Hiking Rocky Ridge

This month's Relief Society Night was about pioneers. We had some guest speakers who had served in the Mormon Handcart Historical Sites in Wyoming mission. They told of stories of the Willie Handcart Company and their rescue.

That night, I told Chad about it. We decided to make a special trip with our family to see it...before the summer ended. We went that Saturday (we are so spontaneous). We checked into ways to make it a two-day trip without spending shocking amounts of money. When that option became impossible, we worked out a way to make it a one-day trip.

We left the house at 4:30 AM. That means we were up by 4 AM. I felt like I was back in college tiptoeing through the house in the dark of night to get an early start on the day!

Here is a bit of what the inside of the car looked like shortly before dawn.

Sarah, Leah and Joseph were the only ones awake at this time. I don't think there was ever a time when all six of them were sleeping at once (because that would be against the laws of traveling with young children).

It struck me a little ironic that on our trip into Wyoming this time, we stopped for a picture of wildlife on the side of the road. We didn't pull over during our trip to Yellowstone. I hate being trendy. :)

No road trip, planned or unplanned, is complete without a road construction delay. It's the American way! Here is Sarah looking downright adorable while we waited for the pilot car to lead us on our 10-mile journey through mountain curves of dirt roads, past enormous trucks and varied construction projects. Whatever they were doing, it required clearing some trees, and I could smell the pine scent as we passed by.

We made our first stop in Dubois, Wyoming (not to be confused with Dubois, ID...which has even less to offer) to stretch, get gas, visit a restroom, and have a snack (of course).

We parked in one place first, then drove to the gas station. Correction: I drove. They all walked and used a chance to get the blood pumping!

About lunchtime, we made it to the welcome center for Sixth Crossing (the place the pioneers crossed the Sweetwater River for the 6th time). It was at this crossing that the Salt Lake City rescue party finally reached the Willie Handcart Company in October 1856, in the middle of a record snow storm.

After our picnic lunch, the welcome center missionary couple had some videos for us to watch, gave each of the kids a little necklace and provided us with some maps for our day's adventure. We told them we'd just traveled over 7 hours to get there and planned to hike Rocky Ridge. They thought that would be a great experience for our little "tribe" but cautioned us that our little ones probably would not be able to make it to the top. We said we'd come far and would give it our best shot!

They took us outside and let us pull a handcart. They use these handcarts for treks with youth groups and family gatherings in the area. You can pull your own handcart up over the mountain if you are so inclined! We were not.

I don't know how comfortable this ride was. Both boys are pulling, but Nathan is ducking down from the camera.

They were pulling so fast, I could barely keep up. I wondered how fast they'd be after pulling for 10 minutes!

After we were done at the welcome center, we headed for the Lower Monument of the climb over Rocky Ridge. As we approached, we stopped behind a truck pulling two trailers of handcarts from the latest group to complete a trek. The missionaries driving realized that they'd had a flat tire and stopped to change it. Chad helped. I stayed in the car and took pictures. (So helpful.)

I did talk with the sister missionary and learned that they are from St. George. They know of Chad's grandma, but don't know her personally. Small world, isn't it?

Finally, we started on our hike...about 10 hours after we started our trip. There were several markers like this one along the trail; this was the first. It was only about a 2-minute walk from the van. Doesn't everyone look so fit and ready to go?

Up and over the first ridge we went. It was hot and windy. The trail was well-traveled and an easy walk, though somewhat tiring as we were going UP. When we got to the next marker, we were starting to get sweaty and were ready for a drink of water! I think it was about 10 to 15 minutes from the first marker.

The farther we went, the farther our family strung itself out along the trail. Here is the beginning of the separation. Joseph is not in the picture because he is with me. I carried him over most of the inclines and tried to encourage him to walk the other times. He didn't really want to be encouraged.

Daniel, Rebekah and Joseph were our stragglers. They weren't much sold on this adventure they suddenly found themselves on. (Before we made the final decision to make this trip, I asked the kids if they were interested. Rebekah was the only one that didn't want to go from the very beginning. She thought we should leave her with a neighbor!)

At the 3rd marker, we were pretty tired. Leah couldn't even stand for the picture! We were thinking this might be near the end of the trail. So naive. It wasn't even half way. More water, please.

