Kevin got his van today!

It is hard to catch Kevin when he is not flashing his contagious smile. But he was especially excited today. Watching him this afternoon flooded my heart with feelings far beyond what I had expected to feel. It is a feeling I will never forget.

We searched for some time to find just the right vehicle with the funds we had to work with. Kevin’s chair is heavy and requires a strong lift. We finally located a great fit from a private seller in Brigham City.

We arranged for the presentation at Crossfit Draper, Brandon Bickmore’s gym. Brandon donated the truck that pulled the trailer we needed for accommodations for most of the walk. We thought it would be fitting to have Kevin receive his new transport at the business of one of his greatest supporters.

The news clip is a bit inaccurate, but the message is still there. Kevin can now go places with his family and his chair. It will have a big impact on him and his family. That he is happy about that is easy to see in KSL’s video.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=13675939

Thank you all again!

We are continuing to get donations and working to provide limbs for kids that need them. We have a long way to go. Pass the word along!

To paraphrase Tiny Tim “God bless you – everyone!”

Merry Christmas and a wonderful Holiday Season for all!!!

WALK STEVE WALK - 365 miles - the deed is done!

I started the last day of my walk in Washington, about six miles from my final destination. My wife’s sister, Michelle, Elise and Kara followed along with me. We walked along the right side of the road with the three girls switching off as drivers following behind in the car while the others walked ahead with donation buckets.

We walked through Washington and had started up the hill toward the factory outlet stores near St. George Blvd, with Michelle driving and Elise and Kara walking with me, when Elise looked over her shoulder and announced, “We have a police car behind us.”

 I didn’t turn around. “Are the lights flashing?” I asked.

 “Not yet,” she replied. She kept looking over her shoulder. “OK, now the lights are flashing, the car has stopped and I can’t see mom.  Are you going to stop?”

“Only if they tell me to”, I replied.

“What are you going to do if they make us stop?”

I thought about this for a moment and answered, “They can’t keep us from walking, but we may have to get the car out of the road and walk on the sidewalk.”

We kept walking and soon Michelle was following behind us again, the police car still following along.  Kara came up beside us and let us know the police officer was calling in to find out if he should stop us. While all this was happening cars were going around us, and people were honking and cheering and sometimes holding out money for us. Before long, the police car disappeared and we were on our own again.

As we came down the hill toward the intersection I saw a man squatting in the middle of the sidewalk ahead of me with a large camera in his hands. He was a reporter, freelancing for KSL. Anne Foster, who had covered the launch in Liberty Park, had contacted him from Salt Lake and had asked him to cover the story. He followed us taking pictures.

At one point he got in our car and started taking pictures standing up through the sun-roof.  He asked me, “How do you feel?”

“I feel great”, I said. “But a bit like one of the animals on a safari tour.”

We had a group that was planning to meet us at the Ramada Inn. My brother Rick and his family had come down from Salt Lake, my sister Sue and her family had joined them at the hotel. We were also joined by some girls from a local dance group we had met in a sporting goods store the night before. Carl and Jeannie Timm also came down from Spring City.

We all paraded down St. George Blvd, gathering donations and waving to passing cars. A passing cyclist wearing Canadian gear stopped long enough to pass Kara a crisp $100 dollar bill. There were balloons tied to water bottles all along the path running from Main Street up to 300 North and over to the Bank on Tabernacle Street. We gathered the balloons in as we walked, sometimes drinking the water and other times tossing the bottles into the car through an open window.

By the time we got to the bank, there was a finish line strung through a balloon arch. A crowd had gathered and they cheered as we approached the finish line.

There was a bunch of people at the finish. Old friends, and new friends. People who had come from out of state and people we had met on our journey down. Several family members had come from Salt Lake just for this event.

John Whittaker was there with his new bride Cathy. He was one of the people who had done so much to get this started and make it happen.  It was so great to see them there.  They had come down this morning and had to turn around and go right back home. It was humbling. But the biggest stars were missing. Kevin and his family were nowhere to be seen. We sent a runner to the fountain at the school in case they had missed the location change, but no one was there. We went ahead with the program without them.

I spoke to the group for a few minutes, thanked everyone for all of their help, sacrifice and support. I told the story about Kara being found “dead” at Zion and talked about what we had accomplished and what I hoped people may be inspired to do. Then Shauna made a presentation for the bank and announced that the bank had donated $250. She gave a challenge to all other Utah banks to match or exceed their donation.

After Shauna’s presentation, we started a short interview with the media when I heard Kara call out, “Steve, wait! Kevin is here!” Kevin, his mom, his brother and sister and his grandparents had finally arrived. It was so great to see them. Kevin was all smiles but a bit camera shy. It is funny how much more talkative he can be when he doesn’t have a microphone in his face.

Kevin’s mom, Marissa, had to return to work that afternoon, so we wrapped things up as soon as we could and headed straight to The Brick Oven to celebrate. Kara attached all of the balloons to the car for the drive to the restaurant. It was a pretty amazing display.

At the restaurant, we were trying to figure out what to do with the balloons. Rick suggested we let Kevin launch them, like he had when we started. He kept a few, but bunch he launched from the Brick oven was the biggest bunch of balloons I have ever seen take off at once.

