Trek

Most of you know by now that Travis and I have the amazing opportunity to attend Trek with our Church. Trek isn't every year, it usually comes along every 3-5 years. This year we are going to Wyoming. We will have the opportunity to pull handcarts like the pioneers did. They pulled 1,500 miles through 5 states on their way to Utah. Handcarts were a more cost effective way for the Saints to travel to Utah. We won't have to pull that far but we will have a 15 mile pull in 100+ degree weather, along with a few 4 and 5 mile pulls. We will dress in traditional clothes(pictures to come), all of our belongings will fit in a 5 gallon bucket (the pioneers didn't have buckets but they did have limited room. They were only allowed 17lbs of belongings per adult). Here are a few pictures of what we will do next week. This will be a great experience for all involved and we can't wait to partake in the journey.

This is Rocky Ridge. You can still see the original wagon wheel grooves. This is the 2nd
day of Trek. This journey is 15 miles and should take 12 hours. When the saints first crossed it was the dead of winter and many passed away do to exposure. Since I am
pregnant I will not be participating in this pull!

This is the Sweetwater River. We will cross the river with our handcarts. The Saints also crossed this in the winter. Many of the men carried the women and children across.

This is Martin's Cove. The Martin Handcart Company (one of 5 companies) Couldn't pay the toll to cross the North Platte River, they were forced to cross on foot. They took refuge from the storm in a small pocket on the side of the Sweetwater Mountains. Many died through the nigh due to exposure.

Here is an excerpt from Daniel W. Jones one of the rescuers.


Rescuer Daniel W. Jones described the scene: "There were old men pulling and tugging their carts, sometimes loaded with a sick wife or children, women pulling along sick husbands; little children six to eight years old struggling through the mud and snow… The provisions we [had] amounted to almost nothing among so many people, many of them now on very short rations, some almost starving… The company was composed of average emigrants; old, middle-aged and young women and children. The men seemed to be failing and dying faster than the women and children…"



We are very excited to be able to go. It will be such an awesome experience! We will post pictures of our Journey!
We leave in 4 days!