The Journey West

They rode into the morning sun
A glimmering white topped wagon train
Of daring, varied emigrants
In search of land and homes out west.

On and on they journeyed
And the white tops shuddered
And the burdened axles groaned
Through their black grease.

They ventured along the edges
Through passes and down mountains steep
Swift rivers, quicksand, muddy trails
Pulled at their hoofs and heels.

Onward they traveled over shining mountains
Conquering, daring, venturing the unknown way
Death came – cholera, rattlesnakes, accidents
And many were left behind in cross-marked graves.

And then, they floated down on rafts
The most treacherous part of the Oregon Trail
One hundred miles of swift, turbulent waters
To their journey’s end in a fresh, new land.

The Oregon Train Journal (finis)

June 27 – We traveled from The Dalles to Barlow Pass around the south side of majestic Mt. Hood (11,235 ft. elevation). I got coordinates and photographs of Barlow Road & Signboard (Waymark Code: WM1V6A), and Pioneer Woman’s Grave (Waymark Code: WM1V63). The Pioneer Woman died on the Barlow Road and was buried in a simple wagonbox casket. People passing the site have placed stones and flowers on her grave over the years, slowly building a memorial.

I also got coordinates and photographs at the four graves site at Trillium Lake Loop Road, Laurel Hill (two scree-covered 300 ft. chutes with 60-70 percent grade), and a replica of the original West Barlow Toll Gate used 1879-1915.

In 1845-1846, Samuel K. Barlow and Joel Palmer and later Philip Foster blazed the Barlow Road which wound around the south shoulder of Mt. Hood as an alternative to the costly and dangerous Columbia River Route. But the road was not for the faint of heart. Roots and branches, fallen trees and logs, streams, sloughs and marshes, steep hills, etc. made the travel intolerable.

We traveled to the Philip Foster Farm (Waymark Code: WM1V6H) on Eagle Creek where we had a picnic lunch and then toured the buildings. This was the last stop for the emigrants before reaching Oregon City and the end of the Oregon Trail. Weary emigrants stopped here to rest, graze livestock, purchase supplies, and eat one of Mary Charlotte Foster’s home-cooked meals before traveling down the road.

We went to the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, Oregon where I saw the exhibits, watched a presentation and saw a film. Emigrants would camp here at Abernethy Green--sometimes for the winter.

We traveled to the Clarion Hotel near Portland International Airport along the Columbia River. I had a very nice room on the top floor. We had a closing dinner. I received a poster for being the “weather person.” I wrote in my journal and went to bed.

After breakfast the next morning, I packed my luggage and traveled north across the Columbia River to my house in Vancouver, Washington. It took several days for me to catch up on my rest and get over the numerous mosquitoes, tick and other insect bites. But it was a great journey!

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 26 – Leaving Baker City, we stopped briefly at the Blue Mountain Crossing to walk the Interpretive Trail. The emigrants hoped they would make it across the Blue Mountains before the snow fell. Otherwise they would have to leave their wagons, and make their way across on foot. I got coordinates and photographs of historical signboards and markers and a covered wagon.

We did not stop at Emigrant Springs, a major emigrant campground. We stopped at the Deadmans Pass viewpoint (Waymark Code: WM1V46) overlooking Pendleton with sweeping views of the Umatilla Valley.

We visited Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. We saw several birds that were there on display primarily for the passengers of “Queen of the West.” There was an exhibit memorializing the death 50 years ago of Celilo Falls, a popular fishing and grazing place on the Columbia River inundated by The Dalles Dam. We ate lunch.

We traveled to Walla Walla, Washington. We briefly visited the Whitman Mission Historic Site--Waiilatpu, “Place of Rye Grass”--on the banks of the Walla Walla River. I got photographs of Alice Clarissa Whitman’s (1837-1839) grave marker (Waymark Code: WM1V4N). She was born three months after Marcus and Narcissa Prentiss Whitman's arrival. Sadly, the little girl drowned in the Walla Walla River just two years later. I also took photographs and coordinates of The Great Graves, the Wagon ruts and the Oregon Trail covered wagon. I did not have time to read or photograph the historical signboards at the former Whitman Mission building locations.

We traveled to The Dalles, Oregon. We went by Two Sisters, Wallula Gap, Hat Rock (took photograph and coordinates), and McNary Lock and Dam. I took several photographs. We stopped at the Umatilla Visitor Center Rest Stop. I photographed the James H. Sturgis Bridge and plaque.

