March 2019

08 August 2014

Wow! What a busy month. To begin with the Kurowski kids came home with us from California to spend a week. We started out in a flurry and continued on the rest of the month.

One of the most remarkable events of the month was rain. It rained on and off the entire month. The weather patterns have changed. Normally in August it is dry and warm. Even today the last day of August it is raining this very morning.

From my picture file I can see all the events with the Makalaya, Orion and Elinore Kurowski. We did the following together: biking, hiking, swimming, movies, new clothes, Chuckers baseball, picnic, shooting, Tautphus park, camping in Montana and Coeur d Alene and many other fun things a home. They were bored and played on their cell phones constantly. It is hard to understand how kids today find pleasure in technology and not the real world.

We drove them back to Coeur d Alene and Katie picked them up at the Coeur d Alene Resort camp ground. They were so excited to see her and rushed to the car and Elinore fell and did damage to her hands and knees. It was a quick good by and off they went to their home in Kirkland, WA.

Once the kids left Dawn and I rode the Coeur d Alene bike trail from Harrison toward Cataldo, ID. Then from Harrison toward Plummer across the Chotcolate lake. The next day we rode the famous Hiawatha trail at Look Out Pass between Montana and Idaho. This is a story in its self.

Dawn and I drove to Deer Park, Montana and spent Saturday night at Deer Park KOA. Sunday morning we were in church at the Deer Park Ward. Very pleasant. Then the next two day we spent getting ready for our next adventure. However, Dawn had a funeral to attend to, since Sister Mortensen died. She did it all on the road making assignments for food and services. It was all complicated by a wedding not scheduled the same day at our chapel. None the less it was done.

She constantly works on programs and events in the Relief Society. On our trip to Colorado she was arranging for the Visiting Teaching “Rejuvenation” conference coming up in September.

We are planning a move in October and so she has talked with our new bishop about a replacement for the Relief Society president. She has been in for over two years. It is a very demanding position in the ward.

Well, in our preparation to backpack in Colorado we visited old friends in Utah on our way over. The Kent and Esther Sumsions in Lehi, Utah were glad to see us and catch up on their family events. Next we visited the Godbolds in Orem, Utah and finally Don and Shirley Morris in Spanish Fork, Utah. As a result we got caught up on all the activities of our old friends in California.

Finally we drove through Price, Utah and stayed in “Pillow Talk” motel in Wellington, Utah for the night. That was an experience in its own.

The trip through western Colorado was remarkable. The mountains were so high and the forests were so green. Avon, Miniturn and then on to Leadville, these were all towns along route 70 then 24. We stopped in Buena Vista for lunch before ending up in the little ghost town of St. Elmo

There in St. Elmo we met Dave Davis, our friend from Maryland. He had invited us to do a backpack in the Collegiate range. We were just below Princeton mountain for 14,000 ft high. Dave had brought with him a compiled history of his great, great grandfather, Howard Kelly, who had lived in the area as a rancher and miner.

We stayed at the Ghost Town B&B thanks to Dave. It was wonderful. We also were able to tour the town through a contact Dave made, Melony. She was an original descendent of residence of the 1880 establishment. Gold mining and lumber made the town thrive. The railroad was an engineering marvel through the mountains and we traveled along the old rail path while staying in St. Elmo.

The next morning after staying at the B&B we were off to Grizzly Lake. It took all day to get to this very high and beautiful place. It began to rain just minutes after we had set up our tents. I was exhausted from the arduous hike to the lake. Dawn was a champion in backpacking up the steep trails.

It was very cold that first night and we did not get out of bed until the sun finally broke over the towering peaks to the east. After we dried our gear we hiked toward the saddle of summit peak to reach Pameroy Lake.

We climbed through rock beds, brush and steep forest terrain to reach the top. Once on top we could not go over to the other side because it was too steep with packs. So, we stayed in the high reaches of the mountains until morning.

It took us all day to return to St. Elmo. After lunch we drove to Buena Vista and stayed in a motel to clean up and rest up. The next day we drove back to St Elmo and hiked to the Alpine Tunnel along the rail path over the mountains toward Pitkin. That was a seven mile hike without packs and most delightful.

After we said our good bys to Dave we drove to Fairplay, CO. and toured the museum mining town. That evening we stayed in the Voltoin Motel down town. This place was old and yet comfortable.

The next day we traveled to Boulder, CO. leaving behind South Park (a magnificent range land). We arrived at Yates Lancing’s home late afternoon. We spent the night with this wonderful family (Dawn’s recipient of the stem cell transfer). Yates was doing well. We met his children Tenka and family and daughter Teal. We had dinner at the Med (Mediterranean) restaurant and toured the downtown mall. The next day before leaving we walked with Yates in his neighborhood before saying good by.

Our trip home was uneventful, however as we arrived in Rock Springs, WY to lodge it started to rain heavily. The next morning it was overcast and cold. We stopped in Pinedale, WY for snacks and there was snow on the mountains.

After arriving home we found all in order and was glad to finally sleep in our own bed. Camping is great but tiring. We certainly hope to do more backpacking in the future but look forward to always returning to our beds.

Dawn jogging at the Green Belt

The end of the month was marked by golfing with Woody and Julia. Also, a surprise visit from Josh and Danielle and the kids. They are with us today the 31^st of August 2014