Keyhole Canyon Flash Flood

     With the recent tragedy that occurred to the hikers in Keyhole Canyon this last week, I'd like to take this opportunity to express that my hopes and prayers are with the family members of the deceased: Linda & Steve Arthur, Robin Brum, Gary Favela, Mark MacKenzie, Muku Reynolds, and Don Teichner. I'd also like to remind everyone that the dangers associated with flash floods are real. These were experienced hikers. They had trained for this. Unfortunately, sometimes no amount of training can prepare you for what Mother Nature throws at you. Water is one of the strongest forces on the planet. It carved the Grand Canyon and millions of other geological wonders around the world. If you are trapped inside a tiny canyon when a flash flood comes through, you are toast. The only thing you can do is make sure you aren't inside such a canyon if there is any chance of a rain storm. I've attempted to hike the Narrows again on a few occasions following our adventure; but each time the weather forecast has prompted me to alter my plans. Life is fragile. It can be snuffed out quicker than a candle. Live life, but don't take dangerous risks. It just isn't worth it.

2015 Family Reunion

I just got back from the 2015 Allred Family Reunion in Pine Valley, Utah. We had a great time getting reacquainted and meeting the new members of the family. Some of the activities included: horseshoes, Frisbee golf, candy guessing game, an obstacle course, campfire programs, potluck dinners, arts and crafts, a family hike, a short excursion to the sand dunes (it was triple digits so we didn't stick around long), swimming in the river, a devotional, and family trivia games. It was fun watching the new generation having fun with their cousins just like we did when we were young. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Happy Mothers' Day

     Last year I paid tribute to the DTB Cousins' fathers. This year I'd like to honor their moms: Aunt Doris, Aunt Sandy, and Aunt Jen. Because they didn't go on the hike, their roles in the story are somewhat minor. However, the three women who the characters are based on are three of the most stalwart women I know: Dottie, Sally, and Janie. I have seen each one of them (as well as my other aunts) camping out in the middle of nowhere, taking care of their families under rustic conditions (such as pit toilets), and enjoying it - not just once, but every other year for my entire life. It didn't matter if they were expecting a baby, or taking care of multiple toddlers in diapers; they were there building memories with their families. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. They continue to do hard things, are are awesome examples of motherhood to their children and grandchildren.

     I especially want to take this opportunity to thank the two most important women in my life - my mother and wife. It has been three years now since I published The Narrows Escape. They have been, and continue to be, my biggest fans. They have read several versions of my books through the years and always offer words of encouragement as well as valuable insights. I appreciate their support and enthusiasm for my writing projects, and want them to know how much I love them. Thank you!

The Path Less Trodden

I love to travel. I also enjoy quiet solitude - exploring the unknown. I often choose to vacation in areas that are less crowded. It is one of the reasons I've always been drawn to Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." It is also why I've enjoyed hikes such as the Virgin Narrows.
Recently, I've decided to start a new blog dedicated to travel tips and ideas. It is a way I can share some of my other adventures without writing a full length book about them. The blog is called The Path Less Trodden and can be found at travelthepathlesstrodden.blogspot.com for those interested in viewing it. The first spotlight is a short hike that leads to a shipwreck on the California coast. My family just discovered it last week. It is definitely found on the Path Less Trodden. The DTB Cousins would have loved exploring it.

Pi Day

3/14/15 - 3.1415 - Pi - pie
Yesterday was Pi Day. It's not an official holiday, but it should be. I can't remember for sure when I first heard about Pi Day, but it must have been from a student who had a really cool math teacher. I only wish my math teachers had thought of it back when I was taking math classes. Pie is without a doubt my favorite dessert - and I love most pies. Among the few that aren't worth the calories are pumpkin pies and lemon meringue. If the DTB Cousins had been lucky enough to celebrate Pi Day at school, I imagine that their favorites would be as follows: Devin - banana cream, Trey - pumpkin, and Brady - strawberry. Of course, any one of them would go for apple pie a la mode any time, any day. I think I'll go check the fridge for leftovers...

