Hiking the Alps...Right in Utah

My friend and I hiked the peak known as the Pfeifferhorn as well as the Little Matterhorn. It is so called for its resemblance to the high and rocky peaks of the Matterhorn and other high peaks in the Alps. While not the highest peak in the local Lone Peak Wilderness range (that's Mt. Timpanogos), it is a much more grueling and, as such, a much more rewarding hike than the busy trails leading to Timp.

We took off early in the morning and made great time, reaching the mid way point at Red Pine Lake in only a couple hours (the Lake from my last posting, with Alice). The Lake is the midway point distance wise, although timewise and elevation wise it's not even a third of the challenge. There are no trails or markers past the lake that lead the way. It was quite a challenge but quite exhilirating. Much of it involved climbing up huge talus fields and large boulders, moving at a snail's pace to avoid tripping or twisting your foot and tumbling on some of the razor sharp rock edges. Once we reached the saddle, we could see the peak in the distance and we both thought it would be impossible to reach. It looked quite daunting and we both began having second doubts about completing what we set out to do, quickly justifying the hike as already rewarding enough. We pushed on nonetheless, admitting that we would turn around if we felt like it. Well, that never came and as we got closer it looked challenging, but we pushed on. Much of the climb is on slopes that are well over 50 degrees, you were nearly laying on the ground while vertically ascending. The view, however, was awesome. We even got cell phone reception from the top! We were also comforted by several large alpine valleys nearby suitable for a LifeFlight landing if the need arose.
After enjoying the view, we began our descent. This is where some poor decisions led to some sticky situations and a potential overnighter in the middle of the wilderness. More on that to come....

A Day Without the Kids!

And what do we do? A difficult hike that we couldn't possibly do with them! It was a strenuous hike that climbed 2500 feet in 2.5 miles but it was well worth it. Not only were the views along the entire trail gorgeous, but once we reached Red Alpine Lake we felt extremely fulfilled for the great efforts we exerted to get to the top. We had planned on hiking to the summit of a peak called the Pfeifferhorn, but Alice was just too exhausted to go any further so we enjoyed lunch and some leisure time exploring around the lake and enjoying its beauty. By the way, the water was WAY green, the pictures don't do the color justice.

Jesus or George Washington?

So this morning I gave Tommy an Independence Day gift of a George Washington gold dollar on a special matte with information about our first President. In my efforts to be a productive father, I figured I would take advantage of the opportunity to begin teaching Tommy about our country and the President's who have served it. It went well and he had good recall about what I taught him. A short time later, in my fatherly pride, I called the grandparents to show off my son's new found knowledge of naming the first President of our country. After asking Tommy the question and handing over the phone, he proudly declared that our first President was "Jesus!" Somewhat surprised, I asked him again, to which he gave me the same response. When I tried to correct him by saying "George Washington was our first President," he quite firmly and with great confidence assured me, "No daddy, it was Jesus." And thus throughout the day, Tommy has been telling us that Jesus was our first President. Apparently we are one nation much more under God than we initially believed.

ANSWER: The absolute BEST television show of all time IS......

THE WONDER YEARS! Unfortunately, this isn't on any TV stations right now and there are no plans to bring it out in any format for the consumer to purchase. It probably won't be available to buy for a long time. The difficulty is due to all of the great music in every episode, it's way too expensive to buy the rights to sell the episodes with the original music. Too bad, although I have the entire series on my computer hard drive, and YES, it pretty much takes up all my space. I recorded all the episodes a few years back when it was being re-run on ION television.

Anyways, isn't this just a classic show? There are so many feel good, warm and fuzzy moments, and they outnumber any awkward or uncomfortable moments about a hundred to one. What junior high guy didn't have a crush on Winnie Cooper? And what girl didn't have a crush on Paul....okay, well, maybe not that many. But didn't Kevin's relationships with his family just mirror our own? His less than perfect family was just that, less than perfect and so they were much more easy to relate to. Remember the episode called "Heroes," where the basketball star befriends Kevin and yet by the end of the episode, Kevin and his dad are sharing a soda at a restaurant and Kevin reflects on why his dad is his hero? And who can forget Mr. Collins, the beloved math teacher. My favorite episode of the series is the one where he takes Kevin under his wing and then passes away unbeknownst to Kevin who turns bitter due to a missed study session and intentionally fails his math test. Yet, Mr. Collins made it possible for Kevin to retake his test and once he finishes it, he tells the principal, "You don't have to grade it, it's an A." Then, when walking out of the room, he turns to the desk and tells the empty chair, "Good job, Mr. Collins." (Geez, I'm getting a little misty-eyed just typing about it).We need more shows about real life, not television life. Shows that, at their heart, are not only about the relationships of the characters they portray, but try to make those relationships easily applicable to the lives of the viewers as well. The Wonder Years was a show that almost helped you growing up, and then when viewing it later it causes you to swell with nostalgia and feel overcome with gratitude for all the good that was around us during our lives growing up. And yeah, it even helped us remember the bad times but also what we learned from them. This is a show that I am looking forward to watching with my own kids as they grow up and I hope they learn a thing or two about how to live a good life and not expect everything to be perfect, but realize that it can at least be good despite what goes on around us.

The absolute BEST television show of all time.....

Any guesses? Anyone? It's not recent, it's a classic. Think 20 years ago. Think upon a show of nostalgia and warmth, a show of humor yet emotional resonance and power. You can be laughing one minute and crying the next. A show that everyone can relate to, of a young boy growing up at Robert F. Kennedy Junior High, and eventually high school. A show about a boy who we can all relate to, a show whose episodes seemed to always be a reflection on our own lives, that left us saying to ourselves, "That's so true!" This show was about the relationships that we experience as we grow up...family, friends, teachers. So do you give up? The show I'm talking about is...... I'm actually not going to reveal it just yet, I'd like to see what your guesses are! Stay tuned for the answer once I receive a few guesses!

