Coyote Gulch

Many years ago TJ took me on my first backpacking trip to this place called Coyote Gulch. And as soon as I got there I KNEW we needed to somehow get the kids down there. It wouldn't be easy. With either an 8 mile hike in the hot sun with backpacks on in the sand, or a 3 mile hike in the sun with a climb down...both extremely hard for kids. But once you finally get there, its like a little slice of heaven. Just quiet and serene. An oasis from the world. For me its so enticing because not just anyone is going to camp there and not just anyone can get there so its special to experience a place not everyone will. Its really the perfect place for kids. Ankle deep wide river running thru to play in and sandy camp sites. We did our homework, got all the gear you could ever need and planned it all out just right. We prepared so well. The kids did great on the hike in, well once I relieved them from their packs and I carried three that is. Tj did great setting up the ropes and harnesses for the kids and carrying Kasen on his back on the way down into the gulch. We had made it in and everything went according to plan. Until it got dark and the bats took over our campsite so we had to walk with the packs again in the river at 10pm in the dark looking for a new campsite. The kids weren't a fan of the poisen ivy taking over the trail to the black lagoon. And our first mistake came when we hiked the kids 7 miles the first day. Down the river to see waterfalls and such. I'm still not sure why neither one of us thought much of that and why we just didn't think. The day was still fun just super exhausting. We forgot one sleeping pad so I slept on the sand which really feels like concrete. Lexi got super sick coughing that night and echoed the canyon ALL night. Luckily I had brought medicine but she felt awful all night. Next day Kasen woke up not able to walk because his little legs were so tired and sore from all the miles the day before. And we still had the hike out. Again not sure what we were thinking. As well as we were prepared we were not prepared to sit on the rock in the hot sun for hours on end while waiting our turn to climb up out of the gulch. Why we didn't refill water while waiting or tell the people who were wanting to use our ropes to wait until we were done I'll never understand and I'll never forgive myself. I put my kids at deaths door and I am SO THANKFUL that we all made it out ok. I watched my kids throw up with heat stroke, almost collapse from heat and exhaustionlearned a lot about ourselves, each other and our Heavenly Father. We can do hard things. They all did things they didn't think they could do. overcame fears and pushed through when their little bodies wanted to give up. It took Chloe a full week or more to fully recover physically from this excursion. She was just so sick. I don't think I have fully recovered still from this trip. As a mom I never thought I would see my kids in such a situation and knowing that I full on put them in it. Having to watch them push so hard to get out. Its definetly not a proud mom moment for sure.

. I saw them climb with heavy packs on with tears running down their faces feeling like they couldn't take another step. I watched my husband start to shut down with every few steps he took. I did things I didn't think I could do. I have never in my life felt so depleted and exhausted both physically and mentally as I watched my kids trudge through the sand with it burning their legs and not being able to pick them up and carry them home. When I literally thought we would drop all our gear just a mile from the car because I didn't think we could take another step. When I stopped to drop gear and pick my little boy up to relieve his little feet to comfort him and hold him I didn't know what to do or how we were going to get out of this. My little kids were hot, exhausted and I had no water to give them. No shade and no arms to carry them. I said a prayer. And a minute later up in the distance I could see the man and his daughter who we let use our rope coming back for us. He followed the prompting he got from the Holy Ghost saying to drop his stuff and turn back to help the family. Him and his 13 year old daughter came back for us and took our heavy loads off our backs so that we could pick up our children. I will NEVER forget this experience. I KNOW that prayers are answered and that we are NEVER alone and that we are always being watched over. Angels are everywhere and I am forever grateful to that man and his sweet daughter for carrying us when we couldn't carry ourselves. I get sick when I think about just how close to the brink of death some of us were. How close some of my kids were to not making it. How different this trip could have turned out. We all