Pioneer Trek on Deseret Land

[Sombeech]

I just got back from 4 days out on the Prairie, it was a new experience for me helping push one of 15 handcarts full of luggage across 28 miles of rolling prairie hills.

I came back with over 3 hours of drone and GoPro footage, so hang on a bit. I'll post a little here and there as I git R dun.

I was expecting something a little more "rough" but all of the amenities were supplied; 10 traveling latrines, cooked meals, walkie talkies for each handcart team for constant communication, FREQUENT water and snack breaks on the trail, and everything except for the physical walking was pretty much just handed to us. There were plenty of support vehicles that would haul most of our stuff in trailers, and a side by side that would travel at the tail end of our group for support. The trucks would drive on the dirt roads and would criss cross our trail every few miles for potty breaks and lunch.

I was expecting a little more of a rugged experience, but then I kept in mind that you just can't do that to hundreds of kids that may have never camped outside before. You've gotta be prepared for the teenage girls that will pretend to faint because they do not want to be there, and the kid that insists on going home the first night only to be brought back by their parent the next morning.

There were none of the "punishments" like certain teams going without a meal, or randomly carrying other extra people in the carts, or Cowboys and Indians skits in the middle of the night. There were some Native Americans with us on this Trek, oof, that would have been awkward. So it seems like all of those "teaching moment" kind of punishments are either a thing of the past, or we've just got a decent group of leaders who don't buy into that stuff.

In the end, I'm glad I went, I enjoyed it.

Here are a few stills, including one of our camp sites, the average path we would travel, and an old fashioned hoedown from above, or Dosey-Doe. More to come.

[Sombeech]

A few more shots

[Iceaxe]

You might be a redneck if.... someone hollers hoedown and your girlfriend hits the floor.

[DirkHammergate]

I was expecting a little more of a rugged experience, but then I kept in mind that you just can't do that to hundreds of kids that may have never camped outside before.

There were none of the "punishments" like certain teams going without a meal, or randomly carrying other extra people in the carts, or Cowboys and Indians skits in the middle of the night. There were some Native Americans with us on this Trek, oof, that would have been awkward. So it seems like all of those "teaching moment" kind of punishments are either a thing of the past, or we've just got a decent group of leaders who don't buy into that stuff.

In the end, I'm glad I went, I enjoyed it.

Sounds like this was done right, some of my friends did this back in the day and all were miserable with the kind of non-sense you were talking about. I'm sure it was hard for a lot of the kids but if you make it comfortable and respectfully informative it seems like a good experience can be had. Nice pictures, that really looks cool. Both sets of my parents ancestors crossed the plains, Mom's family settled in Cache Valley and Starr Valley and Dad's was one of the original settlers in Provo (his name is on a plaque in the city park somewhere). Although I no longer consider myself active Mormon it's a part of my heritage. I have a great appreciation they were smart enough to make that sacrifice so I could live in a pretty incredible place.

[Sombeech]

Fortunately there was another photographer there doing the "portrait" style shots and video interviews, things like that, so i could stick to the GoPro angles and landscape drone shots. I'll be posting some video clips soon, I just need to make sure everybody's cool with being in the video. Otherwise I'll stick to the non identifiable landscape shots.

The days were hot, but there was a wind that lasted for most of the day to keep the heat off. The nights were somewhat chilly though. The wind was also nice to blow the dust out of the way, and there was plenty of that.

[Sombeech]

There were even some non Mormon kids, it sounds odd but it's a good experience for all.

Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

[DirkHammergate]

There were even some non Mormon kids, it sounds odd but it's a good experience for all.

Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

Pioneer trekking wasn't exclusive to Mormons, Oregon and California trails where extensively used as well. I think anyone that had ancestors migrate west via wagon or push cart should browse up on what a trial that was.

[Sombeech]

Here's a muted sample of our group

[tallsteve]

Mom's family settled in Cache Valley and Starr Valley

Cool. My dads family is also from Star Valley.

[tallsteve]

Sounds like a trek trip I could get behind and wouldn't mind doing. All the trek reports I'm hearing about lately aren't anywhere near as cruel as what my kids had to endure so, sounds like we either had some way overzealous leaders or the current leaders have been directed to tone it down.

[DirkHammergate]

Cool. My dads family is also from Star Valley.

Afton actually. In fact my Mom wants me to take her up at some point this summer and do the loop. Afton to Preston to Smithfield, visit all the ancestors. I love that place.

[tallsteve]

Afton actually. In fact my Mom wants me to take her up at some point this summer and do the loop. Afton to Preston to Smithfield, visit all the ancestors. I love that place.

Afton for my dad's family as well. Ask your mom if she knew Pres. Winters. My grandfather.

[DirkHammergate]

Afton for my dad's family as well. Ask your mom if she knew Pres. Winters. My grandfather.

Nice, will do. Mind you it was 1938 when my Grandparents moved to the Bay Area and she was 4. In all seriousness, my parents seem to know almost all the old timers from Logan through Afton at least it seemed when we'd come back for summer vacations.

[Sombeech]

Here's a highlights clip from our Trek this summer. It was lost amongst the other dozen video gigs I'm working on at the moment.

http://youtu.be/04tHr0NSP-E

[twotimer]

That actually looks like a lot of fun. Your work is excellent...I especially liked the shot at the end with everyone waving to the drone.

[oldno7]

Very nice,looks like a great experience for the youth.

[Sombeech]

Thanks for the compliments, I do enjoy videography, especially if I'm getting paid

This Pioneer Trek was mainly about teaching the kids to join up with groups of people they hardly knew, working together for a common goal, learning some self reliance along the way, and showing them they could survive without their cell phone for 4 days.