Pioneer Trek

Bryan, Spencer, and I had quite an experience this March.  Our Stake decided a year or so ago to hold a Pioneer Trek in place of Youth Conference for the first time.  Back in October, Bryan and I were asked to serve as a "Ma and Pa" on this Trek.  We had known people who had attended a Trek in the past, and so we felt pretty excited to be able to be a part of such a cool experience.  Since Spencer was turning 14, he would also be attending (although not as a member of our "family").  There were about 150 kids, ranging in age from 14-18, that attended, and there were 13 different couples who served as Mas and Pas of 13 different families.  Bryan and I attended two full day training sessions to get us ready to go, and we hired a babysitter to come stay with the kids for the three days we'd be gone.  Our excitement turned to a bit of panic as the Trek got closer, and we watched the weather forecast like hawks and re-read the very small packing list.  And it was a TON of work to get ready for!  Well, like it or not, the day arrived.  Bryan was panicked that it would be hot, and I was panicked that it would be too cold at night.  In the end, we were both a little bit right!  But oh my, what an awesome three days it was!  In a nutshell, here is what the week consisted of:  three days and two nights of roughing it; pulling 400 lb. handcarts over very rough and rocky terrain for approximately 20 miles; food was fairly slim, and sleeping conditions were extremely primitive.  We had 12 kids in our Trek Family, and we named ourselves "The Lonestar Banditos."  The first day we assembled the handcarts and set out on the Trek.  Without giving too many of the details away, I'll just say that we hiked long and hard the first day, and finally collapsed after dark at our first campsite.  All 180 people rolled out their sleeping bags under the stars, used extra clothes as pillows, and tried to get a good night's sleep.  The only problem was that it got down to 26 degrees that night!!  So hardly a soul slept a wink, except for Spencer, who evidently slept like a rock despite his hair freezing to his face.  It was rough, I'm not gonna lie!  It warmed up in the morning, though, and we hit the trails again for another few miles.  On day 2 we played a lot of pioneer games and activities, and then we had a square dance and fireside that night.  Our family stayed up well into the night having our own little devotional, and it was very cool.  It got down to 31 degrees that night, but strangely felt so toasty after night #1!  We finished up the Trek with a great day 3, and the miracle was that I honestly didn't feel tired until the moment I set foot in my house that night.  The kids at home had fun with the babysitter, and the three of us Trekkers had an unforgettable experience.