Pioneer Youth Trek

OK, I can admit that it was really hard. Of course Elliot has wanted to go on this Trek since the last time they did it 4 years ago. It kind of snuck up on me though. I'm obviously not prepared physically and for some reason I just didn't really think it was going to happen until like 4 days before it actually did.

As a Pa and Ma, we were blessed with 12 children (10 youth, 2 adults). It was pretty early in the morning when we met them, so most of them weren't really up to conversation quite yet. We played some games, loaded up, and headed to the Prescott area to start our Trek. The kids had to put together our handcart and load it with 1 bedroll and 1 potato sack (our belongings) for each person in our family, plus any other supplies and water to last us the day.

Day 1 was almost 9 miles and after about 100 yards I already had shin splints. Great, this was going to be great fun. The kids really had no problem working the handcart and they left me in the dust most of the time. On the occasional break, I had the chance to get ahead of them so that they chould catch up, but it didn't last long.

About 4 hours into the hike and before the kids really got to bond, the men all had to climb a steep and rocky hill while they left the rest of us to die at the bottom. They had to watch while the women tried our darnest to get that handcart up that ravine. As Ma, I wasn't allowed to help push/pull the handcart previous to this little activity, so I was a rookie when it came to knowing what to do in any position of the handcart during the Women's Pull. I was pushing in the back which was very hard because you can't see anything and there is a certain fear of ankle spraining that goes along with climbing a rocky ravine. So I don't know how much help I was, but I think we did really well. The girls were pulling with all their might and eventually the guys got to come down and help us the rest of the way. It was kind of a forced spiritual experience for the kids, but it was effective. The boys said that on their way up the hill they were not concerned with the fact that we had to pull it up by ourselves. But when they saw us trying so hard, they were begging the Trek Leader to let them go down and help. When they got the green light, they all RAN down the hill and relieved us of our burden. I compare that experience to repentance as the grief we were all feeling was taken from us (you know, besides having to climb the rest of the hill). We had time for reflection and rest before we finished the hike for the day. By the time we got to our rocky camp, some of the kids were asking if they could just go to bed. I didn't sleep, but Elliot gave me a foot rub (I love him!).

Day 2 was a might bit cold in the morning and I had to eat oatmeal for the first time. It had the consistency of snot and so I didn't complain about having to peel my orange (I hate peeling oranges). I was sure that the kids would be tired and that I'd be able to keep up with them this day, but they had even more energy! I was so slow that the whole Company behind us totally passed me! We only hiked about 6 miles today, so we had most of the afternoon to rest. We had a few rotations as Companies doing journal writing, fire-starting competition, dutch oven donut making, and square dancing (my partner was doing his best to try to switch partners). There were a few women from the Stake that brought their instruments and became the "Strummin' Saints" for our hoe-down music.

Here are my observations about our family: ADAM was our Big Brother and would do anything we asked him to (of course, he was an adult and recognized the importance of it). He would hike back to me on the trail and ask if I needed water. Nice guy. KIM was our Big Sister and continued to be beautiful the entire 3 days. She should have been Ma because she actually kept up with the kids and interacted with them. It was fun to get to know her better.

CHARLIE and TAYLOR were our work-horses. At one point in the Trek, they actually pulled the handcart all by themselves. Charlie was quiet and looked so natural in the cowboy get-up. We weren't sure about Taylor the first day because he was so cranky, but he kind of just got things done in the family and kept everyone in line that wasn't pulling their weight.

JOSH was the Fire Master and helped us win our fire-starting competition. It helped that Taylor was furociously gathering dried cow crap which burns nicely. The favorite quote of one day was, "That's enough poop Taylor!" JAMES refused to even tie his shoes before the sun peeked over the hills. There was a little exchange between him and Taylor because James was "wagging his tail." PATRICK was dubbed Elliot's "pet" because he was like an appendage on Elliot's side. He was a good kid and liked doing the cooking and anything else Elliot told him to do. MICHAEL was our smallest guy and has full on conversations with himself and his alter ego "Dirt" who has a British accent. Interesting.

