A Trek through the Alaska wilderness teaches youth about their roots

WASILLA — This past week, local youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the Wasilla Alaska Stake Pioneer Trek, a historical reenactment of what the Mormon pioneers experienced in the mid 1800s when they fled to Salt Lake, Utah, to avoid religious persecution.

The expedition consisted of four days of camping and pulling wooden carts for a total of about 25 miles. Other activities included devotionals, pioneer games and dancing in addition to the hiking. Those participating in the Trek wore period clothing like bonnets and long skirts to make the experience as realistic as possible.

Three separate groups participated in the Trek, with the Wasilla branch as the last one. The reenactment is for kids between the ages of 12 and 18. Participants are grouped into “families” with people they may or may not already know. Each family has its own set of parents to lead the group of kids.

When the entire party arrived back at the Jim Creek parking lot on Friday night, they looked dirty and exhausted, but everyone was smiling, cheering and singing.

“These young kids come by their own free will and choice, and they leave on a spiritual high like no other. They will remember this, and share it with their kids, and their kids will share it with their kids. It is a blessing to be out here with these young people,” said Shane Metcalf, leader of the Wasilla Stake Pioneer Trek.

Over the course of the hike, there were several sprained ankles and one case of heat exhaustion, but according to Metcalf, there was a medical team always with the group to provide immediate assistance when needed. The experience is tiring, but made as safe as possible.

“With 240 plus people, we’re blessed by the few injuries,” he said

People on four-wheelers manned both the front and the back of the wagon train as well to make sure the trail was safe for passage.

Travis Christman-Strawn, 17, who participated in the pioneer trek, found that the experience taught him about the importance of not relying on personal strength, but instead to work as a group with others and “when that’s not enough, relying on the Holy Ghost to get (them) through it.”

“It definitely gives us respect for our ancestors,” he said.

The budget allotted to the Wasilla Stake group for the Pioneer Trek was $12,000, but according to Metcalf, they managed to keep expenses between $7,000-$9,000.

“There’s a huge cost, food I would say is the most expensive,” said Metcalf.