A few weekends ago I went with the youth in our Stake to Martin’s Cove. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it has special meaning to us because of our pioneers who travelled the plains and suffered (and many gave of their lives) to cross to Utah so that they could live with freedom of religion. If you don’t know much about the pioneers and their travels there is lots of information about the place like here and here. For me, I’ll just say that it was deeply moving experience I won’t soon forget. Two experiences were the most dramatic. 1. the crossing of the sweet water river – where young men carried others across the river to represent those rescuers who carried whole families across a frozen river and then those same rescuers eventually died from the exposure. 2. The women’s pull – where the women pull heavy carts up the hill to represent all those women who lost their husbands and had to carry on across the plains alone.

I’ll share the way I do best, with pictures. I’m sharing more of the landscape and a few of the youth because they are going to have a slideshow made and I don’t want to give them all away!

These are actual Pioneer names carved into the rocks. So cool to see.

This is the path the pioneers used to mark the way.

There was a little square dancing.

It was a very moving emotional experience that filled me with more  gratitude for all of the sacrifices that were made that now benefit my life. And i love doing event / travel photography more and more. It’s a lovely way to get to experience places and events.