Morristown Teen Pioneers 12-Mile Handcart Trek

Need to get from point A to B? Teens today just hitch a ride with mom or drive themselves to their destination. To get them back in touch with the good ol’ days when it was hard work to get to where you’re going, the Morristown Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored a three-day pioneer handcart trek re-enactment for local teens.

Matthew Nortonm, 16, of Morristown, joined 90 other area youths between the ages of 14 and 18 for this expedition. They wore old-fashioned clothes and pulled handcarts over the hills of northern Virginia.

They were split up into nine “family” groups with about nine teens and two adults pulling a handcart loaded with clothes, water and other gear for 12 miles through thick woods, two river crossings and steep inclines.

The re-enactment took place in Hume, Va., from July 10 to July 12. The trek coincided with the 175th anniversary of when the first formal congregation of the church was organized in New Jersey.

“The event was designed to help participants appreciate the faith and sacrifices of the early Mormon pioneers, including those from New Jersey, who travelled across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to the Salt Lake Valley in what is now Utah between 1847 and 1869,” according to a release.

Each handcart weighed between 700 - 800 pounds when fully loaded. As used by the pioneers, handcarts were two-wheeled wagons pulled by men and women, rather than animals.

“Pulling the cart was tough, a lot more than I expected physically,” said Matt, a lacrosse player during the school year. “My legs haven’t worked this hard in a long time. There were a lot of hills, and the cart was heavy. Teamwork is really important.”

Along the way, they faced simulations of actual events experienced by early pioneers.  

“For example, at one point the four to five female members of each group were asked to push the handcarts over difficult terrain without their male counterparts to simulate the numerous documented instances where pioneer women made all or part of the journey to Utah by themselves. During the simulation, the males in the group could only watch silently as the young women labored up the hill with the carts,” said the release. 

“There’s something very strong when you are just with a whole bunch of women,” said Ava Ludlum, 16 of Mountain Lakes. “The feeling of dependence on yourself and your sisters is something that really hits the heartstrings.”

At night, the “family” groups cooked their own meals, sang and danced, listened to inspirational messages and then went to bed in tents set up along the trail.

During the second night, a heavy storm passed through, flooding many tents, forcing many to find alternative shelter and giving them a taste of what nature dealt to their ancestors, according to the release.

The teens were not left completely to their own resources. Fifty adults, including medical professionals, trail guides, food handlers, equipment movers and dramatic interpreters joined them.  It took more than 15 months to plan.   

“This was a massive project, but it was worth it as we witnessed the youth gain an appreciation of how those that lived before them have sacrificed for their belief in Jesus Christ. It was also gratifying to see them learn that they too could do hard things,” said Daniel Stringham of Randolph, one of the event co-chairs.

“Sometimes you just need to overcome discomfort and think about other people because everyone is uncomfortable as well. You just need to sacrifice yourself for the good of the whole,” said Ava Ludlam.