Onward we went, getting even more spread out along the way. When I took this picture, Joseph was still with me and Daniel and Rebekah were behind me.

We kept trying to bolster the kids and give them a reason to keep going. We often repeated the doubts the missionaries had that they would be able to make it. I think that is what kept them going the most. They wanted to prove the doubters wrong! I kept trying to mention the pioneers as we walked and tie in the struggles we were having to the struggles they had. I expect that most to all of those words did not even penetrate their minds; they were too busy concentrating on their own "pioneer" experience to internalize anything more.

When we got to the 4th marker, no one wanted a picture. We had a lot of drinks of water, though. It was about this point that I began to wonder if we should call it "good" and head back to the van. We'd been hiking over an hour and the end was no where in site. Just another ridge ahead of us. I was beginning to consider the kids over the pride of accomplishment.

Chad decided to go on ahead to see what was over the next rise. He would take Sarah (who he'd packed around on his back the whole time) and anyone else that thought they could go fast. Nathan volunteered for this "advanced party" and they set out. Of course, Joseph had to go, too. He couldn't keep up, so Chad scooped him up in his arms to keep up the speed of the mission. I was left with the 3 remaining kids (Daniel, Leah and Rebekah) and the camera and water bottle.

Before too long, Leah decided to join them and took off after them. Even though she jogged for several minutes, she was unable to catch them. Meanwhile, Chad is getting closer to disappearing from view and I'm starting to feel like I'm going to miss out on something. So I renewed my efforts to get Daniel and Rebekah going. Daniel revived enough to start walking and I gave him the camera and water to take to those who were so far ahead. I continued to coax and cajole until Rebekah got up and took my hand. We walked and walked and walked and walked(but did not sing).

Here is a shot of the trail and if you can get the picture big enough, you can see 3 tiny specks near the top of the ridge, just to the left of center. (Chad, Nathan and Leah a bit behind them.)

When we finally hiked that stretch of the trail and made it to the top of that rise, we looked off into the distance and saw our destination...the Upper Monument. Chad had already made it there. He left Sarah and Joseph in Nathan and Leah's care. Daniel was almost there and he passed him on his way back to Rebekah and me. We walked the last bit of the way together.

We were so proud of ourselves for making it ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! And I'm so glad that we didn't give up at the marker just before it. Even more so, I'm glad the kids didn't give up. What an accomplishment for them!

Upon reading this plaque, we learned that we were at an elevation of 7,300 feet (the highest point on the Mormon and Oregon Trails). The trail is about 2 miles long and climbs 700 feet. The trail over Rocky Ridge and down to Rock Creek is about 15 miles and took the Willie Handcart Company 27 hours to complete. Because of the conditions and being ill-equipped, the pioneers' feet bled and the area became known as the Trail of Blood.

There was a little bit more to go to actually reach the tippy top of the ridge. This last stretch really was a rocky ridge. We all climbed it and took in the beautiful site (along with feeling elated at our accomplishment).

Leah looked out and saw a lake and the Sweetwater in the distance and excitedly said, "Can we go?" Not on your life, sister! But I was glad to know her spirit hadn't been broken.

We did it!

However, as the saying goes, "Everything that goes up, must come down." And we had just hiked for over an hour and a half. It was time to head back down to the van. Before I was even done posing for pictures, Nathan and Leah were mere specks on the trail. They were obviously blessed with renewed energy!

See? I'm still up on the rocks with Sarah and Joseph! (These pictures ARE sequential.)

And there they go. By the time they were disappearing over this ridge, Daniel had joined them, Chad had Sarah back in the backpack and I had Rebekah and Joseph. I urged Chad to catch up to them. (I thought I'd heard a gun shot in the distance. I didn't really think it meant any danger, but...you know.) He left us with the last of the water (about two cups) and a promise to send more back when they reached the van.

Before long, it was just me and Joseph and Rebekah. And a very long walk up and down the hills and rocks...in the sun and wind. I had big blisters on my feet and was hoping nothing would pop while I was walking. Thankfully, the kids had not complained of anything like that.

