Choppin' the Tree

The Gustaveson family has a very memorable and jovial tradition. Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, we go out and cut down Christmas trees on Buckskin Mountain, halfway in between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. (Check out the embedded map if you're interested.)


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Chopping down the trees, however, is only half the fun. Actually, I (Brett) think the tree finding and chopping is perhaps only, like, 3% of the fun. I like to let most of the others go locate and kill the poor little trees, while I help man the fire (and the hot dogs).

My brother-in-law Todd (pictured above in his EVIL University of Utah hat) is an expert tree wrangler. He found his family's tree, slaughtered it, and had it back to camp in about 8 minutes. That's got to be some kind of record.

Before the find n' chop, all tree hunters receive whistles and compasses in case they get lost. We did get a little bit lost one year, prompting the current safety precautions. The "getting lost" story is a blog post for another day. Remind me at this time next year, and I'll be sure to tell you.

Oh, and a shout out to Aunt Di for the awesome hats. We will wear ours for years with fond memories.


Meanwhile, back at camp, Wil and cousin Megan demonstrate their dog eating skills. Nothin' better than firing up the weiners and marshmallows!



Ace had a great time crawling around and getting messy. He got his first taste of dirt, and he was impressed!

I believe the ring around Maisy's face says it all. The annual Gustaveson tree chop is a fabulously fantastic time, especially for those that stay away from the tree chopping part!