To the Blue Hole!

Posted on November 5, 2016 by zanedriver under Adventures, Destinations, On the Road, Wild Camping

We last left you in Hell’s Canyon (border of Washington and Idaho), where we took a serious jet boat ride through the level 4 rapids of the Snake River.

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Miss the rocks, please.

There were times when the nose of the boat was completely submerged, and I wish that I had a picture of that for you, ’cause it was cool! But at those moments I was hanging on for dear life. So this picture will have to do — just imagine the bow submerged and water pouring in through the top of the windows.

Richland, Washington

Our next stop was at a Walmart parking lot in Richland, Washington. Waaa? Walmart? It’s one of our favorite places to “camp” when we’re on the road between major stops. We had no major plans for Richland, so we used one of our travel apps, http://www.allstays.com, to find a place to stay. Here’s what we get:

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Click on the icon for all the details.

Next we use the satellite view to pick our parking spot.

As we looked at the satellite view, we noticed a movie theater across the street, several nice restaurants, and …(drum roll) …… a Krispy Kreme donut shop!!! So we called Walmart, got permission to stay the night, and celebrated halloween in style with dinner, a movie and DONUTS.

Were we concerned about security — especially on halloween night? Well, we’re always cautious. But ………. Walmart has these.

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There’s not a square inch at Walmart parking lots that’s not monitored. We sleep snug as bugs at Walmarts. And we thank them by giving them our business. Aaannnnddd it was free. RV parks have been costing around $35 per night. More money for donuts.

Next morning we fired up the big diesel and rolled just a couple of miles to the Richland Temple and spent several hours enjoying the peace and serenity you can only find in a Mormon temple. For us, these temples are a haven where we can escape the cares of the world.

Richland Temple

In the afternoon we travelled on toward our destination — the Blue Hole (a.k.a., Sequim, Washington).

There were beautiful crops in the fields- trees bursting with red apples and grape vineyards in their fall foliage between Richland and Yakima.

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Our overnight rest stop was in the parking lot of the Muckleshoot Casino– free parking and a nice dinner.

Casino parking in Auburn– also very safe- lots of security men and cameras

It was raining, as per usual, on the Olympic Peninsula as we approached Sequim.

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Hmm. This would be a good test to see if the Blue Hole was real. Would it be raining in Sequim?

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And then, as we got on the Northern Olympic peninsula, magic happened. Just like in the story books (or satellite weather books). The rain just stopped and the sun came out.

Even a rainbow. Welcome to the Peninsula.

We arrived in Sequim, in awe at the Blue Hole that was directly over the city. Yep, it is real. An area of good weather surrounded by clouds and rain.

Our Blue Hole

We set up our motorhome at Gilgal Oasis RV Park in downtown Sequim. It is a clean, well-kept teensy place with beautiful landscaping. Absolutely fine for our needs- with a view of the fog-shrouded snow-capped Olympic mountain range from our windows.

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Of course, the first thing we did was go exploring to find the Straits leading to the ocean.

It’s the start of a new adventure. Stay tuned!

-Clay

Sequim Bay- clear blue skies

Americana Emersion

Posted on October 30, 2016 by zanedriver under Adventures, Destinations, Family, Motorcoach, Uncategorized, Wild Camping

Jackson, Wyoming

Ahh, we are drinking deeply in Americana this week as we meander along the Oregon Trail on our way to the Northwest.

Can’t seem to get enough of the famous pioneer trails! Oregon Trail, Baker City, Oregon.

We are camped at Mountain View RV in Baker City, OR. This town is ready for Halloween! The city streets are decorated with hay bundles and scarecrows. The gold and orange leaves are falling in the neatly manicured old neighborhoods where, in just 24 hours, children will giggle with the thrill of knocking on doors and asking for treats. What fun!

As I sit here writing, I can hear the distant train whistle. The other day, we had lunch at a prototypical diner, Inland Cafe. Wow! Step back in time! We had the sweetest waitress, a magnificent turkey dinner and a take-home cinnamon roll that melted all the way down. All for $22. Don’t you love a diner where the town folks come in to talk about whatever comes to mind?

We just returned from attending the local LDS church, which you can see from our motorhome window. One couple knew us because they had just been through the Martin’s Cove trek leader training program we helped lead in Wyoming. We love to attend church each Sunday everywhere we go. The Baker City 1st ward congregation is chuck full of children. These parents are doing an excellent job of raising their young ones. It gives us hope for the future. We enjoyed the Sunday School interactions. Where else can you get this kind of wisdom and good feelings even though we have never met these people before? The church, it’s teachings and programs are the same all over the world.

Before we were full-time travelers, it was hard to tell the difference in our lives from one week to the next. But now —- stuff is happening!

