RVing It

On the last Friday in September, Seth skipped his last tennis match of the year to go camping. This was a pretty good decision since the camping trip was a two-nighter which we could never do on our own. An off-road adventure company pulled an RV up to the top of American Fork Canyon (via Heber and Midway) and dropped it off. The RV is basically a $90,000 palace on wheels. It requires no hookups, but has a shower, toilet, wifi, A/C (which we didn’t use) and heat (which we definitely did use). Best of all, it was stocked with food including steaks, soda, snacks, and ice cream. 

When Dad got home from school, we loaded up our van, which didn’t have a prayer of making it to the campsite. We drove down to the showroom in Pleasant Grove and transported our bedding and clothes into a huge four-wheel drive Beast. This thing was black camouflage straight out of Smuggler’s Run. The tires were so huge we almost had to toss Seth up into the back door. This was to be our wheels for the weekend. 

The vehicle was huge!

We were so excited. 

It was already full of gas, so we drove up Provo Canyon into Midway. Then we turned up, and I mean straight up the mountainside. The road was full of washboards and boulders that would turn a lumberjack into a soprano, but this behemoth feasted on the ruts like a rhinoceros on a rutabaga. We rocked, rolled, and rattled our back teeth along that road (wondering what kind of trailer made this journey— which is indeed, the main selling point) for nearly an hour. But Oh! the colors. The aspens were arrayed in gentle chartreuse sliding to a brilliant goldenrod as they ascended up the hill. The oaks and maples were like a Spanish dance of rich rustic reds and opulent oranges. It was truly Fall as only Utah can do Fall. We even spotted two little bucks amid the technicolor trees.

It was getting late, so Mom didn't get too many pictures that day.

By the time we pulled up to the campsite the boys were starving, so they got right to work on building a fire. Mom and Dad took a tour of the RV, built like a sturdy little plow horse, born and bred for off-grid camping. There was a queen bed for us, single bunks for the boys, a table, a shower, with toilet, and two places to cook. The fridge was full, and the Starlink wifi was setup so that we could see Cedanne Rafeala’s triple carom off the top of the center field wall as he walked-off the Red Sox into the playoffs. We roasted hotdogs and s’mores in the firelight and then turned in early.

We love to camp, but don't do it enough anymore.

The stars were amazing.

Nighty night. Read on for a story about Seth's bed.

Like all of our adventures now, Dax expected this one to be a fishing adventure. We woke up around 8am and Mom made pancakes and sausage for breakfast on the indoor stove. We ate at the little table and then loaded up The Beast for the drive down to the nearest lake. The road was still relentless, but just a mile further on we came to a trail that was used by motorcycles and hikers. It led up to a very high meadow full of what was promisingly called Forest Lake. We parked and crossed the stream and started up. It was pretty steep and rocky, and we made it a mile of the 1.5 mile hike before we passed two guys on dirt bikes. The one had obviously gone down hard and was bleeding pretty good around his elbow, but, noticing our fishing poles, they informed us that there was no lake. At the top we’d just find a massive meadow where a lake might have been in the past. We weren’t sure whether to go on or continue, but because The Beast offered other options, we decided to turn around.

Breakfast was yummy. 

The view from Dax's bunk bed.

Dax found this lovely spot to show Mom.

Hiking up the mountainside.

Hoping to fish!

It was gorgeous everywhere.

Where we turned around!

The boys wanted lunch, even though it was barely past 11am. The Beast took us safely back to the campsite where we ate and played games for most of the afternoon. Mom made sandwiches, and we played UNO Dare, laughing quite a lot at the funny dares we had to do in lieu of drawing cards. That was when we noticed how beautiful the campsite itself was. A gorgeous little stream chuckled along within a dozen yards of the RV. Dax had his fishing poles in these all day, and despite the fact that you could see fish scatter in the shallow water as soon as you came up to the bank, he couldn’t catch anything. The walls of the little bowl surrounding our stream rose steeply. To the south, the tall, dark, pines climbed nearly straight up, speckled with a few aspens. To the east, the reds were “stunning” as Mom loves to say, and the orange and bright yellow of the aspens faded away to the north. South, we could see a lower line of mountains down toward Tibblefork in AF Canyon. Almost no one came along, except a few ATVs and Jeeps, and we were at the end of a little spur a hundred yards off the main “road.” There might not be a better place for camping within a hundred miles. 

Such a beautiful spot.

We had fun exploring around our site.

Lots of pretty little places.

Back at Dax's favorite spot.

Having fun.

All afternoon we sat and played games and read books, except for the hour nap we all took. Best of all, we turned off the Starlink after checking the baseball scores, so no screens, beeps, or buzzes disturbed us. The ripples of the rill were almost hypnotic. 

For dinner, we grilled up four massive ribeye steaks. There was also caesar salad and asparagus along with strawberries and pineapple that Mom had packed. There were Blue Bunny ice cream cones for dessert.

Dax helped cook outside.

Dinner was fabulous.

