Back2Basics Progenitors,
Another weekend in paradise! Your sons all performed admirably on our most recent excursion into the great outdoors! Without fail, from the moment we embarked to the moment we returned, every member of our little cadre took responsibility for themselves, held others accountable for the benefit of the group, and had a reasonable amount of fun doing it.
Our journey began on a comfortable Saturday morning. Not too cold, not too hot, just as the proverbial goldilocks had sought out. After a purposeful and efficient period of preparation, we embarked on our quest, across the vast arid desert of Arizona in to the great unknown: Utah. Another state, another land; a frontier beyond our wildest imagination. Some would say the last frontier, but probably not. Anyhow, traversing the border into Utah, we came across a somewhat baffling imposition of human law over natural law. These two states, one situated directly above the other, were…(wait for it)…in different timezones!! How could this be, I thought? What sense does this make?!? Arizona siding with the west coast and Utah with the mountains?!? Preposterous, yet a moot point nonetheless. Back to our odyssey. After what seemed like hours of travel, our posse arrived at our first destination: Wiregrass canyon. After disembarking our American-made, 2-wheel drive arks, we started down said canyon at a fever pace. Those at the front pulling others forward with them. Those at the back making sure separation stayed at a minimum. And thus, as a single cell, we marched the winding, picturesque canyon until we came upon Lake Powell, only the most majestic lake in all of Arizona. God were we lucky. Arizona, the land where creation never ended. After a brief controversy over the proper disposal of an apple, the group reformed like as if cinched by a tether and trekked back up the canyon the vans.
Another hour later, in our steel and rubber vessels we arrived at the site of what was to be our temporary habitat. Tents were unfolded, stakes driven in, and suddenly we had brought civilization to a previously savage land. Fire was made, dinner eaten and the night passed without incident. As next morning broke, we steadied ourselves for the our next great fear of outdoorsmanship: surviving the walk down Round Valley draw, part of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Now this draw is no ordinary draw. This ain’t your granddaddy’s draw. This was the draw of all draws. The alpha draw. The apex. Walking stick recommended but not mandatory. And probably not optimal for “stemming” the SLOT CANYON. If you’re like me and have no idea what “stemming” is, it’s a fancy outdoor term for climbing down a narrow canyon using the walls like Spiderman. Personally, this stemming was my favorite outdoor activity so far. Anything but walking up and down glorified hills, am I right? The canyon was as beautiful as any of the other rock formations we had seen. Super beautiful. Due to the fact that said draw/canyon went on for some twenty-three miles, we could not in the physical sense, complete this quest. But some would say that it is the journey that is of importance. And who could judge the emotion and mental distance each and every one of us had come after the 1.5 miles we walked. Some had traversed states, others countries, some even the earth itself. Emotionally, of course. We were all still under staff supervision, rest easy parentals.
At a shady spot, we shared our feelings and completed a group discussion on what our roles are in the group. Then, a valued member of our group pointed out a nearby, ledge we could finish our quest with. And we did as such. And it was glorious. Capital G. Once at the top of pride rock we descended back to the canyon floor and walked our way back up out of the slot canyon, this time seeing who the real Spidermen were. And some were more spidery than others. But we are a group, a fellowship, and in such a fellowship nobody is left behind. Nobody. We made it out of the draw in great time, returning to our makeshift outdoor abode. After scarfing down a gourmet meal made by our in-house chef and saucier, we heard the much anticipated life story of a valued member of our group. Much was shared, few words said, and only one tear shed. Our group was now forged into unbreakable iron. After chasing off some encroaching livestock we hit the hay, dreaming of better days to come. As reward for our steadfastness and grit, the staff rewarded the group with a meal of mana from heaven: burgers, fries and shakes. What an end to a magnificent weekend!!!
Humbly,
Your beloved sons
