Hi Brooke and Peggy,

      The range of your adventures with Gale is remarkable.  I thought I'd just add a few cherished memories of outings with you.  My first ascent of Deseret Peak was with Brooke in 1989. We noticed piles of horse droppings up near the top, left by mustang stallions to mark out their territory.  In a little while we saw the mustangs. The stallion was up on a rise keeping watch while his ladies grazed in a ravine. The whole scene struck me as a perfect allegory of academia. You raise as big a pile as you can for all to see, and if anyone encroaches on your territory, you kick hell out of him, or try to.  I hear that a mustang mare will kick a stallion who refuses to serve her. (That's a different allegory.)

    Some years later, Brooke and I climbed Deseret Peak again, and when we returned to Salt Lake the roads were blocked by debris. A tornado had struck while we were up on the peak.  We also had a memorable ascent of the Pfeifferhorn on a blazing hot day in July 1979, and years later we did Twin Peaks. On these hikes and a number of cross country ski tours we shared our thoughts on a wide range of topics.  Brooke remembered a special summer morning when he was wrangling horses in the Big Horns. The Big Horns were special to me, too.  

    We backpacked with our families in the Uintas and up in the Sawtooth Mtns. of Idaho. I remember how we got strung out on the trail in the Sawtooth.  Brooke,  Michael, and Jill were way ahead.  Sondra, Chris and I were bringing up the rear. Peggy was between us. At sunset we found Peggy sitting on a rock, and I asked her if she was ready for the cocktail hour. She was, and I pulled out a fifth of bourbon. In a little while, Brooke came back looking for us. "What are you doing?" he demanded.  "We're drinking," I replied.  That was a great trip, complete with skinny dipping in the lake where we camped.

     You may also remember our Thanksgiving trip up to Lava Hot Springs. We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house, then just left all the dishes and took off on impulse for the Hot Springs.  As it happened a saloon with a dance band was about to shut down for the last time, and we danced the night away.  The next day was Peggy's birthday, and we brought her champagne in bed.

     These were just a few of the good times we had together. We cherish the memories and believe that we'll have more good times together when Brooke recovers. Sondra joins with me in sending our love.

Geoff