Finally...to the Family Reunion

OK, so it's been several blogs talking about getting to the Family Reunion and it is finally happening. We met my Sister, Peggy, her husband, Gary, their Daughter Melissa, and her two children and headed out to the house we rented. It was in the mountains 15 miles West of Cedar City. We assigned rooms and headed out for dinner and a play at the Utah Shakespearean Festival at Southern Utah University, courtesy of the President of the University. We were also introduced to the man who started the Utah Shakespearean Festival who also knew David's Dad, Walt. We saw the play "As you like it" and we all thoroughly enjoyed the humor.

The next morning, we headed off for the Twisted Forest and Cedar Breaks. The Twisted Forest Trail is a little known trail that leads through a Bristle Cone Pine forest. Some of the trees are between a thousand and two thousand years old. It's a strange place because all around this small forest is a normal aspen and pine forest, then you walk out into this area that is mostly covered with small rocks and sparse vegetation that happens to be the ideal place for bristle cone pines to grow. You can look around and see the clearly defined edge of the forest. It's not like anything I've seen before.

David carried Renae (my niece's daughter) on this trip and found her to be a really good hiker. For such an active girl, she is content to sit still in the backpack and enjoy the ride.

In the picture above there are two things to make note of - besides Bryson and McKay. It's hard to see, but Bryson has a yo-yo in his hand. He spent a lot of this trip getting really good at the yo-yo. He often had it with him on the hikes. Also a little hard to see is Bryson's "powder bag" that his friend's mom made him. It carries all his survival supplies. He had it well stocked and it came in handy on numerous occasions throughout the trip. It was almost comical. If you needed something, Bryson had it. Bandaid for McKay; of course. String to tie Kaylie's pacifier to the carrier so she wouldn't lose it; which kind, kite string or twine? Knives at the rental house were dull; no problem, Bryson has a knife sharpener. Renae's backpack needed an emergency repair on the trail; Bryson had an awl on his pocket knife to drill through plastic and string to tie it all together. Those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Any time we needed something, we knew Bryson would have something that would work. He'll make a great scout someday.

The picture below is at the top of the Twisted Forest which happens to be on the backside of Cedar Breaks (which you can see in the background of this picture). Truly stunning.

Then we headed off for a picnic lunch at Cedar Breaks and a hike down to a pond along the edge of Cedar Breaks and up to a scenic overlook.

By the end of the hikes we were ready for dinner and bed. My Dad and Step Mom, Nell, arrived at the house while we were out and my "little" sister, Jaime arrived that evening. That made for a full day, but we were up early the next day for more hiking.