Week 9

What a full week we have had.  Monday and Tuesday we went on field trips put on by CES (Church Education System) history department.  Monday we started at key sites on the National Historic Trail and had the directors teach us about events that occurred at each site. Some happenings were entertaining some of them were gut wrenching and some were very spiritual.  We also went to the interpretive center of the NHT in Casper which is very well done.  Casper is the second largest city in Wyoming with all 56,000 people.  The Platte River was one of the huge stumbling blocks for the pioneers.  The pioneers left the river here and crossed a large distance without a water source until they reached the Sweetwater River.  We have concentrated our studies on the Willie Handcart Company because it is our site locations emphasis. So on this trip we learned a lot about the Martin Handcart Company and the Hodgett and Hunt Wagon Companies.  The directors are so knowledgeable but so humble and full of thoughtful insights.  One of the high points of the day was hearing the stories of the rescuers reaching the Martin company at Greasewood Creek having fires and food ready for the starving and freezing saints. It was a combination of tears and shouts of joy as the pioneers came into camp.  In upcoming years, Cyrus Wheelock, one of the rescuers, wrote the hymn "Ye elders of Israel" in remembrance of this event.  Understanding the event that inspired the hymn will always change the way we feel as we sing that hymn.

Tuesday the field trip was at our Sixth Crossing sites.  The directors as they said, put things in context by describing the feelings that have been recorded about the pioneers experiences in these places as they were reaching what they all thought would be the end of their lives on earth.  They all stated that the sacrifice was worth following the prophet and serving their God.  

Wednesday was work crew with me spraying weeds and Selby working on the wells again.  We love bringing this place up to the churches standards in looking clean and beautiful.  Went fishing in the evening.

Thursday - Went to Rock Creek Hollow to beautify it too by paining the buildings and benches and tables.

Friday - All the Missionaries from both Martin's Cove and Sixth crossing went to Rocky Ridge to experience the climb of that daunting mountain. It is the final true assent to the pass of the Rocky Mountains.  It was  a distance of about 9 miles round trip.  The day was nice but it had rained the night before and we drove and walked through thick sticky mud. Selby and I were asked to reenact the Jens and Elsie Nielsen story.  Jens was so starved and frozen that as he hiked up the mountain he collapsed and was willing to lay down and die but his wife, Elsie, was not going to let that happen and got him into their cart and continued the pull up the mountain. As I tried that task I knew I was older than Elsie but I hadn't just spent months on the trail hiking over 1000 miles, been on sparse rations for a month, and now had a mile or more to pull my belongings and my husband for at least a mile up this miserable  portion of trail through a freezing blizzard, so why was it impossible for me?  The answer was that it was impossible, that the only way she and many others made it up over that mountain was that God intervened by giving them strength and help that is hard to describe.  It brought us both to tears by the end of the event.  Lesson to be learned: God can and does intervene in the hard times of our lives is we will just ask. 

Sat. - work crew again, I did cleaning and cooking for the group. Selby worked on building projects. Selby and his friends "built" a golf course and tested it out even though we had another thunder storm.  The golf course has a few hazards, such as bulls, a river, sage brush, and a few cow pies, but they had a blast.

Sunday - We had extra visitors at church since it was Memorial Day weekend, their were several youth for Selby's and my classes. We stayed after dinner for a Fireside with Scott Lorimer who was instrumental in acquiring the property from the ranchers for this Sixth Crossing sites for the church. He had an amazing association with Pres. Hickley.  We enjoyed this whole week full of light and knowledge!

We pray for all of you that are supporting us at home.  We love you and miss you as always, but love this mission.  

Selby and Cathy

This is where rock creek meets the sweet water

1850's wheel ruts

Missionaries on the trail

Beautiful bad weather

View from our dining room table. Our shade tree is starting to lean  yeah. Well need it as it gets warmer

Week 8

Another very busy week!

Monday - The roads opened so we could leave Martin's Cove and go "home" to Sixth Crossing. It was still miserable weather so everyone was asked to stay in the Missionary Village and spend our time studying the lives of the people of the Willie Company.    We played pioneer games to help us with learning our stories for FHE. And just a note from home: our Brooke and Conner have both decided that reading is fun and they are taking off with that new skill. 

Tuesday - was our P-day and the Woodbury's came with us.  We went to Riverton and did some shopping before going to a presentation at the Riverton Stake Center by Sister Phister who is the Stake Presidents wife.  The Riverton Stake has a room dedicated to the Willie Company and what is called the second rescue.  They had a huge part in purchasing the properties of Sixth Crossing and Rock Creek Hollow for the church.  The pictures ended up in last weeks blog so take a look at those again.  We went on a little site seeing down in Lander at a place called the Sinks.  The sinks is a place that the river goes into the side of the mountain and doesn't resurface for a quarter of a mile and then it comes up in a deep pool that was filled with giant trout.

Wednesday - the weather is much better.  We heard a quote that said -winter is not a season in Wyoming but an everyday possibility.  We are finding that to be true.  We worked on the 2 mile stretch of highway cleaning up trash in the morning for the adopt the Highway program. I worked in the office for the afternoon being trained in my new assignment as scheduler. Selby worked on the well at Martin's Cove.  We saw slides on the historical sites in Wyoming in the evening.

