Malia”s dad

An excerpt from my unfinished TR: …Dave left this morning for Jackson. His neck was acting up and he didn’t get a single canyon in. Malia, Mike McIlvenna, and I have done Keyhole and Echo in the last couple of days. They are doing Pine Creek this morning. Later in the day Malia and I will meet up with the rest of our Imlay team and run through Pine Creek (yes, Malia will be doing it twice in one day, that crazy girl). We want to assess our team; are we compatible, do we have the skills, are we physically ready? Note: Malia’s dad has been entertaining. Out of the corner of my eye they appear to be carbon copies. I don’t know if it is the way they stand, or the shape of there bodies, or something else. When I look at them directly they look nothing alike. They are both photo hounds, always on the lookout for the great shot. They differ in their styles and there is disagreement. I can tell by the way it goes, it is an old argument. Malia rolls her eyes in resignation as many daughters the world over do when dealing with aging parents…

Malia and I are a team. I don’t know why we bonded so completely and readily. We trade of leads at a whim; me here, she there. It was no different as the reality of the situation in Zion unfolded. She was strong for this, me for that. I think it wasn’t until we separated and started wending our ways home that we realized how much we had been leaning on each other. We continue to look to each other for strength and we are finding comfort in the community. We are grateful for the support of our ‘family’ here in cyberspace and for the emails and phone calls from close friends. As the weekend approaches, whether you seek assurance of your rappelling skills, remembrance of the joy that canyoneering brings, or to surround yourself with the love and warmth of family, I hope you find acceptance and solace from this past weeks event. Penny