My Uncle Bryan Hartley - From Stranger to Beloved Big Brother

December 26, 2004 marks when my uncle, Bryan Hartley, passed away. In light of the soon approaching 14^th anniversary of my uncle Bryan's passing, I would like to share this great story my father, Jim Hartley, prepared some time ago. Uncle Bryan was a tremendously positive influence on my father, who in turn, has been a tremendously positive influence on me. Below are my father's own words:

Bryan Paul Hartley:

From Stranger to Beloved Big Brother in 56 Miles

Hal Throolin

The hike was actually Hal Throolin’s idea. Each springtime, soaring mountain peaks and challenging hiking trails called his name. Hal heard their call in early 1965 and persuaded his neighbor and buddy, Richard Hartley, my brother, to join him later that summer for a seven-day adventure in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains.

For this adventure, Hal had immersed himself in detailed topographical maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). He identified the highest mountain passes, the coldest lakes and streams, and the most remote Alpine meadows he could find in Yosemite National Park that were connected by wilderness hiking trails. When he was done, he had charted a complex, circuitous, 56-mile route that twisted, turned, and snaked all over the compass. Three-fourths of the hike would be above an elevation of 9,000 feet—an altitude where the air is so thin that dandelions, mountain lions, and mosquitos can’t breathe. This was a route that would have made Daniel Boone shake his head in disbelief.

Mama Bears

But, Daniel Boone didn’t need to. Merline and Norma, Hal’s mom and Richard’s mom, immediately shook their heads “no!” These “mama bears” simply were not going to allow their 16-year-old “bear cubs” meander alone in some of California’s wildest and most rugged mountain regions.

With determination, Hal and Richard became very persuasive. They made the hike sound downright civilized by emphasizing that most of it would be on the well-marked, popular John Muir Trail, and they would be in Yosemite National Park nearly the entire time. There would be park rangers, and plenty of water, and places to fish, and they would hike where there were no boa constrictors, grizzly bears, or Big Foot.

Eventually, Norma and Merline softened. They deliberated and came up with a non-negotiable counter-plan that would resolve most of their mama-bear concerns. First, Jimmy must tag along. I’m sure their hope was that Richard and Hal wouldn’t do anything too dangerous or dumb if they had to be responsible for me, Richard’s 13-year-old little brother. Second, our 25-year-old brother, Bryan, must also go with us as our guardian, safety warden, and law enforcement officer. With “no hike” as the only other option, Bryan and I were in, and the four of us would explore the high Sierra’s in July 1965 under Bryan’s command.

The Stranger

Bryan Hartley

Frankly, adding Bryan was a little surprising to us. Of the five Hartley boys, Bryan was the second oldest, and Richard and I were the two youngest. At that stage in our young lives, the age and maturity gaps between us and Bryan were huge: nine years for Richard and 12 years for me—Bryan was nearly twice my age! And Bryan? He was basically a stranger to us. All we knew for sure was that Bryan had been a Mormon missionary in Germany, had studied physics and engineering at the University of California in Berkeley, and had just earned a bachelor’s degree in German and science from Brigham Young University in Utah.

So, for Richard and me, a big question in our minds was, “How well will we get along with this stranger, who happens to be our older brother?”

The Plan

When the time came, our dad drove us 200 miles due east from our home in San Lorenzo through the entire width of Yosemite National Park to the drop-off point at Dana Meadows. There, on the eastern slopes of the Sierra’s, the four of us would start our wilderness trek at an elevation of 9,700 feet. After working our way more-or-less westward, Dad would pick us up again seven days later at a designated rendezvous spot in Yosemite Valley.

Dana Meadows

Grueling First Day

After the four-hour drive from San Lorenzo, the first day of hiking was supposed to be an easy 11 miles from Dana Meadows to Alger Lakes. It turned out to be grueling! First, there was a 1,400-foot climb to Parker Pass at 11,100 feet, followed immediately by an 1,800-foot climb by way of some tight switchbacks up to Koip Peak Pass with its elevation of 12,350 feet. The final stretch was a 1,600-foot descent from Koip Peak Pass down into a small basin containing snow-fed Alger Lakes at 10,700 feet.

As the four sea-level suburbanites ascended higher and higher, the trees shrank in size and number, then disappeared completely, replaced by scrawny bushes and grasses, which were soon replaced entirely by talus—slopes of countless small, jagged, rock fragments that had broken off of the mountains over thousands of years. Breaking the monotony of the talus switchback trails were small snow fields that blanketed the trail in places that saw little, if any, sunshine.

The “Runt” . . . Off to a Difficult Start

Bryan, Richard, and Hal seemed to handle the difficult trail and extreme elevation changes pretty well. But, the “runt” of the foursome, me, didn’t know if he could make it. After crossing Parker Pass, I had to stop. My head ached. I was light-headed and a little dizzy. I was nauseous and weak from head to toe.

That’s when Bryan, the stranger, began to become Bryan, our beloved big brother. He recognized my condition as altitude sickness—too much elevation change too soon. He halted our mountain march so that I could get acclimatized. As I rested, Bryan tended to me and encouraged me. I realized then that he genuinely cared about his youngest brother. While I was acclimatizing, I’m pretty confident Hal and Richard were thinking, “Why did we have to bring Jimmy along? He’s going to ruin the hike.” But, I never actually heard it. Bryan kept things positive, and I was extremely grateful.

After a short time, I began to feel better. We resumed our hike up to Koip Peak Pass. To help me, Bryan compassionately carried my 35-pound backpack and sleeping bag for a while, in addition to his own much-heavier gear. We ascended the narrow talus trail single-file, with Hal in the lead. More than once, Bryan directed Hal to slow down a little—no doubt so that I could keep up.

