Last weekend we went on our Stake Pioneer Trek. We had eight "kids" in our family five boys and three girls.

We had prepared for several months, going on hikes, making our family flag. We had a BBQ with all the kids trying to get them excited to go.

We were fortunate that this wasn't a survival trek, we could bring snacks and even our deodorant and tooth brushes. Yea!!

The first day we went five miles. We came upon a part were the water was up to our knees. The mud underneath was slimy and sucked at our shoes. The smell was horrible. I'm guessing it was from the dead carp that we saw floating around us.

That night we had a wonderful dinner of chicken, salad, fruit and apple or cherry pie with ice cream. After dinner we learned some fun square dances and pioneer dances.

The clouds were dark and threatened to rain but it never did. The night was cold and the tent was small but we made it though the first night. The next morning we went five miles and stopped for lunch.
I brought with us a five pound sack of flour that we wrapped in a baby blanket and carried all the first day and half the next. At one of our mid-trek family activities we told stories of pioneer families that lost child after child and the hardships that they endured. We buried our flour sack baby by the side of the trail and all felt a small part of the sadness and sacrifices the pioneers made to come to this valley.




After lunch we went another five and half miles. The boys pulled through many places that were covered with mud..or mud and water. That night we rested in the shade after we made camp. We had another wonderful dinner of fried chicken, potatoes, beans, salad and fruit. Dessert was cherry and chocolate cheesecake. Yum! We were fed very well. I can't imagine going on a trek were we had to make our own food. After dinner we had a devotional and testimony meeting. We have some amazing kids in our stake and in our own ward.

The next morning was our last and we slogged the last five miles through mud and and water that was freezing. We also had the Women's pull. The men and women were separated and each had their own little meeting. The men played games and told stories and the women were entertained with a skit. We then had to pull our handcarts with only the women in our family through a half mile of freshly turned up dirt and sand. We had to rest several times, I was red faced gasping for air and dripping sweat. When I saw the men come around the corner half way into the pull I teared up and wanted to let them help us. We finished the pull with help from two of the stake women leaders but no men. We all made it through and I was very quiet for the next mile until we had lunch. It was quite the experience.
We had another mile to go after lunch. We went through a "river" that they made for us. We were all happy and excited that it was almost over. We came through the bushes and the kids families were lined up cheering us on. It was such a great moment to see them all there. As soon as we got done the clouds opened up and it started to rain.
It was almost as if it were waiting for us to be done and held back until the very last moment.

We had such an incredible experience. I would do it again especially now that it's over and I can look back and see all that we felt and learned over the three days.