I just finished reading Gerald N Lund's new book, The Undaunted, The Miracle of the Hole in The Rock Pioneers. Reading this story awoke feelings and memories from times past when our family and later our youth walked that memorable trail. I drove our Landcruiser on the Hole in the Rock trail and was pretty busy with the driving, so didn't take many pictures, but as the flood of feelings came pouring into my heart, I was compelled to search through stacks and stacks of photos until I found the few I have.
As you read this story, you will read about "The Chute". We drove the Hole in the Rock backwards - from Bluff to Lake Powell - so this is at the top of "The Chute" going down. The pioneers would have come UP this crazy trail.
Although pictures never do justice to perception, you can see how narrow this chute is. And it's much, much steeper than it looks in this picture. That's me in the Landcruiser there. I had to be careful not to scrape the sides of our Landcruiser on the rocks it was so very narrow. How they got covered wagons up here . . .
And this is going back up the other side of The Chute, which the pioneers would have come DOWN. You can see Dave there with his motorcycle helmet on, which is why I was driving the trail instead of him. I had more room in my Landcruiser than those who were driving jeeps had, so any kids that wouldn't fit in a jeep got to ride with me. These kids had heard tales of "The Chute" from their parents, and as I drove down The Chute, the kids started crying, which unnerved me a little bit. I finally told them that if they were that scared they didn't have to ride down, they could get out and walk which, as you can see many people did, but they bucked up, stopped crying, and stayed with me in the car.
Hopefully you can see the Hole in the Rock way off in the distance on the other side of the lake. It's the straight line coming down the rocks. If I knew how to put an arrow there I would, but I don't so you're on your own. You'll be amazed when you read about those pioneers coming down that Hole. By the way, those cute kids in front - they're mine. Mine, minus Kyle, plus Tiffany.
And you'll read about San Juan Hill. Now this place will take your breath away, and when you read the book you WILL cry when you read about San Juan Hill. Those pioneers got here after traveling six months when they were told it would take six weeks. They had hacked out every inch of trail along the way. They were exhausted, discouraged, and weak and yet the trail building wasn't done. Whoever this person is (they are too far away for me to tell and I didn't label the picture :() ) is walking up the trail the pioneers carved out of the rock up San Juan Hill.
And these are our Stake Young Men and Women trying to take handcarts up San Juan Hill. We emptied them so they wouldn't be quite so hard, but it was still a struggle to get those handcarts to the top. It took a lot of man power and a lot of rope!
There isn't anything quite as humbling as getting to the top of something that hard and see the words,"We thank thee Oh God" inscribed in the rock. I loved the way he worked that inscription into the story. You will, too. By the way, that's Drew doing the pointing there. That's how long ago we went on this little trek.
And for those of you who loved The Fire Of The Covenant, guess whose story continues on in The Undaunted? Yep, Jen and Elsie Nielson, who barely survived the Martin Handcart trek were also on the Hole in the Rock trek. This is their house in Bluff, Utah where Jens served as Bishop for 23 years - until he died. Yeah, whenever I think I have anything to complain about, I remember Jens and Elsie Nielson. They were the epitome of The Undaunted.
I just finished reading Gerald N Lund's new book, The Undaunted, The Miracle of the Hole in The Rock Pioneers. Reading this story awoke feelings and memories from times past when our family and later our youth walked that memorable trail. I drove our Landcruiser on the Hole in the Rock trail and was pretty busy with the driving, so didn't take many pictures, but as the flood of feelings came pouring into my heart, I was compelled to search through stacks and stacks of photos until I found the few I have.
As you read this story, you will read about "The Chute". We drove the Hole in the Rock backwards - from Bluff to Lake Powell - so this is at the top of "The Chute" going down. The pioneers would have come UP this crazy trail.
Although pictures never do justice to perception, you can see how narrow this chute is. And it's much, much steeper than it looks in this picture. That's me in the Landcruiser there. I had to be careful not to scrape the sides of our Landcruiser on the rocks it was so very narrow. How they got covered wagons up here . . .
And this is going back up the other side of The Chute, which the pioneers would have come DOWN. You can see Dave there with his motorcycle helmet on, which is why I was driving the trail instead of him. I had more room in my Landcruiser than those who were driving jeeps had, so any kids that wouldn't fit in a jeep got to ride with me. These kids had heard tales of "The Chute" from their parents, and as I drove down The Chute, the kids started crying, which unnerved me a little bit. I finally told them that if they were that scared they didn't have to ride down, they could get out and walk which, as you can see many people did, but they bucked up, stopped crying, and stayed with me in the car.
Hopefully you can see the Hole in the Rock way off in the distance on the other side of the lake. It's the straight line coming down the rocks. If I knew how to put an arrow there I would, but I don't so you're on your own. You'll be amazed when you read about those pioneers coming down that Hole. By the way, those cute kids in front - they're mine. Mine, minus Kyle, plus Tiffany.
And you'll read about San Juan Hill. Now this place will take your breath away, and when you read the book you WILL cry when you read about San Juan Hill. Those pioneers got here after traveling six months when they were told it would take six weeks. They had hacked out every inch of trail along the way. They were exhausted, discouraged, and weak and yet the trail building wasn't done. Whoever this person is (they are too far away for me to tell and I didn't label the picture :() ) is walking up the trail the pioneers carved out of the rock up San Juan Hill.
And these are our Stake Young Men and Women trying to take handcarts up San Juan Hill. We emptied them so they wouldn't be quite so hard, but it was still a struggle to get those handcarts to the top. It took a lot of man power and a lot of rope!
There isn't anything quite as humbling as getting to the top of something that hard and see the words,"We thank thee Oh God" inscribed in the rock. I loved the way he worked that inscription into the story. You will, too. By the way, that's Drew doing the pointing there. That's how long ago we went on this little trek.
And for those of you who loved The Fire Of The Covenant, guess whose story continues on in The Undaunted? Yep, Jen and Elsie Nielson, who barely survived the Martin Handcart trek were also on the Hole in the Rock trek. This is their house in Bluff, Utah where Jens served as Bishop for 23 years - until he died. Yeah, whenever I think I have anything to complain about, I remember Jens and Elsie Nielson. They were the epitome of The Undaunted.
2 comments:
I can't wait to read that book. The Fire of the Covenant is still one of my very favorite books ever. That picture of the hole in the rock across lake powell would be a lot prettier picture if it weren't for those raggedy looking kids right in front of it!
I'll have to read this one too. I'll put it on my list, The Fire of the Covenant was one of my favorites as well... I can't wait.
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