Lewis and Clark Expedition

We have just returned from our exploration of the northwest territory. We had a spectacular time. We started our journey in Sacramento, CA. After a night of fun at the California state fair where we watched and listened to Lonestar, we traveled on probably one of the most dangerous highways in America. At some points we weren't even sure we were on a highway. It turned into a dirt road at one point and then only one lane for both directions. We stayed our first night in Eureka, CA, right on the coast. We then drove north to the Redwood forest. It was absolutely enchanting. We stood at the base of a tree that was 23 feet in diameter. We took some time to drive through one of the great redwoods. Who would have ever though of driving though a tree!

We then drove further north to Crater Lake. The water in that lake was the most blue of any we have ever seen. This sunken volcano holds only water from precipitation. There are no inlets or outlets to this lake. I'm not quite sure how we saw a boat down in there.

Our next stop was Salem, OR where we played a game of croquet. Oregon definitely has the craziest of all the capitol buildings we have seen so far on our capitol croquet tour.

We stayed the night in Portland at an abandoned apartment from one of Ashton's offices this summer. It was a goldmine of food and water. There was a nice warm bed to sleep in and a hot shower in the morning.

On to see and active volcano we went! Mt. St. Helens we learned is erupting at this very moment and has been for quite some time now. We went on a small hike and learned about how the eruption in 1980 changed the landscape. We read crazy survival stories of people in mudslides rushing from log to log by adrenaline to save their lives.

Olympia held the spot of our next destination. A rousing game of croquet in beautiful weather and beautiful scenery is just what we needed after long hours in the car. After our friendly game we went out to the Puget sound and had fun watching the locals walk their dogs or skip rocks into the water. On our hunt for some food, we found a little league game and stopped to watch and grab a bite to eat. Ashton is still kicking himself that we didn't go to the Mariners game instead.

We spent the night with our friends Alex and Anna in Seattle. It was so good to see them and hang out with them for a while. Anna took us to Pikes market downtown and we had fun exploring the scene. We saw the first Starbucks, smelled fresh flowers, stinky flying fish and ate some tasty organic blueberries. (Everything in Washington seems to be organic these days).

Across the state we went to Spokane where sits the biggest radio flyer red wagon our eyes beheld. Not too much further was Coeur D'Alene, ID. We found a nice camping spot near the lake. The air was fresh and clean. The woods smelled so good. Unfortunately we didn't spend much time there. It would be a lovely place to go back to.

The main purpose of our trip was to camp in Montana. After a few days of traveling we finally made it there. Our first camping spot was at Whitefish lake. We were right on the water. It was fantastic! We went to City Beach and watched a beautiful sunset. It was certainly picturesque with the mountains, trees, lake and the big sky hanging overhead.

The next morning we had a river rapids adventure. It took us between the Bob Marshall wilderness and Glacier National Park on the Flathead River. We learned a little bit of history connected to the area. We made some friends and mostly just had a grand time in the wilderness.

We entered Glacier and took Going to the Sun Road almost all the way through the park to our campsite. The sights were spectacular. Beautiful mountains carved from melted glaciers clouded the sky. Leftover glaciers from the summer months still sat high up in the mountain tops. Wildlife including goats, birds, and bears dotted the landscape. The grandeur and majesty of the mountains were breathtaking.

After setting up camp, we went on a small 6 mile hike to view three of the camps waterfalls. They were beautiful. We thought that it would be a good warm up for the next days hiking extravaganza.

The next day we hiked approximately 14 miles. We took a small hike to hidden lake and saw some wild birds and flowers and small waterfalls and the hidden lake of course. Then in the afternoon, we hiked up to Grinell Glacier, named after the man who found it and also one of the men who founded the park. This hike was unbelievable. We spotted a bear high up the mountain while hiked past 3 amazingly beautiful lakes. Each one getting seemingly more and more beautiful. From high above we could see the shallow parts of earth under the water; it was so clear. Not only were the lakes beautiful, but the rocks were so colorful and vibrant. Flowers on the hillside added to the color and spectacle of the hike. At the top is the glacier, somewhat frozen and somewhat melted forming a near frozen lake with floating icebergs. The sight was phenomenal, especially looking back down the path we had come. What a beautiful reminder of how small we really are in comparison to this glorious world, and yet the power we do hold to conquer the mountains thereon.

After leaving the pinnacle of our trip we traveled south to Great Falls. We stayed with the Shaws and got a tour of Ashton's old schools, neighborhood and house. We visited the Lewis and Clark interpretive center. It was interesting to learn about the places they went and the hardships they had (especially since we had been calling ourselves Lewis and Clark). We rented some bikes and rode along the river looking at each of the falls.

We then headed to Ennis, MT and camped on the Madison River after eating at the renowned Ennis cafe. We attended church in a small branch with many faithful saints. The spirit was strong there and as the meeting ended we sang How Great Thou Art, what I considered to be an appropriate ending to our exploration.

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Our next to last stop was in Yellowstone where we witnessed Old Faithful blow. Then we headed to Rexburg to walk around, visit some friends, and have some dinner before we headed back to Provo to sleep in our nice comfortable bed.

It was a fabulous trip where we were able to renew our spirits and see the beauty of this world with all of God's marvelous creations. It certainly was a beautiful reminder of how blessed we are in all areas of our lives.