Remembering Roger!

Launa Menlove noted on FB on Friday that it was the 12th anniversary of Roger's death.  Many years ago, Harry and Harry went on a backpacking trip to the High Sierras.  He later told Roger about it, and Roger wanted to be involved in the next one.  Thus began a tradition of many years of backpacking trips involving Roger and sons, Harry and son, Bob Miller and sons,  Mike White Jr, Mark Hanke, and others.  Roger - ever the efficient engineer - suggested that only one camera be hauled up and then the photos sent to everyone.  He even labeled them!!  And there were - and are - lots of photos!! Here are 3 of them!

Bob Miller, Roger Menlove, Harry Terrill - later when Harry F. was filling out his Eagle application, it was noted that he had never gone to an official Scout camp - so Bob wrote up their many backpacking trips as "Scout Camp!"

 

This was a tiny thumbnail print when I was looking through the photos - so I wasn't sure who it was - but it's Mike White Jr. enjoying a pretty good catch I would say!!

Some great memories that come in conversation all the time!

When long ago seems not so far away -

Harry and Harry F. used to go backpacking every year - usually in August.  It started out just the two of them.  Then other men in the ward wanted to join in - and their sons came too.  Eventually it was pretty much taken over by those who prefer a little more notice and organization than Harry has ever felt necessary.  But he and Harry F. still went along and still had a fine time.

Recently I came across a treasure trove of photos from some of these trips.  They are not labeled - so they are earlier than the time when a certain someone suggested - rather efficiently - that only one camera be carried - remember this is before lightweight, small digital cameras were on the scene - and one person would take the photos and get copies to everyone else.  When those copies came, they were all labeled on the back!!

The trips blur for me - I remember when they went just before Hannah was born.  I'd never had a baby early in my life, but I was convinced she'd come while they were gone.  I guess not convinced enough to insist that Harry stay home.  And Hannah was early - but that was still after they got back!

They would all congregate in our living room - sorting and packing and discarding and consolidating.  After they'd leave, I'd clean up their mess and open up some Franco American canned spaghetti for dinner - a personal fave of mine that your dad would gag at!

I don't ever remember resenting their leaving and leaving me in the heat of the summer with a house full of little kids - well, Bonny wasn't little and she was a big help too - but I was happy that they could have that time together.

Like lots of good things, it eventually petered out.  People couldn't go anymore.  Schedules conflicted.  School activities got in the way.  He did go a couple of times with Noah, but somehow the tradition did not survive.  Harry often came home suggesting that sometime he and I should go together.  One time we took Hannah, Noah, Harry F. and Dawn and rented a cabin in the lower Sierras for a weekend.  Not quite the same, but lots of fun.  One time Harry, Noah and Greg took a trek to Grand Canyon for a week of camping and hiking.

But the annual August trek is now a memory - but a rather well-documented memory.  Maybe I will post some more photos - but I'm not sure how much scenery you are interested in seeing.  It's all pretty similar.

This is one time when I'm pretty sure "you had to be there!"