Life and Death at Spirit Mountain Cave

To memorialize our last week in Montana, my mother, David, Alex and I decided to go on an adventure, in Wyoming. I need to explain something first. Ever since I was about 7 years old I can remember listening to this book called "Tennis shoes among the nephites" on tape. There are about 10 "sequels" to this book and they are all fascinating. It starts out as a story about 2 kids, who discover a tunnel inside a cave that when followed long enough, will take you back in time thousands of years to Nephite (ancestors of the indigenous American Indians from the Book of Mormon) times. They grow up, but always seem to find themselves returning to Book of Mormon times and having adventures. I honestly think I have "read" these books more than any other person alive, seriously. Well, in the book this magical mountain cave happens to be in Cody, WY. Just a few years ago I found out that this Mountain actually exists! I was mesmerized and dreamed about hiking up and searching for this cave. This summer on my Wagon trek, I was talking to a guy who happened to be the principle at Cody high. I asked him if Spirit Mountain Cave actually existed and he said YES!!!!! I was so excited. I went home and googled it and called the BLM and everything. Well, as part of our vacation, my adventurous companions and I decided to go explore Spirit Mountain Cave.

Now, I used to be hard core. I've done a lot of really cool and really brave things. I don't mean to brag, I just feel this is important background information. I've swam through a tight underground tunnel that connected two small caverns inside a cave, I've rappelled down a waterfall, I've been spelunking more time than I can count, and explored a handful of the stand up and walk around type of caves too. I've braved the bat cave and even gone back to help others 'experience' it, I've been fishing in a tiny boat on the ocean, I've been fishing in quite a few interesting and sweet places actually. I backpacked through Europe at 19 with a friend and no knowledge of any useful European language, I've climbed MT. Timp in the middle of the night, I've shot both a deer and antelope (running at 150 yards). I slept under the stars in wild burro country (wink, Gwen), I married a wildland firefighter, the point is, I used to be cool.

Let me also explain a few things about my mother. She is REALLY brave. She has done a LOT of things that I would never be able to. She still does things that I never could muster up the courage to do. She is amazing, and very brave, except when it comes to heights.
My mother is terrified of heights. Terrified. I can remember as a child walking out on rickety old bridges made of broken boards while on vacation, and then jumping up and down just laugh at my mother's horrified face. It is probably because of this, that I have also, slowly, inherited this fear from her, and will probably have an equally naughty child.

So we drove to Cody, WY, found the mountain and started up the dirt road switchbacks. Mom was squeamish from the start and David and I laughed while telling her she was being silly, and there was nothing to be worried about. I kept saying that we should switch spots and I would drive (very easy to say from the back seat). We made it about 1 mile up the switchbacks when the narrow road located between the mountain side and a cliff, seemed to head straight off the side of the mountain. Mom couldn't take it anymore, and the only place my prodding and goading got me, was in the drivers seat. The best part of it, and something I think only my brothers will truly be able to picture and understand, is that Mom couldn't even be in the car, and insisted on walking up the road until it was safe. At this point I realized we were in a pickle. Mom could not get us up or down, and I think I was only a fraction less terrified (actually having the urge to walk myself), there was no way I was going to let David drive, and therfore I had to do it.
Well, that wasn't the last spot mom had to get out and walk, and I don't know how I got us up that mountain. I kept thinking to myself, that the worst case scenario would be just parking the car where it was, walking down the mountain into town, and sending someone back up to rescue the truck. Pathetic I know, but that was my back up plan. By the time we reached the turn out, Alex had learned the word "OH NO!", I'm not even kidding. She kept saying it over and over in the cutest concerned voice. Even on the path to the cave there was no sense of safety as we were walking on the edge of a mountain. Thank goodness David was there. He carried Alex the whole half mile there and back and didn't even harass mom and I for being chickens. We made it to the cave, took some pictures and headed back.

I think driving down is worse than up, and I was terrified (though trying to play calm and cool for the sake of the women and children). I can promise you right now, the only way we got down was because of the very fervent prayer we all said before we attempted our decent. Mom was in the back with a hat over her face, counting to distract herself. David was trying to engross himself in the PSP so he wouldn't look out the window. Alex sat in confusion wondering why grandma had a hat on her face, and I was white knuckled and tense as a board. We made it, and it wasn't that bad either. When we were finally on flat earth again I felt as if I had scaled Everest or completed the Ironman, such was my feeling of accomplishment.

The adventure wasn't over for my poor mother though, who had to watch me and David take Alex out over the Cody Dam. We ate lunch at Buffalo Bills hotel and drove to Worland to relax, and enjoy the evening. I woke up with terrible shoulder pain which I am sure is from tensing up so much while driving that tighrope. We are safe at home now after enjoying a grand adventure together, and I can now return to getting my adrenaline rush from killing spiders(at 3 yards with a can of Lysol).

Pictures to come later