We traveled by the John Day Dam, Stonehenge in the distance, Hwy 97 bridge at Biggs and The Dalles Dam. We arrived at Cousin’s County Inn in The Dalles, Oregon. We went to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center where we toured the exhibits and had a delicious dinner.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 25 – We visited the Utter Wagon Train Disaster Route. The worst tragedy on the Oregon Train happened near Castle Creek halfway between present day Grandview and Murphy. During September 9 & 10, 1860, the Elijah P. Otter (or Utter) wagon train consisting of 44 emigrants, eight wagons, and more than 50 head of cattle, had a battle with more than 100 Bannock Indians. During the fight, 11 emigrants and some 25 to 30 Indians were killed. Of the 33 emigrants who survived the battle, 17 died or were killed soon after. No other Oregon Trail wagon train suffered greater loss. I took photographs and coordinates of the historical signboard and the location.

I took photographs and coordinates of three roadside historical signs: “The Utter Disaster,” “War Eagle Mines” and “Diamond Gulch.” I took photographs and coordinates of a historic church with a bell in the tower, and two bridges: McGuffy Railroad Bridge (abandoned), and Adrian Bridge on Roswell Road.

We visited the Owyhee County Museum at Murphy, Idaho and had box lunch at long tables in the meeting room. I took photographs and coordinates of two more roadside historical signs: “Starvation Camp” and “Oregon Trail.”

We stopped at the Keeney Pass Historic Site south of Vale, Oregon. I took photographs and coordinates of several historical signboards. A half-mile of deeply worn ruts may be seen through the pass. The group hiked the one-third mile one way to the overlook but I decided when you have seen one Oregon Trail you have pretty much seen them all.

We arrived at Farewell Bend where I took photographs and coordinates of the historical signs. Farewell Bend was the last camp on the weary journey across the Snake River Plains. Here the Oregon Trail left the Snake River and would overland to the Columbia River. We did not get to see the Van Ornum graves of the Utter Disaster. There was a time change from Mountain to Pacific Time in Huntington, Oregon.

We traveled to the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill. We looked at the exhibits and ate a delicious chuck wagon dinner overlooking the valley and then looked at more exhibits.

We traveled to Baker City and the Best Western Sunridge Inn. I took some photographs at the nearby Visitor Center. I went next door to Sonnys for a beer and blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I wrote in my journal and went to sleep.

From here the trail route turned north, ascending Ladd Pass to the Grande Ronde valley and the Blue Mountains.

The Oregon Trail Journal

Sunday, June 24 – We traveled via tour bus to Glenns Ferry with a guide from OCTA. From Twin Falls, the main Oregon Trail stayed south of the Snake River. We stood on the top of a bluff overlooking one of the Oregon Trail’s toughest river crossings--Three Island Crossing (Waymark Code: WM1TW6)--with its formidable width, deep channels, and swift currents. Those emigrants who were unsuccessful or chose not to attempt the crossing stayed on the dry, rough Oregon Trail South Alternative. I took coordinates and photographs. There is an annual reenactment of the crossing that is tame compared to the tales told by emigrants on the Oregon Trail. The crossing passed into history when Gustavus “Gus” P. Glenn established a ferry about two miles above the crossing in 1869.

We traveled to the Oregon Trail History Center at Three Island Crossing State Park (2000). We saw a video and looked at the exhibits. I walked up the hill to the interpretive area where I took photographs and coordinates. I walked back down to the center to take a few more photographs.

We traveled to Carmela Vineyards where we had lunch in the dining hall. We visited Kings Hill Station (Bannock War), trail ruts and two unmarked graves, and ruts and (dead) Hot Springs. We stopped at Rattlesnake Station ruins, Rocky Road ruts and graves, and Canyon Creek station and cemetery.

During the afternoon, one of the Elderhostel group, Bob J., pointed out a benchmark (Benchmark: OZ1001). I took a couple photographs which I submitted with the log. Described by Coast and Geodetic Survey 1959 (WWH) the station is 3.5 miles northeast of Glenns Ferry, 2.5 miles northwest of King Hill, 1.0 mile southeast of the bluffs which form the north rim of the valley and on the summit of a low sage covered hill.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Boise, Idaho. We had a salmon dinner with “Idaho Baked Potato” icecream dessert at a nearby Holiday Inn.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 23 – We boarded the bus and traveled to Soda Springs. I took photographs and coordinates of the first grave (Waymark Code: WM1TR3) in a cemetery. The cemetery was built around the grave.

We watched a geyser erupt which it does regularly for about five minutes every hour on the hour. The extreme pressure caused by carbon dioxide gas mixing with water in a subterranean chamber is now capped and controlled by a timer.

