Camping can be hard going when the weather changes – but how about doing it dressed in 1800s period gear, pushing a handcart through the mud in a state forest?
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A group of young Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members has done just that, reenacting the journey of their church elders to Utah in the US by trekking through the Creswick State Forest last week. They used the restored Creswick Railway Station as a base for the support crew.
The group of almost 100, aged from 12 to 18, spent their time undergoing challenges designed to raise their resilience and self-reliance, said LDS President Damon Page.
“These are modern-day youth who spend a lot of time on iPads and iPhones and X-Boxes and Playstations. It was an opportunity to get them out of that environment and consider what those that went before us experienced, and to appreciate the life their parents provide for them,” said Mr Page.
“It will give them an appreciation of how good life is now and how difficult it was for those who went before us.”
Life's about standing up and helping those who are a bit behind
- Damon Page
Team member Emma Bulfin said the trek was an reenactment of the journey that original members of the church made, travelling from the east coast of The United States and Europe to the Salt Lake Valley in the 1800s. Ms Bulfin said the original settlers travelled with wooden carts like the ones used by the group in Creswick.
Jay Yau was the ‘trail boss’ leading the expedition into and out of the forest and ensuring challenges were overcome. He says the groups were formed into ‘families.
“Each cart had a ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ that looked after the kids in each cart. There are ten carts and I led all the carts. There were eight to ten children on each cart, so there were about 95 people travelling all told. The handcarts represent how the Mormon pioneers travelled across the plains and settled in Utah.
“The first day was good, it was sunny and about 28 degrees. Overnight it was still warm, but then it rained on Wednesday morning. But it’s not real camping unless it rains, is it?”
“All the carts have steel wheels bar two. The two wooden-wheeled carts were constructed by two of the youth on this trek. It took them about six months. They learnt it from a local carpenter who’s a member of our congregation.
Nathan Rancie helped construct one of the carts, and said while that was fun for him, he also made some good friends and understood just how difficult travel was 160 years ago.
