Right around this time I was studying a certain part in preach my gospel.
I felt prompted to call my friend to help sort out a part in the manual that was never a clear subject to me. My friend and I talked for a long time about the topic and encouraged me to start a miracle journal.
He asked me to write one miracle in it each day. It made me better realize the hand of God in everything. During this time I was having issues with school, where I wanted to live, money, dealing with my missionary coming home, and deciding if school was something I was going to give up on or not.
Having this journal made me realize all the changes that happened since and were currently in the works happened for a reason.
Red Fish was an amazing example of being offered an opportunity to sit back and learn more about myself and what I really want. Red Fish gave me the time I needed to heal from the heart wrenching events that lead up to the move their.
I spent alot of time doing what I love most. I love art, music, my friends and family.. but being outdoors takes the cake! When I make art there is always criticizing and it never looking like how I want it to, with music I wear out some of my bests by over playing it, with family and friends some times it's a bigger effort than it needs to be.
When you are outdoors by yourself it is just amazing.
I spent the summer across the lake of Red Fish and did as many hikes as a I could. I had never been too amazed by Idaho until I came to this place and could see the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains every day. I started running the Fish Hook trail once or twice a day and exploring.
My main goal for the summer was always in the back of my head.
I wanted to summit a mountain.
All of the sudden everything picked up at Red Fish more people were coming in, I started working in more than one department, I stared going out for fun in the area with friends, and would spend the weekend in Boise.
The out look of my goal seemed pretty far out of reach.
As the season finally started to calm down I asked my boss if I could possibly get two days off a week to summit Thompson Peak.
The time came that following week right in the middle of getting over a sickness and with only 40 minutes to prepare for the road.
My friend Aaron Miller (AKA MilMil) basically made me allow him to come with me... I guess no one ever likes the sound of you going to Thompson alone.
MilMil came into my room during the lunch break and told me that our boss said we could go but that we'd have to leave tonight!!!
I stared at him blankly for a while... I was still pretty out of it because of some meds.
He started spouting off a list of what he thought we needed and so he headed back out to work, and I headed out to find a topographic map of the area and also to find out some back packing stuff.
As soon as MilMil was let off for the day we scrambled for food and to make sure we had what we needed for our packs.
We headed off later than we thought we should have.
Then began our adventure.
I had done a bunch of hikes but none with a back pack thingy...and because I am short the back pack hit an awkward part of the back of my head so I couldn't stand normally.
With-in the first hour I realized the comfort of my neck would be compromised for the rest of the trip. AND IT WAS.
We headed off of the Red Fish trail head and onto the Marshall Trail.
The trail lead to this ridiculous goat trail..if you kicked a rock off the side of the drop off you'd hear it roll down for a looooong time.
For a little bit I thought we were lost and so did MilMil. he was complaining about how it was dark an that we needed to stop... I looked at my watched and realized we hadn't been hiking long enough to even be at our stopping point for the night.
I gave in and we set up our tent. Oh and I LOST my sleeping bag. I must have fallen off my pack. MilMil said it was on well...guess not.
Yes, it was an extremely cold night!!!!
In the morning MilMil and I ate cereal and didn't eat much of a dinner because the hot dogs that the kitchen gave to us went bad...
MilMil proposed that he was going to go home and that I should come too. I had been having time breathing mostly because I was sick and couldn't breathe out of my nose. I'm sure it didn't help that I hadn't gone running since I got sick..so it had been two weeks.
The view was beautiful!!! I made a deal with my friend we could explore for about twenty minutes if we didn't see profile lake we'd turn back... guess what was about eight minutes away... PROFILE LAKE!
we left the heavier stuff in the tent and headed out around the side of Profile. When we got to the base of Thompson we abandoned everything but water bottles and cameras... there was no way we'd be able to basically scale up Thompson with our backpacks still on.
We started heading up. Towards the lower part of the summit there were Small loose rocks you had to be careful where you planted your foot about half of the time you couldn't find anywhere stable.
Closer to the top where huge rocks that was also a balancing acted. You had to test each rock to see if it would move after you got on it. If you didn't you'd end up like me I hopped from one rock onto another and it toppled to it's side and I smashed my side onto the rock...got some nice bruises and a sweet scar that is still yet to fade :)!
I started getting light headed after a while. I get light headed and drowsy alot throughout out my life but this was a little worse probably because I didn't eat much in the morning. We took a water break at the shoulder and continued on. the view was totally worth it.
YES I was stupid to go while still sick...and... Stupid to have not prepared better before hand.
The trip had me wanting more and after recouping from being sick and after I completed the next few weeks at Red Fish I started researching for what I could do next!
I cannot say enough what being at Red Fish did for me. What all of the people I met and friendships I made did for my life and my perspective.
How amazing it was to enduldge in my love of the outdoors for five great months!!!
How I realize that every thing happens for a reason.
How acomplishing that goal and most of my other summer goals really helped me devlope great self dicipline and dedication. I doubt people read all of this but I hope they enjoy the pictures!!!
"Living the dream at Red Fish Lake Lodge" - Red Fish lovers every where!
