Pioneers...?

Our family along with our ward had the opportunity to experience being a pioneer, well not fully but a glimpse into a pioneers life. We headed out on June 10th and made the 6 hour drive to Martin's Cove in Wyoming. When we arrived we immediately started to set up our tent but noticed that we were missing something, our rain fly, which covers the top of the tent. I was a little upset as you can imagine, how was this going to work? Everyone was leaving to go down to the visitors center so we had to leave the tent. While we were out trekking up into Martins Cove the rain decided to come, so we were left with everything wet on the first day. When we arrive back to our tent we tried to make a make shift cover using our tarp, we tied and tied that tarp as best as we could. The wind was so unbelievably strong that tents were whipping around like crazy. My kids were running around inside the tent screaming with joy they thought it was so great, while most of the other children there were screaming and crying with fear. That night we ate a warm meal and tried to get some sleep because the big day of trekking was coming.

We awoke the next morning ready for whatever came our way, so we thought. We drove about an hour from our camp site so we could trek over the Sweetwater River. The weather started out fine but shortly down the trail the rain started coming, which made the ground very wet and muddy. There were huge trenches of water along the trail, at times we had to get a running start to keep the hand carts from getting stuck. We were not able to cross the actual Sweetwater due to the rise in the water level but there were plenty of smaller waters to cross that still came up to our thighs. When we came to our biggest crossing a few young men played the role of the three teenage boys that carried all the women and children across the frozen river and later died from frost bite. The spirit was incredible as the boys carried some of the children from our ward including my two girls while a song was being sung. We then turned around and went through the whole trail again, but this time we had a huge hail storm come upon us. The hail was coming down so hard that we all had to stop and turn our backs to it. Toward the end of the trail the men were led away as if they were going off to war or on missions and the women and the children were left to travel on their own. The men had to stand at the top of  a very steep hill and watch in silence as there wives and children pulled their hand carts to the top. I can't imagine how the pioneer women carried on by themselves, they had to of been incredibly brave and strong.

We were suppose to spend one more night there and head out the next morning but the weather would not permit us. The temperature was getting colder and it was expected to get below freezing and maybe snow that night. So in the wind and rain we packed up as fast as we could and headed home and arrived around 3:00 in the morning.

 Our adventure was cut short but our memories will always last. We were given the opportunity to experience what it might have been like to be a pioneer. We were able to walk on the very ground that they walked on, but I can not fathom doing it all without food, shoes, proper clothing and in the dead of winter, they were amazing people. Even though we had our little trials and hardships on this journey, if I was given the chance to do it all over again I would in a heart beat.