Body Bag while hiking?

So, after the Heber reunion, we all came home and spent a couple days at the TFO (Tryon Family Organization).  It's the reunion with Grandpa Tryon's siblings and decendants.  Aunt Ruth asked me to plan a hike for Friday morning.  Well, I wasn't super excited about it cause I knew how hot it would be.  The only people that ended up there at 5:30am was Dad, Dan, Charisse, Monson and Jessica, and Amber and her kiddos.  We heading out on my favorite hike, Garden Valley Loop.  When we got to the main trail head, what do we see?  Search and Rescue...and Channel 3 news.  Apparently someone got lost in the Superstitions and they have been looking for him for almost a week.  We, having been in Heber for the week, had no idea.  Well, Search and Rescue got us quite a skeptical look when we coming walking up with 3 adults and 5 kids under the age of 7.  Uhmmmm....They came running up and asked if we had water cause it would be getting hot.  I said, "Of course."  Basically, they ignored us and proceeded to give us 20 more water bottles.  REALLY?  As if my backpack wasn't heavy enough! 

So we start out on the hike.  The helicopter is circling over us and Dad jokingly responds, "Better watch out, we might see a dead body."He proceeds to train Dallin and Jarom (Amber's kids) how to become junior rangers.  He shows them animal tracks, teaches them names of plants and which ones they could eat.  It was so cute.  Jarom turns around and shouts, "Mom, I am learning so much on this hike."  As we mossy on up the hill, the sun is getting brighter and the sun hotter.  We get to the top, on Black Mesa, and we begin across the flat place called, "Garden Valley". 


In front of us, not even 1/8 of a mile, the helicopter stops flying and drops down a rope.  After a minute or so, up come a body bag in a net.  The helicopter flew away with a body bag.  Not sure if my eyes really saw the sight, until we passed by some rescuers with repelling gear.  Dad asked them," Did you find what you were looking for?" 
They responded very sadly, "Yes."
Are you looking for anything else?"
"No." and kept walking.  Dad said that by the look in their eyes and their body language, it wasn't good what they had found.  He could tell that they were having a rough time. Dad thanked them for their service and we all continued walking.  A few minutes later the helicopter returned to pick up the men. 

At this point there was a small rocky hill to the left of us and a ravine straight ahead.  We hiked our way around and down the ravine, and about 1 1/2 later made it back to the parking lot.  By this time is was 10am, over 100 degrees.  We were glad to get in our air conditioned car.  As we headed out of the parking lot, we passed Channel 15 and 10. It was really weird, as we were heading down the dirt road to the parking lot, a pickup truck came flying by. The person saw us, reversed and asked us where they found the missing body. We thought this was a little strange.
We were very curious as to what have happened.  Returning home, we turned on the news.  Sure enough, It was a BODY BAG.  The missing man had been found.  Apparently, he was hiking the same trail we were on and was found in the ravine we past, just deeper down.  Dad guesses that he hiked the rocky mountain to take a picture or something, and got hurt and fell in the ravine. What was really weird, was the man that asked us about the missing body, looked EXACTLY like the missing man.  It must have been his brother or something.  He had been missing since Sunday.  He was found at 7:30am on Friday morning.

Needless to say, a very somber and important 1st hand lesson was learned today.  STAY ON THE TRAIL, no matter how many times you have hiked there.  This man was an experienced hiker in the Superstitions.

Kent Tryon Family Reunion, Heber, AZ

We got back from Cali, on Saturday night.  I turned around the next morning, July 1st, and headed up to Heber with Grandma Lamoreaux.  We were the last ones there.  Even the Omaha family bet us up.  We decided that this year was the year of work.  We all came to the cabin to WORK!  Well, Levi didn't really get a choice, because we needed his expertise and work ethics.  He works like a horse!  The workers included:  Kent & Lanae Tryon, Levi Tryon, Wesson Thorne (I got to me his ma for the trip :), Alisa & Matt Gull, Charisse & Will Merrill, Me, Jared and Zerin Hollingshead (cousins), Irving & Emilie Tryon with their children, Brisa and Annie, and Dasha and Josh Wallace.  Quite a Good work group.
In basically 2.5 days we accomplished:

