Youth Conference- Trek

We couldn't have asked for a better Youth Conference. This year we did Trek in Wyoming. I was extremely nervous about going. I am not much of a walker and the thought of pushing a handcart 10 miles didn't sound that exciting. But I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. We left early on Tuesday July 28th for a 6 hour drive to Wyoming. We had Lecia and Kaytee in our car with us and they cracked Pete and I up the entire ride. It made the drive go by fast.

We then made it to Martin's Cove where we got out and pulled handcarts. We were told the history of the cove and were told to hike to the cove in silence and to pay attention to how we felt as we hiked about 6 miles. When we got to the cove, everyone sat in silence and wrote down their feelings of the events that had happened in this sacred place. My thoughts turned to all the mother's who had to watch their children cold, hungry and sometimes without proper clothing walk this path in the snow. I just can't imagine seeing my own children starving and cold and trying to make the journey out West. My heart just broke thinking of these poor children. It really made me appreciate the trials I do have because all though they seem hard to me, I can't image the trials the pioneers went through.







After Martin's Cove we drove to our campsite. As we were driving there, the skies started to blacken and the closer we got to the destination it started to sprinkle, then rain, then rain harder, then hail . . . I was just waiting for the snow!! But believe it or not , we loved the rain and cold. It made it so much easier to hike 10miles in the rain than in the heat.





I didn't bring my camera on the day of the big hike because of the weather but as soon as I get a hold of pictures that we had our historians take I will post them. As we hiked throughout the day, as leaders, we felt that the weather was catered to us. Whenever we hiked, it rained. When we had a trail side with the missionaries, it stopped. When we did the Woman's Pull, it down poured on us. When we ate lunch, it stopped. As we hiked the tail end of the trek, did the water crossings, it was perfect weather- not hot, still cloudy but perfect. Then as we were a mile out of camp it started to rain again! We felt that we got to experience (a little) what it would be like to walk in uncomfortable conditions like the pioneers. And although it didn't snow or sleet or under 0 degree weather, it was cold and muddy and at time hard to push/pull handcarts in the rain.

We ended our trek on Thursday, at Rock Creek Hollow. The missionaries talked about how this area was considered to be an "open temple" and we were to again be reverent as we hike to the area for our testimony meeting.






We had a fantastic testimony meeting. It was so wonderful to hear what the youth thought about the experience. The youth testified of the spirit they felt during the Woman's Pull and the River Crossings ( where the men carried the Women across as the YW sang hymns). They testified of the spirit they felt within their own Trek Families and at Martin's Cove. I think one thing that was amazing to me, was the fact that throughout this entire experience of hiking, weather, not being with the friends they wanted in their trek family or carpool, NOT one of the youth complained!! They rolled with the punches and had a truely marvelous experience and I can't wait for the concluding fireside to recap the experience through talks and video.