thad's peak

i'm just getting to writing about this experience, because my arms finally don't hurt anymore from going up over 'thad's peak' last weekend.

so... last monday was labor day, and we had spent the weekend down at the trailer with siona (the first 2 nights), chet, tiff and their kids, jeremy and loni wattlesworth, and their 2 boys. saturday after breakfast (about noon), chet and jeremy took off with siona to the b.y.u. football game. don and i went with craig and ladawn for a four wheeler ride. we decided to go over the mountain to see joseph and marilyn (l's sister) at their cabin in fairview lakes. you see, they have cut in a new emergency escape road from skyline mountain out to the skyline drive road. no problem... right? but when we got up to the road entrance, the gate was closed with a big sign that said "anyone caught trespassing would be fined $500.00". so craig and don decided that we shouldn't go on that road and instead, go up over 'thads peak'. craig headed up first, i followed, with ladawn behind me and don bringing up the rear. okaayyy, for those of you who have no idea what 'thad's peak' is like... just think of a going down (or in this case, UP) a toilet bowl. there is actually a place called "the shute". it is steep and scary!

a few years back, ladawn and i swore that we would NEVER, ever go over the mountain on this trail again. well... so here we are going straight up the trail, powder dirt, rocks, BIG rocks, roots sticking out all over the trail, me on my 400 polaris that isn't jetted right for that altitude, and ohhhh sh(&#$)*#&)@(*($_@)(**_+++! 'old yeller' gave up! now craig is all the way up the trial and ladawn and don are behind me. i am holding on for dear life! my knuckles are white from gripping the handlebars so tight. i knew that i was going over backwards, my butt cheeks were sqooze so tight to the seat, that it wasn't going anywhere without me on it! ladawn pulled up behind me, and now, she has to stop on this gosh awful steep hill,too. then don comes up behind her. he has to get off of his machine, hike up and give me a push. then after i got up the shute, i have to decide between 2 different trails, one going more straight up or the other going around the side hill. neither is a great choice! anyway i took the side hill and met ladawn coming up the other trail. both of us ~ not happy campers! we decided then and there, that $500.00 is alot cheaper that $10,000.00 in hospital bills or being DEAD. we decided then, that we WILL take the chance coming back! and we did..............

the next day i couldn't figure out WHY i was so sore. (it didn't take me long to figure it out, and yes, the guys are still teasing us, asking if don and craig made us hike over 'thads peak'!) i know craig is our stake president and all, but this is one place i will NEVER follow him (or anyone else!) again!