Final Time...

Well I have been out here for a month and my time has come to an end.  Leaving is always a bittersweet time.  God and my family allow me to come out here, be away from them, and experience the west.  I get the oppurtunity to meet and work with some awesome people.  This place will always hold a special place in my heart.  I would be lying to say I am not ready to come home.  It will be nice to see Dawn and the kids...I do miss them!! 

I figured you might want to see the sunset on the ridge.  It is pretty cool.

 

 

This last one is probably my favorite.  The camera really does not do justice for what we get to see every day:)  Thanks to all who have prayed, helped, and watched over my family while I was gone.  We serve an Awesome God!!!

 

 

 

The plan is to meet Dawn and kids in town tomorrow and head to Yellowstone to take in the sites of the oldest national park in the US.

 

In Him,

 

Nate

 



Hikes and Sunrises

We had a few extra days off between the sessions, so my days off consisted of hikes, fishing, and a couple of trips taking people into town.  I did manage to fit in a few hikes that got me on top of the ridge for sunrises.  They are simply awesome up there.  I thought you would like to see the sequance.  The camera does not do it justice but you can get the idea.

 

Each time I go up the ridge you see different type of flowers bloom.  They  bloom at different times because of the heighth that the plants are at.  These flowers had started to bloom...sunflowers and mountain gerinums.  The sunflowers are almost 6 feet tall:)...way taller then me:)

 

 

Sometimes I get to have company to join the hike.  This time Aaron...our awesome cook came up with me.  It was his first time up the ridge.  He made and said he was glad he made the trip:)  Thanks for coming up cooky.....

 



 

I can never get enough sunrises.  God only gives you so many of them....I dont want to miss a single one:)

 

2 Sam. 23:4 He is like the light of the morning as sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.

 

In Him,

 

Nate

Day Off

Well it was time to get the waders on and see if I could get a fish to rise.  I left the ranch this morning and headed to Alpine, Wy. to fish the Grey River.  It is a cool river because the banks are pretty much straight up.  It has the native cutthroat trout in it.  They are absolutly one of the hardest fish I have ever caught.  After seaching for them..i finally found them...and boy was it fun.  I dont have any pictures because I was fishing by myself....but it was fun.  I caught 3 total.  It was a good day!!  I did manage snap a few shots of the river and what it looked like:)

 

 

The picture below is where I caught the fish.  The picture above is the back of the hole.  Cuttys like the slower deeper holes so you fish the backside of these runs.

 

 

 

The mountains above is Idaho.  That is how close Alpine is to Idaho.  I thought it was pretty cool.  The plant below is called Huckleberry.  It is like our raspberries and they make icecream out of them:)

 

 

Tonite after dinner and a run I figured i would spend some time in the river before dark and this is what happend.:)

 





 

 

I found one:)...this is a native cutthroat.  Not as big as earlier today but still a nice fish.  It was a great day to spend in God's cathedral.  I enjoyed my time with God.

 

John 7:38  "Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

 

In Him,

 

Nate



 

Day off...kinda of

Today was the 1st of 4 days off until the next round of campers.  But today started out with fishing...caught some lil guys but was still fun.  After fishing...I had to make a run to the airport to pick up some outfitters and guides.  Thought you might want to see what the trip looks like to the airport.  Jackson Airport is the only airport that is located in a national park....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Teton mountain range might be the prettiest mountains.  They are so majestic!!!  Well pretty much an uneventful day. 

 

In Him,

 

Nate

 

 

 

 

We are Back!!!

Well after an hour and forty minute hike we made it to the campsite.  It is what is refered to as the meadow.  It is a cool spot to camp at, surrounded by mountains.  It was a good hike.  Here is what it looked like...

 

This is the mountain we saw as the trees opened up:).  Some of the fellas getting camp set up....

 

 

The guy with his hat turned is Gary.  He is a retired Army vet.  At one time he served our country as a green baret:).  I believe something might have happened to him when he was in the jungle:)  He and I lead the kids up the mountain.  Could not have as for a better guide.  Thanks Gary!!

 

A couple of picts. of our campsite....