LAUREN was freakishly strong and a good worker. She got a lot of blisters and walked into several cactus, but didn't complain. ACACIA was our only near-tragic accident. She was stradling the handcart bar when the weight of the handcart flipped it over. It scared her, but didn't hurt her. She had a lot of energy. MARLEE was our silent, but willing worker. She was always working, but we never heard a peep unless we were interogating her. SIERRA was our baby girl. She was very concerned with how she looked. She was also quite the little chef. All of our girls were very willing to help and did whatever we asked them to do . . . we just had to ask them.

We played a wicked game of Mountain-Man Ball (not quite baseball) for a while, which ended abruptly after a girl got a ball in the ribs. The night came on quickly and got pretty cold. Three bonfires were built as we waited and waited and waited for dinner (the coals kept going out). We had the devotional, complete with a video powered by generator (not so authentic to the pioneers). It focused mainly on the Martin/Willy Handcart Company experiences. So here is my question, would you give up a blanket to bury your dead husband in the snow, or keep it to warm your family? I'm telling you right now that I would keep it . . . and I'd keep the boots and clothes too. Sorry Sweetie.

We finished the night with dinner and the hoe-down, which Elliot surprisingly loved! I never get to dance with Elliot, so we had a great time and it kept us all warm! I didn't sleep, but I got another foot rub from Elliot.

Day 2 was Saturday morning and was another cold one and some of our kids were sort of in a rhythm of helping and getting stuff started. They made breakfast, cleaned their stuff up, and packed the handcart most efficiently. And of course, they left me in dust AGAIN as we hiked about 5 miles. I thought for about 5 minutes that I was going to be able to keep up with them . . . until they ran up a hill with the handcart! So I think that the only experience that I could give them was the feeling of having to leave a family member behind on the plains, only it was easier for them because they didn't actually have to bury me.

I was the absolute LAST person to finish the Trek. There wasn't even a soul behind me. I was excited to sit down on something that was higher than my bedroll. I thought for sure the girls would fall asleep on the way home, but they were slap-happy. They laughed the entire way home about who knows what! The second I put my sunglasses on I was asleep, bobbing my head around. My feet were throbbing and my knees were killing me and I was dying to take a shower. My sweet husband is not capable of leaving camping supplies out, so we had to put everything away before the blessed personal clean-up happened. Oh how I love showering. We still had to pick up Stella at Grandma's house, so we were pretty deliriously tired . . . which lasted a few days.

So you ask me which part of the Trek was my favorite . . . I just don't know. It wasn't totally fun. I have more regrets than I do favorites, so maybe that's why I was supposed to go. I can tell you right now that I will NEVER do something like that again in the shape I'm in right now. I also would have prepared more spiritually. I didn't have any thoughts to share while I was there which frustrates me a great deal. I didn't get to bond with our kids like I would have liked . . . they were too far ahead of me!

In a way, this experience also made me think of all of the things I'm not doing. Every day I do the laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, etc., . . . but what else do I do? Nothing. Why are other women able to take care of those responsibilities (which I actually love doing) AND do other things that can also define who they are individually as well as giving their kids a variety of experiences? Those are the women that don't lose their minds as "stay-at-home" mom's. I LOVE staying home, I absolutely LOVE it! But there are so many other things that I love doing too . . . or I want to love doing. When did the Pioneers have time to sew, or write in their journals, or read their scriptures, or play with their kids, or hang out with their husband, or dance? I imagine that they were working ALL the time, plus they had 20 kids to take care of, yet they still did all of those things. What is my excuse?

Another thing I've learned is that I need to find that burning testimony of following our prophet. Oh, I have a testimony of it, but can anyone really say that they would drop EVERYTHING they were doing at the time and leave EVERYTHING they owned to move across the country, even across the ocean, sacrificing family members and almost your own life just for the privilege of hearing our prophet's voice? I'm so grateful for their burning testimony, because I'll tell you right now that angels would have to be attending to get me to move in that manner again (and mine was only 20 miles)! It was a good experience for us and I'm sure that once I have a while to reflect upon it more I'll find a few more gems that I learned. Elliot desperately misses our kids and is already planning a family reunion, one that I'll happily attend as long as it doesn't involve walking anywhere.

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