We started the week Monday morning by reeling in the electrical cord and leaving our 6-month home at Missionary Village near Devil’s Gate, Wyoming. Our mission responsibilities there had ended. But we couldn’t get out of the campground because some rogue missionaries (Elder Crist — repent!) had blocked the gate with detour signs.

Road crew was busy preventing our departure

Even the wood-working team got in on the shenanigans!

It was bittersweet to leave that place that stores so many memories for us now.

The weather was favorable, so we chose to head west via Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We followed the Wind River Mountains northwest. There was some snow at Togwotee Pass, but the roads were dry. Pine trees! Tetons! Snake River! After 6 months in the dry, sage-covered sand, we were ready to drink in the cool mountain scenery.

After window shopping and dinner in Jackson, we found a wide spot in the road and slept soundly that night.

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I don’t know many places that sell genuine triceratops fossils other than Jackson. At $300,000 it was a bargain! But, since it wouldn’t fit in the motorhome…

Although we considered a jaunt up to Yellowstone, all the animals Wendy wanted to see (moose and bear) are in winter disappearance mode and it was a rainy,cloudy day so we decided to continue on west instead.

Next stop: Uncle Earl and Aunt Sandy White’s place.

You should see their garden in the summer- I’m coming back for the strawberries and raspberries.

Wendy has some amazing relatives. They live on the Snake River in a little Idaho town called Heyburn. Here they have a small farm (White Cloud Ranch) where they raise a bobcat, cheetohs (exotic house cats), dogs, fancy chickens (Silkies, Frizzles), quail and peacocks.

We gathered multiple kinds of delicious fresh apples off the trees and took home a carton of multi-colored exotic chicken eggs.

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White Cloud Ranch is a treasure trove of fascinating hobbies and we’re always welcomed with great food (including purple fried breakfast potatoes, Sandy’s eggs, home canned pears and grape juice) and loving kindness. We so loved the peaceful, fall scene looking out over the Snake River as the roosters crowed, chickens clucked and the peacocks strutted.

If you ever need any down-home therapy, head for the White Cloud Ranch! Having family is a wonderful thing.

The next morning we rolled on to Boise, Idaho. This was my first time visiting the city and I must say, I was surprised and impressed. The economy is healthy and it’s a beautiful place with nice weather. They call it the Banana Belt as it remains relatively temperate in the winter. So for those of you who would like to live out west, Boise should be on your possible’s list.

We arrived Wednesday afternoon and tracked down our friends, Chuck and Tonya King from our college days at Brigham Young University 33 years ago.

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We raised our first babies together at the Provo laundromat and thrift stores. They’ve been hard to catch up with over the years as they were living Hong Kong and Mexico City. We had a delightful dinner with them and reminisced and caught up on children’s lives and future plans.

Next day we visited Great-Uncle Cecil and Aunt Elsie Grow (Wendy’s relatives on her mother’s side). It just happened to be Uncle Cecil’s 89th birthday.

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These people are endless! They’re fit! And they were so kind to us. We also spent time with Orri Grow (Grant’s son) and his daughter Natalie, who were visiting their grandparents. Wendy had fun quizzing Cecil and Elsie about their genealogy.

Wendy has fond memories of spending time in their home as a child and hanging out with their sons Craig and Grant.

Cecil and Elsie have served five missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We hope to have that much energy to continue serving over the coming decades.

Missionary plaques for Riverton California, Mongolia, Kenya, Nauvoo Illinois, Monterey Mexico

Friday was another 130 mile drive to Baker City, Oregon. (You will notice we don’t go far each day. What’s the rush? The joy is in the journey.) Saturday we were able to grab the last jet boat of the season with 15 delightful German high schoolers to go down the Snake River through Hell’s Canyon.

Hell’s Canyon, Oregon- deepest canyon in North America at 7900 feet.

The canyon is formed by the meeting of two techtonic plates and not from the river carving its way into the earth.

We boated through level 4 rapids down the Snake and had lunch on the grounds of a remote, off the grid cabin at Sheep Creek. A bald eagle soared past us as we returned upriver. It was a wild ride intermixed with peaceful scenery.

And here we sit comfortably in our home on a Sunday afternoon. One of the best things about this lifestyle is we can travel without pushing hard to get somewhere. Plus, we’re never exhausted and rarely uncomfortable — because we bring our home with us including our couch, recliner and the most comfortable bed we’ve ever owned. (We also like the dishwasher, washer and dryer.)

Anyway, that’s what we did at our house this week. It was a great time full of new insights, scenery and ideas. How much fun!

-Clay

The Blue Hole

Posted on October 23, 2016 by zanedriver under Adventures, Destinations, On the Road

Look up! That’s what we pilots call a sucker hole. Hope this one turns out OK.

