Hole-In-The-Rock---March 12th-14th, 2020----The beginning of the year 2020- a year we will never forget!!

One of our favorite trips ATV trips is to go to the Hole-in-the-Rock. When the 3rd ward started planning another trip and Jeremy said he could use help transporting his kids, we jumped at the chance to go with them.  The weather reports had been a little iffy with rain and snow predicted 

but Bishop Shawn Jack is not one to be scared away from a planned  experience for his ward. And, so off we went on March 12th, 2020.

The first night as we were camped at Marble Camp, we were wondering if the decision to go ahead with the trip was a good one.  The winds blew hard and the rain came down.  There was no sleep going on in our tent or for most of the people in the camp that night.  In the morning we woke up to a noise we couldn't identify at first.  It sounded like a very strong wind blowing through trees.  There were no trees and the tent was not swaying like it would if there was wind.  When we looked outside we realized that the noise was.  There was a small river of water flowing just down the hill from our tent.  It had rained

so hard in the night that water was running hard and noisily.  We had to drive through that river to get to the beginning of the trail on the other side. We all made it through safely!!!

The day actually turned into a beautiful day for a ride on a precarious and

crazy trail.  But, it is so much fun!!!

There were inspirational stories told along the way.  It helped us appreciate 

the pioneers and their strength and their testimonies as they had traveled this

trail so many years ago.

After many hours on that crazy trail, there is the Hole-in-the-Rock across the lake.

We ate lunch and got the group pictures and then headed back to camp.

We got back to camp safely with no major mishaps.

When we had left Blanding a couple of days earlier there was 

information coming out that the Corona Virus that had emerged in China earlier was 

making its way to the United States.  It was serious and deadly. 

The stores were running out of all kinds of supplies by now and hand sanitizer was unavailable. 

 I made my own to take with us to the hole-in-the-rock :)

While we were in our isolated world out on the trail to the Hole-in-the Rock we had been hearing rumors, that were coming from the outside world, that temples were closing and we would not be having Sacrament meetings plus other group meetings together for awhile.  It was hard to imagine that it had 

gotten that bad in the few days we were gone but soon the rumors were confirmed. There would be no group meetings for an undetermined length of time and the temples around the world were indeed closing.

Wow, we were in shock.  More information to come......

After getting back home, there is the clean-up of vehicles and of people.  

Plenty of red dirt makes its way back home with us! 

Mason was put in charge of vacuuming out the jeep they had rented for the trip.

The beginning of a year that will not be forgotten---https://nypost.com/list/major-2020-events/