Trek- Martin's Cove

******LOTS OF PICTURES***** 

I was putting off posting this, because Sarah took a ton of photos that I am sure I would love, but its taking too long to get them. So here goes!

 Jared's parent's ward planned a trip to Martin's Cove Wyoming to do a Pioneer Trek. Families were invited and because Jared and I had never been on one, we decided we wanted to go. I had envisioned a nice coach bus that I could sleep on and watch movies on. Well last minute changes, and we ended up on a school bus. That wouldn't seem too bad, but it was a 6 hour drive in this school bus with not the best driver. Therefore no sleeping for me.

Lovely Jared, just lovely!

 On the bus hoping it doesn't die going up the mountains.

 We FINALLY made it and we had some time to kill, so Jared and I wandered around.

 Oh, for my non-LDS family we "got" to not only pull handcarts like the pioneers, but we got to do it in pioneer style clothes! I think this is the only time I actually wore the bonnet. I am not a hat person.

 We took the lead on our handcart first. With Diane next to Jared.

 Then we ditched the handcarts and took a little walk,

 to this place called Devils Gate. Most pioneers came through this way from the east.

 Diane, Alex(Jared's cousin), and Austin(Alex's friend who tried SO hard to get out of coming)

 Almost the whole ride to Martin's Cove was UGLY, but I thought it was actually pretty here.

 The sun made for some cool shots as we headed to camp.

 Our campsite. Luckily we didn't have to sleep, eat, or go to the bathroom like a pioneer.

It was camping!!!!

 In our tent getting ready for bed.

 Diane had been on a few treks before, just not at Martin's Cove. So she was set with pioneer looking pajamas! It was SO funny!

 Our family from left to right: Miriah, Austin, Alex, Cathy, Diane(yes behind the flag, not on purpose), me, Jared, McKenzie, Angelica, and Sarah. We also had Brittney, but she wasn't in this picture.

 One part of the trek was called "the women's pull". Its a VERY steep, very sandy hill that only the women could pull. We all worked together and got all the carts to the top while the men waited at the top. A lot of the real pioneer families lost the husband to death because they would give up their portions of food to the family. With little to no food, then work really hard everyday caused many to die of exhaustion. Then it was up to the women to continue to Utah. 

 There are 3 huge sculptures of the some of the rescuers that carried ALL the members of the Willie-Martin handcart company(to know more about the tragedy click here) across the Sweetwater River. It was so cold that it was full of sharp ice chunks.

 All these boys that came to help later died from the elements they encountered on this rescue.

  One of my favorite picture! Don't we look all pioneer-ish?

 We again ditched the carts and headed into Martin's Cove. Read here  to know more.

 The cove was a big horse shoe shaped cove behind a big sand hill.

 Jared and Alex

 Looking straight at the big sandy hill

 Relaxing after a VERY long day

 Then we headed to a coral and did some square dancing.

This is Diane and her partner doing the Virginia Reel.

 Towards the end of our dancing it got REALLY windy. I was SO bugged and not excited to be there. I just wanted to be in a building . Our tent couldn't even be set up. The wind was bending the poles inward. It was SOOOOOO windy, and with that came sand everywhere!!!

We ended up setting up our tent without the fly, and trying to sleep with sand blowing all over us. UGG!!!

 This is how our friends tent stayed standing up.

 This tent was destroyed and they tried to make it work with rope and 3 handcarts.

I was sooo annoyed with the wind, but FINALLY I was able to fall asleep. Only a few hours later I was awoken by howling. It was either a wolf, or a coyote, either way it freaked me out. I woke Jared up because it was close. After I finally woke Jared up it never howled again, but my heart was racing. Lets just say I didn't get much sleep. 

 Ever seen the movie "Far and Away"?  If so you will laugh at this picture!

 We threw Diane in the back of the handcart on the way back to the bus.

 Cathy and I at the end! YAY, we made it!

 Then we drove up the road just a little to Independence Rock. It was part of the trail west. It got its name by the people heading west. If you hadn't hit this huge rock by Independence Day, July 4th, you wouldn't get to your destination by the first snow fall.

By this time I was DONE being a pioneer.

The skirt had to go!

 Climbing on "the rock"

 If you look really hard

"Ole Oregon Trail"

Over all we hiked with the handcarts about 13 miles. Some parts were pretty easy, but a lot of it was hard work. I decided if I had been a pioneer and pulled a handcart all the way to Utah, I would have burned my handcart when I got there. I was sick of the thing, and it had only been 3 days!