduated high school. We decided to repeat the experience but this time take in two days. Since Brian is a ranger and this park is awesome, we got to stay at the cache which meant no hauling tents, sleeping bags, pads, stoves etc. 

cooling off alpine style

Liesel loves her button and Brian at lake solitude right before jumping in-- there was still ice floating in the lake. 

mom and dad enjoying minestrone soup, sausage and trisquits

Brian had to work the next morning at 8am, so he ran down in record time (1.5hrs), motored across the lake and made it to work with no problem at all. . . made me nostalgic for our Rocky Mountain days when he would do the same thing so I wouldn't be alone at night in the backcountry. What a man. 

the lake was so calm in the morning it was like glass-- and we had the whole thing to ourselves!

we totally earned that steak burrito and enchiladas at the Merry Piglets in Jackson . . . 

ps: can I give a shout out to my amazing little girl Liesel? You are one good little chica (even though you do yell out "diarrhea!" any chance you get these days, you put aunt Sarah's purse in the toilet and broke her cell phone and have a severe case of mommy-itis). . .