The Undaunted

If you haven't read the book "The Undaunted". Then you need to. Jason listened to it on his Ipod, he really liked the story. So he wanted me to read it. We were invited to go to the Hole-in-the-rock with our friends the Butlers for Easter vacation. Most of the book happens in Cedar City, here where live and all the way through Parowan, Panguitch, &Escalante, through the Hole-in-the-rock to San Juan near the Four Corners area. It was amazing what these pioneers went through. The book is a historical fiction. Most of what happens is true, and the author puts in fictional characters to dramatize it even further.

Anyways we decided to make the trek to the "Hole" here is our wagon trains. It is a 60 mile trek to Lake Powell where this side of the trek ends and then this fall we are doing the "other side" of the trek.

This is dance hall rock. I should have had someone stand inside of it to show the scale. The pioneers would have dances and meetings here. While they were waiting for the blasting teams to do their work.

Emma, Cinamon, & Janessa having our lunch break at the Dance hall rock.

Looking from the top of the Hole into Lake Powell, which wasn't there when the pioneers went through. The hole was actually used as a route for a couple of years until another way was made.

Jason, isn't he just so cute? A lot of the floor they took the horses and wagons down has fallen away, but the holes for the road they made on the side of the cliff is still there. It is pretty amazing, and not really talked about in the history books, shame.

Here is the crew coming out of the hole.

Here is the parking area for the Hole and our ATV's.

Emma sporting the helmet head.

Zack, snoozing away on a bathroom break.

This is why you don't ride in the back a

of pack and not wear a helmet or handkerchief. But they are still a cute couple. Bob and Cinamon are very good friends and we are so grateful they invited us to go with their family. It was a lot of fun!

So the next few days all it did was rain. It was spring! So we went to a ghost town called Widtsoe. The Pioneers actually passed through there on their way to Escalante.

The school, Zack didn't want to go inside. And yes that is snow. This was a little higher in elevation, near Bryce Canyon.

We then went to Kodachrome basin. It was pretty cool.

The formations are pretty unique and very interesting.

Jason lets his kids walk all over him.

Emma is all legs.

Our picnic lunch.

Emma earned another Jr. ranger badge.

Our camp.

We sat under the shade tents and played a lot of games. Did I mention it rained ALL weekend?

Bob is really good at carving wood, he made a wood spirit. I got to keep it!

Janessa at Kodachrome Basin.

Ok, you have to understand, Bob is Zack's Scout leader. Mason is Zack's friend, and I, the Mom, am taking the picture. If you have spent some quality time with Zack, you would understand.

He was actually pretty comfy, until... Janessa said she was going to give him a kiss!

A game of horse shoes, Bob, Janessa, Mason and Jason played the game. Cinamon, Emma, Zack and I were the spectators.

Cinamon, sewing. Yes it was actually very cold.

Emma rock climbing.

The KOA where we stayed.

Our covered wagon. Jason got this tent for our Titan at work, we love it!

An artists rendering of a story of a couple who went down the Hole-in-the-rock and had to leave their three young kids at the top and come back for them when they got to the bottom. Very touching and beautiful story and painting. Most of the wagons took 10-12 men to lower into the hole. So it was pretty amazing that a man and his wife and a horse did this without too much harm. I think she was scratched up a bit. Actually when they make it to the bottom she is does something pretty funny.

Our trek has ended and we are heading home to dry out, and head back to the real world.

We enjoyed our trip with the Butlers and look forwad to seeing the other part of the trail. Hopefully this fall.