Designed for Adventure, Engineered to last

Well, last weekend proved to be a good workout on any level. The family came over those crazy mountains for family reunion.

Thursday we decided to go to the sand dunes at 2pm in the afternoon. hmm. That was our first mistake. The second was that Alyssa and I wore flip flops. That sand got in our shoes and was HOT. Dad said it was probably about 140 degrees. AWESOME. But it was fun to do a little jumping off sand cliffs. I lost one of my flip flops when the 3 of us younger kiddos jumped and ran down the hill. Dad took off his socks and let me wear them so that I wouldn't burn my feet. I looked stylish! Dad is forever doing stuff like that for us. Saves us!

Friday night I headed out to reunion after work. Saturday Dad, Caidin, Lance, Mandy, Aunt Mary and Uncle Nolan, and Uncle David went for a little 2 mile jaunt up the steep side of a hill. It was awesome. And a workout... Sunday was the last day of reunion and we headed off to camp at Granite for the night with the Nielsons.

Waterfall on our hike. Rainbow after it stopped raining. Beautiful.We holed up in the tent trailer when it started raining and played some games until some of us went on a hike and had some beautiful picture taking opportunities. Our family had the traditional mountain stew and huddled around the campfire with the Nielsons chatting it up.

Get the Hiking Habit with the Quest for Solitude

The Tetons
Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Before Hike - we look so chipper. Do we know what is ahead of us?

Just below Inspiration Point

Monday morning was "THE HIKE" that would forever brand itself into our memories. I mean. This was THE initiation into the Cheney family. If you didn't do it, you're out! Haha. I've finally been accepted ;) at least that's the joke. But we definitely had our mind set on finishing that hike.

LAKE SOLITUDE
ELEVATION 9,035 FEET
TOTAL MILEAGE = 20.2

That met the requirements for Caidin's 20mile hike in order to recieve his hiking merit badge (with a few additional hikes). That met my requirements for amazing bragging rights. That met Stuart's promise to go hiking with me this summer. And it met my dad's requirements of "I'm still not too old to do this!"

Like I said. We had it in our minds that come rain or shine we were going to finish what we started. When turning around was mentioned even in joking I just thought, "WHAT?! And admit defeat to the mountain? HA! We'll show it!"

I think we only survived by having faith in the "Sunshine after the rain" cause it poured. And it also did some hailing. As well as some sun shinin' - for about 30 seconds.

Trail started at String Lake, wrapped partially around Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, then up Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude. We had a beautiful vista at Inspiration Point, and Hidden Falls was gorgeous. Cascade Canyon was breath taking when I wasn't squinting my eyes to keep the rain out ;).

On our way up we saw a bull moose about 50 feet from the trail (I could totally be wrong about how far away, but I'm bad at judging distances) not close enough to touch, but close enough to be worried if he decided to move our way. On the way back down we saw two cows and a calf in the exact same spot. Lets just say that I barely looked at them, afraid they would sense my presence and poring eyes, and kept walking as if my life depended on it. Oh wait, it probably did.

It was the most amazing hiking trip I've ever been on.

Only had to change my socks twice. (dang - look at my calf)
And I got to wear a poncho. (dang those socks are sexy)
And Spend time with the boys, my homeslices. This is us after conquering the mountain.
Grateful I went. Reminds me how beautiful the world is. And how I'll raise my children, in the mountains away from deprived society ;) haha.

I am proud to say that I hiked 20.2 miles in one day and was not nearly as sore as I thought I would be. Although it was a new experience for my knees. Can't wait to do it again!

As dad said "Memorable - of course. Worth it - you bet!!"

You can check out ALL the pictures from the hike here. And hopefully I'll be putting some of reunion and camping with the Nielsons on here too.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BeautifulBlooms09/2009QuestForSolitude?authkey=Gv1sRgCIrN_IqgxqvanwE#

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