We loaded up three SUVs and a car last Friday and headed down to Rob's cabin in Schofield, Utah. I ended up in the car, which became significant when we came to the steep ice covered road up to the cabin. The SUVs managed ok, but we were quickly left behind trying multiple times to gain enough speed to make it up this one hill. We made it part way and parked the car in a level area when Old Man Bitter came out to inform us with unnecessary verbal force that we were not allowed to park there. When he finally stopped talking long enough for us to say. "Sorry about that, we'll take it back down right now," Mark and Emily took the car down, and Blake and I decided to walk the rest of the way to the cabin... under Rob's instructions that it was just up the hill and to the left. So with just my converse shoes on the frozen road we wandered up the hill and into the drive ways of multiple cabins until we finally found the right one some 20 minutes later. By then my feet were pretty much popsicles. Had I known that it was about 4 degrees outside that night, I probably wouldn't have chosen to walk, but no harm done. I still have all 10 toes.
Rob's cabin only really qualifies as a cabin because the toilet roll holders have moose on them, there's a fishing net hanging on the wall... oh, and you can only access it by plowing the drive way with a front loader tracker (which they own). We quickly got into some heated ping pong matches that occupied Chris Silva and I most of the night. A little after midnight, we got in the hot tub and stayed in there till 2AM. Naturally, where ever a hot tub exists in close proximity to snow, the feats of strength begin. We all took our turn in the snow, but Blake was the undisputed winner when, in his swim suit, he jumped off the balcony into the snow, ran across the drive way and made this beautiful snow angel, and then climbed snowy stairs back up to the hot tub.
The original plan for Saturday was ice fishing. Rob had everything gathered, poles, worms, the little hut thing... everything, but fishing licenses. So we had to go sledding and snowmobiling instead. As you can imagine, everyone wouldn't stop complaining.
While some were out snowmobiling, I asked Rob if he would teach me how to drive the front loader tractor. He climbed in with me and showed me how it worked and then let me play on my own. I built a wonderful pile of snow. It was so fun.
I LOVE this city! One of my favorite parts of the my 2010 Winter Olympic vacation was going downtown with my siblings for a late night photo shoot. Mike, Dan, Lisa and I set up tripods on the Stanley Park Seawall and got some pretty fun shots. Here are some of my favorites.
I have been looking forward to this trip since they first announced that the 2010 winter olympics would be held in my home and native land. It was so fun to have my city as the spotlight of the world. You'd think it would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I was living in Utah during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. I love the Olympic atmosphere. It was so fun to go down town amid crowds of patriotic Canadians partying day and night. Seriously, I have never seen Canadian pride like that before. It was inspiring! 
Tuesday night Medals Ceremony. 
Barenaked Ladies Concert
In true Walton fashion, we made quite the spectacle of ourselves building our own Inukshuk. We could have put a hat out for our cheering audience, but we just do it for the pictures.
The tent got away from us at one point. This photo was taken at a full sprint as I chased it halfway across the lake.
The light from out side would actually shine up through the ice illuminating the water below. So we lowered our worms into the water and actually watched the fish come nibble on it. When someone would catch a fish, he'd pass the rod to the next person and within minutes we'd catch another one. Everyone caught a fish this trip!
This one would be my favorite, but the snow under the sun is totally blown out. Bummer.
Blake forgot his snow pants so he rummaged around in the cabin until he found some of Rob's little sister's snow pants. Very hot, Blake.
In case that looks like I heil Hitler, just know that I have one finger up in my mitten.