We’re headed for the Blue Hole! (Yes, I’ve been known to fly my airplane up through holes in the clouds to get on top and fly in the clear air above. But that’s not what I’m talking about.)

The Blue Hole I’m referring to is a rain shadow on the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Mountains block all the heavy rain that soaks the Seattle area and keeps a little town by the name of Sequim (pronounced Skwim) dry and basking in blue skies during the winter. (So we’re hoping this Blue Hole isn’t a sucker hole.)

Here’s the science

Sequim, Washington is also strategically placed for ferry rides across Puget Sound and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca to such fun destinations as Vancouver Island in Canada, Seattle, and any number of unique islands in the strait. Plus there are all kinds of hiking and biking trails on the Olympic Peninsula, walks on the beach, and the opportunity to watch the huge container ships coming in from Asia.

Rainfall: Sequim-15 inches, Seattle- 38 inches, Olympic National Park- 200 inches.

Who would have thought we would be headed for the northwest corner of the United States for the winter? But after six months spent outdoors every day in the sun of Wyoming, we’re ready for pine trees and a cold weather port.

Our next great adventure! We get a happy little tickle in our tummies when we plot out a course like this.

We expect to leave Wyoming on October 24th and head northwest 1,242 miles. stats-to-sequim We calculate this will take at least 21 driving hours and around $500 in diesel fuel. How many days will we be on the road? Who knows. If it were earlier in the season we would go by way of Jackson, WY and climb up into the mountains through Idaho. But this late in the season we’ll probably stick to the interstates and hope to avoid winter weather. Plus there are people on our route that we would like to visit. So this journey could take us a while.

The way we travel, we typically start to roll at 9am and come to a stop no later than 3pm. We like the no stress approach. So this trip could take a week or two — or three. Suffice it to say, we should arrive in Sequim, Washington before Thanksgiving.

Do you have any suggestions for places we might explore on our route?

-Clay

Oh the Adventures! Part Three

Posted on October 15, 2016 by zanedriver under Jesus Christ, Missionary Work, Mormon Trail, Teaching Youth, Volunteering

In the last two weeks we have shared some of the experiences we have had here in the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission. There is no other mission like this on planet earth. We had told you about the miles of trekking we have done with the youth and the spiritual experiences we have had hosting the Martin’s Cove Visitor’s Center. In this final post let us tell you about another aspect of this mission that makes it so fun and challenging.

Work Crew

Working with the Labrums

This is a working mission— as in the missionaries do ALL the work. There is rarely a need for paid contractors when there is so much skill already here. Retired plumbers, electricians, wood workers, ranchers, heavy equipment operators, carpenters, cowboys, machinists, general contractors, internet gurus, yard maintenance experts– you name it, there is a missionary who knows how to do it.

Clay and I didn’t come with most of these skills, but we sure had fun learning some along the way!

Clay helping rebuild the stone steps for the baptismal area in the Sweetwater River.

Road Crew— replacing gravel, cleaning pot holes, laying asphalt.

Yard Work— mowing, watering/weeding flower beds, tree trimming, miles of weed-eating.

Ranch Hand— painting buildings and log benches, water pump repair, handcart sanding/staining/wrangling– I bet you’ve never wrangled a handcart before!

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But, any assignment that starts with the phrase, “You need to drive a Rover and….” is a great job!

Fence building–yep. If ever this doctor job doesn’t work out…

Olive Garden— I wish we were talking about the yummy food (the closest restaurants are 60 miles away), but it actually refers to a request by the State of Wyoming that we remove all of the wicked, thorn-covered Russian Olive trees infesting the property. A tough, prickly, pokey, nasty job.

Cow Mama—

The Church raises cattle on this ranch, and sometimes a calf is abandoned or its mother dies. So, we serve as cow mamas and daddies– making the warm cow milk formula and feeding the babies 1/2 gallon morning and night until they are weaned.

Luckily, the feeding pen is also at our RV camping site, so we don’t have to go hunt them down on the 100,000 acre property.

Rah-Rah— not a chant at a homecoming game– it stands for RRA: Rest Room Assistant. Cleaning all the toilets (about 56 of them) and taking out the trash on the entire campus. It’s actually not a bad job. We enjoyed starting early when assigned to Rah-Rah. We were on the trail at 5 am one morning, greeted by the yipping of coyotes as the sun came up. Now that’s a nice day at the office.

Lady Bug Rover for cleaning restrooms- but not in fancy trail dress!

Medallions— Yes, I learned to crochet. These are souvenirs we give visiting youngsters.

Snake Wrangling— most of the snakes are bull snakes- big but harmless constrictors that just need to be relocated when they wander too close to to the Visitor’s Center.

