Our family recently spent a few days in the mountains at the Great Basin Environmental Education Center (GBEEC), which is run by Snow College - located at about 9,000 feet above sea level, just east of Ephraim, Utah. We were joined by three of my siblings, their children, my parents, two sets of uncles, their families (kids and grandkids), and an aunt. We had a lot of fun sleeping in cabin/cottages, fishing, hiking, playing games, roasting marshmallows, laughing (a lot) and sleeping (very little).
My uncle Jim Jensen arranged the whole adventure and prepared lots of documents, photos and history of our great-grandfather A.W. Jensen. Uncle Jim gave a talk about the history of A.W. and how instrumental he was in preserving the land in that area. He was a member of the American Forrestry Service and stood up against social, religious and political pressure to regulate the grazing that had previously destroyed much of the mountains ecology and the resulting economy of the communities in the valleys below them.
The little museum at the GBEEC is almost like a family history tour. My uncle Jim presented some documents and photographs to college administrators to add to their collection and preserve the historical relevance of our ancestor.
My kids got to know their second cousins a bit better and made some friendships which will likely last longer than the memories of the trip itself.
I have a pretty sweet family. Thanks for everything, Great-grandpa!
