Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Day 1 is in the books. Here's how it went.
6:00 AM: The Stake Center parking lot was buzzing. The Relief Society had breakfast ready (bless them), and our pioneers showed up with their gear, their families, and varying levels of being awake. By 7:00 we were on the road, lunches in hand, headed for Deseret Land and Livestock.
The drive up was its own kind of adventure, and when we arrived at Deseret Land and Livestock, the setting made it clear we were not in St. George anymore. Everyone gathered into their trek families, and the handcart packing began—which turns out to be a mix of teamwork, negotiation, and creative spatial reasoning.
At 2:00 PM, the command to leave came, and just like that, handcart wheels were turning and boots were on the trail. There's something about that moment—connecting ourselves to the thousands of pioneers who really did make this journey by faith—that gives you a little more pep in your step. At least for the first mile or two.
Then the sky opened up. What started as a few stray drops turned into a full-on downpour, and within minutes everyone—every last pioneer, family, and handcart—was drenched to the bone. There was no outrunning it and no point trying to stay dry, so people just leaned into it: laughing, pushing carts through the mud, and getting a small taste of what the real pioneers faced when the weather turned against them. It's one thing to read about hardship on the trail. It's another to feel your boots squelch with every step.
We covered about 5 miles and made it to McFarland Camp. Feet were tired, clothes were soaked, and spirits were high.
That evening, once camp was set and everyone had a chance to dry off a little and eat dinner, we gathered for a fireside that ended up being one of the powerful moments of the day. Sitting together after a day of pushing carts in the rain, we talked about what it means to walk with Christ.
Day 1: done and done.