We tell the visitors not to bother the snakes, but one trek group’s leader wanted to pick up a bull snake and put it over his shoulders for a photo op. The snake started puking- and threw up a prairie dog. Then he puked up another one, and another one, until there were 6 dead prairie dogs on the ground.

The leader put the snake down and it still had another critter inside him. I saw the picture of the coiled snake, with dead prey all around it. When the trekkers got back from their days hike, the snake (and its snacks) were gone.

Occasionally, there are pesky rattlesnakes that make a nuisance of themselves, so some of the guys are experts at making them disappear before they harm us, a tent camping guest or a toddler wandering around on the inviting green grass. Rattlesnake hatbands are a popular accessory among our missionaries.

Life gets interesting on the open plains of Wyoming. There have been some close calls, but no one has been bitten yet.

Clay and I did have to do some real bull wrangling to get them out of one of the remote campgrounds at Rock Creek Hollow before the trekkers arrived. That was exciting and bit nerve-wracking. Especially when they kept coming back.

Lumberjacks– We do our own fencing using lodge pole pine. We get the poles by traveling up into the Green Mountains with our logging permit and cutting down the trees. It’s a great adventure– two mission 4×4 heavy duty trucks, a flat bed trailer, 10 loggers and a picnic lunch.

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We ventured into the Green Mountains in Mid-October and found freezing temperatures with bitter cold winds, the frost covered the trees and sage brush like a silver white frosting. Snow clung to the shady spots and the crisp smell of pine filled the air.

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The one lane rocky, eroded, bumpy road down the side of the mountain to the designated cutting area had great views out over the distant mountains across the valley below.

Elder Turpin trimming branches off the poles

Two chain saw lumberjacks got to work harvesting the 90 trees and lots of jack rabbits carried the cut 16-foot poles up the steep hill, tromping through icy snow patches and muddy spots.

Sister Turpin and Clay hauling a pole uphill

Wendy and Clay taking a breather. Air is thinner at 8800 feet!

We ate our lunches on a fallen log while being warmed by the lovely fire.

Sisters Maxfield and Crist tending the fire

Then the poles were loaded in the back of the pick up truck and schlepped up to the flat bed trailer on the top of the mountain. After several trips, the job was done.

Elder Maxfield loading the truck, Clay handing up the next pole

It was hard work and a lot of fun!

First snowman of the season!

Family Time

Our very favorite trekkers were from Wisconsin: our son, Jesse, his wife Terri and the kiddos Eric (6) and Hazel (4). I made pioneer outfits for them and we had a wonderful week sharing the beauties of Wyoming and pioneer stories from our family history.

Now those are some sweet pioneers!

Eric- ready to pull his handcart

Modern pioneer- sunglasses and plastic necklace

Eric trying out the tepee

Short term attempt at helping pull a handcart. Hazel decided she didn’t want her picture taken. Bonnets are good for that.

Our family trek, Blue Flag, crossing the Sweetwater River.

Riding in a handcart is a lot more fun, when Dad and Grandpa are pulling it!

Alcova Reservoir Beach

Hazel

Invitation

Sunset after a wonderful day of trekking

So, if you happen to be in central Wyoming (between Casper and Muddy Gap on state highway 220), stop by and see the Martin’s Cove Mormon Handcart Historic Site. Or come serve a mission here. They always need more adventurers!

Cowboy Chris Jorgensen moving the herd

Fog-shrouded Devil’s Gate

Sweetwater River baptismal font

-Wendy

Oh the Adventures! Part Two

Posted on October 10, 2016 by zanedriver under Adventures, Missionary Work, Mormon Trail, Teaching Youth, Volunteering

Service Opportunities

There is never a dull moment on the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission. When we are not serving at the Visitor’s Center, leading tours of the historic Sun Ranch buildings, trekking with groups through Martin’s Cove or re-enacting stories from the lives of the pioneers, we get to do other interesting assignments.

Welcome Post

As you approach the homestead, you see the welcome post greeters, a day long assignment to get visitors and hundreds of trekkers where they need to go. Trek groups come from states such as California, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.

Chinese tour buses traveling around the United States purposefully stop at our site on the way to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota because we have super clean restrooms. They walk through the visitor’s center and snap a ton of pictures, especially if a missionary is wrangling a snake off the lawn.

Welcome Post can be relaxing, with enough time to read a book, or it can be very busy. On the last day of trekking in September, we counted 450 visitors in 120 vehicles. During the height of the summer trek season, the numbers soar.

Handcart Parking

We really do park handcarts as the trekkers come from the homestead part way along their journey into Martin’s Cove. There were about 600 trekkers pulling 45 carts in 3 groups while we were hosting one day. Parking can get tight!

Using colored flags to distinguish between the treks, Base (which acts like an air traffic controller) knows where each group is at all times as we take our trek groups from place to place. Constant radio communication with base keeps each trek group from running into each other so that each can have a great experience.

