Personal Journal
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February 15, 1998 Mathew J. Stucki Page 1
I have always looked up to Randy. He has many qualities which I’ve always wanted to emulate. He has been a mentor for me. He is fun and has a fresh sense of humor. I have many choice memories of experiences together with Randy. We did lots of things together, even when I was just a small boy in Salt Lake. I remember the weekend we stayed at Grandpa Curtis’ cabin along the Weber River. We spent the days hiking and fishing the river. Whitefish and trout made a most delicious dinner that evening. We went on fishing trips together often, and sometimes we took Mac, my dog, along too. Randy and I have always had a close relationship together as brothers and unique friendship.
When we moved to Castle Valley, our kinship continued. We worked together, played together, and experienced the good and bad together. Because we lived in a remote and sparsely populated area, there wasn’t lots of other friends in the valley. My family became my best friends.
One afternoon late fall afternoon, Randy invited Jeff and me to come along with him to do some bow hunting in the La Sal mountains. We were delighted. Since it would soon be dark, we quickly, put our camping gear together, climbed in the Randy’s truck, and hurried on our way.
The mountains were covered with deep snow, but Randy's truck climbed the hills without much problem. As we drove, night fell. We continued up a windy road and as the incline steepened, we began to have a little difficulty climbing a spot here and there on the road. We’d try and get a little momentum and make a run at the hill, and usually we’d get up it. By this time we were quite a ways up in the mountains.
We reached a slightly steeper spot in the snow-packed road which curved toward the left, and we lost traction when we tried to climb the hill. So Randy attempted to back down the hill to give it another try, but the truck had slipped right up against the bank on the right side of the road. We had difficulty steering the truck properly since the front of the truck could not swing to the right to direct the truck back onto the snow-packed road. We inched down the road in this predicament. We tried to get the truck to go back onto the road surface, but eventually the back wheels of the truck slipped off the road and down into a depressed area. At this point, we just wanted to get the truck back on the road so we weren’t stuck anymore and get to camp. We tried building a road of branches to give the tires something to grip on, but the incline was too great and the wheels just spun. So we jacked up the back wheels and placed stones under the wheels. We took the time to build a rock road path for the wheels to follow, but still the tires would not grip, and we couldn’t drive back onto the road. It was very late now and I felt we were beginning to get desperate.
We still hadn’t tried the chains yet, so Randy got the chains for the tires. We jacked the back of the truck up again to put the tire chains on the wheels. When the chains were in place, I stood toward the rear of the truck as Randy attempted to drive back onto the road, but the wheels just spun. Sparks shot from the tires as the chains ground against the rocks we had placed under the tires, but the truck didn’t move.
We had tried everything within our power to get the truck out at this point, but we couldn’t do it alone. Randy suggested that we say a prayer. I agreed that would be a good idea. He offered the prayer, pleading with the Lord to intervene and help us free the truck.
Following the prayer, Randy climbed back into the truck, started the engine, and again tried to drive back onto the road. I stood to the rear of the truck to watch. This time the tires didn’t even spin, and the truck moved forward and back safely onto the road. Randy got out of the truck, and we held each other and shed tears of gratitude. We knelt and thanked Heavenly Father for answering our prayer.
of
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February 15, 1998 Mathew J. Stucki Page 1
I have always looked up to Randy. He has many qualities which I’ve always wanted to emulate. He has been a mentor for me. He is fun and has a fresh sense of humor. I have many choice memories of experiences together with Randy. We did lots of things together, even when I was just a small boy in Salt Lake. I remember the weekend we stayed at Grandpa Curtis’ cabin along the Weber River. We spent the days hiking and fishing the river. Whitefish and trout made a most delicious dinner that evening. We went on fishing trips together often, and sometimes we took Mac, my dog, along too. Randy and I have always had a close relationship together as brothers and unique friendship.
When we moved to Castle Valley, our kinship continued. We worked together, played together, and experienced the good and bad together. Because we lived in a remote and sparsely populated area, there wasn’t lots of other friends in the valley. My family became my best friends.
One afternoon late fall afternoon, Randy invited Jeff and me to come along with him to do some bow hunting in the La Sal mountains. We were delighted. Since it would soon be dark, we quickly, put our camping gear together, climbed in the Randy’s truck, and hurried on our way.
The mountains were covered with deep snow, but Randy's truck climbed the hills without much problem. As we drove, night fell. We continued up a windy road and as the incline steepened, we began to have a little difficulty climbing a spot here and there on the road. We’d try and get a little momentum and make a run at the hill, and usually we’d get up it. By this time we were quite a ways up in the mountains.
We reached a slightly steeper spot in the snow-packed road which curved toward the left, and we lost traction when we tried to climb the hill. So Randy attempted to back down the hill to give it another try, but the truck had slipped right up against the bank on the right side of the road. We had difficulty steering the truck properly since the front of the truck could not swing to the right to direct the truck back onto the snow-packed road. We inched down the road in this predicament. We tried to get the truck to go back onto the road surface, but eventually the back wheels of the truck slipped off the road and down into a depressed area. At this point, we just wanted to get the truck back on the road so we weren’t stuck anymore and get to camp. We tried building a road of branches to give the tires something to grip on, but the incline was too great and the wheels just spun. So we jacked up the back wheels and placed stones under the wheels. We took the time to build a rock road path for the wheels to follow, but still the tires would not grip, and we couldn’t drive back onto the road. It was very late now and I felt we were beginning to get desperate.
We still hadn’t tried the chains yet, so Randy got the chains for the tires. We jacked the back of the truck up again to put the tire chains on the wheels. When the chains were in place, I stood toward the rear of the truck as Randy attempted to drive back onto the road, but the wheels just spun. Sparks shot from the tires as the chains ground against the rocks we had placed under the tires, but the truck didn’t move.
We had tried everything within our power to get the truck out at this point, but we couldn’t do it alone. Randy suggested that we say a prayer. I agreed that would be a good idea. He offered the prayer, pleading with the Lord to intervene and help us free the truck.
Following the prayer, Randy climbed back into the truck, started the engine, and again tried to drive back onto the road. I stood to the rear of the truck to watch. This time the tires didn’t even spin, and the truck moved forward and back safely onto the road. Randy got out of the truck, and we held each other and shed tears of gratitude. We knelt and thanked Heavenly Father for answering our prayer.
