I am the first to admit that I am not a racing fan, but my past is linked to many racing greats. Among them is Dale Earnhardt, or as many fondly referred to him, "the Intimidator." I only met him twice. Both happened way back in 1991 at Heartland Park Topeka (HPT). The new $20 million track was trying to get a footing in the racing business. It really wanted to draw Nascar to town with its sprawling road course so management booked an ARCA event--the Wendy's Big Classic 100. Fans flocked from around the Midwest to watch it because HTP signed Kenny Schrader, Darrell Waltrip and Earnhardt to race in the minor circuit event. (Earnhardt got a $50,000 appearance fee.)
I met Earnhardt earlier in the week as his crew set up shop on pit row. I found him to be very welcoming in a "good old boy" kind of way. He was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. An interesting story people don't know about that week is since he had other mid-week commitments, Earnhardt could not stay with his team to qualify for the race. Instead, he left everything in the hands of his 15 year old son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and had Schrader look after him.
Heartland Park Topeka during a drag racing event
Heartland Park Topeka road course
When race day rolled around on Sunday, the Intimidator lived up to his nickname is more ways than one. Because he did not qualify, he started dead last in the pack of 35 drivers. Earnhardt needed only 13 laps to roar through the field from 35th place to third. While the throng of media was in the media tower monitoring the race, I was with my photographer on the infield documenting the sights and sounds. Then we got word that Earnhardt ran his car off the track on the back part of the course. Almost immediately, one of the HPT trucks dropped him off right by us. When I say he was angry, I mean he was really, really angry. As he walked across the infield in front of the jammed grandstand, I was about a half step behind him off to one side. After about 30 yards or so he turned to me and said something like "Well, do you have a question to ask, or what?!" I asked him what happened. From what I could hear over the roar of the engines, he said something about being too aggressive and losing control. I also asked him if the crash would bring him back to try to put the track "in its place." Again, he was pretty angry, said something like "You never know," and that was it. Then a car pulled up, he climbed in, and he drove out of the infield, past pit row, and straight to the airport where he flew out of town. By then the throng of media came running toward us from the media tower a couple of hundred yards away. "Where did he go?" they asked. "I guess he's gone," I said. "What did he say?" they asked. "You'll have to watch tonight at ten," I told them.
Schrader collides with Earnhardt at Daytona
Ten years later, Dale Earnhardt died after crashing hard into the wall at Daytona International Speedway. Ironically, Kenny Schrader was also involved in that crash and Darrell Waltrip was in the broadcast booth announcing it. The day was February 18, 2001--11 years ago today. I'd say "rest in peace" Dale Earnhardt, but something tells me the Intimidator would rather look for another competition to conquer.
I have a beef with Walt Disney. His Disneyland and Disney World theme resorts proudly proclaim themselves as the "happiest place on earth." I took my family to both places in the past. Don't get me wrong, they're great, but in my opinion, they do not compare to my "happiest place on earth."
Mine is called Spring Hollow, but in my family we simply call it "the crevice." It's a narrow opening cut out of sandstone cliffs in the Virgin River Valley of southern Utah. It's located on private land just south of the small town of Glendale on Highway 89. We took family vacations to that area every year of my childhood and it seems we always headed up the crevice. We returned there again this summer, but this time as a big group including three generations of Holyoaks.
Hiking in to Spring Hollow
The trailhead begins at 5,700 feet. The trail meanders along the bottom of a wash, also known as Spring Hollow Creek, although there's rarely any water in it during the summer. The farther you go, the closer the two sides of the canyon press in on you. The hike ends in a box canyon of sorts about a quarter mile later after a total elevation gain of only 300 feet. The sizzling southern Utah sun no longer beats down on you as you enter the suddenly cooler and shaded chamber. When the season is right, or after a recent rainfall, you see water trickling over a natural waterfall down a wall of horizontal, thin-layered strata into a deep pool. And what's really neat is when you look around, you see carvings in the sandstone that not only date back decades, but some of them date back to the 1800s.
The Holyoak gang arrives at the Crevice
Then the real fun starts.
Aubrey, Kenny & Lacey start the climb
It's time to head up the crevice.
Lacey & Aubrey on the left...my nieces Lindsey, Zoe & Emily on the right
Simply put, you put your back on one wall and your feet on the other and you shimmy straight up about 15 to 20 yards.
Mark nearing the top...Emily, Kathrine & Kerry near the bottom
Once on top, you'll find the Holyoak Wall. It's a slab of rock where we carved our names over the years. If your name is already there, then you carve the date you returned. Dates on the Holyoak Wall go back decades.
Holyoak Wall
I took my wife up the crevice just weeks after we got married so she could chisel her name into the wall. Each of my four kids also hiked the crevice to carve their names. My youngest and my son-in-law just added their names on this most recent trip (so now they're "officially" Holyoaks).
Looking down from on high...Jace already up there
Once on top, you can then drop back down 10 feet or so into another wash that leads to another natural waterfall about 40 yards away. On this particular day, we came across something I'd never seen on the hike--a small rattlesnake. (We actually saw two rattlers that day.)
"Don't tread on me"
There aren't as many carvings up top, but there are many more places to climb, pose and take photos. (Is this a great playground or what?)
"Working out" 15 feet above the floor below (far waterfall in background)
There are no crowds, no lines, no Matterhorn, no Star Tours, no Jungle Cruise, no Pirates of the Caribbean, and (thank goodness) no Small, Small World.
It's a long way up
Every time I hike in Spring Hollow, I always hate to eventually leave because I just don't know when I'll return.
Updating the wall
I do know it's a place that will live on forever in Holyoak lore.
During this visit, my son carved out his own Holyoak Wall in a different place. He said years from now, it will be there for his wife and kids. If that didn't put a smile on my face, I don't what will. The tradition continues.
Every father wants to see his son bypass his own accomplishments, and that's exactly what I'm witnessing. My son Jace is already taller than me, better looking than me (just barely), and now he reached the pinnacle of scouting--something I never got close to achieving.
I began as a cub scout in Wichita, Kansas. Shortly after that, we moved to Calgary, Alberta where I turned 11 and became a boy scout. With the help of my scout leader mother, I gathered enough merit badges to earn a bronze chain. (In Canadian scouting, there are three levels--bronze chain, silver chain, and gold chain, and then you become what's called a Queen Scout.) When we later moved back to the Wichita, I looked to continue my scouting career but the Boy Scouts of America did not accept any of the work I did in Canada--not First Aid, not Citizenship, none of it. Plus, the local boy scout office lost my sash with all my Canadian boy scout badges on it. Rather than accept what happened, learn from it, persevere, and move forward, I threw in the towel.
Contrast that "defeated" attitude with Jace. He, too, had a scout leader mother who helped him along his early path. As a boy scout, he busted out of the gate under the direction and motivation of his 11 year old scout leader, Larry Seipert. Jace already achieved the rank of First Class by the time he turned 12. He attended several scout camps--Melita Island in Montana and Camp Grizzly in north Idaho. While at Camp Grizzly, he noticed the work put in by the youth staffers and how they successfully mentored the younger boys. "Dad," he said, "I'd like to become a staffer too." That winter, he applied to become a merit badge counselor at Melita Island (see video below).
He was thrilled when he received word of his acceptance. That summer, I drove him to Flathead Lake where, now as a Life scout, he boarded one of the historic Melita Arks (see video below) for his six week stay on Melita Island.