The trekkers are then ready to quietly walk up into Martin’s Cove for more spiritual experiences.

Dan Jones Amphitheater

Cherry Creek Campground Hosting

That’s a supply shed behind the host cabin, not an outhouse

When trekkers get off the buses, they load handcarts with 5 gallon buckets containing their personal belongings and walk 3 miles from the homestead to Cherry Creek Campground, where a missionary couple greets them, directs traffic and gets all the different groups and their myriad of support vehicles situated for the night.

After dinner, the groups learn square dancing (with missionary assistance) and have fireside talks as the sun sets. After doing ‘Oh Johhny Oh’ square dancing, the tune sticks in your head all night long as you try to sleep.

Trekkers water-coloring pictures of handcart pioneers and their rescuers.

It’s a long, hot, windy time during that week of campground hosting, but it’s also fun mingling with sweet and enthusiastic young trekkers.

Medical Advisor/Emergency Preparedness Advisor

Everyone has skills and talents they use to the fullest on this mission. Ours happen to be medical doctor for the mission and emergency plan creator.

Since we are 50-70 miles from the nearest medical facilities, being able to triage a problem before it gets worse is a great way to serve. I diagnosed everything from infected Russian Olive tree thorns, severe positional vertigo, TMJ, chest pain requiring 3 cardiac stents, torn knee ligaments, corneal flash burns from welding, to a bad case of shingles.

Independence Rock Volunteers for Wyoming State Parks

Six miles from the homestead, heading east on the highway to Casper, is Independence Rock, the pioneer register of the trail, where travelers carved their names on the granite monolith.

We serve as volunteers for the State and tell people about the rock and encourage them to check out Martin’s Cove as well. We also get to climb the rock!

Independence Rock partly got its name because if your pioneer group got there by Independence Day, July 4th, you were almost guaranteed to get across the Rocky Mountains before the snows came.

The Martin Handcart Company arrived at Independence Rock around November 2, 1856 and had to trudge through deep snow and a fierce cold wind.

Wyoming State Highway Volunteers

As part of our volunteer hours, we pick up trash along the highway several times a year. There’s some interesting stuff out there, folks.

Cleaning up the highway in front of Rattlesnake Pass- where all 500,000 pioneers traveling on the 4 historic trails came through on their way out west between 1843 and 1969.

School Groups

The missionary sisters dress in full pioneer outfits, complete with bonnets, aprons and bloomers, and take the Wyoming 4th grade school children on tours of the homestead ranch, visitor’s center and let them pull handcarts.

It is a favorite field trip for the kids and we enjoy it too, as they are encouraged to call us ‘Grandma’. Many kids have gone home and insisted their entire families come back to see this place, sometimes that same afternoon.

Pioneer Grandmas: front row L to R: Sisters Chandler, Bushman, Turpin, Maxfield. Back row L to R: Smith and Shugart

Stay tuned at this same bat time, same bat channel for more to come in Part Three!

-Wendy

Oh the Adventures! Part One

Posted on October 3, 2016 by zanedriver under Adventures, Destinations, Missionary Work, Mormon Trail, Teaching Youth, Volunteering

Entrance to the Homestead

As our Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission winds down, we wanted to share with you some of the things we have packed into this 6 month experience. This is a very short mission compared to other senior missions that last 12, 18 or 23 months. But a lot happens in that short time.

Missionary Work

First and foremost, we have been called, set apart and ordained as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

The Prophet Joseph Smith’s First Vision of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

We carry out our missionary responsibilities by serving at various assignments such as:

Visitor’s Center

Martin’s Cove Mormon Handcart Historic Site encompasses the national historic landmark Tom Sun Ranch established in 1872, one of only a few western ranches to achieve this honor; Devil’s Gate, a natural cleft in the Rattlesnake Mountains where the Sweetwater River flows through; and the four pioneer trails – Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express that passed through this property. You can still see the original wagon tracks and depressions in the ground where the weight of the people, gear and animals crushed the earth.

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We give tours of the reconstructed Fort Seminoe, which was an abandoned trading post where the freight from the Hodgetts Wagon Company was stored over the winter of 1856 so the weak and sick Martin Company pioneers could use the wagons to ride to Salt Lake. Twenty men had to stay behind to guard the freight. They were on near starvation rations and ate animal hides to stay alive until they and the freight could be taken to Utah 7 months later. None of them got sick or died during that time.

Fort Seminoe

We also honor and protect Martin’s Cove, a ravine behind a large sand hill up against the bare granite mountains. The pioneers spent 5 nights in the Cove and as their people froze to death, the bodies were placed in snow banks because the earth was too hard to dig graves. Wild animals soon scattered the remains. We do not know where the bones are, so the entire area is hallowed ground. After having a brief spiritual talk by their leaders, trek groups walk reverently and quietly up into the Cove to contemplate the real meaning of sacrificing everything for what you believe in.

