Pioneer Trek 2016

At the first part of July, our stake organized a Pioneer Trek for the youth. This was slotted to be more difficult than your average trek, with a one day, 15 mile stretch over Rocky Ridge, and a second 7 mile day hiking throughout Martin's Cove. I was anxious to be included, not only as a Youth Leader, but also because Maisie would be attending, and I wanted the chance to share that with her. Therefore, I was excited when I got asked to be an official photographer for the event. We hiked quite a bit in the months leading up to the trek, working to condition ourselves physically. We also prepared clothing, backpacks, and other supplies to make the journey as painless as possible. And so the Monday morning of the 11th, we were up bright and early, and ready to go.

Maisie was excited to be placed with a family that had two girls she knew her age. I think it helped the five hour ride to Sixth Crossing pass much faster for her.

When we arrived, it was hot, and the kids were all in good spirits, if a bit lethargic from all the sitting.

That night we got to enjoy some square dancing that helped liven things up a bit.

The next morning we were up with the sun, and the temperatures were freezing! Most people were using their leather gloves to try and keep their hands warm while we packed up our equipment.

It didn't take long on the trail to get the blood flowing though.

I spent most of my time wandering up and down the trail taking pictures of people pulling and pushing, and laughing, and splashing. We crossed water/mud six different times that day.

Oftentimes one or two people would pull the carts across the water, but Maisie got to participate in one of the water crossings.

Needless to say, there was a lot of waiting around, a lot of standing that day, but the weather was in our favor. We couldn't have asked for more mild temperatures.

The wind was a real problem though. At times, it was gusting 40-50 knots, and coated everyone's face in dust. Eyes were dried out, as were lips, and noses. Needless to say, we were a tired lot when we rolled in at seven that night, more than two hours past our scheduled arrival time. I've never hiked so much in one day in my entire life. I'd wager that's the case for most people. The next day we packed up and drove to Martin's Cove. The night had been so chilly there was frost on the ground in the morning. Maisie had joined the trek youth choir, and got to perform for the group several times while we were there.

That day we hiked through Martin's Cove, heard stories of people who suffered much, and left even more behind. Being as tired as we were from the day before, we were able to get a small glimpse of what our pioneer ancestors had to go through. I was particularly excited, as a photographer, to be able to take pictures of the Sweet Water crossing.

I stood in the middle of the river and snapped picture after picture of people crossing, wondering how it must have felt for those who did this in the middle of winter.

 Maisie was unable to cross due to some blisters from the day before, and I know she was sad she missed it. I was one of the last people to emerge from the river, and felt truly humbled as I did, seeing everyone on the other side.

Our schedule that day had been thrown into disarray, and after we crossed the river, the day was starting to wane, but we were determined to participate in the Women's Pull. We dried off feet, and hauled our carts to the bottom of the hill, where the men left us and hiked to the top. I handed off my camera to my dad, as I wanted the opportunity to participate in this. Somehow, I ended up being on the first cart in the line.

We heaved that cart up with everything we could muster, and then I walked back down the trail to help all the other women on their carts. I saw Maisie on a cart full of Beehives, and I jumped in to help her group. It was a special moment for me to be able to pull that cart up with my daughter by my side.

Once everyone had pulled their carts to the top, we walked the mile and a half back to the start of Martin's Cove, turned in our carts, and were grateful to be done.

The sun was going down, we hadn't eaten in six or seven hours, and we still had an hour left to drive before we had to set up our tents again in the dark. But we were smiling. And that was something I found truly amazing. We had late nights, VERY early mornings, not enough food, difficult conditions, and an inability to stick to any kind of schedule. But you didn't hear much in the way of complaining. You saw a lot of laughter, a lot of smiles. Great acts of service, compassion, and selflessness. People were changed, and hearts were made full. It was hard, incredibly hard. But I don't regret it in the least. I'm beyond grateful for the sacrifices our pioneer ancestors made on our behalf. And I'm thankful my daughter and I got an opportunity to feel, just a bit, what it was like for them.