So now the walk is over, but the mission remains. We are still striving to raise funds to help kids who need prosthetics. We have in hand nearly enough to buy the wheelchair equipped vehicle we had promised to Kevin. When the pledges come in, we will have more funds to send to Limbs for Life to help other kids.

Kevin will need more than transportation to be able to do all he is capable of doing. He is a smart kid, but smart kids without limbs will have a challenge getting things from their head and into practice. Stephen Hawking has done incredible things, and while he has limbs, they are no help to him. Like Kevin, he has had to learn to do without. Technology has brought some amazing tools into our lives. Like Stephen Hawking, Kevin can learn to speak to a computer which can help him learn and capture his thoughts as he does. Loral Langemeier has “written” five best selling books, mostly by speaking into a microphone. So we are looking at helping Kevin get some of these tools. It is a small thing that should make a big difference.

Day 45 Between Hurricane and Washington

I am only a day short of finishing this walk. Part of me is excited and there is a real sense of accomplishment – while part of me is sad to see it all end. While I did not doubt I would finish, I wasn't always confident it would be done in one shot. I really had no way of anticipating what I would encounter on this journey. It was physically much more stressful than I thought it would be. And while I have grown stronger as I have walked, it has still been painful most of the time. I really thought I would just toughen up and all that would go away. I was wrong. And yet I can go further in a day than when I started and I seem to recover extraordinarily fast.

This was my last long day. I had some miles to make up if I wanted a more relaxed day tomorrow, but piles of mundane tasks delayed my start. I had to get a haircut, we needed to pick up balloons and figure out how we were going to get enough weight on them to keep them from floating off. Thanks to Kara’s sister, Michelle we settled on bottled water, but that also meant picking up and then delivering 100 bottles of water. We had media contacts to make and there were a dozen other miscellaneous tasks to done. It was mid-day before I even started to walk.

As I walked along the road I thought about the amazing scenery I had passed over the last two months and how grateful I have been to have had the opportunity to experience it at two miles an hour. It is amazing how much more can be seen and felt when we slow down. I consider learning to see life from a slowed perspective such a valuable lesson that if nothing else were gained, it would have been well worth the trip to come away with that one nugget of truth.

At some point I came over a hill and got my first glimpse of the “D” on the mountain above St. George. I had to just stop and stare. In some ways it is hard for me to comprehend this is all about to end. I have some deeply mixed feelings. As the valley opened up below me I felt a surge of excitement, but at the same time I was haunted by a hollow feeling that was building up inside me. Soon my life would be back to “normal” and I wondered if I would just fall into a rut of the same routine I had been living out for so many years. I determined that though I wasn't sure just how things would change, it was certain my life would be different.

We had originally planned to end the walk at the fountain on the Dixie State College campus. But, due to a series of miscommunications with the student council member we had been coordinating with, and because of scheduling conflicts, nothing was planned.

My friend Jeannie, who lives in California, had worked with her friend Shauna in St. George to set up the reception at the campus. A few days ago when it became clear that things were not happening, Jeannie and Shauna went to work on an alternative plan. Shauna works in the PR department for Village Bank in St. George. She went to management and told them about the walk and asked if they would like to help. Village Bank generously offered us a venue to finish at their fountain in front of their main branch. They also provided media announcements, and Shauna was planning on balloons and refreshments for the finish line. Jeannie flew in from California yesterday and she and Shauna have been feverishly working on putting everything together.  They plan to make the finish an awesome event.

When we took the truck and trailer back to Salt Lake last week I managed to leave my infamous shorts behind. I have been walking in my sweats ever since, but we decided for the end of the trip, I should find some shorts. Tonight we went to Rebel Sports where the factory outlets are near St. George Blvd. Kara went in ahead of me while I dragged my stiff muscles out of the car after managing to shove a shoe over my complaining foot, and by the time I came into the store she had already struck up a conversation with a young lady that had organized a dance group the performs all year and then donates the proceeds of their ticket sales to a good cause. When she heard what we were doing she got all excited and wanted to be a part of it. She promised to come the next day and bring someone with her. They have already donated this year’s funds to a great family with a child who is dealing with cancer, but she asked if the group could adopt our cause for their efforts to raise money for a good cause next year. We were delighted to accept.

My brother Rick and his family came down tonight to finish the walk with us. They were also there at the beginning and it is good to have their support. We all spent the evening at Sue’s house and we talked about running out to Golden Spoon for some frozen yogurt, but we were all tired and the evening ended early. There is still a lot to be done tomorrow morning and I have a few miles to walk before meeting up with the bulk of the crowd at St. George Blvd. It is going to be a short night.

Day 44 La Verkin & Hurricane

Only a few miles left of my walk down Highway 89 from Salt Lake City to St. George. I found myself feeling introspective today as I came closer to St. George and the end of my journey. Have I met my goals? Have I made a difference? So many things I could have done differently, better, more.

What about the people I have encountered? I have been surprised and even amazed at what some people have done to help - donations of time as well as money, goods, services. Significant sacrifices. While other’s just didn’t seem to get it. Perhaps that is my fault. Some people seem to have been greatly affected by even the idea of what I have been doing. While others could only respond with, “good luck with that.”