DTB Blog

I started this blog about a month after The Narrows Escape was published as a way to promote the book. I figured that the additional exposure would help book sales. I don't know how many hours I've spent writing this blog, but I honestly don't know if anyone has purchased the book as a result of reading it. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it to keep it going since sales have trickled down to about one or two books a year. At first I posted weekly. Later it was bi-weekly. Lately, I've struggled to come up with one blog a month. This month almost passed by without me posting anything. I'm afraid if I let that happen, it would be hard to keep it going. Is it worth it? I'm not sure. There is always some traffic on here, but not much. It would be nice to get some feedback on what type of posts people like, or even what they think of the book.
Here are some facts regarding the blog:
4,594 all-time page views
Most popular posts:
1. "First anniversary" - 1,010 (artificially boosted by spammers); 2. "The Narrows Escape" - 141; 3. "Brad Allred" - 116; 4. "My journal entry from the actual Narrows flash flood" - 105; 5. "DTB Codes" - 53
Most popular month:
1. June 2013 - 918 hits (spammers); T2. November 2013 - 191; T2. August 2014 - 191; 4. November 2012 - 185; 5. July 2012 - 181.
Least popular month:
January 2015 - 18
Traffic sources:
1. google.com - 143; 2. facebook.com - 116; 3. ampirestat.com - 77; 4. blog-zug.com - 75; 5. yandex.ru - 52
Audience:
1. USA - 2,231; 2. Russia - 337; 3. France - 198; 4. Germany - 177; 5. Turkey - 169
Browsers:
1. Internet Explorer - 44%; 2. Firefox - 22%; 3. Chrome - 19%

The Barrel - Take 2

If you've read the book, The Narrows Escape, you'll remember the barrel, and the role it played. It was based on a real 50-gallon drum that we saw during the flood (see pictures on post labeled The Barrel). In these deleted scenes, you can see how the barrel was originally introduced, and the role it played in helping Brady convince the others that he was on to something:

"Hey, look at the size of that trunk!" shouted Brady.

            Everybody inspected the smashed remains of a tree that lay partially submerged in the shallow water near the left bank. Devin stared in awe at the battered trunk with just broken shards remaining of what had once been large branches. He gulped nervously as he realized what similar forces would do to a human body.

            Down the bank a few yards was a large pile of debris that had been dumped by the river where the canyon widened a bit. On top of the debris sat the 50-gallon drum they had seen. The two rangers headed straight for it – Ranger Smith jogging and Ranger Sorensen hobbling along behind.

“What on earth are you doing?” asked Uncle Darrell as the ranger inspected the outside of the barrel.

“Oh, uh, I’m just checking to see what kind of barrel it is,” answered Ranger Smith, looking a little flustered.

“Why?” asked Uncle Randy.

“Oh, uh, well…we can’t leave hazardous materials in the canyon,” he answered. “They can ruin the environment.”

“Yeah, we better carry it out,” agreed Ranger Sorensen. He turned to Brady and said, “I’m afraid we’re going to have to confiscate it.”

“That’s fine,” answered Brady. “I was just joking about it being mine anyway.”

Then, a couple of chapters later, after the rangers and Arthur had gone ahead:

Brady breathed a sigh of relief as the panic and adrenaline seeped from his body. He had made it across the pool and could once again feel the ground beneath his feet.

Then he remembered the obstacle he’d encountered. “Hey, Dad, I kicked something in the water.”

“It was probably a rock.”

“No, it was smooth,” insisted Brady. “Like plastic.”

“So?”

“I think it was the barrel the rangers were carrying.”

“There’s no way they’d leave it there after all the trouble they went through bringing it this far,” argued Uncle Randy.

“Unless they no longer needed it,” Brady reminded him.

“If this is about them being robbers again…” began his dad.

“You wanted proof,” Brady reminded him. “If this is the barrel, then it proves they were lying about wanting to take it out of the canyon.”

His dad considered it for a second. “Well, go back and check. We could use a rest anyway.” He and Uncle Randy laid the stretcher on a large boulder and his dad checked the man’s vital signs again.

“I was hoping someone else would check it out,” muttered Brady as he peered anxiously at the pool they’d crossed.

“I’ll check it out,” volunteered Amber. She took off her pack and waded out against the current until she was forced to swim. She had to swim full bore to make any progress, but about halfway across she stopped. Only her head was above water, but she was anchored in place. “I found something!” she gasped.

Brady’s dad and Uncle Randy looked over with interest.

“Is it the barrel?” asked Brady excitedly.

“It feels like it, but there’s no lid. It’s full of water inside.”

“It could be a different one,” suggested Uncle Randy.

“It’s just as I suspected!” declared Brady. “As soon as they ditched us, they opened up the barrel, transferred the money to their pack, and then sunk the evidence!”

The others looked at him in surprise. Then his dad slowly shook his head and declared, “Either you’re the next Sherlock Holmes or the next Franklin W. Dixon. I’m not sure which.”