We made it!

It really happened. So many times I thought this trip was doomed. The snowstorm seemed the final blow, and as we drove over snow and slush this morning, we wondered how we would hike in this stuff. But we made it here. It’s cold but it’s beautiful. The snow-frosted red cliffs have a unique beauty people never get to enjoy in balmier weather. Hau took us on a great hike along Pleasant Creek to see petroglyphs. We imagine what it was like when Fremonts lived here and pecked out the figures that puzzle us now. It was only a short while ago in geologic time. The very same boulders may have been their footstools to reach those high places on the red sandstone.This was worth the hassle getting here and a payoff came when one of the students commented after the hike, "This place is awesome."
I don’t want to forget Shelly, our waitress who served lunch at the Country Café in Loa. She kept all our 9 orders and checks straight, plus gave expert advice on what and how much to order. When I told her she was good at her job, she said, “I’ve been doing it a long time.” So how many customers has she served and how many stories could she tell? Maybe we should interview her in our oral history project for this area.
Our trip leader, Tara Ivie, had done a super job taking care of us. We had a great dinner and cookies with milk for dessert. The students are terrific good sports and I am so glad all of them came. There is a good feeling here. Something about this place seems to bring that out people. I'm glad we made it.