He went to Melita, his first extended trip away from home, without knowing a single person. But soon, he had many friends. They gave him the nickname "Lolo" based on the small town south of Missoula where he grew up. As a staffer, he taught and supervised other young scouts from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin and other states who visited Melita Island with their scout troops for a week at a time. While he also assisted with the daily morning and evening flag ceremonies, took part in the Sunday evening skits in the amphitheater, and helped in the kitchen and Trading Post, his main duty was to help scouts earn merit badges in the Nature division of camp. Even though he was a staffer, he used some of his spare time to earn other merit badges that interested him. He also asked the senior staffers to help him earn the few required merit badges he still lacked to qualify for the rank of Eagle. (At least one member of Jace's troop and Jace's cousin from Idaho followed in his footsteps to work as staffers at Melita Island.)
Lori pins the Eagle medal on Jace
(Camp administration encourages parents and families to visit the island and spend the night to see how it operates. As a family, we surprised Jace one afternoon and spent the night there. I spent two other nights there--once with my wife and the other by myself after dropping him off for his second summer there. During my first visit, I took a camera with me to do a series of stories on Melita Island for KPAX-TV.)
Melita Island Camp Director Erik Isaacson & Scoutmaster and
long-time family friend Cameron Criddle
We brainstormed as a family and came up what seemed to be a worthy Eagle project--the final requirement that would allow Jace to become an Eagle scout. He wanted to erect a "Welcome to Lolo" sign on the north edge of town. He received an enthusiastic "thumbs up" from both the Lolo Community Council and the Missoula County Commission, so he started to make the sign become a reality. Jace began fundraising at various businesses all around Lolo. He also received the donation of three logs from Plum Creek. Jace came up with a design and initially consulted with a sign builder in Frenchtown before that became a dead end. At that point, he encountered a bureaucratic nightmare of legal red tape. He was disappointed, then rejuvenated, then disappointed, then rejuvenated. It was a long, long process (see video at the very bottom) involving Missoula County, the State of Montana, and other entities. In the end, it took almost two years for Jace to get final approval on a small piece of land where he could erect the sign. Then he turned to Sentinel High School shop teacher Kevin Schooler, who volunteered on his own time to help Jace finalize a design and then eventually build the sign. Jace received great support from his fellow 1986 troop members and several of the boys' fathers.
Troop 1986 flag ceremony
Jace & his American flag cupcakes
The public nature of the project led to a lot of attention once the sign was finally up. That included positive email and phone messages, letters to the editor, and a nice article in the Missoulian newspaper. Read it here.
Jace awards Mother's Pin to his mom, Mentor Pin to Larry Seipert & Father's Pin to his dad
The court of honor was a special evening. Those who attended included family, friends, scout troop members, LDS church members, Melita Island leaders, civic leaders, and other community members. Jace also received letters of commendation from Senator Max Baucus, Senator Jon Tester, Congressman Denny Rehberg, Governor Brian Schweitzer, and Missoula Mayor John Engen. (Here is the video we showed that evening of Jace growing up in scouting, a closer look at Melita Island Scout Camp, and Jace himself describing the challenges he faced erecting the "Welcome to Lolo" sign:)
From a proud father to his Eagle scout son. Jace, congratulations on your patience and perseverance. I salute you for a job and a scouting career extremely well done!
Remember getting on that playground carousel as a kid and spinning until you thought you'd throw up? Remember feeling like your brain would explode when you hovered over that first Geometry test? Okay, follow my lead. Grab a firm hold of the chair you're sitting in and click on this link: National Debt Clock. Did you do it? Okay, breathe in, breathe out. Now focus. Just look at all the red--total debt, personal debt, interest debt, mortgage debt, credit card debt, Social Security liability, prescription drub liability, Medicare liability, bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc. The red just goes on and on and on. It's mind blowing, isn't it?
Let's have a little history lesson in National Debt 101. America has always been in debt. It racked up approximately $75 million in unpaid expenses by winning its freedom from England in the Revolutionary War. From there, the U.S.started cutting into its debt until the Civil War rolled around when it ballooned from $65 million to almost $3 billion. Again, the post-war nation rebounded with an extended period of prosperity until we entered World War I. When it ended, the debt reached more than $25 billion. After World War II, America's gross public debt shot up to $260 billion. (Do you see a pattern here?)