Joseph insisted on being carried and I insisted that I only would when we went uphill. Somewhere between the 4th and 3rd markers, Rebekah tripped on a protruding rock and rolled herself to a stop. Her knee, elbow and arm were banged up. I poured some of our limited drinking water on her knee. When we got to the 3rd marker, I said Rebekah could have the first drink. Joseph protested that and I said it was because she'd gotten hurt. At which point he trips and skins his own knee! Luckily, I was holding his hand and saved him from a worse injury. There went more drinking water on a knee. And I realized that we had made our own Trail of Blood.

Rebekah was not injured enough to require me to carry her. THANK GOODNESS! I don't know how I would have done that, but I'm sure I would have figured something out if I'd had to. She was such a trooper and just quietly cried as we continued on. Joseph's injury did not hurt as badly and he kept up his typical chatter.

We walked that trail forever. I knew how far we had to go and was a little disheartened. I kept my eyes on the ridges before us thinking this might be the ridge I would see our own rescue party appear. I got a better understanding of the hope the pioneers had when they looked ahead of them, expecting help but not finding any.

At the 2nd (counting from the beginning) marker we stopped for a bigger drink. We were getting closer and the kids had been out in the sun for quite a while. I knew the van would be coming up in the next 15-20 minutes, so we took a longer break. Just as we prepared to get moving again, I saw Chad come up over the crest of the next hill. YIPEE!!

He met us with two bottles of cool water. We drank enough to indulge, but not enough to split our sides. Rebekah (who had been crying for the past half an hour or so), held her Daddy's hand and finally stopped crying. We walked and Chad filled us in on their journey back. It turns out that Nathan was the only one of the kids that didn't fall and skin a knee. There were some patients waiting for Dr. Mommy back a the van; we used 7 band-aids. My feet were killing me. I wanted to take my shoes off and see if I needed band-aids, but I didn't dare because we had more walking ahead of us.

We returned to the welcome center to report (to different missionaries) that we'd made it. The missionaries we'd spoken with had informed the next shift of missionaries that we would be stopping in. After washing up in the bathroom there, we climbed back into the van for an hour-long trip to Rock Creek Hollow...the place the pioneers camped (and some died) after conquering Rocky Ridge.

Rock Creek was a special place and I wanted to linger a bit, but the kids were beyond exhausted. The sun was setting and the mosquitoes had sent their strongest/hungriest welcoming party to greet us. We tried to listen to the stories the missionaries were sharing, but I was too focused on swatting at mosquitoes all over me and the kids (and even Chad). It was pretty miserable. Even so, I felt the spirit stronger there than anywhere.

The stake in the area had done the temple work for the pioneers that had died along the trail. They called it the "second rescue" (because the Salt Lake Saints had performed the first rescue) and a monument was erected to commemorate that act of service.

The missionaries snapped a quick picture of our worn out, sun burned, trail-beaten family. :) If you can enlarge the picture enough, you can see quite a few mosquitoes on some of us!

Here is a picture of the monument and the area that it is thought to be the place that the 13 members of the Willie Handcart Company who died here are buried. Their heads were placed together and their feet extended out...think of a wagon wheel. It's thought this is the spot because there is a slight, circular depression where they would have scraped out a bit of frozen ground around the perimeter to bury their family members.

We left Rock Creek Hollow about 7:45 PM and began our journey home (church was at nine the next morning). We took a different way home, mostly to avoid the crazy construction traffic we'd gone through on the way. As it turns out, there are no roads in Wyoming that aren't under construction; we found some along the way.

I am usually the driver for our family. Chad uses a cattle prod to keep the kids in line while I drive. Just kidding. But I've thought one of those would really keep the fighting down! Anyway, I'm usually the one to drive. Thankfully, Chad was alert enough to do most of the driving this time. I tried so hard to stay awake to keep him company, but I think I fell asleep once every 30 seconds.

We arrived home at 1:30 AM. It was a 21-hour trip. Yes, we are crazy. We're grateful we went and had that amazing experience. The kids impressed me with their ability to endure and finish out that hike. I hope the older ones will remember it for a long, long time. (But not long enough to refuse to go on a youth pioneer trek, as Daniel is already threatening.)

We backed out of the driveway for church 7 hours later and pretended to be alert during our meetings.