A guy goes out in the woods...

While I took the kids down to Utah the 17th to the 24th, Evan was in the Wind Rivers of the Wyoming wilderness on the annual Allan family fishing/hiking/camping trip. Not to be confused with the secret Allan family fishing place (which we don't talk about so that other people don't go there), they freely talk about where this place is (because no one else wants to go there). Apparently they drive nine hours, then get out, load up the horses with the supplies to survive for a week, and then walk ten miles to the campsite.

(Picture is Evan as small boy with fish)

Evan hasn't been able to go since we've been married (which was SIX YEARS AGO YESTERDAY) because of school and research and learning-type things. Now that he's full of knowledge, he got to go on the trip! I've never been to the Wind Rivers for two reasons. First, I don't like going to the bathroom out of doors. Since I was raised by Ann Fillmore, I know how to do it and I have done it before, but the thought of doing it for a whole week is painful to me.

The second reason I haven't been is this:


There are apparently millions of mosquitoes. This means the fishing is great because the river has recently thawed and the fish are hungry for millions of bugs. I don't need to go to the wilderness to get bug bites--I can go to the mailbox and back and have new bug bites. When Edward and I play in the park with our ward members every Wednesday, we have lots of fun and I have 10 new bug bites. Maybe I have chiggers.

Anyway, part of the manly adventure is the beard growing contest! Evan's dad always wins because he is half mountain goat, but Evan and his brothers do fairly well since they are one-quarter mountain goat. Bryce (18) is still searching for his inner-mountain goat. Marc the Red (21) was disqualified from competing because he had three days of growth at the start of the week. Elise (15), quite thankfully, lost the facial hair competition.

Evan had a blast and caught 214 fish in four days of fishing. He came home furry, smelly, and blissfully relaxed. We're all glad it was a safe trip!