The national debt continued to rise over the years, but it really took off in the last two decades. Thanks, in part, to his "Bush Tax Cuts" program, and starting new wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the debt under President George W. Bush exploded from $5.7 trillion to $10.7 trillion by the end of 2008. The spending continued when President Barack Obama took office thanks, in part, to his economic stimulus package and bailouts of the banking and auto industries. After his first 28 months in office, the national debt increased by 25 percent.
Here's the problem. America just maxed out its credit card. On May 16, the national deficit hit $14.3 trillion, the same amount as the $14.3 trillion national debt ceiling. In other words, the United States reached its legal borrowing limit. That did receive a mention in the national media and the Treasury Department put a temporary hold on spending until it shuffled several funds around to keep the country financially afloat. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. would only suffer a default after all emergency measures are exhausted and it runs out of cash of pay its bills. Treasury officials say that will happen on August 2 unless Congress does not raise the debt ceiling (again) before then. If that does not happen, they say an economic catastrophe will follow.
My question is when in the heck is America going to wake up and deal with its financial overspending habit? The only president over the last 30 years to live within a budget was President Bill Clinton, and he did so by working with a Republican-controlled Congress. Unfortunately, it looks like America's lack of financial sense will only continue. Last week, President Obama announced during a major speech on Middle East policy that he will relieve Egypt from paying the one billion dollars it owes the United States. Shortly after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, government officials there ripped the U.S. for its action and scores of protesters took to the streets vowing vengeance. It turns out America paid Pakistan approximately $20 billion in "counter-terrorism" aid over the last decade and plans on paying Pakistan another $2.3 billion next year alone.
I understand the United States is the world's "do gooder," but when do we pull back the reigns and focus on us? If we don't experience a sudden change of heart and chart a new course, getting sick on the financial carousel will be the least of our problems.
We love taking our munis (mountain unicycles) into the back country--especially up the many trailheads in the Bitterroot Mountains. This time around, my kids and I tried out Bass Creek Trail between Florence and Stevensville. Good times indeed.
I love my country. And I truly appreciate all those who ever served or continue to serve in the military. Those are just a few reasons why I love the Fourth of July. Every time I see the American flag and hear the Star Spangled Banner, which happened hundreds of times over the course of my television career --especially during my first 14 years as a sportscaster-- I feel my throat start to tighten up.
While I never served, I am the grandson of a World War II veteran and the son-in-law of a Vietnam veteran. I have had personal glimpses of what life is like in the service. My most memorable experience was a big-time eye opener in July of 2003. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were on a nationwide tour celebrating their 50th year of existence. They brought their squadron of $30 million General Dynamics F-16 Flying Falcons to Missoula to headline an air show. (By the way, my father-in-law worked at General Dynamics.)
Before we continue, how about a little Thunderbirds 101 tutorial. The Air Force designated its first demonstration team in 1953. The unit soon adopted the name Thunderbirds thanks, in part, to the Indian culture and forklore. Indian legend speaks of the thunderbird with great fear and respect. The types of planes flown by the Thunderbirds changed numerous times over the years as they performed all across the United States and around the world before millions of people. This year, the Thunderbirds will perform 58 times across the United States and Europe.
Back to my flight. My news director said there was an opportunity to fly with one of the pilots and asked if I was interested. I jumped at the chance. The photos above and the video below pretty much tell the rest of the story. What a thrill! Would I do it again? You bet I would. Thanks to the Thunderbirds, all our Armed Forces, our veterans and their families. Happy 4th of July.
The new $20 million track was trying to get a footing in the racing business. It really wanted to draw Nascar to town with its sprawling road course so management booked an ARCA event--the Wendy's Big Classic 100. Fans flocked from around the Midwest to watch it because HTP signed Kenny Schrader, Darrell Waltrip and Earnhardt to race in the minor circuit event. (Earnhardt got a $50,000 appearance fee.)