I have learned some things about myself; or perhaps re-learned. Part of this was brought on by a realization that I needed to do more; to be more. Some years ago I saw a movie that had a great impact on me – Disney’s The Kid. I was drawn in by Bruce Willis’ character, Russ Duritz as he tried to explain his life to his 8-year old self. Young Rusty takes it all in, then neatly summarizes Duritz’s life, “So, I'm forty, I'm not married, I don't fly jets, and I don't have a dog? I grow up to be a loser.” I knew 8-year Steve would have felt the same way. The weight of that burden plagued me.

I remember dreams I had as a kid. What would I say to my 8-year old self? Who was I now? What had I become?  Today I feel I have a better answer for little Steve.

Day 42 - 43 Between Zion and Hurricane

I never get tired of the splendor of red rock. As I leave Zion, and some of the most amazing scenery anywhere, I am blown away by the artistry of God. I am so glad I could not walk down I-15. Highway 89 gave me a hundred extra miles of walking, but there is a reason it has become one of the most loved scenic byways. Kara and I have come to appreciate the beauty of Utah like never before.

I still feel my ankle a bit but I only feel my thigh when I push uphill. I decided to keep my “reshaped” crutch. In some ways it is better than before I bent it in the hole on the bridge. I have nearly worn out my favorite shoe, but swapping out the insole with one of my others has given it new life.

There is not much left of my walk. I have a hard time thinking about getting back to the “box” of everyday life. On the other hand, it will be good for my family to have some regularity and routine.

I saw a cottontail today. It surprises me that I have not seen more wildlife. Perhaps it is the time of year. I have only seen one snake, a few lizards, lots of deer and lots of awesome birds, a few rabbits, and one very tiny mouse that hopped around on the road more like a frog than a rodent. There have also been some strange “domestic” animals, ranging from llamas and alpacas, to ostriches, emus, and bison.

Sometimes walking gets hard. I get tired and sore. I start thinking about guys like Terry Fox, who in pain ran a marathon every day for weeks on an artificial leg, until the cancer that had taken his leg eventually took his life. Or Bob Weiland, who lost his legs to a landmine while trying to rescue a fellow soldier. Bob walked across America on his hands. These guys have been such an inspiration to me and thinking about them takes away my complaints. I think of Kevin.

When none of that is working for me I think of Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper. I picture Jillian in her Bully shirt and I can hear her barking, “MOVE!” or “Don’t you dare quit!” And then I am glad I have it so easy.

Day 41 Leaving Zion



In other words, no pix in the dark :)





Twas dark as I walked.

As night became day I worked

Night again. Walking.

Day 40 Zion

        Kara dropped me off this morning and headed over to Glendale for one more visit with Clara before we finished this side of Zion Canyon. No sooner was she out of sight than the wind picked up and soon it was raining, with the rain hitting my face so hard it stung. I bundled up and headed into the wind. The rain didn’t last long, but the wind kept up for most of the day and for a while, I even got hail - blue skies to the left of me, and hail pelting me from the right. It was pretty strange.

        I walked past some buffalo, watched a herd of deer cross the road only a short distance ahead of me, and watched as the scenery changed from interesting to spectacular as I got nearer to Zion. Just before I got to the entrance, Kara returned and resumed following behind me. Inside the park, as I came to the checkerboard mesa, I stepped on a rock and twisted my ankle. I tested it out for a bit and decided I had not done any major damage and continued on down through the park, Kara driving from turnout to turnout.

        Highway 9, which runs through the park, has been under construction most of the summer. They were supposed to be finished by now, but delays due to weather have slowed things down. There is still a long stretch that is not complete and we were told we could not walk through the construction areas.  So, Kara drove me through the construction and dropped me off on the other side. She said she was going to go find a lady’s room and I told her I would meet her down the road. Not long after she dropped me off, I came to the bridge which crosses the river. I was watching the river as I crossed and was not paying attention to the road in front of me. Suddenly, my right crutch dropped into a hole I hadn’t seen. The hole ran all the way through the bridge, maybe for drainage, and my crutch sank into it almost to the handle. I pitched forward, bending my crutch, twisting my ankle again and pulling a muscle in my thigh. “Well”, I thought,” guess I’m done for the day.”

     I pulled my crutch back out of the hole and stared at it for several minutes. It finally occurred to me to take a picture. I should have taken a picture of it in the hole.  I figured Kara would be back soon, and I would just pick it up the next day. But Kara didn’t come. After several minutes, I got the idea that I
 could put my crutch back in the hole and bend it back and start walking again. As I started walking I could feel my thigh muscle pulling and my ankle was complaining again with every step.
        I continued on for a mile or so, and still no Kara. Eventually I got down to the campground just inside of the park. I could smell campfires and someone cooking – one of the best smells on the planet when you are camping, and it made me wish I was camping here myself. I passed the campground and saw the car up ahead off the side of the road near the exit. I wondered why she had waited so long to check in on me.

        When I got to the car, I could tell Kara had been sleeping. After she had found the lady’s room, she had pulled off the side of the road to wait for me to catch up. She was so exhausted from all she had been doing over the past weeks that she fell asleep right there on the side of the road with her window rolled down. Sometime after she had crashed out, a park ranger startled her awake. As he approached he had a strange look on his face that seemed to turn to relief as she sat up in her seat.