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The Visitor’s Center is located in the original family house of the Sun Ranch.

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We maintain some of the ranch buildings from the 1880’s.

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We show people the historic displays, telling them the stories of the Mormon pioneer handcart companies (meaning: people organized in a group to safely travel across country, not a company that builds handcarts).

Loaded handcart, ready for the 1300 mile journey from Iowa City, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah

And most importantly, we offer our visitors a copy of the Book of Mormon and bear testimony of Jesus Christ.

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Trek Hosting

One of the best mission assignments is trek hosting– where we get to guide the groups of people that come to trek up into Martin’s Cove (5-8 miles) to re-connect with their spiritual roots. Church groups (youth 12-18, young adults, church congregations and families) dress in 1850’s pioneer style clothing, load up their hand carts and trek to the Cove and then on to their primitive campground.

We help them feel the special spirit of the Cove and teach them pioneer stories of faith, obedience, sacrifice and charity.

Clay teaching a trek group about the need to rescue others in our day, like the Valley Boys from Utah did when they carried the 550 members of the Martin Handcart Company over the Sweetwater River in November, 1856

These young trekkers don’t have their cell phones or internet access, so they learn to talk, laugh and work together, square dance, play pioneer games, rough camp and bear testimony.

There were 45,000 trekkers this year over the three historic mission sites. We have 60 missionary couples to do all the work and service necessary to give our visitors a great experience.

Story Telling/Mission Play

To bring the lives of the Mormon pioneers to life, we tell stories from their journal entries. They are now our friends and we care deeply about them. We all participated in the Martin Handcart Story- a play with original music. I’m really glad I didn’t know until afterwards that Marie Osmond was on the front row (her sister-in-law is one of our missionaries).

Rock Creek Hollow

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For one week, we had the privilege of serving at Rock Creek Hollow (100 miles from our main camp), where the Willie Handcart Company suffered tragedy during the 27 hours it took them to cross Rocky Ridge in October, 1856. That night, 13 people died and were buried in a common grave. An additional two men who buried those dead also died from exertion the next day.

The common grave site is marked and there is a very special spirit there. One of my favorite times was sitting in front of the grave marker, researching the stories behind the names.

James Kirkwood, age 11, was assigned to help his 4 year old brother Joseph over Rocky Ridge. His mother and older brother struggled with their handcart loaded down with their possessions and another crippled brother. James ended up carrying Joseph when his little feet were too frozen to walk. After he got to the camp at Rock Creek Hollow, James put his brother down and then died by the fire. Joseph lived and his descendants always honor the ultimate sacrifice of their Uncle James.

Rock Creek Hollow mass grave site

It is a quiet, cold, isolated and windy place.

We greeted any visitors who made their way to this remote site and served as campground hosts for numerous trek groups.

To get to the Hollow, the first trekkers of the season spent 12 hours pulling handcarts 15 miles over Rocky Ridge (the highest point on the historic pioneer trail). They had been heavily rained and hailed on. At 7 pm that night, coming over the last hill into Rock Creek Hollow, they were covered with dried dirt from fording multiple streams, mud holes and a broken bridge, with sweat streaking through the grime on their smiling faces as they waved white handkerchiefs and sang in loud voices, the trek anthem, “The Fire of the Covenant”.

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I will always cherish our week at Rock Creek Hollow.

And that is only some of the adventures. Stay tuned for Part Two!

-Wendy

On The Trail

Posted on June 26, 2016 by zanedriver under Destinations, Genealogy, On the Road

Devil’s Gate at sunset

Between 1843 and 1869 (when the railroad finally joined the west coast to the rest of the nation), 500,000 people rode horses, walked beside their wagon or pulled a handcart by Devil’s Gate (in Wyoming) on their way to what is now Oregon, California and Utah.

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This summer we are camped right on this famous trail which we read about in our American Heritage classes as teenagers.

Our mission this summer is to tell thousands of visitors the stories of these pioneers.

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The Martin Handcart company, made up of over 600 European immigrants bound for the Salt Lake Valley, got a late start on the trail in 1856. They were seeking refuge from religious persecution in their homelands. Because of their late start, and early snows in the high plains of Wyoming, over 150 of their group perished as they struggled to pull their carts through the snow and sub-zero temperatures. During the worst of these storms they took shelter for five days in a cove just west of Devil’s Gate, now known as Martin’s Cove.

On the trail from Martin’s Cove

These are touching stories of sacrifice which families made in order that their children and future generations could be raised in a place that would nurture and promote their religious freedom.