Thursday -  was a warm and beautiful day.  We had the former trek director from 2004 here today.  Selby and I were asked to take them in the mule around the trails.  Brother Walker was the person that established the trails we use today and wanted to see how they were being used.  He was happy to see how much has been accomplished.  Selby and I both spent the afternoon doing yard work.

Friday - another nice day and yard work again.

Saturday - was another P-day, although we went to Casper to pick up a new generator for the camp.  We also ran errands and I got to talk to all the kids. We love our "free" verizon phone.  Casper is a fairly normal city, although we saw an amazing number of mobile homes on regular lots in the neighborhoods.

We had another game night for our date night at the trek center.

Sunday - What a difference in the weather, so warm and no wind.  I got to teach young women all one of them, but she is a wonderful young lady and we had a great lesson together. Her parents are hired to manage the ranch and they spoke in Sacrament meeting. Sister Seeley is a professional singer and wrote a song for her talk.  It is called "standing on the shoulders of giants".  It was beautiful! The giants she referred to in the song were her ancestors that were in the Martin company that showed so much faith and strength amongst so much suffering.  Her husband talked of the little things in his life that have strengthened his testimony of Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. The Meetings were very inspiring and touching.  After our potluck dinner we went to a fireside put on by two representatives of the Church Education System's history department. Brother Anderson and Brother Utey did an amazing job in getting us to have a better perspective of the people, places and timing of the Wilie, Martin, Hodgette,and Hunt companies that we are studying for our upcoming treking groups. The purpose of all of this is to see in history the hand of God in peoples lives.  We love the understanding we are gaining.  

We miss family and friends but we are making so many friends here and feel a closeness to God as never before. We should all work on being as good of people as those that showed such faithfulness as the people in the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.  We love you all, Selby and Cathy

At the 3rd crossing of the sweet water river 

View of Split rock

Castle Rock

Week 7

Good week but we are still have to remind ourselves that its spring because it seems like winter.  Snow again several times this week. 

Monday - We had P-day and did some "household" chores and then chose to go to Rock Creek Hollow, which is south of Lander about 29 miles.  

We looked around the campsites and saw the gravesite for the 13 people that died on the trek from the sweetwater river over Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek Hollow.

 The Hutchinson's arrived to check the condition of the road ( the county had a grader out that day repairing the deep ruts so we got into camp just fine). They showed us the way to Strawberry Creek which is on the trail from Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek Hollow.  For FHE we watched a movie named Courageous.  It was great!  It was about cops and gangs, but really about the importance of Fathers in a family.  You should all watch it!!!  Mothers could make a similar commitment to their families.  I will be making some resolutions today about my mothering.  

Tuesday - We had a new well drilled in the back section of Willie Meadow  and Selby was in charge of getting the pump running. Turned out the pump was bad and had to be replaced, so off again to town with Elder Hutchinson for electrical supplies.  I spent the day cleaning flower beds. 

Wednesday  We spent the morning training for the treks. Selby was back out in the afternoon doing electrical hook ups.  The church had professional people and dogs out  to do some investigations of our sites.  They gave a very interesting presentation of their work to the Missionaries.  Afterwards we had a dinner together of  Cheese Burger soup and biscuits.

Thursday - training again riverton again for tailgate

Friday - Went to Rock Creek Hollow again, this time with the Saxton's and Hutchinson's so Selby could hook up the electrical to the new well pump. The others tested the water for quality.  We went to Atlantic City, which is a little like Columbia in California, in fact the lady that owns the little restaurant came from there. We had delicious hamburgers and apple pie. Later that evening we had the Caton's as our guests for dinner.  The Caton's are from Colorado and have raised reindeer for use at Christmas for Santa to use.  They live in the coolest looking house (from pictures) adobe style passive solar.

Saturday - washed 8 trucks today windy but not too cold.  We got our permanent callings today.  Selby has been assigned to base, which means that he will be the look out for half the week and then have regular assignments the rest of the week.  The look out has a position on a high ridge that you can see 90% of the area( I shared a picture of the area on week 4).  He will help keep the different treks organized on the trail.  There can be several treks happening at the same time.  The look-out is also the "911" on the trail. He will disperse medical as needed.  I was called to be the assistant to the scheduler and the assistant to the Kitchen. I was also called to be a teacher in Young Woman's.  We will have time each week to trek, as we are amongst the stronger hikers.  We watched a great movie in our trailer , August Rush, if you haven't seen it , we recommend it.