        “Someone called in and reported you dead.” He said, “You looked dead.”  It was a good time to end the day.

        I went back to Arbon’s with my “dead” wife and we all spent the evening watching the replay of the U of U / Air Force game. All, that is, except Kara, who passed out again sometime after the end of the first quarter.  For a while, Dave ran back and forth, pausing the game while running to the door to take care of trick-or-treaters. Finally we left the trick-or-treaters in Elise’s capable hands (she doesn’t like football) while we ran down to the big screen in the theater room to finish the game. It was a nail biter, but the good guys won in the end and all was right with the world.

Day 39 Approaching Zion

Wednesday we left Glendale to take the truck and trailer back. I am well ahead of schedule and so I decided to go back with Kara and Elise and help. We stayed the night at Huntsman’s in Spring City, and headed back for home Thursday morning.  We got the trailer and truck emptied out and I went to work while Kara and some friends made the trailer look like new.   

By Friday morning we were back on the road and headed south.

We went straight to Zion and Kara dropped me off east of the park while she and Elise continued on to Glendale to visit Clara Maxwell and talk about crocheting.







By the time they came back it was already late and the sun had gone down.  I caught a few pictures of the sunset  and we headed into St George to stay with my sister’s family, the Arbon’s.  

My sister Sue is so awesome. We love staying here. They are the perfect hosts and tons of fun. 

WHERE'S WALLY?

Bryce Canyon

     We had to bring the trailer back to Salt Lake, so I did not walk yesterday or today. We will pick up the walk again just East of Zion's National Park tomorrow. I will also get to start staying with my sister Sue and her family, the Arbons. They are awesome hosts and incredibly fun.

     Last week, we took a side trip to Bryce Canyon. Bryce is perhaps my most favorite of all National Parks. It has some the most varied and unique rock formations I have seen anywhere, and a feeling about it that is hard to describe. It is absolutely stunning to stand on the rim looking down, but for me, the best experience is from the bottom looking up. It is easy to see and feel why this place was considered sacred. I found myself wishing we could linger at the bottom and just soak up the atmosphere.

     Going down, we took the Queen’s Garden Loop, and the much steeper Navajo Loop coming back up. Kara asked several people before we started if the path was safe for someone on crutches. They all said no. She really didn’t want me to go down. I said lets go find out. She made me promise to stay as far away from the edge as possible. Next thing you know, I am headed down the path and some distance behind me was Kara and Elise, both of them clinging to the rocks and tentatively inching their way down. They don’t do well with heights.

     As I paused and waited for the girls to catch up we were passed by Craig and Lenny, two gentlemen from Florida who were in the middle of a Vegas, Bryce, Zion’s vacation. They commented on seeing a guy on crutches working his way down the steep path and that started a conversation that continued nearly non-stop for the better part of an hour while we made our way to the bottom, where we met their wives coming from the other direction, just short of the Queen’s Garden.

     These guys were so enjoyable. They were just a pleasure to be around. We were wearing our infamous yellow/green highlighter shirts, and of course a lot of the conversation revolved around my walk to raise funds for kids needing prosthetics. They were so supportive. At one point, Lenny had stopped to take a picture of an unusual dead tree while we went on ahead. When he caught up to us several minutes later he explained that he had been telling some other hikers about my walk and they had given him $10 to pass along to me. I told him he was hired. Watching Lenny talk about getting the $10, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a little kid telling about something amazing he had just done. He was fun to listen to.

     When we met up with their wives, the ladies talked them into returning up the path we had just walked down, so our journey together ended. I would miss their comradeship for the rest of the hike, and I kept thinking every time I saw something new and spectacular, “man, I wish Craig and Lenny could have seen this.”

     Craig and Lenny both made sizable donations when they got back to their computers. I was grateful to have met them. I got an email later from Lenny who told me that he has a health condition that makes physical activity painful, but from the moment he met up with us, he said he felt no pain for the rest of the walk. I think the benefit was equally mutual. They really lifted my spirits and reinforced my belief in the universal goodness of people.

     We took two cameras with us. One ran out of batteries when we reached the Queen’s Garden, and the other ran out just short of the top. But we manage to get a few good pictures, and it really is impossible to capture what the eye can see with a camera anyway.

     Half way up the Navajo loop we met some ladies who were traveling with a group from Canada. They were so nice. They kept us company up the steepest part of the climb, stopping on a switchback to take pictures of us and donate to the kids. Not long afterward, a gust of wind blew off one of the lady’s hats and it flew right into the arms of her friend behind her. She was amazed at her good luck, but her friend said, “It’s because you did a good deed!” Works for me.

     When we were done, we were all pooped, but we were also well rewarded for our efforts. Kara and Elise both wanted to make this an annual trip – come to Bryce in the fall when it is cool and the colors spectacular, and spend the day hiking through the spires, hoodoos and trees. Sounds like an awesome way to spend some family time.

Day 38 Mt. Carmel

This morning was the first day that the world seemed covered in frost. We had breakfast with the Maxwells – Belgian waffles made by Kara, covered in fresh raspberries from the Maxwell’s garden and real maple syrup. We had to go to Kanab to pick up some things so I got a later start on my walking, but by then the sun was shining and the weather had warmed considerably.

