A Utah dad and two sons ascended Moonlight Buttress in Zion National Park on March 26 to hang an American flag, according to St. George News. Joe Evermore, a father of four, was joined by his sons Sylvan Lightyear, 8, and Sam Adventure, 10. They camped for two nights on the cliffside.
Evermore did this because of upside-down flags planted in parks in protest of the Trump administration for cutting the federal workforce. “I want my kids to love America and to contribute,” Evermore said. “And there’s some history of climbers bringing flags. That’s something that has always been there. Like when people climb mountains, they bring flags.”
‘Someone Needs to Represent America’
Complaining about the protest flags, Evermore uttered, “I thought somebody needs to represent America and the nice flag that we have and the nice country that we have.” Evermore also wanted his sons to talk about patriotism, national parks, and civic duty.
The father emphasized the worth of America’s public land, proclaiming the country’s parks to be the best on the planet. “I’ve traveled all around the world, and America has just fantastically preserved incredible parks,” he stated. “We have just incredible places and everyone knows ‘Leave No Trace.'”
Evermore also stressed the value of giving back to public lands, volunteering and donating to efforts such as the Zion Forever Project. “You know, when it’s yours, you feel a sense of responsibility for it, and you want to care for it,” he said.
Special Experience in the Wild
Evermore chronicled his ascent in a sequence of Facebook status updates. He complimented his son Sam’s climbing skills, saying, “Sam loves getting up on things. And he’s turning out to be quite a pro at putting protection up. His trick is the Adventure Pants that he’s always wearing.
Talking about their experience of camping, he described, “Camping is what makes big walling enjoyable for kids. It causes them to surmount all the suffering and trouble associated with the sport. We camped at the Rocker Blocker on Moonlight Buttress. There is zero light pollution in the valley and so the night sky and stars are amazingly bright.”
More and more cherishes the freedoms America provides, saying, “That sort of freedom is very unusual in human history. My children can dream big here. Whether they wish to be an astronaut, a teacher, a physician or a climber, they can make a difference in the world on their own terms. These are the things that we must never take for granted.”
His son Sylvan echoed his own love of American freedoms. “The other thing I enjoy about America is that I get to travel to space and I get to be a rock star,” he declared.
