Martin's Cove Site

Sorry about the delays:  The Internet is very sporadic on the highlands of Wyoming.
Jul 11Last Friday was our Preparation day and we went to Casper, as usual, and had lunch at KFC where we met a missionary couple. It had been a long time since I had a piece of KFC chicken. After that we went to PETCO and bought a seven pound bag of crushed English Walnuts. They are to go into needle bags for weight. On top of that, they will not dull needle points. We then went to Sam's Club for guest shopping, to WalMart for a couple of lawn chairs (since we left ours home), fill up with gas, then on to Smith's Food Center, the used Hostess bread store, and then for the 70 mile trip to our "box" at Missionary Village.
Saturday we had a call from Joseph Harris and they were going to stop by on Sunday while on the way home to Salt Lake City. They had been to Loveland visiting her folks. Sunday came and after the block we sat the table in the "barn" for our expected guests. This is the only time that we sat as the only couple at a table and when the random numbers were called, we were the first ones to go and fill our plates. All the missionaries had a good laugh about that. The kids did not show, but we called them in late afternoon and they were already by Evanston, WY and did not have time for a stop. Martin's Cove is about 120 miles round trip out of the way.
Monday we were again at the visitor center with lots of people wanting to learn about this place. We then had a family who were direct decendents of Levi Savage, what a privilege. The McBride's were also represented by family. Bernice's cousin and his wife, Carol, came by and she is related to Henry J. Newman and his wife Maria Louisa Penn of the Hunt Freight Wagon Company. Every day some individuals come by who are related in some way to pioneers of the Willie, Martin, Hunt or Hodgett companies.
Bernice and I are getting real good at telling the stories we are asked (by the travelers) to tell. We get to visit with many young and older people, from all walks of life, who come here to experience in a small way what the pioneers went through. We find that some come here ill prepared for the rigors of trail travel. Many fall by the wayside of heat exhaustion and their own medical people have their hands full with them. Several in the last weeks had to have IV's administered on the trek which is difficult at best and requires others of their trek group to aid and assist. Some are very serious situations. In fact we have had heart attacks and have also had two death's on the trail.
In the last few days we have had clouds building up during the afternoon, but none let go of any moisture for us. Casper had sufficient rain to cause flooding, we are in a drought situation.
Jul 17Just returned from Idaho Falls last evening after attending the funeral for Leora Anderson Bratt, my friend for many years (adopted grand mother). Funerals are a time when families get together who have not seen each other for a while. Thus was the case here.
One of our daughters (Nancy I.F.) with two of her boys (Nick and Seth) came to visit on the 11th July and they/we had a good time doing some trek-ing and Nick helped me with a broken pitcher pump at one of the posts. The pump and the lift pipe had to be repaired and we worked until 12:30 AM so that trek-ers could fill up their water jugs for their hike to Martin's Cove in the morning. That post supplies water for as many as 800 people per day. Water is a must before we feel comfortable to let people make the hike into the cove on hot days. A body gets dehydrated rapidly at this altitude and lack of humidity. While they were here, we went to the Pathfinder Dam to see the magnificent display of millions of gallons of water coming through the turbine shute. We counted twelve Pelicans and some of them were as close to the maelstrom as possible to pick up bits of fish that came through the turbines. We watched as several Pelicans attacked a seagul that ventured too close to their feeding grounds. The seagul got away, but it was a close one for the seagul.
Friday noon we left for Idaho Falls and as we climbed out of Jackson 1 1/2 inches of snow and hail made driving interesting. A couple of accidents involving motorcycles caused a back-up in Jackson and it took almost and hour to get through there. However, the rain that followed as we decended into Victor was very welcome. We had not seen rain of that magnitude for some time. The windshield wipers had a difficult time keeping the glass clear.
Today, Tuesday, we were attending the Veil Crossing Bridge Post and had several family groups with their little children who stopped by for us to tell them a story or two. While one of the families was stopped by our post a three ft. Bull snake came by on her way to her hunting ground.
She was a beautiful specimen and she came by a couple of times to show off her markings. About noon a small group of blackbirds shows up and they strut back and forth looking for a handout. It is so interesting how they approach a morsel within just a few feet from us. They hunker down, almost a crawl, grab the piece of bread or apple and hop a few feet away to taste their treat. Some fly off to take the food away and then come back for another free meal.
Also we had a magnifiscent four point mule buck come by our little hut. People don't seem to bother any of the wildlife here. This buck and another live on the little island just down from the Veil Crossing Bridge. Antelopes are a daily show with their little ones as they play in the shallows of the Sweetwater River. The ranch abounds with rabbits even tho we hear coyotes most of the night and morning hours.
All is well at Martin's Cove Historic Site.
Jul 21
So many women had lost their husbands, had sick husbands and children. Yet, there faith and inward strength brought them to the Valley. This women's pull is to honor all pioneer women and their dedication to the Gospel and foremost the New and Everlasting Covenant which was available to them in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. This little family accomplished so much amid shed tears by those of us who prayed them up the hill. Two little girls and a sore kneed grandmother. Angels were helping them.
Also we had two trek groups come and cross the Sweetwater. One group had the Aaronic Priesthood carry the women across. The young man who carried the Bishops wife fell and dropped her into the swift flowing current. I am sure that it was unintentional, but that also happened when four young men carried many across in minus ten degree weather and blowing snow, November fourth 1856.
Today I was working on a water truck centrifugal pump which we better not tear down until all the trek-ers have left for the season. It will take several days to rebuilt this pump after we get the right spare parts. We use this truck to spray the gravel roads and camp sites so that the dust is manageable. After the middle of August the trek-ers will slow down since school starts for many.
Time goes by so fast that we lose track of "what day is this?" The rain clouds still go around Martin's Cove and the heat is oppressive, just wears a body out.  We still have to bake a cake for tomorrow's potluck.
We will do our level best to represent our Stake here. Have a great day,Your Martin's Cove Missionaries A very busy schedule was had for the last four days. While we were stationed at the "Foot Bridge" a small family group came with their covered hand cart. They had already covered about five miles and were now going to cross the river in commemoration of the crossing on November 4th, 1856. That done, we thought that they would now return to the "homestead" by way of the sand trail. Grandmother had two bad knees and the grand children were abt. : girl 11 and 6, boy 8 or 9, and their decision was to do the steep women's pull. As Priesthood we could not help them, but we could stand on the sides at the top and watch, take pictures, no cheering, just pray that the women are up to it.