Youth Conference Pioneer Trek 2013

So when a lot of teenagers were "spring break'n" a couple of weeks ago.......these teens were "trek'n"

I was asked if I could photograph this youth group for a day or two, I couldn't do it for both days, but I am so glad I was able to photograph day one:O)

Doesn't everyone look, HAPPY, fresh, & most of all CLEAN:O) This is Thursday morning, 7:30 am (um, kinda early for ME:) Everyone met up @ the church parking lot, turned in there 5 pound bucket of clothing & toiletries, sleeping bag & pillow to their "Trek family" talked, some were very excited, & I'm sure some may not have been as much lol:) Although fun was for sure to be had w/old friends, & soon to be new friends.....the kids (& adults who went) knew the 3 days ahead were going to be challenging, long & full of experiences....hopefully good ones:O)

So who's ready to head up & begin their "pioneer trek"?!?!?

                                             I think they are ^^

For those of you who have NO CLUE what the heck these teens & adults are doing, dressed up like characters from "little house on the prairie" well.......I will briefly tell you;O)

This is a youth group from "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (aka Mormons:O)

No nO No NO they don't normally dress like this:O) They were re-inacting just a teeny, VERY tiny bit of what it would have possibly been like to be a pioneer traveling west, crossing the plains......many years ago.......

Many of these teens have ancestors who have actually pushed & pulled handcarts, & covered wagons much like the ones they were able to push & pull.  The wagons of the pioneers were only able to hold 2000 pounds, that is not very much, considering these were families w/children & "things" they needed to bring along.  All who crossed the plains left their homes, & almost all of their material belongings in hopes for a better life out west.  One that would allow them to worship w/out being persecuted & even put to death......

Ok..... so once the group left the church, they all headed up to a beautiful site, one that has been prepared for this type of activity.  The kids were still all clean & "fresh" having fun, talking w/friends, eating lunch  (that's one luxury the real pioneers did NOT have!) & then they received "instructions"  by those who were in charge, & by the men who run this camp. 

Let's begin!

I believe the first day was 7-9 miles.....not exactly sure......the first part was down hill:O) 

I only walked w/each "company for about 3 blocks or so, I wanted to catch each family in each company as they begun their 3 day journey.............

I love this photo below:O)  It just looks so happy to me!  

 Awwwwww..........Ma' n Pa' are so cute as they walk hand n hand behind their "family" & their handcart:O)

SO, as I said, I only walked w/each company for a bit, my plan was to catch a ride on an ATV & pass them up so I could walk w/them the last 2 miles or so (BOY, am I GLAD I didn't end up doing that:) But because the trail was so narrow, that wasn't possible....so a few hours into the trek I caught a nice car ride up the LONG hill, which was the better half of the trail-   we saw the "pioneers" trek'n below!  So we stopped & I was able to catch several fun photos as they pulled, pushed, & walked............ 

as I waited for the pioneers to get a little closer so I could meet up w/them & take some more photos, I took a few fun shots, these two below are some of my favorites:O)

 
isn't this little covered wagon so cute:O)?!

So after what seemed like a VERY long time of me waiting to hear anything "human" while I was waiting on the trail (I was on the last mile waiting:) I FINALLY heard something other than a woodpecker!  I was soooo excited, & started walking towards the sound of "people":)!

Some were very happy to see me, & some couldn't wait to tell me how hard this was!  But each family that I walked w/for a bit asked me "how much longer"?!  I said 20 more minutes, & you are there!

Some thought that was amazing news.....some felt that 20 more minutes was going to be an eternity........These guys knew that soon they were going to be able to rest, get cleaned up (although there were no showering for these pioneers!) set up camp & BEST of all get a warm "DELISH" meal!  Something that the pioneers of old could only DREAM of...........

This image below is one that just gets to me.......it has such a real & very raw feeling to it.....it almost looks like it really could have been from the pioneers......it almost gives me goose-bumps........

Everyone helped to pull, push, & did their part to help cross their handcart, & did it as a "family"  

Oh gosh, this young lady in the bottom photo cracked me up-each time my lens was pointing her way, she was ready w/a "face"  she was so funny!  

I was able to catch some amazing light @ the end of the day:O)  Which I am sort of o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d. with:O)

                                     I love these smiles ^^

Gotta love seeing everyone really working together here!  love it!

Your almost there guys, you CAN DO THIS says "Fluffy" the super cute little guy down below:O)

So pretty much EVERYONE had arrived to camp, got their BBQ, baked potato, salad, rolls & cookies for dinner (yum, I am hungry!) & set up their tents, got their buckets out of their handcarts, got cleaned up, some even put on comfy sweats.........there was one last handcart who hadn't quite made it into camp just yet.........they were about 90 minutes behind the first "company" & families that had arrived (& of course my son was in that family:)......but let me in a very condensed version tell you a little bit about this company. This company that came quite a bit late into camp was the "Martin" company......the Pioneers companies of old were named, last names....under the "leader" of that company, which had several different families crossing w/covered wagons & handcarts, so each "company" had a bunch of different families who basically travelled together.......

I'm not sure if this struck anyone else s much as it struck me, but this little handcart family below, who was part of the "Martin" company was all by themselves towards the end of the trek this day, they had a few struggles earlier in the day, & because of this, they were very behind schedule.  

Although, nowhere near in comparison to the struggles that the"willie & Martin" companies had to witness, & endure, I thought it was very much appropriate that out of all the "companies" out there on the trek that day, this little handcart rolled into camp all intact, no real "injuries" but very behind the rest of the group. The real "Martin" company left Iowa on July 26th 1856,  & most arrived @ the end of November1856.  The Martin company started their journey out west w/575 member.......they lost a sixth of them before they reached their destination......