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Date: Saturday, May 18, 2002
8:07:59 AM
From: catherine@ivumed.org
Subj: YSI Reunion
To: dacol@mind.net,
pmg@atrav.com, larryjjsy@msn.com,
DJohnston8@aol.com
Dear Wonderful Old Friends
Here it is, the morning of
the party, and I am here in Salt Lake City, having thought that I would have
some time in the last couple of weeks to sit down and remember those years with
YSI. The time has been wild with emergencies and late hours at the hospital,
and finally, I do have some time.--A quiet Saturday morning with snow melting
on the mountains and the sky brilliantly clear westward over the lake and
toward Nevada and California.
Today is my daughter,
Jenna's senior prom, and I promised I wouldn't miss it, as I have missed so
many others because of work or being out of the country. But, thinking of those
years (30+ years ago), I wish I were there with you!
The first time I came to
Salt Lake was with you and YSI. We were on our way to the Grand Tetons, on my
first YSI trip. We had been practicing some rock climbing at Alum Rock Park,
and then we headed off for the big adventure. I signed in at the LDS visitor
center, and my mother was plagued for months by hopeful missionaries. I am not
sure she has forgiven me yet. I have vivid memories of that first trip--Larry
coaxing hesitant kids up (and down, in the dark) the mountain. The sight of
stars so clear and close. . .
Subsequent trips blur in
memory, and I can only remember pieces (although the winter trip to Ostrander
Lake where we hiked in because of lack of snow and my sister, Mary (who had for
some reason worn Desert boots) got her feet frostbitten, stands out pretty
clearly. My first experience with Southern Comfort was, I think, on a trip to
Kings Canyon when I woke up, soaking wet in the morning beside a river which I
must have fallen into. Climbing Puppy (or was it Kitty?) Dome in the moonlight
and rapelling down, setting up a lemonaide stand on the top of Half Dome, and
deciding ond day (as we were sitting in the hot springs on the Eastern Sierra,
that we would really rather go swimming at the beach, driving to Santa Cruz and
swimming and sleeping wet in the sand. . .
5/18/2 America Online : DJohnston8 Page 1