One of the snow fields covering our upward trail was fairly large. Hal wanted to play on it. Specifically, he wanted to glissade down it, which is to “surf” or slide down on his feet. Bryan looked at the sharp-edged, unforgiving talus at the bottom of the snow field, and with absolute authority in his voice, he stopped Hal from snow-surfing. Guardian, safety warden, and law enforcement—just as Mom had intended.

Lightening and Light

On Sunday, our second day of hiking offered a different challenge. We left Alger Lakes and headed south to Gem Lake. We were approaching the crest of Gem Pass, elevation 10,400 feet, when an angry thunderstorm suddenly rolled in. Not wanting us to be targets

A mountain thunderstorm rolling in

for lightning, Bryan had us double- time up and over the pass and down into lower, safer terrain. We stopped in a somewhat protected area. Bryan instructed us to stretch rope between two scrawny trees and connect three of our tube tents together into a single, heavy-duty plastic tunnel. The four of us quickly built and crawled into the shelter with our gear just before the storm hit us.

That’s when we learned that Bryan was not only kind, compassionate, strict (when needed), and smart, he had a deep love for sacred things.

That second day was Sunday, the Sabbath Day. While we sat close together in the narrow tube tent tunnel, Bryan prepared a brief worship service for us, including the sacrament. He had obtained permission from our bishop at home to bless and pass the bread and water, emblems of the Savior’s body and blood; a remembrance of God’s supreme love for us and of our covenants with Him. While wind, lightning, thunder, and rain prevailed outside, there was peace, love, and calm inside. We needed our flashlights to illuminate the darkness in our tents. But, a sweeter, brighter light—the light of the Holy Spirit—illuminated our souls. We will never forget the physical and spiritual warmth of that short sacrament service. At the same time, our admiration and love for our big brother, Bryan, mushroomed.

A Romantic

During the first few days, we discovered a tender side of Bryan. From time-to-time, he would pick a small stem of wildflowers and carefully press it in a book. We later found out that our “commander” was also a thoughtful and hopelessly smitten romantic—the pressed wildflowers were for a sweet young lass in Utah.

A Fantastic Journey

The rest of the trek to Yosemite Valley continued to be a fantastic journey. We had a brief encounter with an angry, hissing, teeth-bearing badger protecting its trail-side den. But otherwise, we never had any problems with wildlife. If they were there, they kept a secretive, safe distance from us.

Other than that brief Sunday thunderstorm, we were blessed with beautiful, friendly weather the entire way. We even enjoyed our dehydrated food. We had plenty of water from streams, rivers, and lakes, and Hal and Richard actually caught a fish or three. But, the “popular” John Muir Trail wasn’t very popular where we hiked. We were virtually alone in our journey.

Those 50-plus miles of trekking in the Sierra Nevada wilderness qualify for the most superlative application of awesome that man can bestow. Even if you’ve been there, no words can adequately describe the amazing beauty, the exceptional sounds and smells, and the majesty of the mountains, meadows, trees, lakes, and streams of God’s high country. And, the most stunning of all are the heavens at night. No photographer or painter will ever capture the breath-taking feeling that envelopes you under the expansive dome of an exquisitely clear, bejeweled alpine night sky!

Tent City

During the last two days of our hike, we descended some 4,000 feet in elevation into Yosemite Valley and precisely on schedule. But, after the peace and solitude of the previous six days, our entry into the valley was somewhat of a shock. The valley floor was carpeted with hundreds of tents and masses of boisterous campers.

Campers on the floor of Yosemite Valley

An hour or two after we arrived, Bryan somehow filtered through the masses and found Dad, and we were soon on our way home. We were sad our hike was over, but very pleased to leave Yosemite Valley’s sprawling, noisy tent city.

Fifty-six Miles . . . More Than Just a Hike

As difficult as the hike was in places, Hal Throolin’s seven-day adventure in the high Sierra Nevada Mountains was incredible! Our love grew enormously for nature, the night sky, and for their Creator. The hike also brought us a wonderful sense of achievement and self-confidence. One of the best and most unexpected benefits came because of Bryan. In those 56 miles, Bryan became a much-beloved and admired big brother for the rest of our lives.

Bryan Hartley

Bryan went on to blaze an exceptional trail for his younger brothers, inspiring us to excel in education, make and keep divine covenants, advance in the priesthood, serve LDS missions, marry well and raise families, and set high personal and professional goals and standards. Richard and I will be eternally grateful to Bryan for his role during an incredible hike, both in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and throughout our lives.

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Written by James E. Hartley, Bryan’s brother.

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Source:

Family Story Gems: Bryan Paul Hartley: From Stranger to Beloved Big Brother in 56 Miles. By James E. Hartley.

Also available at FamilySearch.org:

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/49330178?cid=mem_copy

Photo Acknowledgements

• John Muir Trail sign: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/567458129cadb68edf3ff563/t/58403b86893fc05b6ec64454/1480604556938/

• Dana Meadows: http://www.itoda.com/photos/yosemite/DanaMeadows-01.jpg

• Parker Pass: http://www.meghanmhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC05049.jpg

• Talus trail: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BNoCDC8Asr4/U9tQ4b-EoFI/AAAAAAAABiM/_GzjG2YC-YQ/s1600/0_IMG_1586.JPG

• Wild flowers http://peaksforfreaks.blogspot.com/2013/06/koip-peak-kuna-peak.html

• A badger: http://portfolio.jeffwendorff.com/img/s2/v1/p178168139-3.jpg