Taking the parents to the Elkhorn

Well.... Saturday was the big day!  Mom and dad loved Elkhorn and the Olympic Mountains. Here are a few pictures of them there....and mom's view from her apartment.

So to honor their wishes.... we met up at the Elkhorn. I went and picked up my brother David and his two daughters Jessica and Alyssa first. Then they rode with us and Lauren up.... Don, Heather, Parker, Patrick, Joshua and Jared followed us. We ended up with Amanda and Andrew following us up the mountain.  Kevon was the first to arrive!!!! That was a shock! Karla, Joel, Dylan and Maddie were there when we got there and so was Brad, Tara, Jordy and Riley!  Jay, Kristen and Paul (who were camping with Karla were up there too). See.... the road going to the Elkhorn campground got washed away. But you can still "hike" up there. I thought you pretty much had to walk up a hill and then down a hill to go around the washout. Then walk about a mile to the old campground. Nope. That's not the way it ended up.  Karla and Tara were the only two prepared for a "hike"! They had backpacks and water etc.... I wore fake Birkenstocks. I never imagined it would be so hard for me.  I am over 100 pounds overweight. So for me "hiking" is like caring 10 ten pound bags of sugar with me.
So off we go...

Tara, Heather and Don

Kevon

There were two ways to go.... along the river washout or up the trail.

You can't see it that well but here are the switchbacks we climbed up.

Here is Heather at the top.... we are almost there!!!!

Here is Kevon and some kids going the "washout" way...which they said I could never make. This is just the beginning. Doesn't look so tough from here.

The trail was switchbacks going up very steep!  About a couple hundred feet.  Then we had to walk a ways (which was the prettiest part of the walk). THEN we had to go back down switch backs again.....I had to hold on to son-in-law Don going down so I didn't slip and go down the side! Got down to the bottom where the "road" is (which is a trail now) and Tara gave me a bottle of water. Everyone pretty much kept walking except me, David, Papa, Kristen and Jay.

Then it was just me, Papa and David. David was carrying our parents ashes which was only fitting. :)  They were stinkin' heavy!!!! The road had a slight slant and went another mile.  My back wouldn't let me go any further. At all. I was in so much pain and all I could think of is how screwed I would be if it went out.  (A couple times it has gone out where I could barely walk I was having such excruciating muscle spasms and it would put me down for weeks)  I really fear that happening again. I would rather deliver another child than go thru that pain again. So papa and I decided I was done. We sent the camera with David and sat on a log where I cried and papa rubbed my back.  It broke my heart. I was depressed that I am so fat I couldn't do it. People believed in me that I could do it and I didn't. I felt like I let everyone down....including my parents. Thankfully....it wasn't about me. And thankfully everyone really stepped up to the plate and did a better job up at the Elkhorn than I could have dreamed possible.  One that mom and dad would have loved!!!! No tears.... just laughter!  I want to share some pictures....

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Brother David looking at his mama's ashes.

They found a good spot where two trees are rooted together.

David digs the hole with his hands

They found two forks..... they were going to add them "stick a fork in them, they are done." They didn't... but I thought it was a great idea when I heard. Dad and mom would have LOVED it! I can hear them laughing now!

When the kids were little we would carve their names in the giant mushrooms that grew on the trees.... Brad carved something for Grandma and Grandpa. :D

Everyone who made it... Joel, Dylan, Andrew holding Jared, Amanda, Lauren, Karla, Maddie, Patrick, Kevon, Jordy, Joshua, Riley, Brad, Tara, Parker, Don, Alyssa, David and Jessie. That makes one son, 9 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. What a tribute to what they have done....

After they finished they went to the river and the kids (and their Uncle Kevon) played in the water....the very cold water!!!!

Joel made a pine cone cross.

Meanwhile....after sitting on the log having a pity party for myself .... I said to papa "Let's go" and he got me a walking stick (which I recommend to anyone that needs to hike or climb) and we started climbing back up the switchbacks.  I knew I couldn't live there. We rested alot. Got back to the van and collapsed in the seats...and got some ice water out of the cooler. Pretty soon... Heather shows up by herself!!!! She was worried about us and came back. I didn't like the fact that she came back alone. There are bear and cougar up there!!!! She said she wasn't worried about those.... she was worried about a Mountain Mad getting her. lol!
 Jay and Kristen showed up next because there were alot of bees up there and Kristen is afraid of bees.  David and his girls showed up next.  Then others started trickling in. I got some pictures of the grandkids when they all came back I wanted some pictures of all of them together. They haven't been all in the same area for a while. lol! Grab the picture while I can!

Then we drove off the mountain and went down to Seal Rock Campground where Karla and Joel were camping.  Tara brought lots of lunch stuff so they ate. I took a few pictures...... of course....

My brother and his girls Jessie and Alyssa

Karla and Kevon talking

Tara bringing more food down!

Patrick, Parker and jordy having lunch.

Kevon

Karla and buddy Jay

We didn't stay long..... David had to get back.  I just wanted to share our day with you. I seemed to have missed most of it....but it went as it was suppose to. Mom and Dad would have loved it!!!!!