Late Summer Road Trip - UT, CO, WY

September 2016 - We took a road trip through portions of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.  Beautiful States, visits with family members, and some wild animals!

First stop, Park City, Utah with Grandma and Grandma Mattson.  Chris and I mountain biked, Lindsey loved the pool time and a visit to the Olympic Village.

Enroute to Crested Butte, CO, we stopped for the afternoon in Fruita.  The climbing gym had scheduled a kids climbing class. 

We think Idaho is pretty special.  We now think very highly of Colorado and particularly Crested Butte.  Its a beautiful spot to chill for a week, no people, great trails, and good coffee shop!

another playground with a beautiful back drop

Oh Be Joyful creek

hiking with mom and dad

more of the creek

finally her own Camelsback!

Estes Park to visit cousins Barb and Jim May.  Bugling elk, Trail Ridge Road, horseback rides, and hikes.

Top of Trail Ridge Road in the tundra.

young elk

bugling elk in the park

family hike

pic by Lindsey - silly dad!

its a race...one of many to come

lindsey pic - silly parents

hike break for a short boulder session

horseback ride with mom and "Oatmeal"

cousins Barb and Jim May

Last stop, Jackson Hole, WY and Yellowstone Park with Grandpa Dave, Grandma Barb, Aunt Kim and Uncle Joe

Yellowstone River

Bison up close

Elk!

Family Mountain Biking

The trail-a-bike is pretty awesome.  All 4 of us rode Shane's Loop.  

Loretta Josephine Glass turns 94

"Gammy" turned 94 on July 25th.  Mom hosted a birthday party in Eugene.  

Attendees:  Byron, Carissa, Hayden, and Kylee Hills.  Ted, Lisa, and Eloise Mischkot.  J.P. Mischkot and Sarah Myrick.  Chris, Lynette, and Lindsey Mattson.  Vicki Glass.  Peggy and Imants Roga.

I see Gammy a couple times a year.  She looks stronger and healthier each time I see her.  She tells stories of her and Pompom's childhoods in South Dakota along the Missouri River.  She talks about what it was like to manage several small businesses run out of their home while raising four children.  She's out lived all her siblings, husband, and two children.  Her demeanor is kind, patient, positive, and grounded in reality.  She's pretty incredible.

Lindsey spent the weekend with cousins Kylee and Hayden.  Lindsey really enjoys Kylee's company.  Its fun to see their relationship evolve.

We ate dinner at Roaring Rapids Pizza.  This pizza restaurant was frequented by us as children and the merry-go-round is still in operation.

Ted is very comfortable in his new role as a Father.

"Lindsey, what do you have planted in your garden this year?"  "Well, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, things like that"

Great Gammy with Eloise May Mischkot (19 weeks)

Great Gammy with Kylee (8), Hayden (6), and Lindsey (4)

Sahalie Falls on the mighty McKenzie River

Redfish Lake

I hope we have a new tradition of an annual camping trip with Elsi and Abbie.  We took the girls to Ponderosa Park last year as a celebration for the year of Abbie's 40th birthday.  This year we chose Redfish Lake.  The boys joined us later in the weekend.  The girls stood on top of rocks and sang the songs "we are the poison girls with love in our hearts" and "this is my fight song".  We played on the beach, rode horses, and hiked up Fishhook drainage.  Lindsey told me that she wishes she could live up at Redfish Lake because its so beautiful.  Its a special place for our family.

Chris and I have several wedding photos with this log on the beach.  It was fun to watch the girls get so much enjoyment on it.

concert time...Elsi the lead, Lindsey on back up