The Hazard Chronicles

Hazard family reunion. Courtney and Rick did a great job planning it this year. We got a perfect campsite in the Tetons where all of us could stay. Each day had a good mix of planned activities and time to relax. The week is probably best shared in pictures rather than words. Enjoy :)

My sister and my mom. This is from a hike we did to some wind caves- a couple of miles each way. All the kids came and did a great job with the walk. We had lunch at the caves, and a few of us explored pretty deep into them. The next several pictures are from this hike. The waterfall was right before the cave at the top (the water actually emerges from the cave- pretty cool!)

Right by my feet is where the river comes out of the ground inside the cave

It starts out pretty big

But then it gets a little smaller

And smaller still. There were several parts where we were crawling on our stomachs to make it through to the next opening.

This (plus me) is the group that went the deepest in. With proper gear it is possible to spend several hours plunging the depths of this cave. We went about as far as we could without needing ropes, which was quite a ways. 

We went to a rodeo. This is a culture and a world that doesn't overlap very much with what we normally do as a family, and while it was a good time, I think it may take a while for my kids to get over their shock. They liked watching the riders and animals, but some would burry their heads in their laps during most of the actual events. It may take a while for us to deconstruct this experience :)

I got up early one morning with Evelyn, Addy, and Jack, and we did a quick hike up table rock. We were at the top to watch the sun rise, and back at camp for breakfast.

It can get pretty steep at times. On "Trails.com" it says the average time for this hike is around 7 hours. We did it in under 4. We felt pretty good about that.

Just a few pictures at the top. Evelyn actually got up twenty minutes before everyone else so she could do her hair. I thought that was funny, but she said she knew I would take her picture and she wanted to look good.

Here's Ev, rocking the good hair, with the Tetons behind her.

Going down was a joyous trail run, with plenty of stunts thrown in just for good measure. It reminded me of when Maren got bunnies and we read in a book that "A domesticated rabbit will binky out of sheer joy." Yup. That was us. Good times. I love that I can do these things with my kids.

There were two ways up the mountain. The "normal" way, and the "Face Trail." "Trail not maintained. Very steep. Not recommended."
In other words...Perfect.

On one of the days we went canoeing on the Teton River. It was a pretty chill float with lots of wildlife.

Jack and Lindsey

I was in a boat with these two, and I'm pretty sure we had the most fun

Evelyn and Rachel shared a boat. They were the fastest. Also, check out the Tetons in the background. It was an incredibly scenic and relaxing outing. The most exciting part was when Google gave us bad directions, giving us a chance to test the off-road capabilities of our Subaru. It's a good thing we didn't have our van with us!

Just hanging out at camp

Rick organized the "Hazard Olympics," where we played several games for small prizes. There are some very competitive people in this family!

Well, that's about it for the reunion. We drove home on Sunday. The next day we recovered from all the activity. I rollerbladed a lot (41 consecutive frontside grinds on my 41st birthday. Silly, I know). Me, Addy, Lindzo, and Maren went to the river and jumped off of rocks/did the rope swing. Life is normal again. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago we were exploring caves, playing with cousins, or watching the sun rise over the Tetons. I've come to really appreciate these surreal moments- the afterglow of a trip well worth it.

Have a good week!