Kara dropped me off just past Orderville where I had ended my walk yesterday. Somewhere between Orderville and Mt Carmel, a pickup full of “stuff” pulled off the road near a cornfield I was walking past. I could hear laughter coming from the cornfield. A woman got out of the truck and whistled and soon two teenagers came running out of the field to unload the truck. They started with a large pink striped tiger followed by a giant penguin. More kids appeared and hauled off a worn out dummy of a cowboy with a rope around his neck. Naturally I had to find out what was going on. The woman who had been driving the truck turned out to be the owner of the cornfield, and her youngest son and a group of his 9^th grade friends were staging a spook alley in the cornfield for a fund raiser this weekend. She let me know that she had another crew these guys didn’t know about lined up to inhabit the cornfield to scare the 9^th graders. The other group was her older son and his friends. She was pretty excited about it.

Just before entering Mt Carmel, I passed the Maynard Dixon home and Studio. Maynard Dixon was one of the most prominent and innovative Western artists of the early 20th Century. Many of his greatest works were created while he lived in Mt. Carmel. There is an art studio next to his home, but none of his art is in it. I thought that was a bit strange.

I continued to walk and soon arrived at Mt Carmel Junction. The White Mountain Trading Post is a Shell station/convenience store/tourist trap. I had been there several times before and had always been fascinated with the décor as well as the things you could buy in there. Years ago, my friend Paul McFate bought his favorite hat there – a leather cowboy hat. I had him drape what could have passed for a saddle blanket over his shoulder and he grabbed a cheese stick and stuck it in his mouth and the next thing we knew, we had Clint Eastwood standing before us.

I noticed they had a couple of jackalopes on the wall. I was reminded of one of the stories Vaughn Butler from my old neighborhood used to tell. Vaughn had a state congressman and his son down in his basement looking at hunting equipment when the congressman noticed a jackalope on Vaughn’s wall. He had never seen such a thing and he was fascinated by it. As a good will gesture, Vaughn offered to have his son take the congressman’s son on a jackalope hunt. They returned later that day. The congressman’s son was disappointed and empty handed. So the congressman said, “What’s the matter, didn’t you see any jackalopes?” To which the son replied, “They were all over dad, but it was buck only and all we saw was does.” Vaughn has a million stories like that. It is up to the rest of us to figure out which ones are real.

From Mt Carmel Junction, I left Highway 89 and headed up Highway 9 toward Zion Canyon. I had a long and grinding hike up a hill, but now the worst of my walk is over. I still have a few hills to go up and a lot to go down, but it should be relatively easy going from here into St George. I will be there by the first weekend in November. See you there?

Day 37 Oct 25 Orderville

Started today in the rain. About three miles out I heard some gun shots. I thought it was strange to have someone shooting at deer so close to the highway. Soon I saw two hunters appear from out of the bushes dragging a coyote behind them. They threw it in the back of their pickup, waved, and drove off.

I walked four miles in the rain, bringing me into Glendale where the trailer is parked. I had a class to teach so I stopped to go to work. Later, I walked another 5 miles, until dark, taking me through Orderville and a bit beyond. I thought I heard elk bugling in the valley, but it may have just been hunters – though I don’t think the elk hunt is on.

Orderville is such an interesting town. There are several shops that have relics and one even had a rather large replica of the city in its prime, but none of these shops were open. I peeked through the window to see what I could but I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to go inside. The one place that was open was Cooter’s, a restaurant in town across from the school. I walked in, intending to make use of one of their smaller rooms, and was invited to have a piece of pie. I chose chocolate cream – wow was it ever wonderful and rich!

I can only guess that the shops were closed due to the deer hunt. I passed the Rustic Mountain Furniture store – closed. The DUP Museum – closed. The Home Plate Diner – closed. The schools were also closed – fall break of course. Perhaps I can go back on another day when the other shops are open.

Day 36 – Approaching Glendale

This morning started out dark and gloomy. It rained a good part of the night, but with more rain and possibly snow threatening, we thought we had better get out and get it done. It was the first day of the rifle deer hunting season here. I could not believe the traffic! I imagine I was passed by more people than even live in Kane County.

I cleared the summit of the highest point on my journey today. At the junction of 89 and 14 the elevation hits about 7,500 ft. My lower leg turned blue. It was really strange to look at.

I walked through drizzle most of the day. The scenery was amazing and I kept hoping for the sun to come out and brighten the leaves and make the river sparkle. I walked for six miles and took a break for a few hours and then went back for another four miles before taking another break.

We ran down to Zion Ntl Park to scout out the road. I was incredibly disappointed. I had postponed my walk a week to accommodate the road construction on Highway 9. They were supposed to finish this week, but I wanted to leave a little room for delays. As it turns out, they are several weeks behind and I cannot walk through the construction zone – about 7 miles of road through the park including the tunnel. My mom will be happy though, she did not want me to walk this road. Now it seems I have no choice.

With snow on the way in Salt Lake, we need to get the trailer and the truck back. Kara is planning on leaving sometime in the middle of next week and I will be on my own for a while – staying in hotels and leapfrogging my walking by driving to my starting point, walking, and then hitching a ride back to my car.  It should be interesting.

