Family Reunion

We had our big family reunion a few weeks ago and I finally put our caving pictures onto our computer. We have our reunion every three years which I think is perfect. It's over in Swan Valley in eastern Idaho. On one of our days we decided to take the hike and go into the wind caves, which is near Victor, ID. Our whole family, minus Grant, went. I was very proud of my kids for going. It was a 2.7 mile hike with a steady incline the whole way. Way to go Merrell kids! Then Nata and Remi went to the end of the cave with Matt and I. Porter didn't crawl back there since he fell during the hike and landed on his knee. The Nature Gods were not with Porter this day. He managed to take that fall, get blisters (he didn't have good hiking shoes), lose the head lamp we had just bought, and get a major nose bleed in both nostrils. Nature did not pay attention to the white flag he was mentally waving. Anyhow...it was fun.

So they're called the wind caves. And that's because there's a breeze blowing through it which you don't hear or feel until you get to a tight space. Then the wind is whipping through the small hole trying to get through it. This 2nd picture is of the entrance to the cave. You cross that water and then climb up to the left. That is where the entrance is. You can fill your water bottle with cold, fresh, filtered water- for a small fee. Just kidding, but wouldn't it be funny to see someone set up a little table selling it? (Kind of like the guy who set up a message table next to the green belt with a poster trying to sell a swedih message.) 3rd pic.- A pitcure of part of the gang that went into the cave.

On this pic. we were walking along a ledge. Matt is helping Natalie along. I was thrilled she went because she's afraid of the dark and heights. Is it normal for 4th graders to all of a sudden get all these fears of things she was never afraid of before? The ledge wasn't too difficult. just a little intimidating.

There were a lot of tight places we had to crawl through. This was one of the tight spots. The kids breezed right through it, but it took longer for the adults to get through, especially the tall ones.

And we went through all that trouble for this- a black hole. This spot is where it joins with the other cave. There is an ice cave that sits above the wind cave, but that requires repelling and other specialized gear to get to. At this point in the cave, there are metal brackets on either side of the wall where people hook up their gear.

All in all I would call it a good day :).