Glacier Geology

Rebecca and I took a geology course (actually Rebecca was the co-instructor) with Carroll College. The first day we went up to Ptarmigan Tunnel and learned alot about the history and features in the rocks (even though most of my pictures are flowers and scenic we did look at lots of rocks - rocks just arent as photogenic).

We saw a baby Ptarmigan(??) on the Ptarmigan Tunnel trail.

View of lake elizabeth from Ptarmigan Tunnel.

A view of Old Sun Glacier from Ptarmigan Tunnel.

The second day we hiked up to Siyeh Pass - just before we got to the exposed pass it looked like things were going to get nasty. But as we got the top and had lunch it all cleared up and the afternoon was beautiful and sunny - we even saw a grizzly mom and cub (fortunately from a far distance - no photos) on the way down.

Here is a picture of the group.

These are limestone columbine

We ran into a huge field of Glacier Lillies.

A wider view of the glacier lillies

There were tons of bear grass on the lower portion of the hike

Towards the end of the Siyeh Pass hike we saw this waterfall on Barring Creek

Trip through Desolation Canyon

Took a trip in late June on the Green river in central utah through Desolation/Gray Canyons with Rebecca, Todd, Suzanne, Will, Jake Scott, Janice and Connie. This is our first camp - the bug shelter came in very handy the first two nights!!

this rock had a big hole in it .... so of course I had to climb through it.

Rebecca preparing for the storm....

We had a big hailstorm in the middle of the first day -after that the weather was very nice.

We saw some very nice shell fossils (these are something like a mussell shell) in one of the side canyons at our 2nd camp

A cool rock known as mushroom rock

The gang working hard

One of the petroglyph sites we visited.

A pretty sunset.

Prickly pear cactus near a petroglyph site.

Some pretty flowers at our second camp.

Its the desert in summer - who needs a rain jacket (.... or pants ..... or a tent fly).... not Connie. Here is Connie modeling the latest in extreme sports wear!

Connie (without the rain jacket)

The Carsleys (notice they are properly wearing their lifejackets even though the trip leader failed to warn them of the consequences if they didnt)

The Bennats during one of the many calm stretches.

Rebecca and Janice trying their hands in the padillac

Rebecca and Janice in-sync

The Joe Hutch Canyon Rapid was the only big rapid in the canyon. We all made it through fine, but this one boat in another group had some problems as you will see in the next several pictures.

Where did everybody go?

Just seconds after this shot, the boat hit the big rock to the right and dumped all the folks out again (talk about a bad day)

A columbine in Rattlesnake Canyon

The happy group on the last day of the trip

Spring Trip to Yellowstone

For mothers Day weekend, Erika and Eric went to Yellowstone. This was our best sighting of the weekend. A grizzly below the bridge near the Tower/Lamar Valley intersection. We were safely on the bridge above him.

Saw several Sandhill Cranes

Sunday morning was as beautiful and calm of a day as you can get. This is a pic of Electric Peak reflecting in the Swan Flats ponds

Lunch with a set of antlers at the Blacktail Patrol Cabin on the shore of Yellowstone River

It was amazing how this antler was "naturally" perched right next to these flowers.

Ma's 75th in Sedona

In honor of Ma's 75th birthday all her children and children-in-laws took her to Sedona for a week. This is the house we rented with fabulous views from the deck. I spent as much time on the deck as I could no matter how many hats and gloves i had to wear!

Sunrise on our first day in Sedona - notice the snowfall in the hills above Sedona from a storm the day we arrived.

A pretty sunset from Doe Mountain

Cactus flower

Here is the whole gang on our first full day in Sedona (My cowboy mustache was a temporary thing)

A pretty lunch spot on the Munds Wagon Trail

Theres a new board game out -- note the name in the middle. Its not a camera trick. Herb made this board and it looks exactly like the real board just with different names of places that we've all lived at over the years. Instead of "going to jail" you get to "go to Long Island" for your punishment.

A beautful church built into the rocks. According to the information at the site the architect was inspired by the empire state building.

Sunrise north of Sedona with tourist ballon.

Herb, Trying to get liftoff from the Vortex at Devils Bridge.

The last sunset of our trip - view from Doe Mountain