We traveled about 9 miles the first day which was almost all uphill. 
There were parts of the trail that the hill was so steep, it took 3 families to get the carts up the hill. We used a rope tied to the front so that several people could pull. We had layers of people in back pushing. After one families cart made it to the top, everyone would go back down to get the next cart. Once all 3 handcarts were up, the next company of handcarts headed up and then another. Randy and I were so touched by how many kids kept continuing to go back down to help bring another families cart up. Our "oldest son" on the trek went down and back up all 11 times! These youth are strong in so many ways. The humidity in Georgia is so much and we had to work so hard, everyone was drenched. You should have seen Randy's pants. They were soaked completely down to his ankles!
The second day we traveled somewhere between 12-14 miles. It was quite alot uphill again!!!! Yikes! That's my real neice, Aubrey in the checkered top.
There were parts of the trail that the hill was so steep, it took 3 families to get the carts up the hill. We used a rope tied to the front so that several people could pull. We had layers of people in back pushing. After one families cart made it to the top, everyone would go back down to get the next cart. Once all 3 handcarts were up, the next company of handcarts headed up and then another. Randy and I were so touched by how many kids kept continuing to go back down to help bring another families cart up. Our "oldest son" on the trek went down and back up all 11 times! These youth are strong in so many ways. The humidity in Georgia is so much and we had to work so hard, everyone was drenched. You should have seen Randy's pants. They were soaked completely down to his ankles!
The second day we traveled somewhere between 12-14 miles. It was quite alot uphill again!!!! Yikes! That's my real neice, Aubrey in the checkered top.When we got to camp, we had to set up our tents. The boys slept on a tarp. Then it was time to cook dinner. Dutch oven cooking is actually pretty tasty! This was my trek daughter.
This was our family. Randy and I were called Ma and Pa. We appointed a big brother and a big sister. We had 8 kids!
This is the back of Gabrielle's head. I could not find a picture of her. We are going to be getting more, so if I find a better one, I will post it at a later date. I was amazed at Gabrielle. She has Severs Disease in her heel and has alot of pain if on her feet too much. I was very worried about her being able to make it. She did GREAT the first day and even on the 2nd until the end. The 2nd day was VERY long and she was limping towards the end of the trail. Her "Ma" told her to get in the cart. She felt terrible and was embarrassed that her family had to pull her weight as well. They were so good to her and told her that they didn't even notice a difference. The 3rd day we were at camp. We square danced and played games. She could not walk, so she just watched everyone. I was so proud of her for making it through the hardest part!
This was Bradley, our captain. He directed us on the trail and gave us instructions throughout. He was a great leader.
I know I look scary here, but you just had to see what I looked like on the trek. Beautiful, I know. I think that's the "concerned mother" face. This was one of my darling daughters. She had wisdom beyond her years. She was a great example to our family.
If Randy looks sickly here, it's because he was. He was sick the whole time and continued for a few days after we got home. He is strong as an ox!
Spencer's family called him the "work horse." He swore he did the majority of the work. Go Spence!
Our brother in law, Kinley called the square dance at camp. Although, we were all dirty, and tired, we managed to have alot of fun on this 3rd day.
One of the highlights for me was our family devotionals. We would sit in a circle every morning and night and shared our thoughts and prayed together. We didn't mind sitting in the dirt. We became "one" with nature pretty quick.
Here are some of the Ma's and Pa's. Each family had a family motto. We had our plaques on our handcarts. Ours was "Endure in Faith." We had all our kids sign the plaque and we brought it home. We will all join again in July for a slideshow of the trek and fireside (devotional).
Here is my neice, Kirsten. She looked so cute.
Needless to say, we were all exhausted and ready for a shower by the end of it!
This was our family. Randy and I were called Ma and Pa. We appointed a big brother and a big sister. We had 8 kids!
This is the back of Gabrielle's head. I could not find a picture of her. We are going to be getting more, so if I find a better one, I will post it at a later date. I was amazed at Gabrielle. She has Severs Disease in her heel and has alot of pain if on her feet too much. I was very worried about her being able to make it. She did GREAT the first day and even on the 2nd until the end. The 2nd day was VERY long and she was limping towards the end of the trail. Her "Ma" told her to get in the cart. She felt terrible and was embarrassed that her family had to pull her weight as well. They were so good to her and told her that they didn't even notice a difference. The 3rd day we were at camp. We square danced and played games. She could not walk, so she just watched everyone. I was so proud of her for making it through the hardest part!
This was Bradley, our captain. He directed us on the trail and gave us instructions throughout. He was a great leader.
I know I look scary here, but you just had to see what I looked like on the trek. Beautiful, I know. I think that's the "concerned mother" face. This was one of my darling daughters. She had wisdom beyond her years. She was a great example to our family.
If Randy looks sickly here, it's because he was. He was sick the whole time and continued for a few days after we got home. He is strong as an ox!
Spencer's family called him the "work horse." He swore he did the majority of the work. Go Spence!
Our brother in law, Kinley called the square dance at camp. Although, we were all dirty, and tired, we managed to have alot of fun on this 3rd day.
One of the highlights for me was our family devotionals. We would sit in a circle every morning and night and shared our thoughts and prayed together. We didn't mind sitting in the dirt. We became "one" with nature pretty quick.
Here are some of the Ma's and Pa's. Each family had a family motto. We had our plaques on our handcarts. Ours was "Endure in Faith." We had all our kids sign the plaque and we brought it home. We will all join again in July for a slideshow of the trek and fireside (devotional).
Here is my neice, Kirsten. She looked so cute.
Needless to say, we were all exhausted and ready for a shower by the end of it!
Some people have asked me, would I do it again? The answer is, it would be hard, but Yes, I absolutely would.
4 comments:
What a great experience you all had.
More people need to do this and they would appreciate what they have.
Oh my goodness, that looked exhausting! How much steeper can it get? An experience that won't be forgotten.
Poor Randy, what a hero, that guy. I can't imagine trekking that ill.
Thanks for sharing. My girls will love reading this and looking at the pics. What a great looking bunch of fellow saints having similar experiences hundreds of miles away.
Didn't Gabby have to turn around and go to girls camp the very next week? The rest of her summer will be a walk in the park compared to her June!
What a wonderful experience. I wish I had been with you. They had grandma's on the trek you know. Love the pictures. They tell a pretty good story. How lucky to have had shade in that hot humidity. Congratulations to all of you trekkers, especially Gabrielle who had to endure the added pain. This is one experience you'll never forget!
Awesome Carrie! It's amazing how the church does so many cool things for the youth. When we were growing up, we didn't have Mormon Prom or Pioneer Trek. What a great experience!
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