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Many of our visitors come in groups of 30-700 teenagers. They set up in primitive camp sites, dress in 1850-era pioneer garb, pull handcarts and cross rivers: re-enacting to the best of their ability a small part of the journey their forebears made so that they can appreciate the heritage they enjoy as free people, and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

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During their experience with us, these youth cover mile upon mile pulling their handcarts, fording rivers and thinking about their relationship with God, about what they truly believe, and how they will, in their own way, be pioneers of the next generation.

2016-06-14 09.06.45 These are amazing youth! They get it. Wendy and I have been in awe of their dedication, their desire to learn and their pure goodness. They give us hope for the next generation. We feel so fortunate to be their mentors and guides.

Clay

Volunteer Training in Paradise

Posted on May 21, 2016 by zanedriver under Jesus Christ, Missionary Work, Teaching Youth, Volunteering

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Young men from all over the world dressed in white shirts and ties, speaking a variety of languages, waiting patiently to hold the door open for you. Young women in spring colored skirts and blouses with a sweet light in their eyes, saying a warm hello as they pass. Senior couples, holding hands while strolling along covered walkways, admiring the profusion of pansies, tulips and lilacs, the crisp air, brilliant blue skies and a glimpse of the nearby Wasatch mountains.

All of this in the 10 minutes between classes.

This is the Missionary Training Center (MTC) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), in Provo, Utah, where up to 2800 people at a time spend 1-6 weeks training before going out on their assigned missions around the world. 50 languages are taught here. There are similar 15 MTCs around the world which prepare 74,000 missionaries each year. 6600 of them are seniors.

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As missionaries, we are all volunteers, paying our own way to serve wherever we are assigned. Young men (Elders) between ages 18-25 serve for two years. Young women (Sisters) serve for 18 months starting at age 19. Old folks like us serve 6-23 months. There is no upper age limit for seniors, you just need enough giddy-up to get up and go. But one benefit of being a senior missionary: you get to take naps. (They keep saying that, but I haven’t had time to take one yet.)

Young people usually go on proselyting missions (sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who want to hear their message). They do not get to choose where they will be sent in the world or what language they may need to learn. Clay served at age 19 in the California Ventura Mission from 1978-1980.

Senior couples serve around the world in local congregations, mission offices, visitor centers, church historic sites, family history centers (genealogy research), humanitarian aid sites, clean water programs, neonatal resuscitation, health, addiction recovery, temple work, public affairs, administrative and job specific assignments (engineering, agriculture, education, facilities management, medical etc.) based on their former employment skills and foreign language capabilities. There is a bulletin regularly updated from church headquarters about Senior missionary opportunities.

We have been called to serve in the Wyoming Mormon Trail Mission, based in Martin’s Cove, Wyoming, where the Mormon pioneers pulling their handcarts 1300 miles from Iowa to Utah faced starvation and death during the early snow in October 1856 before they were rescued. During the summers, groups of young people from the surrounding states come dressed in period clothing and pull handcarts for a few days in commemoration of the Mormon pioneers’ sacrifice for religious freedom.

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At the MTC, we spent a week in large and small group classes learning how to teach the Gospel and more importantly, how to point individuals to Jesus Christ through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It was delightful being taught by young former missionaries- their boundless energy and enthusiasm was refreshing.

Tuesday evenings were spent in a devotional meeting with leaders from church headquarters in Salt Lake City. While we were there, Bonnie Oscarson, General Young Women’s President and Linda K. Burton, General Relief Society President (the adult women’s organization) spoke to us.

As part of our training to be church historic site missionaries, we went on a field trip to the Salt Lake Temple visitor’s center where two young sister missionaries (from Australia and Switzerland) took us on a tour, helping us to understand how to present information with visual aids and brief messages.

Salt Lake Temple

We honor the many caring people around the world from all walks of life and from all religious and cultural backgrounds who volunteer to help in a variety of causes that speak to them, doing tremendous service for others in the process. Keep up the good work!

-Wendy

The Christus statue, Salt Lake Temple Visitor’s Center

Alma Mater

Posted on May 11, 2016 by zanedriver under On the Road, Our Past Life

Y mountain above BYU

What a powerful thing it is to return to your alma mater. If it’s one of the great schools, going back brings strong emotions. I remember when one of the consultants I worked with, Stephanie Wall, recommended I attend a professional conference put on by her alma mater, University of Michigan. The honor with which she held her school and their executive training was palpable. Why do we feel so strongly about our alma mater? One of my careers (in the 1990’s) took me to countless universities throughout the nation. Each had it’s own unique feel, but all were wonderful.