We stayed around the campsite, playing Sushi Go and Five Crowns. As it grew dark, we started up a fire and made s’mores. Then we sat around the flames and read our scriptures together. We had a nice discussion away from the distractions of all the things that call out to us at home. It was a perfect evening. 

Mom lives for s'mores.

We could get used to the RV life.

It was so fun to just be together in the mountains.

The next morning, we woke up late. Mom made sausage and eggs, and we cleaned up a little. We sat around the fire, and turned on the Starlink. Sadly, we saw the news about the passing of the Prophet, as well as a shooting at an LDS church in Michigan. We decided to start the long drive home. We ping-ponged back down the rough road, stopping several times to take pictures of the Fall foliage. It was such a great trip.

Just cruising home in the beast.

The fall colors lined the road the entire way!

Look at that mountainside!

So many pretty views.

There's the car we took for a few days!

So pretty!

Stopped for lots of pictures.

Another one!

Mom loves the yellow and dark green!

Dad was a big fan of the orange-y aspens.

Back by Midway there were a lot more reds.

P.S. A few days later, the RV company went back to pick up the trailer after the rain. They were cleaning things up and noticed that the ladder was under the mattress where Seth was sleeping. It was supposed to be used to help kids get up and down, but Seth managed to get up and down just fine without a ladder. The funny thing is, Seth complained all weekend about how uncomfortable his bed was and that there seemed to be a bar in his back. HA HA! There literally was! He slept on a ladder the whole weekend. Poor kid!!

Fairview Fishing

It seems like we spend every weekend fishing. This time, though, Mom wanted to see the Fall leaves, so we spent a Saturday in Sanpete County. This allowed both Mom and Dax to scratch their itches.

We started with a little work for the website. This meant going to Gordo's Family Farm. The boys were good sports, Seth because he likes farms, and Dax because the kayak was strapped to the van, so he knew fishing was in his future. The farm was fun this year. There were nervous pheasants and calm bunnies. We fed the emus and pigs. We didn't have time for the corn maze, but Seth took a ride on the pedal roller coaster, with Dad pedaling. Of course, we did the slides and took a lot of photos, too.

Dad pedaled so Seth could ride.

It was a fun ride! Seth was surprised.

Gordos has the best picture spots.

We had fun on the slides. 

Dax zipped out of this one!

We took lots of pics.

Ready for Halloween!

Always a funny picture with Seth around. 

In Fairview, there is a museum that we've had our eye on for years. It is most famous for housing a replica of the mammoth found in Fairview Canyon at Huntington Reservoir. This mammoth is the reason the Utah Mammoth got their name. We did enjoy that, along with a lot of pioneer paraphernalia, but we were most impressed by the art. They have a nice permanent art display, including a lot of sculptures by Avard Fairbanks, who did a lot of Church History scenes. There was also a rotating exhibit, and the artist was there in the museum, wandering around. He asked Seth and Dax about some of his Marvel heroes paintings, and they gave good answers, thankfully. We also enjoyed the area outside, with old farm implements, buckboards, and other vehicles.

We saw the famous mammoth.

We loved this painting of the Manti Temple. 

They had lots of sculptures from an artist from Fairview.

Before we headed up the canyon, we grabbed lunch at a small cafe that had all day breakfast. As soon as we walked in, we noticed Mark's classmate, a girl from our Ward who now attends Snow College. We said hello and then settled in for a nice lunch. Only Dad got breakfast, but the burgers were good, too.

Food was awesome!

We drove up the canyon, and the leaves were really spectacular. More kept using the word "stunning" to describe them, and soon Seth was in full mock-mode. "Wow, those are stunning, Mom!" he'd chime, or he'd make a list of synonyms that she could use. 

The colors started out very red and orange.

They really were stunning! 

We reached Huntington Reservoir and Dax got out and unloaded the kayak. He got everything all settled and launched out into the water. We saw him land to untangle the poles as we drove off, but he was soon fishing contentedly. The rest of us continued our leaf drive. We walked down to visit the mammoth discovery site, and drove to a few other lakes in the area.

We explored the cabin while Dax fished.

Mom was in heaven.

Look how bright the yellows are.

Fairview Canyon was amazing.

There are tons of lakes in this canyon, too.

Seth took this picture and it is amazing!

Our last stop was at a small stream to see the salmon. We were surprised when we actually found them. There were a few dozen in the shallow water, working their way upstream to spawn. They were every bit as beautifully bright red and orange as the leaves in the trees. It was a really perfect day. 

We found the salmon.

They all tried to hide under the bank or in the reeds. 

We did see some of them swimming up the rocks.

When we got back to our fisherman, he reported catching 12 fish, three of which he was taking home. He hadn't tipped or dropped anything in the lake, either. The only casualty was the fishing net, which had two lures and the pliers tangled in it. "The fish did that, Dad!" he insisted. As Dad did the untangling, you could hear him mumble, "I didn't even know fish could use pliers. . . "

Still, it was a perfect day. Mom got to see her leaves, and Dax cooked those fish up for dinner the next night. They were delicious!

This was where Dax fished.

Dax loves to fish from his kayak.

These are the three fish that he kept!

Mom is always so happy in the fall!

It was a beautiful day!