Week 15

Monday - Today we went and traveled the whole trek from the beginning of Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek Hollow.   The National Historic Trail (NHT) opens for group use on July 1.  The Church is given 6,000 permits for the season.  That may seem like a lot, but we have 20,000 trekkers at our Sixth Crossing Site so it is a privilege to get one of the permits. The NHT we do is 14.8 miles.   We had a meeting with the BLM director Micheal Coin at one of the stops so he could teach us the importance of us being guardians of the trail.  He was very complimentary of the church and says that his office uses our program as a positive example of teaching a love for the land and for our country's history and for protecting the land and preserving it for the future. We didn't hike this time but  went by truck for all but Rocky Ridge.  We had gone out with the Plumhof's and the Woodburys.  So we went out to eat in Lander after the day on the trail. 

Tuesday - It was a slow trek day, only 1, 4-miler.  We actually watched our trek as Base from the New Visitor Center.  Today was Canada Day (July 1st).  Our 4 Canadian couples planned a wonderful program.  There was food, games, a McKenzie brother skit, musical numbers and generally fun for all.  It is a little embarrassing how much they know about the US compared to what we know of their country.  It was a great time.

Wednesday -  Selby and I were paired with the Woodbury's to be the first missionaries to go on the NHT with the first Stake over Rocky Ridge.  We hiked 4.7 miles and arrived at a place called Lewiston Lakes where their are restrooms.  Another Missionary couple takes over from there for the next 5.8 miles (its flat).  And at that point they get on a county road for the last 4.3 into Rock Creek Hollow.  We shuttle a truck to the spot the couple that took over for us, visited the couple at Rock Creek Hollow and then went into Atlantic City for one of those special  burgers, but decided to have a reuben instead.  Selby does love me.  The owner, Laurel, told us how tired she was because business has been hopping.  She is quite the character.

Thursday -  On Base with a few treks.  So I left Selby on base and went to help in the office putting together the packets for the NHT.  When the treks were done Selby and I went to Riverton to get food for our 4th of July parties the next day.We had Square dancing when we got back.

Friday - Started early so the NHT missionaries could get breakfast before they left for the trail.  Then we fed the rest of the missionaries, "egg McMuffins", fruit, oatmeal, juice and hot chocolate.  I worked on the salad for the evening and then I worked in the office and Selby did odd jobs around the village until it was time to start the party.  We had a wiener roast , potato salad, watermelon, chips, cupcakes and homemade ice cream.  Sister Petersen played her accordion, Elder Hirschi's family sang, and Elder Woodbury sang and played his guitar.  Elder Hall is our Cowboy Poet.  He can perform a 3-4 minute entertaining poem without missing a beat. He is a hoot.  The sky put on its own natural fireworks with a glorious sunset.  The mosquitoes were in full force, but most of us endured them.  Another Good day.

Saturday we spent the first half of the day in the office and the second half in the Visitor Center.  We had 30 visitors.  One family in particular stood out.  They were a young family from Colorado.  They had the 3 most adorable well behaved little kids.  Emma was almost 6, James 4, and Will almost 3.  The parents came to honor their great, great, great grandmother that they shared that had traveled with the Willie Company.  They made sure to say they were very, very distant cousins.  They shared with us that the wife had been at Sixth Crossing when she was a youth and had walked for her GGGrandmother. and that the same summer the husband had walked for the same GGGrandmother .  They both said they had an amazing experience and both felt they gained their own conversion to Christ on those treks.  If we can help through our work to help someone gain that then all is worth it.  That is our purpose.  The Guymon's had us for a pizza dinner at their trailer, because they knew we worked late at the Visitor Center.  How nice.

Sunday - First really warm Sunday we've had since we've been here.  I think summer has finally arrived. Selby taught in priesthood the Come follow me program.  I had 11 girls in Young Women's.  We had dinner in our own village this week, they had planned breakfast for dinner, I made my cinamon rolls.  Right after dinner, Curt and Debi Chittock arrived for a visit.  What a delight.  They served here in 2008 and were excited to tour the site to see what was the same and what was different.  We had a great visit and they brought us a bucket of fresh fruit. yummy.