Summer Time!

I can't help but love summers here in Idaho.  There are so many things to do and I am grateful Luke enjoys being outdoors as much as I do.  This last weekend Luke and I and some friends of ours went up to the Darby Wind Caves just outside of Driggs.  The John Huntsman thing was going on so we decided to make a weekend of it.  Saturday we went straight to the trail that leads up to the caves....4 hours and 7 miles later Luke and I safely returned.  Our friends turned around early with their little baby.  I haven't been that scared in a while!  It's not too bad of a hike going up there but about 10 minutes before you reach the caves it gets pretty steep and slippery.  Along the way we ran across a monument dedicated to five girls who had died on that hike....Should have known right then that wasn't a good sign, but Luke insisted saying it would be worth it.  Men.  Anyways we finally make it to the caves, a rushing waterfall comes right out of the mouth of the cave and from there drops about 80ft to a rocky bottom below.  Of course the only way to actually get into the cave is to cross a narrow ridge ON the waterfall to get to the other side.  Could we have been any more stupid??  I think not.  Oh and did I mention I am terrified of heights?  So me being the idiot I am crosses first while Luke is recording me.  He tells me to keep low so I am literally crawling on my hands and knees in this freezing mountain water feeling any minute I am going to be swept over the edge to my death.  You seriously feel like you are going to be swept away between the momentum of the water and how slippery the rocks were.  Again, WHAT WAS I THINKING??!  I finally get to the other side and now it's Luke's turn.  He thinks he's too cool to crawl so he decides to just walk across normally.  I am freaking out and am ready to punch him when he finally makes it over safely.  Long story short, once we were on the other side we still couldn't go all the way into the caves because of the waterfall.  So all of that for a stinking glimpse of a scary-looking cave.  Now to go back across that terrifying ridge....
After it was all said and done I was shaking so badly I could hardly make it back down the mountain.  I wanted to cry....and I think I did.  Once we got back down to the car we went to set up camp, roasted some brats for dinner, then headed to the festivities in town.  The firework show was amazing!  I have never felt the desire to be patriotic more than I did during that show.  Seriously, amazing.  If you have the chance I highly recommend going.  I told Luke during the show that it was on my bucket list to dance underneath fireworks someday... and the next thing I know he is asking me if I would like to dance!  We did a little slow dance then it turned into a swing.  He can be so romantic sometimes :)  After that we went back to camp and roasted some delicious s'mores.  I love summer and camping and sitting around the fire :)  It was also fun to use all of our cool camping gear for the first time.

             

 Inside the entrance of the cave.  Notice how I am staying close to the wall.

 Ran into some friends on the way back!

 John Huntsman's "Celebrate America"