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Bouldering & Climbing Parriott Mesa
Page 2
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Diana
takes another of many breaks - this time in the sandstone cheeseholes. |
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Circling
around the back side, the cliffs are easier to climb. Here Diana follows a narrow
ledge, aided by a cable fastened to the cliff for stability. |
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With
the assistance of ropes, climbing this notch isn't as difficult as the loose stuff over
which they had to clamber to get up to this point. |
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Near
the top, Daniel explores a cave he's always wanted to check out. It goes in about 50
feet, and he finds a pack rat nest, with spiny cacti placed
strategically around it to keep out predators. |
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Diana
rests near the cave entrance, enjoying the view to distant canyons and the Colorado River
in the valley far below. |
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Eventually
they reached the top, which is covered by a wide variety of plant life and juniper trees. |
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What
an awesome view! Diana found a perfect place to eat her lunch, enjoying the
view of the LaSal Mountains, Castle Valley, and the campus 1,300 feet below. |
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The
DayStar Adventist Academy campus is dwarfed by the large farm, including fruit trees,
greenhouses, and fields of alfalfa, wheat, watermelons, asparagus and many other good
things. |
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Daniel
sits at one of his favorite perches, where he can safely dangle his legs over the edge.
My dad strictly forbade Diana to dangle her legs over the edge.
But he didn't say she couldn't dangle her entire body over the edge! |
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Besides,
she had a good grip on the sandstone edge, and there was a very strong updraft, so she was
really quite safe . . .
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. .
. especially since the previous picture was flipped 90 degrees, and only her
fingertips were really over the edge!
They spent more than 6 hours on this excursion, and thankfully both
survived with only minor scratches and bumps - and a few sore muscles for Diana! |
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This
was a slow trip for Daniel - a few months ago he went from the base to the top,
made his initials in the snow, and was back at the bottom - in 49 minutes! A
few minutes later he went back up at a slower pace with the entire boys'
dorm & their dean Brad Minett. |
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The
next day we reluctantly packed up and prepared to leave. DayStar Adventist Academy
is such a special place with wonderful folks and many unforgettable memories for Daniel -
and the rest of us!
On our way out, we stopped to say goodbye to the staff kids working for
next years' tuition. Starting work at 6:00 a.m., these kids pull weeds in large
fields of melons, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, corn and many other crops that support the
school. We have great admiration for these special young people who aren't afraid to
get their hands dirty, spending the summer laboring under a hot sun in order to receive a
balanced, quality Christian education. And learning to be a dependable worker is an
important part of that education!
Two days and 900 miles later we got back home in California. The
memories of this unforgettable trip will remain deeply etched into our
minds. Most of all, we're grateful for what God has done to help Daniel grow and
mature, through the loving efforts of the DayStar staff, their families and his
classmates. If you know anyone who might be interested in attending DayStar Academy,
we'll be glad to answer any questions.
So, until our next adventure, we'll sign off.
Daniel's heart is also with
Weimar Academy, which also holds many special memories from the two years he studied
there).
God Bless!
Fred, Diana & Daniel Adams
P.S. If you wish to save any of the above photos, just right-click on
the image, then click "Save picture as . . .", give it a name and save it on
your computer where you can find it later! |
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