What Is Trek?

I realized when I wrote my last few posts that I've never fully explained what "trek"is. In a nutshell, it's when members, very often including youth ages 14-18, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints dress up (sort of) like Mormon Pioneers and go out in the wilderness somewhere and walk around pulling handcarts.  If in Utah, they may go to some Church-owned property, pull handcarts, and tell stories of their ancestors.  If they're lucky, and planned waaaaay ahead, they may go out to part of the actual Mormon/Oregon/Pony Express Trail like we did this time (we went to Martin's Cove, Willey Meadow & surrounding area, Rocky Ridge, and Rock Creek Hollow. It would have been neat to also go to Independence Rock). If they live in Ohio, like my brother, they may go somewhere local, or into places like Pennsylvania.

Some people think of trek as an actual re-enactment, which honestly, it's not.  You'll be told the women's pull is to signify when the Mormon Battalion left to fight in the war with Mexico. But you know, that didn't happen when they were pulling handcarts, that happened when they were crossing the plains with wagons. Because of trek clothes, we think that's how the pioneers dressed, but if you do an ounce of research, you realize "trek clothes" aren't much like the real thing.

Really, trek is an opportunity  to strip off your name brands, get rid of technology, get down to who you really are inside, get to know people you wouldn't have met otherwise, do some hard work, maybe learn some new skills, hear some inspiring stories of people who fled their homes because of their faith and fight for religious freedom, realize that they did it for their testimony of Jesus Christ and desire to follow a living prophet, wonder if you are faithful enough and if your testimony is strong enough to do today what God asks of you, and make any course correction in your life to get you to where you want to be. Trek really is an outstanding experience, even if it's not a true re-enactment.

You'll be super excited and energetic on your way out.

You'll pull handcarts (Martin's Cove).

You'll get a "family."

You'll be really tired. You'll also get blisters.

You'll play games and learn about yourself.

You'll see pretty things.

You'll hear special talks and stories (Rock Creek Hollow).

You might sleep under the stars.

You'll be exhausted, yet you'll feel awesome when you come home.