Once back from the park, I went back to walking. Somewhere along the road as the day drew to a close, a white pickup with a logo reading Grandma Tina’s Café stopped beside me. The lady driving asked me what I was up to. When I had explained, she reached into her pocket and handed me some bills. She apologized, saying it was all she had with her. She drove on, but then turned around and called out from across the highway, “When you get to Kanab, look for Grandma Tina’s. I will buy you a meal.” I couldn’t really explain that I didn’t plan on walking through Kanab.

When Kara picked me up at the end of the day, I had put in another three-plus miles, making my day about 13 ½ miles, my longest day so far. I was tired, but I wanted to check out Grandma Tina’s, so we headed to Kanab. When we got there we explained to the waitress what had happened. She brought out the cook. I explained that I had brought my wife and the lady in the truck didn’t know I was bringing her, and probably didn’t expect us tonight. He asked me what the lady had said, what the truck looked like and what she looked like. When I had answered, he said, “Meal is on us!” We asked what he would recommend and he excitedly told us that he made the best red sauce west of the Mississippi, and that it was passed down by Grandma Tina, who came from Italy. So we ordered pasta with the red sauce and were duly impressed. It really was excellent.

With Paul at Grandma Tina's Cafe

The cook, Paul turned out to be the owner’s son. The lady in the truck was his mother. He told us a good part of his life’s story, which was pretty interesting. He was quite an interesting character. After we had finished, he brought out two bottles of his red sauce and another donation. Another employee also gave us a donation as we left. These people were so generous! And the food? If you are ever in Kanab, don’t miss Grandma Tina’s Café. You will be well treated and treated well.

Sundays

I don’t walk on Sundays. Instead, we usually visit friends or family and drive to places nearby that may have been off the walking path. Early on, we spent time with my mom. She is an awesome lady and we love visiting with her and playing hand-and-foot or Acquire.

By our third Sunday, we were already to Gunnison and had met some great friends in Spring City along the way. This was conference weekend, and we were able to pick up some of it on the radio, but returned to Spring City for the afternoon and Priesthood sessions with the Huntsmans. Sunday, it was back at moms, now over a 90 minute drive, but well worth it.

The following week we were in Richfield, but returned to Spring City to spend the day with the Huntsmans and the Timms. We drove up the canyon and got an awesome view of the valley. We also got a guided tour of the town, including a drive to the old cemetery, which of course, we thoroughly enjoyed. Three men killed in the Black Hawk war are buried there. On the way to the cemetery we passed a house with four mule deer, all of them bucks with full racks, ravaging a flower garden in the middle of town. We thought it was hilarious, knowing that at that very moment, hunters were scouring the mountainside for deer and coming up empty.

The following Sunday was spend in Marysvale. We had Hillbilly with us, and he seemed to enjoy the meeting but was antsy about leaving his dog for too long, so I took him back after the first meeting, where he was all but mugged by his dog when he got out of the car. Back in the partially built meeting house, I found myself looking at the pictures of missionaries from the area that was posted on a wall. They went back to some very early times. One of the faces looked familiar. I was surprised when I read the name, Lynn Snow, but the resemblance was obvious once I made the connection. Lynn served as a Stake Family History Consultant with Kara and me a few years ago. He was wonderful to work with. I would love to tell him about finding his picture on a wall in the Marysvale meetinghouse.

This Sunday we spent in Glendale with Stella and the Maxwells. I also drove back along the road and tried to get some better pictures of where I had walked yesterday because it was too dark when I had passed by the first time. I also took a slight side trip up to the “lake” by Alton. It is barely off 89, but I could see the edge from the road. It was nice to drive up for a closer look.

Next week will be the last Sunday on the walk. I hope to spend it in St George with my sister Sue and her family.

The following Sunday, the 7^th of November, I have been invited to speak at a fireside in St George. Come on down, if you have a mind to. The talk might be boring, but it would be a great excuse to be in a place 20 to 30 degrees warmer than most other places in Utah.

Day 35 South of Hatch

This morning was dark and cold. There was a forecast for rain, and though it looked threatening, I was still dry. About three miles into my day, Stella came up from Glendale to join me. She brought an umbrella. Her friend chided her and said she needed more faith and Stella had told her it was only for the sunshine. Nevertheless, as soon as Stella and I started walking the rain came. The timing was comical. We walked for another three miles, entering Kane County, while Stella told me stories of her growing up years and got me caught up on family news. My nephew, Simon, my brother Rick’s son, is getting married next week. I didn’t know.

We had to move the trailer again today. It is quite a production, but Kara and Elise have it down to an art. We moved down to Glendale at Bauer's Canyon Ranch RV Park, which coincidently, is right across the street from the Maxwells, the family Stella had spent most of her teen years with. There once was an apple orchard where the park now stands. Stella and her foster brother Kevin used to cross the road in front of their house, pass through the apple orchards, swiping a few apples on their way, to fish the Virgin River that runs just outside of town. A lot of things have changed, but it is still a great nostalgia trip for Stella.

When we went back to pick up the trailer, we stopped in at the Wildlife Museum on the way to Bryce. They have over 1600 butterflies and an amazingly varied collection of stuffed animals, mostly “collected” by the owner over a lifetime of hunting trips all over the world. The butterflies and the music were awesome, but all the stuffed dead animals were kind of sad.

