One of the great events in 1997 was the reenactment of the Mormon trek west as part of the sesquicentennial celebration of the Saints' migration to the Great Basin 150 years before.

It captured the nation's attention. It was covered extensively by the news media and was often featured prominently on evening newscasts. These reenactors were received warmly by the small towns along the way in Nebraska and Wyoming that sometimes feted them with community dinners and other events.

In addition to the goodwill and favorable publicity engendered by this phenomenal event, lasting friendships were forged among the reenactors — all of whom came to appreciate more fully the sacrifice made by the 1847 pioneers.

This sesquicentennial trek started out small as it wound across Iowa from Nauvoo to Omaha in 1996, and grew in numbers as it inched forward across Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah in 1997. As its fame grew, hundreds joined in during the final weeks and days if for only a day or two — just to say they had participated.

But for as many as walked in the footsteps of those stalwart early Saints, there were many more who missed it. Many were heard to say, “I wish I could have done that — if I had only known.”

Well, it's not too late. Another commemoration trek is being organized for this summer. This one is being put together by Danny Van Fleet of Gerlaw, Illinois, a participant in the 1997 reenactment. Danny recalls that, “Most of us were strangers to one another at the beginning of the trail. None of us were sure we could make the entire trek, but the further we traveled, the more we wanted to complete the trail all the way to Utah.”

Recognizing that few people are in a position to take the whole summer off to ride or walk from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City, Danny has organized this trek to take place in three annual phases or legs. The first phase from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters in Omaha, Nebraska, will take place this June.

Trekkers will return in June of 2009 to continue the journey, this time from Winter Quarters to as far as they can get in a month's time. And then the final leg to Salt Lake City will occur in 2010.

Trekker wannabes can join the trek in any or all of these three legs and can hike for as long or as short as they like — one day, a week, or a month. But, of course, Danny is focused mostly on this first leg, which will launch out of Nauvoo May 31, 2008.

Trekkers can either ride (in a wagon or on a horse) or walk. If you don't have a wagon, no problem, you can rent one (if you are an experienced teamster). If you would prefer to ride, you can get a seat in one of Danny's wagons for a nominal fee.

No horse? You can rent one of those too. Sorry, no rental services are available for walkers — it will be “shanks mare” the whole way. Even handcarts are welcome.

You must provide your own accommodations (tent, camper or motel). You can bring your own food or buy meals from the wagon train. For details see the website, www.vanfleetwagontrain.com.

A cattleman and horse breeder for 40 years, Danny was drawn to the 1996 and 1997 treks by a sense of adventure. He lived not far from Nauvoo, and when word got out about a trek across Iowa he thought it would be fun even though he knew little about the Mormons or the great trek west. But he soon learned.

Over the next two summers with each passing mile he learned about the history of the Saints' exodus from Nauvoo, their fight for survival in Winter Quarters, and the heroism that accompanied their passage over Rocky Ridge, across the Sweetwater, and down Emigration Canyon.

He calls this the “spirit of the trail.” It spoke to him and deepened his appreciation for the Mormons with whom he was traveling and for the ancestors of many who had passed this way before. Nevertheless, he never entertained the idea that he would ever become a member of the Church even though the spirit of the trail and Sunday testimony meetings were slowly wearing away his resistance.

It was after a particularly touching testimony meeting at Martin's Cove that he decided to take the missionary lessons and was baptized not long after.

The spirit of the trail had such a dramatic impact on Brother Van Fleet's life that he wants to offer the opportunity to others. So 12 years after his first ride from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City, he is hitting the trail again. He says, “This wagon train will write its own legacy and build its own bonds and lifelong friendships. It will be the birth of a new family wanting to experience the footsteps of our pioneering ancestors as they made their way to Zion in the 1800s.”

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