Almost 200 youth from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently participated in Trek, a commemoration of the Mormon pioneers, at Camp Thunder in Thomaston.

The young people, including many from Fayette County, walked more than 16 miles in three days pushing and pulling 17 hand-carts.

The event was held to honor and remember the Mormon pioneers who settled the American West in the 19th century, but it also had some modern-day advantages.

Leaders of the Trek said it helped young people learn face-to-face communication skills that have, in some cases, taken a back seat to electronic communication in our modern age.