We also picked up some of our most favorite pie on the planet, just the other side of Red Canyon. It is a blueberry-banana cream at the Bryce Canyon Pines. We haven’t figured out all of the ingredients, but it is simply divine. The best of these pies we have had was on our very first visit. Recently, the pies seem to be lacking in blueberries, but we can remedy that easily enough and the pie is still one of the best I have ever had. It is not cheap, but came to us free through the kindness of one of the restaurant employees.

I ended my walking day early because we had been invited to spend the evening with Stella and the Maxwells. Jack and Clara Maxwell go down to a retirement home in Kanab every Wednesday morning to sing and play music. They have a large book of oldies they draw on, and after dinner, we went through the entire book, picking out the songs I was familiar with. I played guitar, Jack played harmonica and the ladies sang. It reminded me of the days when I played with the Sentimental Journey Band in Texas. With me included, the average age of the band members was 72. We played a lot of the same songs that was in the Maxwell’s book and that brought back some great memories. I was amazed at how many songs Elise was familiar with.  It was an evening of great songs and even better company.

Day 34 Hatch

My Missionary Angels!

I started the day a few miles North of Hatch, and Kara had dropped me off so she could go get some work done for her job at the Family History Library back in Panguitch. I called her and told her my headset wasn’t working, which meant I couldn’t walk and be on the phone at the same time, which would greatly slow me down. Two elderly sister missionaries at the library overheard the conversation and volunteered to run to Cedar City and have the guys at the Verizon store see if they could fix it. They were so kind! They also brought me a cheeseburger and onion rings.



Just a few miles outside of Hatch, I ran into a small herd of llamas. Then to my surprise, I came across a small herd of Bison. It was easy to imagine a time when vast herds of Bison would have roamed through these valleys, or at least ones similar to it. Then I got my greatest surprise. A car pulled off the road ahead of me and my brother Dave’s wife, Stella, hopped out. She had come down to walk with me. Stella spent several of her growing up years in Glendale with the Maxwell family, and she had come down to visit old friends and family and spend some time walking with me. 



Homer and Marilynn Dutton

Later that afternoon I passed through Hatch. I saw a Mexican Restaurant, Café Adobe, along the road and decided to stop in and see if they would like to help sponsor the walk by providing dinner for us. The owner, Homer Dutton, said he thought he could do that and I arranged to come back later after I was through walking. I was pretty excited about getting some Mexican food. Kara picked me up after I was done and we went straight to the restaurant, where we met Homer’s wife, Marilynn, who is also the cook. We ordered Chicken Chimichangas – they were some of the best I had ever had. Marilynn said it was probably because I had built up an appetite walking, but I can tell you the food there was excellent and Homer and Marilynn were a pleasure to talk to.



Day 33 Panguitch

Panguitch is an interesting town. Lots of Cowboy themed stores, and yet coming into town, I passed some giraffe sculptures in some ones yard. I went into Owen’s convenience and gas store and saw some pictures on the counter of some huge fish, which I found out came out of nearby Panguitch Lake. I was impressed. I also noticed that the banners on the light posts throughout the town have a rainbow trout, and I supposed it must have something to do with those large fish I saw on the counter at Owen’s. Later I found out that Panguitch is a Paiute name, meaning “big fish.”  Now it all makes sense – except of course for the giraffes.

Ever since I passed through Richfield I had been looking for a florescent orange jacket of some sort to keep me warm without having to wear a construction vest over me. I figured with the deer hunt going on, finding an orange jacket would be a breeze, but everywhere I looked I came up empty. As I passed what appeared to be a sportsman’s store named The Shed coming into Panguitch, I saw lots of orange jackets on a rack and went in, leaving Kara out on the street in the chase car wondering where I had disappeared to. I bought a jacket, and he threw in a long-sleeved shirt. Both have been a blessing.

Quilt Walk Monument



Entering Panguitch



Highway 89 follows Main Street South into town, but turns East onto Center Street and heads towards the mountains and Bryce Canyon, about 25 miles beyond. Soon after you make the turn, you will pass the Quilt Walk Monument. In 1864, the year Panguitch was first settled by Mormons from Parawan, the winter was so harsh that the crops did not survive and they had run short on supplies. Seven men volunteered to return to Parawan over the mountains, roughly along the path of Highway 20. The snow was deep and the wagons had to be abandoned. Though the snow was crusted over, the men would break through the crust making it extremely difficult to walk. One of the men accidently dropped a quilt and discovered when he stepped on it that he didn’t sink. Soon the men were laying quilts, one after the other all the way across the mountain pass. When they returned, they had to repeat the process, but this time burdened with wheat and supplies. Panguitch was saved, but then abandoned the following year due to the outbreak of the Black Hawk War. The town was resettled in 1870.

We had to relocate the trailer again today. We had planned to go to the Red Canyon RV Park just off of 89 where you turn to go to Bryce Canyon. When I called to arrange to stay there, the owner said he was closing for the season on Thursday. When we arrived on Wednesday morning we found the gates closed and locked. I talked to the owner who was minding the store next door and he explained that since they were closing on Thursday, they had closed the gates on Wednesday so that they wouldn’t have to pay for help for the following day. But he graciously offered a spot in front of another abandoned store. We decided to further down the road and ended up at the Riverside RV Park. We got a bit of a discount from the owner of the RV park, but the owner of the restaurant offered us breakfast.

