When Mormons first settled Panguitch, Utah in 1864, they found it rough going. The snows came early that year, before their crops were ripe. By midwinter things became desperate. Seven men set out for nearby Parowan to bring back food to help them survive until spring. They didn’t get far before their wagon became hopelessly mired in deep snow. They had no better luck on foot. The men decided prayer was their only recourse. They unrolled their bedding - quilts their wives had made - and knelt down. When they finished praying they realized the quilts had kept them from sinking into the snow. They made it to Parowan and back with the much-needed food by placing quilts over the snow as they went. Every summer Panguitch celebrates the “Miracle of the Quilts” with a quilt walk festival. Visiting this festival is one of many things I’m looking forward to in 2012.
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