Mandan Summit

It's hard to believe that having lived here all my life, I have never ridden the chairlift at Sundance. Maren, Gavin, and the boys arrived yesterday from Arizona, and today we went to Sundance for a new adventure. From the end of the chairlift we climbed up about a mile to the Mandan Summit. From there one gets a very different perspective of Mount Timp than I am used to. The colors are all still spectacular and the ride was an absolute delight. Great idea, Maren!

The cousins are here!

We made the quad chairs hold six

Stewart's Cirque

The view south from the end of the lift

The maples are still brilliant red

The view north across Aspen Grove with the Salt Lake
mountains in the distance

The afternoon was spectacular and we dodged the rain

The Youngs and Mount Timpanogos

The Mandan Summit

Looking down on Stewart's Falls from the
Mandan Summit - enlarge to see the falls

The greens and yellows are as brilliant as the reds

Utah Mountain Maples

Color so beautiful it makes my heart hurt

Ready for the ride down

I'm sure there will be other adventures and we will report. That, however, is all for now.

OXO

D.

Very Exciting!

I'm sure you heard this morning in General Conference, President Monson announced that the Provo Tabernacle will be rebuilt as a second temple in Provo. This is very exciting news because, if you remember when I posted about the fire, I was concerned that it would be demolished. When the "braces" went up while they investigated the cause of the fire, I was hopeful. Rumors have been flying over the past couple of months that, indeed, it would be rebuilt, and that the church had purchased the Travelodge and Tres Amigos property south of the Tabernacle (the old Roberts Hotel was long-gone). There is even talk that the church is working to acquire the property where the main post office stands. Well, all speculation is over. There are, however, unanswered questions: what will we do for a tabernacle, what will the new temple be called, who will be in the new temple district, will they close and remodel the existing temple in the Ogden mode? Time will tell.

1902 view with tower

17 December 2010

1 October 2011, with "braces"

Rendering of the new temple

I was also pleased to hear they will build a temple in Hastings country, in Star Valley, Wyoming. I was bowled over by the Provo announcement, but was actually expecting they might announce at temple in Wyoming, one of the few states without one. Good news all around!

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Our Texas Visitor

Debra Sue Darling Gibbs arrived from Texas on Monday, 26 September, for an autumnal visit. There have been Alpine-Loop trips, shopping, visiting, movies, and lots of good food. We managed to squeeze in an evening at Bombay House, which is always a treat, and Debby joined us for our weekly dinner exchange with Phillip, Meagan and kids, as well as Emily's family's dinner with us.

Today we followed Debby to the the SLC airport where she had dropped her rental car, and then drove to Brigham City for lunch at Maddox. We were joined by Paula Curtis, who Debby met in Kuala Lumpur while visiting Hilary, Ian, and family. Paula and her husband, Carl, are in the Brown's branch and they have become good friends. Debby has gone to Logan to spend the weekend with Paula before she returns to Texas on Sunday. On the way home, Kris and I made a loop around the construction site of the Brigham City Temple.

Today is Friday, it is conference weekend, and tonight is the Utah State/BYU game in Provo, so the roads home were CRAZY CROWDED. It took us forever to get home. The back roads were as crowded as I-15. It was insane.

The view of Stewart's Cirque

Timpanogos from Aspen Grove

The aspens are just turning gold

A view back across Sundance toward Provo Peak

The Timpooneke side of Timp

Debby and Kris high above American Fork Canyon

Paula, Debby, and Kris at Maddox

The same three ladies with leftovers

Rear view of the Brigham City Temple

Front/side view of the new temple

These wonderful mountains above the Willard Cemetery
are spectacular; I couldn't resist a photo

The fun will continue this weekend with conference and the arrival of the Youngs from Arizona on Sunday. So stay tuned for even more adventures.

That, however, is all for now.

OXO

D.

Anna's Had Another Birthday

You've had another birthday, a happy one we know.... That September day in the 70s seems like it was not all that long ago. But there has been lots of water under the bridge since then and it's all good. What a great mom you are. How much fun it is to spend time with you. What a great daughter you are. I am so excited to have you visit in October, and even more excited to have you on the other side of the great basin. Having the wonderful Hastings family near by (relatively) will be super dooper!

September 1975

I love you, Anna, and hope your birthday is (was) great.

OXO

Dad

Snow in September, Part Two

Late yesterday afternoon, just in time for Emily's Wasatch School Fall Festival, it started to rain. It rained on and off all through the night and this morning, Timpanogos was dusted with the first snow of the year. It is remarkable that the last snow and the first snow were within days of each other. Oh, and by the way, have I ever told you how much I love this mountain?

Shot this morning on my walk

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Finally!

We have been concerned because the leaves were so slow to change color in the mountains and in the valley this year. There is a theory that the earth was knocked of its axis by two degrees during the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. That caused a two week delay in all the seasons. Sounds a bit radical to me, but who knows? Regardless, the point of this post is that today we finally have changing leaves. We will look forward to visits from several of you during the delayed-fall-leaves season.


That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Snow in September

I can't find any official records, but this is the latest I remember last winter's snow, albeit blessed little, on the face of Mount Timpanogos. It is really quite remarkable because the snow is often gone by the 4th of July, and certainly by the end of July. I was secretly hoping there would be a tiny bit left by the time of the first snow, but I don't think it will happen.

September 2nd

I'm small, I know, but wherever I go . . .
(You thought that was about a stream, didn't you?)

We should be seeing red on the mountains any day now. Until then, that's all for now.

OXO

D.