Trekking

Well, I have just returned from a Pioneer Trek. That was our stake youth conference this year. It was a ton of fun. While we were there, we pulled handcarts (loaded with all of our gear) 12 miles the first day, and between 3 and 5 miles the other three days. It was a ton of fun. We were put into families of about 10 (youth) plus Ma and Pa (adults). That was wonderful, and our family absolutely rocked! We all got along, and we all learned from each other. While we were on trek, we were each assigned one of the pioneers from either the Martin or Willie Companies. The man I was assigned to was named William Whittaker. His birth date and place are unknown, and there are very few facts about him known. The one thing we know for sure is that one cold night, quite a ways into the trek, a girl was awakened by poor starved William gnawing on her fingers. He was, later the same night, seen attempting to eat his own fingers. That night he died, and was buried in a common grave the next morning along with several others who had died from the horrible cold and starvation the Willie and Martin handcart companies had to endure. This was a poignant reminder to me of how much the pioneers suffered on their way here to the valley, and how easy we have it nowadays. I am definitely glad that they did though, because I love living here in the valley.