 

 

 

 

On July 4th we started the day with breakfast and then we started our hike.  Gary and I's goal was to take the kids up to 10,000ft.  A few kids were alittle worried but they hung in there and this is what it look like as we climbed.  It was a 3.5 hr hike:)...

 

 

As we continued to climb it became clear of where the destination was going to take us to.  At this height you can see the entire valley and some pretty cool rock formations.

 

 

If you look close enough in the pictures above you can see caves and ridges.  This is home to sheep and mule deer.

 

Well the kids went past 10,000 feet to 10,500 and this is what they saw....Simply Amazing!!!

The roads in the above picture is the camp we are staying at....that is the entire valley:)

 

 

 

 

So some of you might be wondering, How could we top off this view?  Well how about this...a snowball fight on the 4th of July....

 

 

 

I love this picture.....kids being kids....carefree and just having fun!!!!  As I sat and watched these kids I started to think about how I get caught up in "stuff" and miss what God has planned for us.  Often we make all these plans and miss the "simple" things in our walk.  Some of those simple and fun moments.  I dont want to miss those times....I dont want my plans to interfer with what God has planned for us!!!

 

What a great time for these kids.  Some had never done anything like this....they pushed themselves WAY outside their comfort zones!!  I am very proud of them.....21 up the hill...21 down the hill....it was a good day!!

 

Proverbs 21:11  When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

 

In Him,

 

Nate

 





 

 



 

 

 

 







Camping out

Well for the next 2.5 days we will be taking the kids up the mountain for a camping trip.  This is a full pack in hike.  Each pack will weigh 50-60 lbs.  These kids are going to be challenged for sure.  I am glad I have been running and working out.  But also this will be a great oppurtunity for the kids to grow and push themselves.  I compare what these kids are going to experience to my walk with Christ.  There are times He is pushing me to change and be molded.  Alot of times i question him, as these kids will question themselves if they can make it up the mountain, but after the trial you look back and say He changed me.  As I mentioned above this will be a challenge...keep these kids in prayer.  Some have never done anything like this:)...also pray for the staff as we are in charge of these kids..pray for safety but also for some good conversation and oppurtunities:)

Here are a couple of pictures of what my pack looks like and what the kids will be taking....

 

The piles consist of bear bags, food, stoves, eating tools....this will be broken up with their teams...these piles dont include their personal stuff:)

 

 

We will be camping starting tomorrow nite till friday morning!!!  Good Tymes!!!  Hopefully I will have some great photos of what 10,000 feet looks like:)

 

In Him,

 

Nate





Day Off!!!

Today was an off day as we prepare for another round of campers tomorrow.  The kids come tomorrow. After church this morning....My morning walk in God's cathedral:)  ...Aaron the cook and I smoked ribs, beans, and apple cobbler for the staff.  You can take the man away from his pit...but you cant take the pit out of the man:)

This is Aaron....he has been cooking since he was 14.......

16 racks of ribs....this was a whole new way of smoking for me...never smoked on an open pit before...the crowd was happy, happy, happy:) with the results:)

They even asked us to cook again....so that is a good thing:)...thanks aaron for the good day:)

God is Good!!

Nate

Saturday Sunrise

As many of you know I love the sunrise.  God only allows us so many and I have to see everyone.  So today we took the campers to the airport so a couple of campers decided to walk up the ridge to see the sun rise.  It is about 1000ft climb and we made it in 45 mins.  God blessed us with a good one:)

 

 

 

This is what it looks like to the west...The sun paints those mountain first as the light filters thru the peaks....



 

This is what I got to witness this morning as the sun appeared.....

 

 

And this is what the sun looks like as it makes it over the mountain.....

 

 

The ridge is probably my favorite place to see the sunrise.  When you are hiking up the ridge you often get to see some wildlife as they are eating.....we were fortunate to see some cow elk and some calves......(sorry so blurry)



 

The last picture is pretty cool.....As we were walking back down I saw this cross that was formed when a tree had fallen down.....

 

God's got a plan.  He is always present.  Always with us!!!  I am truely blessed to be out here doing this.  I am way outside my comfort zone not being with my family, but God does not want his people to be sitters but to be doers:).....

 

Matt. 28:19-20  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

In him,

 

Nate