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Well, this week Wendy and I walked the campus of one of the great institutions of the world, Brigham Young University — our alma mater. BYU is an elite school which draws students from all over the world. 55 languages are taught on a regular basis (30 more as needed based on interest). Top rated in so many disciplines. Difficult to get in for two reasons. First, you need to show not only academic excellence, but you must also have a commitment to the honor code, which is unique to the world. The students take this honor code very, very seriously. It is a protection and allows them to learn with like minded people. They realize it is a privilege to attend this university, and there are many waiting in the wings who would fill their spot if they are not willing to live by these high standards. The students of BYU are in a hurry to learn, to become adults, to make an impact on the world, and to meet and marry someone with similar maturity and goals.

The grounds at BYU are spectacular

And the campus is beautiful. Pristinely clean. Flowers are everywhere. The smell is amazing!

Nestled in the Utah Valley south of Salt Lake City, BYU is in the shadow of tall, snow covered mountains — a 360 degree panorama of quiet giants. In 1977, when I arrived as a freshman after a long drive from Indiana, it was long after dark. I climbed wearily up in the top bunk and immediately fell into an exhausted sleep. When I awoke the next morning, my view was facing east toward the mountains, which filled the entire window. I reeled back, overwhelmed as if they might topple over on me. I was reminded of that feeling last week as I drove our motorhome into Provo. It takes a couple of days to adjust to those majestic, towering mountains.

View of Mt. Timp through the BYU library

My years at BYU were some of the happiest days of my life. In my freshman year some older guys took me under their wing, told me of the great adventures they had had serving as missionaries in places like Honduras, Japan, Chile, etc. Two years later, after I had served a mission to Southern California, I dated Wendy and we were married. We lived in a humble basement apartment while we worked, scrimped, saved and went to school. We had our first child, Jesse, and felt so blessed to have such a happy boy in our lives. So many great memories.

View of Mount Timpanogos from Utah Lake

Wendy and I were able to attend BYU and work there with very little student debt. And BYU has kept their tuition remarkably low.

But I see a debate approaching in our nation as other schools continue to increase their tuition. It has been decade after decade of significant tuition increases at institutions throughout our nation. All the while their administrations have become bloated and their tenured faculty are required to teach fewer and fewer hours each year. At some point the education model will break and a revolution will wipe out the old ways. Online education seems to be our future. And yet, I mourn for future students who may not get the chance to feel the energy of an MIT campus or the tradition and history of a Princeton.

Tomorrow morning, after a two-week stay in Provo, Utah, Wendy and I will release the parking brake and roll on out of the shadow of these beautiful mountains, making us a little sad to say goodbye once again to our beloved BYU. It is such a beautiful place filled with people seeking excellence. What an honor to have attended so many years ago.

-Clay

Far from Home, Close to our Hearts

Posted on May 11, 2016 by zanedriver under Family, On the Road

View from our RV spot at Lakeside Resort, Provo, Utah

One of the great treats we enjoy as full-time travelers, is the opportunity to see our extended family who are spread all over the United States. This past week, we spent time with two nieces who live near Provo, Utah. Kirsten and Morgan are sisters, who grew up with our daughter in Indiana. We love them dearly.

Dennis, Morgan and Parker Webb

These young women are a long way from home, and more importantly, a long way from their mother Sharon and father Creed (Wendy’s brother). So it was very meaningful to all of us to spend an afternoon together to catch up on their lives. And give them some much needed hugs– we needed them probably more than they did!

Morgan married a wonderful man, Dennis, just a few short years ago and look at the results. Little 11 month old Parker is now their whole world! I adore this little one. She likes to pat my back when I hold her. Instant, unconditional love. Wow, does that ever feel great.

Parker and her Great Uncle Clay

This trio visited us not once, but twice in the week we were in Provo. The first night, Wendy and I discovered that Dennis and Morgan were hungry to discuss how to make financial plans for their lives. So we invited them back later in the week and we helped them build a timeline for their future and shared with them tools that will help them meet their goals. What an amazing experience! Wendy and I were so honored that they would trust us to lead. And we were greatly impressed with the way this newlywed couple respected each other and supported each other in their goals and dreams. Wow!

Hanging out with Kirsten

And then we spent an evening with another one of our all-time favorite nieces, Kirsten. Kirsten, from the moment she was born, has been full of joy, love, fun and kindness. And she hasn’t changed one bit. Kirsten’s wife, Chelsey, was unfortunately out of town. But we had a blast talking about what we are doing as we wandered all over the nation in our motorhome and discovering what her goals and plans are.

We love these women and their families and we’re so proud of them. They know we will do anything we can to help them in their journey through life.

-Clay

Going In Zane

After Years of Travel Adventures – Retired in Naples, Florida.

To the Blue Hole!

Americana Emersion

The Blue Hole

Oh the Adventures! Part Three

Oh the Adventures! Part Two

Oh the Adventures! Part One

On The Trail

Volunteer Training in Paradise

Alma Mater

Far from Home, Close to our Hearts