I was talking to a friend at work today, and the story about fourth year hike came up.  She said I should write it down - so here is the story.

This has been several years ago.  

I got to go with several girls on the Fourth Year Hike.  In the LDS Church, it is something special that girls get to do as they develop their camping skills.  Our Bishop also went with us, as well as our Stake President (Joseph Smith) who was also from our ward.  

This hike is supposed to be a five mile hike.  Our hike - thanks to a drill sergeant sort of stake leader was a twelve hour hike!!  I'm sure we covered more than five miles.  I think we hiked from Alta to Brighton and back to Alta.  There wasn't one bit of level ground.  Also, we were hiking on slate  - pieces of slate that slipped every time you stepped on it. 

My girls did great, and actually made it to camp an hour or two before me.  I promised President Smith I would NEVER go hiking again.  And I have been true to my word.

This same drill sergeant had the rest of the girls do a "one mile hike".  My girls were prepared with water and treats.  This one mile hike turned into about a five mile hike.  (I didn't go - because I was already sick of hiking)  My girls gave their treats and water away.  It was a hot day.  When they got back, most of the girls were dehydrated.  We gave the girls water and all was well.

Until . . .  the middle of the night!!  I started hearing sounds that make me gag - girls in the other tent were starting to barf.  My friend, Ruth Ann who was in that tent called out.  "Jimi, come in here and help us.  The girls are throwing up."  Just the words make me gag.  I said I would pass anything into them that they needed, but I just couldn't go in there.  Ruth Ann helped the girls get their sleeping bags, and what ever else was barfed on into some big plastic garbage bags.  I was on the outside of the tent while this happened.

Finally, things were good in that tent.  I went to crawl back into my tent.  The zipper was stuck at about the twelve inch mark.  I had to slither in there like a snake.  My daughter, Brenda had escaped the barfs now had a nose bleed that was like a red fountain.  No matter what we did, that thing did not want to stop bleeding.  I think that went on for about half an hour.  

The rest of camp was uneventful - thank heavens - for me.

As time went on, Ruth Ann couldn't ever find the bag that had her pants in it.  Sometimes I envision it as a giant, black HUGE plastic bag, bouncing it's way across the USA.