• adding shingles to the roof (Levi was crazy)
• digging a new outhouse hole and moving it
• building a back deck (15x10ft)
• Levi building cooler vents and getting the cooler working with Dad
• swimming and kayaking at the lake
• 1.2 mile hike with grand kids
• watching Sherlock Holmes on a big screen projector

"Not to shabby for a hobo" as my dad would say :)

The first time we shingled, no harnesses, this time, Will has some, so we tied Levi to one and he became a mountain goat.  Hopping and nailing from one shingle to another.  Emilie and Charisse had the hard job of holding the rope that was supporting the men's weight on the other side of the roof.  Levi worked so hard and fast that his legs were shaking-though he would never admit it-   It was killing Dad that we would NOT allow him up on the roof.  So instead he ran shingles up and down that ladder.  Not sure that was a good idea either.  Luckily, and very blessed, no one go hurt in the process.  However, Irving was hanging by his fingernails for a while until we got the roof situated.  It was hilarious.  We all couldn't stop laughing.  All you could see was his head poking out above the roof and his little fingers hanging on.  "Uhmmm, help me...Help me."  Wish I could have gotten a picture. 

We moved the outhouse.  Dan was happy cause Dad raised the seat.  Now your chin doesn't hit your knees when you pee.

Levi with lots of help from Will and Dad and others, built a deck in about 6 hours.  It is the most professional item on that cabin.  I am so excited to play on it!!!!

We convinced LanaMarie to let Wesson come down and play with his cousins.  He had so much fun.  He played all day in the mud and dirt with his cousin Brisa.  He enjoyed sleeping in the tent with me, his Aunt Camilla.  What a smart kid.  I learned his favorite word is , "Why?"

When we were up there, Zerin got sick.  He ended up passing it to most everyone in the week we were together.  Even though I got pretty sick, it was totally worth it to see my family and spent time working and playing together.  I sure to love them and am blessed to belong to the KENT and LANAE TRYON FAMILY!!!!  I love my family!







Emilie had the hardest job. 
Can I have that one?







Our 1.2 mile hike.  Dad taught the grand kids how to be junior rangers. 
Wesson learned how to read maps and Brisa and Annie found trail markers.



Annie only wanted to hold Grandpa's hand.

Our quadruple rainbow.

My Wesson boy, sleeping in his Aunt Camilla's tent.

Cali Trip with the Moore's June 2012

Solona Beach, CA

So these past couple weeks have been completely crazy.  I feel that we have been running from one reunion to another...oh wait, we have!  The last week in June, from Wednesday till Saturday, June 27-30th, we went to San Diego, CA.  We stayed in about 1/2 mile from the beach.

A very hot, hot day!

The whole crew!

 Dan's parents, sisters, Kim and Erin, and nephew, Shaun joined us for the fun. 
     We spent one day at Sea World.  It was my first time EVER! Wow!  I never fully realized how humongous the whales are.  The sea lions show was by far the favorite.
     The next day we spent the day at Lego land.  I'll not going to lie.  I was NOT excited to go, but then I realized it was actually pretty cool.  Definitely for children, but totally amazing what you can do with LEGOS!  I took so many pics of these Legos.  Dan only went to see the STAR WARS.  They build little mini sets of all the major Star War movies.    He, of course, HAD to buy a magnet with his favorite character...Hans Solo.  The evenings were spent soaking our feet in the hot tub.

Can you see the pure joy on Dan's face?

                                                                                           



    Saturday morning, we woke up early and headed to the San Diego temple.  We planned on doing a sealing session and then going to the celestial room.  They were pretty busy, so we waited in the atrium staring at the Angel Moroni.  We were the only couple doing sealings.  Then we entered the celestial room.  It is probably the most beautiful room I have ever seen.  The floating balconies, gorgeous, elegant, but simple square like decorations.  I felt like I had gone to heaven.  Peace on earth.  Plus, the floating staircase was unreal.  We left feeling peaceful and a perfect way to end a trip to California.

So....I am pretty confused right now.  Technology really isn't my thing.  This is the first time I have ever blogged.  Now the key is trying to figure out how to set it all up.  Wish me luck...
Luckily, some of my sisters blog and I can ask them how to set things up.