Martin's Cove

Most of you may have read this in an email, but this is for those of you that didn't.
Clint and I just returned from youth conference. We went to Martin's Cove. We dressed up as pioneers and pulled handcarts for miles across the Wyoming plains.(10 one day and 6 another). It was a great eye-opener for me to experience a little of what it might have been like to be a pioneer. And of course, the Willie and Martin companies were there during the worst winter in 30 years. It was a very spiritual experience. There was one section during the hike where the young men and male leaders were taken away(to go on missions or to die from exhaustion etc.). The men lined up along the trail with their hats over their hearts as they watched the girls and women struggle to pull the carts up this huge hill(about 1/2 mile). They were not allowed to help us. That was a very spiritual part. It helped both the women and men appreciate each other so much more.
We stayed at a nice campground that had bathrooms(no running water). This campground provided the handcarts for us. We arrived Monday afternoon, set up camp, ate dinner, and had a square dance which was really fun! The next morning the kids packed everything up again, loaded their handcarts, had breakfast, then set off on the 10 mile hike. The kids were divided into 4 companies with 4 families per company. Clint and another bishop were company commanders of company 3. I was assigned to help push one of the stake carts. There were enough stake leaders that we could rotate pushing. This was the day we did the above mentioned "women's pull". They also re-enacted the story where the 4 boys from the rescue company carried the people across the Sweetwater river. They assigned 10 young men to carry the women and girls across. That was neat.
On Wed. we loaded a bus and drove to the actual Martin's Cove where the people from the Martin company stayed until the rescue teams arrived. They were there for 5 nights and every morning someone would come to their tents and ask if anyone was dead. They'd take the dead away over the next hill and bury them as well as they could in the snow. The wolves would be waiting up in the hills to come and take the bodies. I think an avereage of 12 people a day died there. This day we only hiked 6 miles so it was alot easier. Plus we didn't push handcarts the whole way.
After Martin's Cove we stopped at Independence Rock. Some people climbed to the top to see the names written there of the pioneers who crossed that way.
That night we had a testimony meeting. The youth were lined up waiting to share. It lasted 3 hours and was very spiritual.
Thurs. we came home...it was an 8-9 hour drive home.
Thought you might like to know we made it home safely. I did not have my camera on the trek with me. They had assigned people to be photographers so I have to wait until their pictures are available. When they are I will post them to my blog.