My cousin Jana and her husband Mike

After setting up the trailer, I went back on the road and finished walking past the road into Bryce Canyon before calling it a day. I had to teach classes that evening, but when class was over, Kara and I went back into Panguitch to meet my cousin Jana and her husband Mike who bought us dinner at the only restaurant still open at that hour. We ate turkey pot pies – they were the only hot dishes available, but they were pretty tasty. It was nice to spend some time with Jana and Mike. I have been grateful for the support from my family.

Day 31 and 32 Road to Panguitch

For the last two days I have been on the road leading out of the canyon from Circleville down to Panguitch. The weather reports were pretty disturbing – everything from 10 days of rain in Panguitch to ice and even snow.

It rained most of the night Sunday. We planned to head out at 6:30 with the idea that if it was a downpour when we got to where I was walking that we would cancel the walk for the morning. It rained right up to the minute that I stepped out of the car and put on my rain gear. So off I went. The canyon was dark when I started, but as the light started coming through the mists and clouds, it took on a mystical atmosphere that hung on through most of the morning. We didn’t really meet many people – there is not much going on over this part of the road, but a few people stopped and gave us a donation.

We moved the trailer from Lizzie and Charlie’s in Marysvale to Paradise RV in Panguitch. We will miss being in Marysvale. Connie and Milo, the owners of Lizzie and Charlie’s were so amazing. They left for California the day after we arrived, but not only did they support us with a place to stay, they made a generous donation as well. Their next season is already half booked. It is easy to see why. We hope to come back next year.

We brought Hillbilly with us when we moved to Panguitch. He stayed a night in the RV park where we were and then got up early this morning and headed to Kanab – Cody perched on top of his rig while he peddled down the highway. We are blessed to have met him and wish him well on his journey.

Day 30 Big Rock Candy Mountain

View of Big Rock Candy Mountain

Day 30, Saturday, our friends, the Timms, from Spring City, came down to spend the day with us. (more pix) We had a great morning sitting around chatting, but shortly after noon, Carl, Shasta and I took off  to walk the trail through the canyon that leads to the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort where Kara and Carl’s wife Jeannie would be waiting to pick us up. The resort takes its name from a song Harry “Haywire Mac” McClintock is credited with writing. Burl Ives would clean up the song and make it famous decades later. In the late 20’s someone posted a sign near where the resort now stands labeling the colorful hill, “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” The name stuck.



Carl Timm and Shasta









Carl Timm



The trail winds along the Sevier River, crossing it from time to time, as it passes the old narrow gage train tunnel and through some spectacular scenery made up of fascinating rock formations with a wide spectrum of colors highlighted by bright splashes of yellows, golds, reds, oranges and greens of the fall foliage.





Rich Lewis - master fly fisherman!

We mozied along, taking pictures, telling stories, looking for fish, and watching Shasta run up and down the trail or taking a plunge in the river below. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. We met a man along the way, Rich from Mapleton, who had been fly fishing on the river. He was carrying a weighted down net filled with Browns and Rainbows. He said he caught a fish on almost every cast – nearly 50 in the time he had been there. He said he kept the ones that were too tired to be put back. He had seen me walking in Mapleton a few weeks earlier but wasn’t sure what I was doing.



"Hillbilly" and his best friend Cody

As we neared the end of the trail, a bearded man approached on a bike with a large dog following behind. He said, “Your wife sent me to check on you. She says you’re late.”. He introduced himself as Hillbilly and told us that he was riding his bike with his dog from Butte, Montana to Yuma, Arizona. He led a transient life, doing odd jobs and switched back and forth depending on the weather. He was originally from Alabama, got injured in Desert Storm serving in the 101^st Airborne when his main shoot failed to open and his reserve opened at about 125 feet off the deck. He broke a host of bones. After he got fixed up and had some body parts replaced he returned home to find his wife had been unfaithful. He said he lost everything and decided to go on the road. That was 17 years ago. He has quite a story that could fill a book.




Kara ran into Hillbilly at the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort, where his bike and home-made trailer that his dog rode on had broken down. She gave him $20 to help him get what he needed to fix up his bike and invited him to church. He agreed to come. She also arranged to have him spend a few nights at the Lizzie and Charlies RV Resort where we were staying.

Arlyn and Ronni Eggen at Hoover's

Carl and I finally caught up with Kara and Jeannie. Hillbilly and his dog, Coby, were still talking with Kara and Jeannie when we arrived. We got him on his way and then Kara told us we were going out to dinner. We picked up Elise and headed to Hoovers, just south of the Resort, where we had been invited to eat, compliments of the owners. I could not believe the variety of dishes on the menue. Hoover's is owned and operated by a husband and wife team. He is the chef and he has been to many parts of the world, cooking and learning new things. How he came to this place to start a restaurant is a real mystery to me. The quality of the food is superb. What’s more, every dish comes with scones that are as close to Kara’s scones as I have ever encountered. If you have ever had one of Kara’s scones, you know this guy can whip up some great food! The meal was amazing. If you are ever down this way, this is definitely the place to eat.