Sunday - Mother's Day  Got a package from the family and it was a wonderful new keepsake.  Cute necklace with the tree of life in the middle surrounded by my children's names and my Grandchildren, andgreat grandchild's initials surrounding it. I love it!  We went to church in a snow storm to Martin's cove.  It looked bad in the morning but seemed to be clearing when we got out of church.  We had our potluck with the large group and then a fireside with the author of Tell My Story Too,Jolene Allphine, It is a very good book on the lives of the pioneers of the Willie and Martin companies.  It has biographies of hundreds of handcart participants and their rescuers, that has been carefully documented. She shared some very touching stories, one was of a rescuer Joseph Young son of Brigham Young, who rode hund over 800 hundred miles to rescue the desperate pioneers.  It was recorded at his arrival at the Martin Company the following account, "It was at this place that Joseph A. Young arrived as the leader of the express relief party sent from the valleys by President Brigham Young. He rode a white mule down a snow covered hill or dug way.  he white mule was lost sight of on the white background of snow, and Joseph A. with his big blue soldier's overcoat, its large cape and capacious skirts rising and falling with the motion of the mule, gave the appearance of a big blue winged angel flying to our rescue.  The scene that presented itself on his arrival I shall never forget: women and men surrounded him, weeping and crying aloud; on their knees, holding the skirts of his coat, as though afraid he would escape from their grasp and flyaway. Joseph stood in their midst drawn up to his full height and gazed upon their upturned faces, his eyes full of tears."  The more we discover of these events and people the more we see the hand of God in their lives.  What a testimony of the reality of God's love and caring for his children.  

After the presentation we realized that the roads to Sixth Crossing had been closed and would remain that way until Monday morning.  Interstate 80 had to be closed and that would be the highway patro'ls priority to get reopened.  So we became the guests of the missionary couple at Martin's cove.  We stayed the night with the Mickelsen's from Boise Idaho.  We felt such gracious welcoming into their home on wheels.In the morning we were on our way back to Sixth Crossing safe and sound. We hear this storm made the national news.  We expect our Sweetwater River to reach some very high levels, but it won't cause of any problems other than Selby's fishing won't be good for awhile.  Have a happy week Selby and Cathy

Some of the few trees we have seen

In contrast to the normal scenery

Riverton stake center Willie room

quilt made to commemorate the handcart companies

Selby trying on the Joseph Young coat

Atlantic City. Best hamburger place on WY

Map of trek with art work of pioneers

Week 6

So as with the other weeks the weather is the big deal here.  We've had snow twice and the winds are up and down. It never really stops blowing and has gotten over 50mph.  We step out of our trailer and think "Oh, its not too bad" and then walk out into the open and almost get knocked over. By friday and Saturday the temperatures were warm but still windy.  monday-  Was our P-day.  Needed to make a food order for the training meeting on Sat. So drove into Riverton and placed the order. We washed the truck and a 1/2hour later it was snowing. We drove to Lander  and decided it was a nicer town. we went for a hamburger at a place called Gannetts Grill, good food.  Selby got some new fishing tackle and is looking forward to a little fishing for big trout. There tends to be a problem here with sewer not clearly properly and Selby is "happy" to be the expert on the fix. Elder  Plumhof is happy for the help too.  FHE is a nice time here.  Sister Hutchinsen shared her collection of books having to do with our handcart sites.  I think with one exception, the tippets, the rest of us were a little overwhelmed with the amount of material they had read.  It was very cold today.

Tuesday  We all went to Flagg ranch house and cleaned all day for our last set of missionaries arriving on Thursday.  They don't have a trailer to stay in and they wanted 20 couples here to cover all the jobs so they will stay in the house.

Wednesday we  woke to snow, about 3-4 inches.  It was so cold and windy they decided to let us trektrain all day.  We met in the trek center and practiced some of our pioneer stories and the original rescue of those people that were stranded without food or adequate clothing.  We then discussed the second rescue which was when the Riverton Stake did the temple work for the 85% of those same people.  Then we discussed what is being called the 3rd rescue, which is happening at these sites each summer, as young people (20,000 this year) come and participate in the treks.  Young people learn about courage, faith, obedience, sacrifice and ultimately charity. They learn that they can do hard things. These real life stories are so inspiring.

Thursday- Selby left early today to go with Elder Hutchinsen to test water from about 14 wells at Marin's Cove and Sixth Crossing later in the day he went to rock creek hallow to do some electrical check. I went to Riverton again to pick up the food for Sat. with Sister Bunnage.  We distributed the roasts for our pulled BBQ beef sandwiches and then I went on 4 mile hike and trail host training.  As we walked through the pastures we were walking past 500 pound cattle that I thought looked a little scary.  Everyone else looked calm about it so I just kept walking.

Friday - Selby worked on the trek center water coolers and I cooked brownies. We drove to Riverton again to sign business papers and picked up the rolls for the lunch. Selby built the facades for more bathrooms. we went to dinner at  Martins cove to give talk on trek food.  We came back and cracked 480 eggs for the next days breakfast.

sat. Was trek training breakfast and lunch again.  I spent hours working on our computer.  Selby got to go fishing but didn't get the big one.  We ate the lunch leftovers again for dinner.   

Sunday was fast sunday. We went with Elder and Sister Bunnage to church.  Selby taught the young men (1 boy).  In the evening  we had 

bbq burgers and lots of yummy salads with the group at Sixth Crossing.  We feel productive and happy and love the contact we have with everyone.  Love Cathy and Selby

New incomplete visitors center

Outside of the Trek Center

Buela is our trash incinerator 

An old mine near Atlantic City

Scenery outside of Lander