Timpanogos Caves

Guest Blog by the Professor

As the summer wears on, we parents find ourselves fighting a losing battle against lethargy. The same children who ran out to the trampoline in March (when the temperature went above 50 degrees Farenheit for a few minutes) now lie on the carpet in the corner of the basement, whining that the Wii remote is clear over on the other side of the room. Any time we try to get them outside, our children act like it is the Bhutan Death March. So we have instituted a series of hikes this summer. This week's hike: Timp Caves, our very own Mines of Moria in a nearby canyon.

Because Miss Maddie Lou is at Grandma Camp this week, I took the boys. Whenever it is time for a Man Event (Initial Caps), we can count on the Isaaks to round out a balanced party of 6.
Curtis and I met at 6:30 am, and then followed Will, Liam, Seb and Tomas as they marched up a path so arduous that it would do Kim-Jung Il proud. We climbed thousands of feet in the space of a mile and a half, but it was nice, cool and sunless on that side of the canyon.

There were off-color songs, movie quotes, off-color comments about the rock formations and the wildlife, and lots of creative insulting and complaining. In other words, a successful man trip.
The caves themselves are worth the Schlepp--at a constant 45 degrees Farenheit, they are a just reward for overheated hikers.
The formations are pretty much spectacular, although the kids preferred the Zoomorphic ones like the camel and the alligator.

I was worried that the dark passages and spooky formations would freak out the little guys, but there is the genius of the Man Trip--the unspoken but tangible feeling that you cannot be the first one to wimp out or your older brothers will mock you for weeks, even though Dads might threaten them.

I was happy to see that Sebi is still a real six year old, even though he looks like he's 11. When the tour guide mentioned the legend of a monster, he surreptitiously took my hand, and so did his best friend Tomas. Nice for a dad to know that he is still good for something besides dragging the little guys out of bed for a "character building" experience.

Hard to imagine that these are the same kids who complain that their bikes are all the way out on the patio. They got up and down the mountain with gusto, keeping up with their fellow dudes.

Yes, I kvetch incessantly about having to live in the Boozums of Zion. But check out that scenery--worth the walk, especially with good friends. Even at 7:00 am.