I was asked to write a one page summary of our experiences on trek this summer. It was not easy to sum it up into one page but at least I could change the margins and get a little more in right? I thought I would post the summary here. I am in the process of blogging about the trek in more detail on my own blog. Let me know if you want access to that. Thanks again for everyone's help! --Robyn
Highland 6th Ward Pioneer Trek
Martin’s Cove, Sixth Crossing and Rocky Ridge
July 24-28, 2017
We worked hard to prepare our youth to go on trek and get
them excited. We had a special fireside,
square dancing, made trek buckets, went on hikes, went on a youth temple trip
and even had a special sensory activity imagining what they might have
experienced in 1856. Many hours were spent meticulously studying pioneer
stories from the Martin, Willie, Hunt, Hodgett and Rescue Companies. One of the
first things we did was search for pioneer ancestors of our own. We also had an
activity where the youth were able to choose their pioneer and those that were
unable to come were given a story. I enjoyed the process of inspiration that
came over me as I tried to match a pioneer to a person. It was important that
they connect with their pioneer. There were a few times when I was about to
give someone a pioneer and then felt inspired to hold back. I would go home and
go through the stories again until I found the right one.
We did a lot of delegating and a lot of willing volunteers
made Trek happen. I am grateful for all of the careful and organized planning. One
of the most demanding jobs to be given for trek is the food. Laree and Gary
Packard rose to the challenge.
On our first morning in Wyoming, Laree Packard started us
off with a beautiful devotional about the 4 ounces of flour that was rationed
to the pioneers. I was impressed that not one youth complained when we told
them breakfast would only be 4 ounces of flour mixed with water. They weren't
too impressed with the gruel but most of them at least tried it. When we took
our first break, Ryan M. shared his ancestor story of Ephraim Hanks
bringing buffalo meat to the Martin Company.
And then we pulled out their "rescue breakfast." They were
pretty grateful for yogurt and granola.
Our first crossing of the Sweetwater River was sacred and
spiritual. Amy Bachman stood on the other side and played "Come, Come Ye
Saints" on her violin as each handcart made its way through. After
everyone had finished, everyone was silent, quietly putting their shoes back
on. The missionaries complimented our group saying it was the first group they
had witnessed that stayed so silent following the crossing. That same Spirit
accompanied us as we walked through Martin’s Cove. We finished our day by crossing Veil Bridge
and being reminded to be rescuers too.
We camped at Sixth Crossing that night. The next day we felt
the power of the stories of Elsie and Jens Nielsen, Maria Linford, Reddick
Allred and others. We also experienced the Women’s Pull. The youth enjoyed ending the day with a water
fight in the Sweetwater River. Trek was not only spiritual, it was fun. Our
skit night provided plenty of entertainment and laughs.
On Thursday we had to be up earlier than normal to get
started on Rocky Ridge. I think one of
the memorable experiences on the trail that day was the ‘silent pull’ up part
of the rockiest part of the trail. We
also had a designated “mudding crew” who pulled the wagons through the muddiest
parts of the trail. None of us will forget the last half hour of our 14 mile
hike that day when a sudden heavy rainstorm hit us. We couldn’t look up but just keep moving
forward. There was not anywhere to seek shelter so we moved forward. I felt
like it gave us a small taste of what the pioneers experienced. We arrived to
camp with our tents already set up and dinner ready for us. As we walked to our testimony meeting we
reverently passed through the monument at Rock Creek Hollow. It was humbling. The
entire experience felt like we had experienced what it is like to live in Zion.
We didn’t want it to end.
