Pioneer Trek

On Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Cari, Trevon, and Sadie said their good-byes and left for a Pioneer Trek in Wyoming. They went with the youth of our stake and spent many hours sewing bonnets and skirts, walking (exercise), and shopping in preparation for it. This picture is the "Before the Trek" picture we took:

For the Trek, the youth met at the Stake Center on Tuesday night. They were divided into "companies," which consisted of two or three "families" each. The families included a "Ma" and "Pa" and about a dozen kids. They listened to a speaker share some pioneer stories and then signed their names to a family flag. They boarded some chartered buses about 10p.m. and spent the night driving (about 10 hours) to Wyoming. After eating breakfast in Rock Springs, Wyoming, they went to Independence Rock. Sadie's Trek family is pictured below:

They sang the National Anthem on top of Independence Rock and looked at the many names carved into the stone. Then they drove to Martin's Cove where they ate lunch and went to the visitor's center there. They split into two groups for an orientation that included a tour of a museum and a pioneer town. With handcarts, they walked four miles to where they would make camp.

After setting up camp, they ate chili and had a fireside. They were told many stories about a protective dog named Oscar. Oscar lives about 12 miles away, but every summer when the Trekkers come, Oscar appears. He watches over everything and makes sure everyone is safe. Some of the stories were pretty neat. Once, Oscar stood in front of a car, not allowing it to drive away. The occupants of the car were a little annoyed until their daughter appeared after having gone to the bathroom. Oscar was making sure she wasn't left behind! 

Martin's Cove was a peaceful, nice, pretty place. They had pancakes & sausage for breakfast. They pushed their handcarts and lived the life of a pioneer for three days, walking about 37 miles total. On Thursday, at Devil's Gate, a boy in Trevon's family (Jeremiah) was playing in the Sweet Water River and sliced his leg open on some rocks. He ended up with 21 stitches! Dr. Last went on the Trek for this very purpose, and all were glad he was there to help. Jeremiah was given a Priesthood Blessing and it ended up being a special experience for Trevon and his Trek family. They traveled four miles in the wind and dust before getting back to camp. They had chicken and potatoes for dinner and then did some square dancing. The "Pony Express" came and delivered letters to each of the kids from their parents back home. My kids said that the devotionals given by their Ma's and Pa's (every evening) were the most spiritual moments they had on the Trek. Sadie was so happy that her best friend Emily was in her family.

On Friday, they ate Mountain Man Mash (left over potatoes mixed with bell pepper, sausage and egg) for breakfast. They got on the buses and moved up the road about 45 min. to the site of where the Willie Handcart Company was. They walked, pushing the handcarts along the trail, stopping every half hour for devotionals along the way. They also witnessed re-inactments of the early pioneers too.  Cari had a bloody nose and ended up riding in the medical cart, pushed by Dr. Last. They took a couple of hours to silently cross the Sweet Water (they called it a "silent crossing"), and the boys carried the girls across the river. Sadie played her violin for two hours and a sweet spirit was felt, for in this very place in 1856, three eighteen-year-old boys belonging to a rescue party carried nearly every member of the Martin Company across the icy stream in the severe cold weather, sacrificing their own lives to save the pioneers.

After setting up camp, they ate "Cafe' Rio" (or something resembling it) and fruit bowls.Then, they broke into their companies (comprising about 33 kids each), for testimony meetings. On Saturday morning they packed up, ate cereal and headed back home. Cari, Trevon and Sadie each had an uplifting experience on the Trek and we were glad that they could walk in the footsteps of the pioneers for a few days. I know their journals share more of their feelings and personal experience. At about 9 p.m. on Saturday we picked them up from the Stake Center, glad to have them back home, safe and well, and ready for a shower!

This photo was the "After Trek" picture we took: