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Health & Fitness

Pioneer Trek Obstacles

Pioneer trek encounters

This post is to explain a little more about the experiences that were planned for the pioneer trek reenactment.  The teenagers were grouped into families with a "ma" and "pa" assigned to supervise and guide them.  They had to wear period clothing and bring only very few items that would fit into a 5-gallon bucket as each family had to fit their belongings onto a 4 foot by 4 foot handcart.  The youth were encouraged to participate, problem solve, and to record their experiences in a journal.  About 70 teenagers participated in 8 "families."  The trail boss led the way.

Over the course of the two-day trek, specific points were named for actual locations along the journey the pioneers took in the 1850s from Iowa to Utah.  Such locations included Iowa City, Council Bluffs/Winter Quarters (present day Omaha), the Platte River, Chimney Rock, Fort Laramie, and the Sweetwater River.  The end of the trek was Salt Lake City.  

At many of these points along our "trek," volunteers met with our "pioneers" to interact, teach, or in some cases cause harm to the pioneers.  On the first day, one family was attacked and their lunches stolen.  The other families had to divide up what food they had to give to the family whose lunches were stolen.  Traders came to trade for food and supplies.  Mountain men came and took the men to go hunt, so the women had to pull the handcarts entirely for a short time.  Each family had to deal with simulated sickness and death.  At another point, letters were delivered from family back home encouraging them.

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At the end of each day, the families gathered their handcarts, went to the "supply wagon" and were served great food, shared stories and songs, and had the opportunity to share how this trek strengthened their faith and appreciation for these pioneers.

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