Crossing the Sweetwater River

On November 4, 1856, the surviving members of the Martin Handcart Company were taken up into a little cove where they could be more protected from the raging storms that had plagued them since October 19.  In order to get there they had to cross the Sweetwater River, which was about 30 - 40 feet wide, about 2 - 3 feet deep, and was full of ice that was 3 - 4 inches thick.  It was snowing and blowing that day and the temperature sank to -11 degrees at night.

When they had crossed the North Platte River two weeks earlier 14 people died, and many of them could not face another river crossing like that.  By then rescuers from the Salt Lake Valley had found them and were doing all they could to help the starving, freezing, exhausted saints.  Some of the "Valley Boys" spent the day in that icy river carrying the pioneers across, an act of tremendous sacrifice and charity.

Each year here at Martin's Cove we reenact that river crossing on November 4.  Yesterday about 30 people, many wearing period clothing, pulled handcarts out along the original trail to an area that was probably close to where they crossed in 1856.  It was 17 degrees and the wind was blowing hard.  Large pieces of ice floated down the river, and the river banks had up to 2 feet of ice forming on them.  All of us crossed the river and then came back through it. 

To say it was cold is an understatement!

Even though the river was nowhere near as deep as it was in 1856, the biting cold froze our feet the instant we went into the water, yet we were all determined to complete our journey and hopefully feel a little of what those amazing pioneers did 157 years ago.

 Here we are pulling our handcarts along the trail.  

The lead cart belongs to Elder and Sister Bushman, 

one of our winter missionary couples from Midland, Texas.  

It is carrying an American flag from the year 1856.

 Many single women were in the Martin Handcart Company 

and had to pull a handcart all alone.

 Even though the river was much deeper in 1856, 

this water was ice cold!!

 Walking into this river was the coldest thing we have ever done in our lives!!

 The current was strong, and chunks of ice constantly floated down the river.

 Look closely and you can see a large, rectangular chunk of clear ice floating down the river.

 It was actually colder to come out of the water than to go into it.
 

The bottom of my dress froze solid and stood straight out all around me.

 

 Several young men from the Salt Lake area carried women

 across the river like the "Valley Boys" did in 1856.

Jolene Allphin, author of Tell My Story, Too and co-author of Follow Me to Zion, 
brought two of her high school friends to cross the river.

These are the brave (or crazy) people who crossed the Sweetwater with us.

One couple, Kent and Jaelynne Hathaway, have been doing this for 16 years.

 Martin's Cove is in the background.