The Pioneer Trek - June 2009

On Wednesday, June 17th at 1:30 in the morning, I dropped the girls off at the stake center to board a bus for Wyoming. I was very worried for the girls because I don’t think they had prepared themselves physically for the strenuous work ahead of them. I was afraid Ariel was getting sick with something and Meg was having a major anxiety attack about the 12 hour bus ride…she was sure she wouldn’t survive. They looked very cute the night they left with their “luggage” – one bucket and one backpack. I dropped them off for their "bucket and bonnet tour" and cried all the way home. Four days without one word from your children, is very hard for a mom.

The Mormon Trail

Ariel crossing the Sweetwater River. She said after the first two steps she took, her legs were numb. The girls felt a lot of sympathy for the pioneers that crossed this river six times in the winter with ice floating in it.


The "silent walk" up Martin's Cove. Several times as they trekked the youth were asked to remain silent out of respect and reverence.

Megan crossing the Sweetwater.

Ariel with her pioneer family

Ariel and Megan wearing mostly pioneer attire...the gator sweatshirt Meg has on is obviously not "period" clothing. The first day they trekked, it was around 50 degrees. They said the wind never stopped blowing. They trekked five miles the first day and ten miles the second day.

The girls were very tired, sunburned and bitten by the time they stumbled off the bus at midnight Saturday night. We were very glad to see them and hear of their experiences. Ariel had 44 mosquito bites and Megan had 11. Ariel was a bit traumatized from the bites...she asked, "Do mosquitos inject poison into you? Why can't they just take the blood and leave?" I thought it was a valid question. Ariel was walking on some painful "cankles" as her ankles had swollen up to twice their normal size. I asked Meg how come she didn't have more bites. She said, "I was prepared mom, I stayed covered up and sprayed constantly." Ariel said if she got some sort of disease from the mosquito bites, she was suing the state of Wyoming. I guess we will need to get us a really amazing attorney to take Wyoming on. In spite of their suffering, they had a great time, learned a lot, and gained a deep appreciation for the pioneers. One that they couldn't have had without experiencing, on a very small scale, a bit of their lifestyle.