More Fun in the Sun!

Today found us playing some more up American Fork Canyon! It's amazing how close we live to such a gorgeous canyon. We were going to do the Silver Lake hike but none of the books we read about it in mentioned that the dirt road to get there is pretty rocky and bumpy. After a few good scrapes, we turned around and found another hike. I love the top picture because you can see Tommy's dandelion that he held the whole time! Tommy loved riding in his "piggyback" and daddy sure got a workout hauling him AND our lunch and other gear in the pack as well. It felt great! We love being in nature and listening to the noises, the running water, all the birds, and especially the occasional car passing by on the Alpine Loop highway (okay, not so much the cars). Jonas slept most of the time in his snuggli with Alice. If anyone has a 4WD or slightly higher clearance vehicle (Jeep or something) and would like to do a beautiful hike to a high Alpine Lake, let us know and we'd love to bum a ride with you! The hike is Silver Lake in American Fork Canyon (google it for pictures) and is only a 2 to 3 hour hike, but gorgeous! We love going up the Canyon and have an annual pass, so if anyone wants to go for free, just let us know and we can tag along and get you in!

Our Own Front Yard!

So in an effort to bolster our long term savings, we are trying to train our children so that when they want to go somewhere and do something they will ask us to go to a park or up the canyon instead of going to Lagoon or some other expensive amusement that forces you to draw into your financial reserves just to buy a cotton candy and a churro. So far this month I've taken the boys up the canyon 4 times, usually while Alice is working although she came with us one of the times. We live only 5 miles from the entrance to American Fork Canyon, which is a national forest and home to a National Monument (Timp cave). It is absolutely gorgeous and we are so glad it is so close to us! We buy a national parks pass every year and so we get into the canyon for free. There are tons of picnic areas and even 4 campgrounds, but Tommy loves just parking at random areas and getting out to play in the water. He found a big rock he loves to throw into some shallow slow moving water. He asks every day to go play with his big rock in the canyon and, sure enough, it's in the same spot we left it each time we return. I don't imagine it will be disappearing any time soon! I'm so glad Tommy loves going up there and I hope Jonas does too. Hopefully it will breed within them a love and appreciation for the truly great outdoors (it's not just a cliched saying, it really is true, the outdoors are GREAT). The high alpine views are gorgeous, and especially with the rain--it really has brought a vibrant glow to the trees. I personally love thunderstorms and rain, I think it is a welcome variation to the monotonous doldrums of sunny and hot. Rain adds a refreshing beauty to the landscape, not to mention it smells great! If anyone is every in the area and wants to head up the canyon, just let us know! We're always ready to go!

Watermelon with hair!

So Tommy's new favorite toy is...a watermelon! He cried when we cut one up for our picnic the other day, so we went and bought him one of those little watermelons for him to play with. On the way home from the store, Alice heard in the back seat Tommy saying something he says to her a lot, "Your hair is so pretty...hair so pretty." She turned around and saw Tommy with a pink comb running it down the sides of the watermelon like he was combing its hair! He kept saying " So pretty, your hair is so pretty." He must have seen the light and dark contrast in the green stripes that are exaggerated on those smaller watermelons, and then thought it was hair. He loves his new toy! Or should I say sister?

Welcome to the New America!

In recognition of the momentous event that took place yesterday, February 17, 2009, with the signing into law of the completely bipartisan (did I say that? I meant grossly partisan) Government Stimulus, oh, pardon me, the Economic Stimulus Package, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to simply say--welcome to the New America! FDR had his New Deal, now Obama has his New America. An America where capitalism is reigned in, not set free; an America where the people are rewarded based on need and not merit, an America where the desire to succeed must now be tempered with a recognition that the greater you succeed, the more intimate will become your financial relationship with the government. Make more, keep less--get used to it. Our own Vice-President has proudly proclaimed that it is our patriotic duty to pay taxes. Be a patriot, give the government your money! Help them save irresponsible business while indirectly punishing the responbile ones! Our government is now bigger, badder, and bolder than ever before. The latest word is, this is just the beginning. More steps may be necessary...but what's another 400 billion next month when we spent twice that this month? Axelrod, Geitner, and others are certainly speaking that way as of late. I believe what we need now is what Reagan sought to achieve--and accomplished--in the early 80's: "What we're trying to do is alter the economic situation (one much worse than today's) by changing one simple two-letter word, economic control by government to economic control on government." A last thought from the man who embodies the America that I believe in, what I can now only hold onto in spirit, idealism, and hope due to its death in political reality: "We always must ask: Is government working to liberate and empower the individual? Is it creating incentives for people to produce, save, invest, and profit from legitimate risks and honest toil? Is it encouraging all of us to reach for the stars? Or does it seek to compel, command, and coerce people into submission and dependence? Ask these questions, because no matter where you look today, you will see that development depends on economic freedom." -- Ronald Reagan, October 15, 1981.

"They have kind of a layaway plan for your lives which never changes. It's called, 'Americans make, government takes.'" - Remarks at the National Conference of the National Federation of Independent Business, June 22, 1983.

Visit Jeff's NEW Blog!

In an effort to keep this blog focused more on family and fun, I have created a separate blog for political discussions (something many of us are fond of doing quite often). I invite everyone to check it out and post your ideas and thoughts on politics. Why are they important? Do they really matter? Are "We the people" really the driving force behind the government, or has it become "We the government?" How have political ideologies evolved, and how harmonized are new ones with the original ideas of the founders? Lots of good stuff to discuss!

Check it out at:
http://www.jeffspoliticalcorner.blogspot.com