This year for Easter Aunt Ruby and her family hosted a Gilbert and Mildred Heaton family reunion at their ranch on the western edge of the Grand Canyon. We all lined up for a picture and it shows a pretty handsome family. I can name the older ones but I'm a bit fuzzy with the younger ones.
Just after the turn-off on the Tuweep road we were greeted by some antelope. Not the best picture, they were outta there. We ran into some more just north of Bundyville on the the way home,*
*Side trail: On the way out we took the road to Little Tuweep and then turned off and went up through Nixon Springs and down the other side to Bundyville, then south to the Bar 10. 94.5 miles from our house to the ranch, of which only about15 miles is highway miles. It took us just shy of three hours, which was about my recollection of how long it takes to get there. On the way back we decided to travel the Navajo Trail route, which is graded better than the road over Trumbull, but longer so timewise it ended up about a wash, maybe a little longer.
Horse rides and four-wheelers were available for those interested. Gavin and Kelly were great hosts. You's think they'd done this sort of thing before!
Aunt Ruby showing how to decorate Easter eggs the old-fashioned way. She and her daughters-in-law provided great food for the event.
The big past-time for most folks was visitng and catching up with everybody's families. It wss a reunion, after all.
Looking south toward the river. The helicopter had just finished ferrying a group of river runners from the river to the lodge. From there they are taken to landing strip for a plane ride to their destination. Before the helicopter they used mules to bring them up the trail from the river's edge to the top of the rim. From there it was about an hour ride over nine miles back to the lodge.
Mom and Dad's share of Grandpa and Grandma Heaton's posterity.
Time to to. Some stayed the night (or even two) but we had to get back. Peg and Dad racing to see who opens the gate!
A final gift was this beautiful sunset on the way out.
Bonus Photos:
This is from WAY back in the day. Peggy and Danny trying out the cowboy way.
On another occasion Roger Holland and I took the Varsity Scouts out there. We spent the first night on Mt. Logan (where we played baseball using a plastic oil can and a pine branch) and the second night Uncle Tony and Aunt Ruby let us stay in the wagons and treated the boys to a horse ride. John Potter renamed his horse Nicotine because he was a little frisky and had a mane like the beard of a smoker! Later in the day we hiked down to the river and back.
On the way back after another great trip.
1 comment:
What I find remarkable is that big sandy beach in the pic by the river is almost completely gone.
Post a Comment