Trek prep

Our stake is doing a Pioneer Trek this summer and I was lucky enough to be put in charge of activities with my good friend Lisa. Normally, the people who get to go on treks are married couples so I see this opportunity for me to get to go as a fantastic blessing.  Yes it will be hard work. Yes it will be awful to not shower for 3 days.  Yes I will hate going without makeup.  Yes I will miss things like chairs and my bed.  Yes I will quickly grow tired of wearing hiking boots instead of flip flops in the 100 degree weather.  But the spiritual blessings are worth so much more to me than those worldly things.

I was out the door at 6:30 AM on a Saturday so that I could ride four hours to our trek site yesterday.  The visit was more for the trail bosses and logistics people than it was for the activities committee but it was still helpful to see where we're going to be doing this thing come June.

I had a very real confirmation as we drove onto the site that this is where we're supposed to have our trek.  It's been a challenge because the distance between where we live and the trek site is great.  We have budget challenges and the distance also makes it difficult to staff things because people who come to help us have to be there the entire time.  But I know the "plains" like terrain will make our trek that much more realistic for our youth. It's gonna be amazing.

Me, Lisa & Alberta fighting the wind of SE Washington

There are service missionaries who work on this property and I cannot communicate to you how hilarious Elder Poe was.  Seriously, I am in love with this (elderly & married) man.  We made a list of some of his funnier comments:

"There's so much dust on my dashboard that I could plant corn in here"
"The only thing I know dumber than a cow is a sheep."
"In the summer, this place looks like hell with the fires put out."

And my personal favorite...

"Let's make like a sewer and get the crap out of here."

You love him too, right?  He put his arm around me as we were leaving.  Swoon.  I should have taken his picture - I'll get one in June for sure. 

Alberta, Lisa and I had to take advantage of some alone time and hiked up a big hill away from the men...can you guess what I'm about to do in the picture below?  Yeah, first time in forever that I had to do that...not my favorite thing.  I'm not an outdoorsy girl but you have to take matters into your own hands once in awhile...especially when you've been riding in a car around a 70,000 acre ranch that only has porta-potties at the end of the trail.

We finally got back on the road to head home around 4:30 PM.  We stopped in Yakima at a place called Miners.  Anyone ever been there?  I splurged and had a hamburger that was so gigantic that I couldn't finish it.  But seriously?  Yum.  Lisa let me share her fries.  Someday I want to go back for a milkshake.

We might have to stop here on our way home from the Trek...they have a drive through so I won't have to go inside in my dirty trek garb.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's gone on a trek before...what do you remember most about it?  Any suggestions for me re: activities?  I struggle with planning too much because I really think activities are not nearly as important as the experience of the trek itself.  But I know we need to have fun things planned too for the down time...so share your trek memories, if you have them.  Thanks!