two-wheel-drive summer

EMAIL #1--BEFORE
out in the west desert northeast of wendover, UT, lie four huge concrete tunnels about 9 feet in diameter and each about 18 feet long, built for a land-art project in the 70s. they are set up in such a way that on the summer and winter solstices the sun sets exactly down the middle of the tunnels. there are also holes along the top of the tunnels which, I am told, correspond to certain constellations.

and this sunday is june 21st, the longest day of the year and the summer solstice. some peeps and I are heading out there on SATURDAY afternoon so we can be there for the sunset.

i was there 3 years ago and barely made the sunset, so hopefully we can get there with more time to spare this time. The one major variable will be the weather. If it's dumping rain, we may not want to go, especially since there is about an hour of travel on dirt roads. That will have to be a game-time decision. Just gauging interest now.

let me know if you're interested.

DURING
EMAIL #2--AFTER
many of you have inquired as to whether we went (we did) and whether there was a sunset (there was).

not since rocky has there been a story this epic, this heartwarming, this empowering... against all odds, brady, whitney and summer tempted fate, and fate this time was placated.

in a world where right is wrong, where rain falls like... rain, these three individuals, inexorably connected by their desire to witness something amazing, drove through miles of dirt and mud in a 2WD passenger car. they arrived, sliding and fishtailing through the mud bog, minutes before the sun set.

this is their story told in a few simple pictures. perhaps next time you'll have the faith required to follow these three brave individuals on the road to adventure, muddy, rainy or otherwise.

*thanks to brady for writing these emails. it made this post very simple!*

there are just a few things that were left out of the email that i would like to add
1. do you remember how much and how often it rained in june? when i left home to head out there, the rain was pouring out of the gutters and across the street.
2. we had to drive through a few spots on the dirt road where water had covered the entire road for about 25 feet. remember, we were in a honda accord.
3. about 15 minutes to sunset and we reach an impassable point in the road. the mud was just too thick and heavy. we could see the tunnels in the distance. we were so close!!!
4. we took the accord 4-wheeling. off the road, through bushes, rocks, tree logs, mud, holes, and near entrapment...but we made it through
5. as we fishtailed towards the tunnel minutes before sunset, there were two trucks already there. i wish i had a picture of everyone's faces. complete and udder disbelief that our little 2WD car had made it. i was in just as much shock.
6. props, once more to brady on the pictures (and incredible driving)
7. i decided afterward that it was such an amazing sunset because it was the first day of summer, and we had summer with us. thanks for coming summer!