vacations, part 4 of 5

My favorite memory of a vacation. I believe we went to Cottonwood Pass with Uncle Gerald’s. We all started the hike up to an old mine near the top of the mountain. All the girls and you and Aunt Marylyn turned
back when the road ended. Dad, Gerald, David and I went on. We hiked a long way up and came to an old mine, with a cabin and a spring. We drank water from the spring. I wasn’t feeling good and even though I really wanted to go on, dad told me to stay there and wait and they would come back. I was so afraid being along. Shortly after they left I heard a noise in the brush. I was so scared I couldn’t run or go anywhere. It came again and again. I just remember being so afraid and then Uncle Gerald came out of hiding. He was tossing rocks toward me so I would think it was a bear. He must have known how afraid I was. I was so glad to see him I couldn’t be mad.
That summer dad showed me ways to follow trails that would lead from one mine to another clues to look for. Dad would let me lead the way. I thought it was so much fun winding through the trees and then finding an old mine that wasn’t even on the trail. I’m sure he knew all along where they were but dad taught me so much and I loved spending time with him doing things a lot of girls didn’t like to do. I didn’t need to be on a vacation to have fun with dad, he made most everything we did fun.