An Adventure with Uncle

This morning Uncle Stephen and I drove to Salem where we met J. Wayne Francis, his legendary teaching colleague and life-long friend. We joined him and his son (together with his father in law), his grandsons, and SKT's other legendary friend, "Buddy Bill" Marshall for an ATV adventure. Our destination was what is called Tower Mountain, location of an enormous communications tower. The starting point of the trail is the Dream Mine, so called because it's location was discovered by "revelation" in the late 19th or early 20th century. It was to have provided enough gold to pave the streets below with gold. All that ever came out, however, was water. This kind of trip makes it possible for old folks like us to go places where they could no longer hike. It was wonderful!

 Heading out with J. Wayne in the lead

 Our destination is the pyramidal mountain on the right:

Tower Mountain

 Looking north to Timp as we ascend

 Just off the road is a monument to the "revelation" - two messengers:

two Nephites, Moroni?

 The crew

 Onward and upward

 An entrance to the Dream Mine

 Wildflowers all along the way

 A lovely, level, forested bit of road

 Blue something or other

 Choke cherries remind me of Thomas Creek in Reno

 Wild sweet peas

 The biggest, tallest, straightest aspens I have ever seen

 In the distance LtoR Timp, Cascades, Provo Peak

 Utah Lake below

 High mountain meadows

 Columbines along the road

 The tower that gives it name to the mountain

 Loafer Mountain with Mount Nebo in distant right

 Picnic at the summit

 J. Wayne, SKT, and Buddy Bill

 Big brother, older brother

The road home

This was a great day and that's all for now.

OXO

D.