Flaming Gorge 2009

This year we invited Tammie and Ted (who is Terry's sister and bro. in-law) with us to the Gorge. They were so excited they use to frequent this area when they lived in Utah and had their boat. So it was like coming home for them. The trip was a beautiful trip with good people and we created some good memories. On Friday we were just too excited so instead of waiting for Saturday to come we packed up and headed out to Rock Springs to stay in the Days Inn. See last year when we had that really BAD hotel we passed this really nice brand new Days Inn on the way home and thought to ourselves we are going to stay there next year. So we called the Days Inn in Rock Springs looked at the photos and it sure looked like the new one, so we booked the hotel and headed off.
Well we got there late at night and I am telling you it was not the same hotel. It was just barely a step up from last year, I am not sure the photos were taken from that location. However, I didn't feel bad letting Dash sleep with us in the room because it was so gross anyway and they didn't seem to care that we had 9 people squished in that one room.

We woke up the next day had breakfast and realized we had to kill some time for the campground check-in. So we took the kids swimming. The pool was freezing and full of gunk. So the adults sat on the sidelines and watched the kids freeze their little bahookies off. It is amazing how the kids don't seem to mind that kind of stuff. Well we left and finally made it to the camp and then the setting up starts and doesn't stop for 3 more hours.
It is amazing all the stuff we bring. Then Tammie and Ted make it from Strawberry and we all hit the lake for a quick session.
The boat was full of the biggest smiles ever! As dinner was cooking we headed down to the beach for a little shoreline fishing. We didn't catch anything but we did set our crawdad trap.



On Sunday we went out snorkeling in this cute little cove. It was so amazing the lake was so full that we saw lots of stuff on the lake floor like a fire pit and full grown forest under the water. It was really fun to see the fish exploring this same stuff we are use to seeing and enjoying. Although I think I dove to deep because my Timex died on me, sad moments. The wind was a little crazy off and on again. But we made the best of it and had a great time.

On Monday the 21st which happened to be Tammies 41st birthday we woke up to a great morning that quickly went sour. Tammie came out from her tent and on her arm was a huge burn. But it wasn't a regular burn it was a chemical burn, her lantern that was hanging on the top of their tent had leaked battery acid on her arm all night and it ate through her skin and flesh. So her and Ted headed off to Vernal's Insta-Care to see what they needed to do.
Well she needs a skin graft ASAP but the soonest she could get in was on Monday so got a room and finished the trip with strict orders not to get her arm wet at all. While they were gone we found another cove and the boys did some spear fishing while I read a book and watched the kids play around the dock. It was another windy day, we did get a little tubing in but not much boarding.

Wednesday we floated the river. Which is always one of my favorite things to do. I am so amazed every year how beautiful that canyon is. I have always wanted to be a river rat, and this reminds me why I love it so much. As we were floating down the river we had a couple of run-ins with some oddly placed rocks and Dash was the only one to go overboard.
Then right at the last stretch of the river a CRAZY gust of wind came blowing with some crazy rain. It was all we had in us to paddle off the river and head for safty. But at the same time it had created memories to last a lifetime.

Thursday the boys took the chance for an early morning session while I slept in with the kids. Then I walked through the whole campground looking for another campground we could snag for the next weekend. There was nothing so we ended up tearing down camp and going cliff diving until 4:00.
It was fun Bowdee went off a 18 ft. cliff and Treg, Tia, and I went off a 12 ft. Cliff and of course the boys had to show us up on a 40 ft. cliff. We are not much cliff jumpers because of the danger factor it holds but it was fun to give the kids that experience in life. We headed home through Manilla and Troys explorer broke down. So we ended up towing him from Manilla all the way to the top of Parleys behind our boat with his explorer and trailer. It was insane. I hated every minute of it. But the boys kept saying it was okay. We finally made it home at 1:00am what a trip. Great people, great memories and good times.