Day 3
River Crossings and Women's Pull
The morning of our 3rd day out found us breaking camp. The youth all lined the camp at the far end and then walked up through the camp picking up garbage. Garrett had pulled me aside about this time and said he had something "cool" he wanted me to look at. I thought to myself what on earth could he have found out here - it's flat and hardly a sagebrush in sight! We walked on and I stooped to pick up a small square of purple tent fabric and lo and behold a snake was curled up under it! Thank goodness it was the dead snake they had killed the night before! He promised me that I would not get back at him and I consented, but what he didn't know was that I asked President Denny Orton (counselor to Stake President) to do it for me! I found out later that he asked Garrett to please teach a lesson in Stake Conference lasting 30 minutes! Garrett came to me quite disturbed and asked what to do about it! I told him that I would talk to President Orton about the whole thing and later told Garrett that President Orton was willing to let him just talk in Stake Conference for 5 minutes. He only found out that it was all a hoax on Fast Sunday during testimony meeting after he had let the congregation know of his plot to scare him mother! His mother let the congregation know her son really didn't get off scott free! Anyways back to trek...
After the 6 companies had left camp, I helped take down camp and was to drive a truck around to the next stop until I found out I was a little late and everyone had already take the support vehicles over. So I jumped on the bus with our bus driver and he stopped at the monument that was on the road that we were unable to trek by. Martin's Cove is directly behind this monument. We later met up with the trekkers back at our starting point of the visitor's center only 3 miles to the east of camp.
We then were bused 56 miles to the 6th Crossing Visitor Center. Here we received new handcarts and went on our way again - this time for a 4 mile loop entailing 1 river crossing by bridge, 3 river crossings by foot and 1 incredible hill that will forever bring me some special memories!
This is our group before the hill - at the base of it the men all walked to the top and were given counsel by the Missionary traveling with us and by our Stake President and Stake YM President. I later heard that they were counseled to always honor that priesthood with which they had been entrusted - to use it to uplift and serve and to always honor womanhood in their life. Likewise at the base of this hill, the sister Missionary - Sister Peterson - a convert asked the YW to look at the men leave our midst. She let the YW know that the priesthood was know leaving them and asked them how it felt. "Empty, powerless, lonely" were just a few of the comments made. She then turned the time over to me and asked me to say a few words to the YW as well. After bearing my testimony of the priesthood and gospel - each handcart pulled and pushed by women only went up a gravely steep hill - not too long but altogether hard to complete. As we went up this hill - the YM and adult priesthood leaders lined the hill and with their hats over their hearts watched this endeavor to pull and push without their help. It was physically too hard to look up into their face to see their reactions and it was too hard emotionally to do the same. But I heard from many of the YM and their leaders that the women's pull was incredible hard on them as well, not to step in and help as they saw us struggling up that hill. For YM and YW this was the most spiritual experience they had on trek.
A view from the base of the women's pull - not all that clear - but that's the priesthood on yonder hill top and one of the carts as they work their way up the trail.
After the women's pull and many a heartfelt thanks for the returned priesthood, we stopped and heard from our missionary couple again. As we were listening a small group apart from ours passed us to start the river crossings. We had already sent 3 YW down to the river to play their violins as we all passed and these incredible YW played for this other group as well. It took quite a while to pass all over this crossing and many a tear was shed here as well for the spirit was so strong and the music was so beautiful. I was the last to cross and these YW played until even I had passed through.
All in all this had to have been my favorite and most spiritual day on trek. A total of 7 miles was walked this day but the growth these youth gained was more than measured miles!
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