Her Footsteps Have Changed Me - Little Bodil

The Oregon Trail

If you look real close you can still see the Oregon trail toward the back of this sign. This was taken on our way to South Pass City. Dad decided to take a dirt, back road just after we saw this sign. I thought we would never get back to the main road. It just went for miles and miles. He was having fun seeing what was over the next hillside though and it finally led us back to the main highway. We did see some horseback riders and some antelope.

This Road goes forever

This is our truck and you can see the motorhome in the distance. The road across the prairie was dirt, rock and bumpy. We got a flat tire - a sharp rock just cut itself through the tire - and got it fixed over in Atlantic City at a little "sort of" type of garage. That was pure luck. Elenore set up lunch in their motorhome for us and it was quite cozy in there. While we ate they told us more stories of the Second Rescue work and Rock Creek Hollow.

Sixth Crossing Center

We met up with Elenore and Dan and his sister and husband on Saturday. We are to travel over the plains to Rock Creek Hollow. Inside the Vistors Center they have some displays and a couple of movies on the Martin/Willie Handcart story. The Brother that talked to us was very teary-eyed several times and so humble. It really set the tone for the rest of our day. On the grounds were a few handcarts and also a small school that they are trying to establish with furnishings. It's looking pretty good already I think. Anyway, from here we drove several miles until reaching Rock Creek Hollow where they Saints stopped to reorganize and be rescued. The missionaries here were just getting ready to go back home. They had two couples arriving for the winter and spring session. Two is all they leave here during the winter. They usually do tasks that can be done inside during the winter because it does get a little harsh here in Wyoming. The Sisters do quilts etc. and the brothers usually do a little work on the handcarts. I am sure there are other things too.

Handcarts and Sacrifices

Handcarts at Sixth Crossing Center

Inside the Sixth Crossing Center

This shows how much flour they could use and also how much a woman could put into her handcart. These were on display inside the Vistor's Center

School Slates

These are little slates like pioneer children would have used to do their lessons on. They were in the little school house.

A Little School House

This is a little school building they are redoing on the Sixth Crossing site. It was fun to walk inside and see what it might be like with the benches and little slates for writing your lessons on. There's a wood stove for heat and a teacher's desk and blackboard. Kind of like Little School on the Prairie.

A Special Place for Trekkers

This is on the trail from Rocky Ridge to Rock Creek Hollow. These are bathrooms provided for the kids that do the trek. You might be able to see the trail if you look really close.

Dan telling us stories

Uncle Dan telling us the story of Rock Creek Hollow. "Brethren and Sisters you have a great inheritance. We have a tremendous responsibility to live up to it. God bless us to be faithful, to be true to that which meant so much to those who died here and their associates who died along this long and wearisome trail." (Gordon B Hinckley, Rock Creek Dedication, July 23, 1994)

Entering Rock Creek Hollow on Handcart Trail

This is such a peaceful, beautiful and serene area. I am sure that in the middle of the summer when it's 100 degees it's probably not as beautiful. Elenore and Dan told us what their duties are at Rock Creek Hollow and some stories about the pioneers. I especially loved the one about little Bodil Mortensen. Bodil was 10 and was traveling with another family from Denmark. She was exhausted from the trek over Rocky Ridge and taking care of the family's 6 year old boy. When they arrived at camp (Rock Creek) she was sent out to gather some firewood. Using the last of her strength, she shakes the snow from a sagebrush and pulls off some small branches. When she arrives back in camp, she sits down and leans against the wheel of a handcart to rest. It is her final rest. She is soon found frozen to death, sagebrush still in her little hands. She is one of 13 buried in this mass grave. What a tender story.

Rock Creek Hollow Grave Marker

This marker tells the names of those pioneers who were buried in the circular grave.

Rock Creek Hollow

This is Rock Creek Hollow. Elenore and Dan took us to this point on the Handcart trail. It is where they serve as hosts during the summer to the handcart treks. The Riverton Stake began a rescue effort for the Willie Handcart pioneers. This rescue was a spiritual rescue and has become known as the "Second Rescue". There is a circular mass grave that is fenced off with a plaque telling the story and the names of the pioneers that were frozen to death and are buried here. With this "Second Rescue" the Riverton Stake did over 4000 ordinances in the Ogden Temple - traveling six hours each way to complete this temple work.

Tap Dancing Kid

Kris was showing us some of her tapping moves and Bodee was really interested so I got Andy's little tap shoes down and my old tu-tu and this is the result. He loved the sound the shoes made and we had a fun time watching him do his little dance.

New Stone

When Logan was here we made a stone with his handprint on to go with the other grandbaby stones on our front walkway. Here it is -

Hatties' High Tea

Mindy, Erin, Kristi and I went to a High Tea at Mad Hatties. It is on Sullivan Road and it has been a place I have wanted to try for a long time. This seemed to be the perfect occasion to do just that. As you walk into the tea room you are shown your table and offered to pick out any hat you want to wear to the tea. That was the most fun. As you can see, we each had our own style of hat. We were each served our own pot of herb/fruit tea which we got to pick out ourselves. Then came two 3-tiered trays with tea sandwiches and savories, complimented with fresh fruit, Hatties' popular scones with cream and jam, desserts, tea breads and assorted sweets. It was definitely a special time for all of us. The girls started telling memory stories and we ended up laughing and crying - - The picture of the room is the adjacent room next to ours. By the time we ended our tea the two rooms were full with guests. It must be a popular place. I would definitely go there again some time.

Fun Tea party Hats

This is Erin and Mindy with their tea party hats

This is Kristi and Mom with our tea party hats.

The Ladies and their Hats

Here we are sitting at our table waiting to be served. The lady in charge was gracious and took our picture.

Just Some Johnson Kids

We held a bbq buffet to just get everyone together while Kristi and Mindy were here. Hamburgers, hot dogs, salads were the main items to eat. A little later in the evening, after dinner had settled, Dad made scones and we ate and ate. Nothing like a hot scone with Wyoming honey on it.