I picked a newspaper called “The Bear Laker” Supplement to “The News-Examiner” June 13, 2007 off a stack of free newspapers lying on the floor of the nearby museum. On page 14 was an article “Geocaching can be an exciting adventure – Let’s Go Geocaching” by Sherrel Burgoyne--alias “the Burgeys.”

We traveled to Pocatello, Idaho. We stopped near Golf Course and Hudspeth Cutoff where there were Oregon Trail ruts and an OCTA (Oregon Trail) sign, flowers called Cowboy Delights and large white pelicans. I took photographs and coordinates. We had group photos taken.

We arrived at Fort Hall Replica, a registered historical landmark. It was established in 1834 as a fur trading post and later became an important resting stop for the emigrants. The Fort Hall Replica was dedicated July 24, 1963. We watched a film on Fort Hall’s history and toured the fort looking at the various exhibits and replicas. I took photographs and got coordinates. We had a picnic lunch under shaded trees.

We stopped at Register Rock State Park, National Register of Historic Places. The land around Register Rock was a major emigrant campground. A shelter and a high fence guard a large basalt boulder on which emigrants signed their names as early as 1849. Many of the signatures are still legible. The emigrants also carved their names and dates on other rocks in the area. Someone in the group pointed out a benchmark so I took photographs and coordinates for RM 52 1934 (Benchmark: NU0885). It was on top of a 12x19 ft. boulder projecting three feet above the surface of the ground.

We traveled to Milner Oregon Trail Ruts. Along the broad, placid waters of the Snake River the emigrants camped in this mild but welcome stop, with its flat land and readily available water. The wagon ruts near there were carved by thousands of their wagon wheels. I took photographs and coordinates. From there we traveled to Twin Falls and the Comfort Inn. We ate dinner at Idaho Joes. There were fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in the lobby.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 22 – I woke up at 4:30 am. I caught up with my reading about the Oregon Trail. I saw a beautiful sunrise from the second floor balcony in front of my room.

We traveled to Fort Bridger, National Register of Historic Places No. 17. I took photographs and coordinates of several monuments at Fort Bridger: Fort Bridger, First School House, and Thornburgh.

Fort Bridger was established by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1843 as an emigrant supply stop along the Oregon Trail. Besides buying supplies and fixing their wagons, the emigrants found abundant clear, sweet water, good grass for their livestock and a place to rest before resuming their journey. In 1858, it became a military post on the Old Oregon Trail & the Carter Military Road 1881-1884. It was abandoned in 1890.

The first school house in Wyoming (Waymark Code: WM1TET) was erected in 1860 by Judge William A. Carter for the education of his children--four daughter and two sons--and the other children of the fort. Competent instructors from the east were employed.

I found the grave of Thornburgh (Waymark Code: WM1TF7), a dog, in the midst of a field. Born about 1879, Thornburgh was a survivor of a wagon train burned during a battle with the Ute Indians near White River Agency. Although Thornburgh had several benefactors on frontier army posts, he did not have a true 'master' until civilian mule-skinner, 'Buck' Buchanan came to work at Fort Bridger and took a personal interest in the dog. It did not take long for the two to become inseparable friends. On September 27, 1888, Thornburgh died from a fatal kick from one of Buck's mules.

Man never had a better,
truer, braver friend.
Sleep on old fellow,
We'll meet "across the range."

I purchased some worry dolls as a gift at the gift shop. We ate a picnic lunch under a shelter at Fort Bridger at 11:15 am. Afterwards I climbed on the picnic table to photograph a bird nest that was located in the rafters.

After lunch, we traveled to Kemmerer, Wyoming, home of the first J.C. Penney store. I took photographs and coordinates of various monuments, etc. in the city park. The bell (Waymark Code: WM1THZ) was used at the Kemmerer Grade School built in 1901 and used until 1926. The bell was made by the C.S. Bell Co., Hillsboro, Ohio. One marker (Waymark Code: WM1THV) was “To all Pioneers who passed this way to win and hold the west.” I visited the Penney store (Mother Store Founded 1902)(Waymark Code: WM1TH3), and toured the historic house of James C. Penney (1875-1971), founder of J.C. Penney Company, Inc. April 14, 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming, with the Elderhostel group. The store had a “cash only” policy which proved successful.

We traveled to the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho where we had a guided tour of various exhibits and an early dinner. Afterwards we checked in at the Best Western Clover Creek Inn.

I walked into town where I photographed and got coordinates for a large bell. I found the benchmark (NT0198) in the concrete base of World War Memorial in front of City Hall at Washington and Sixth Streets. I got a vanilla ice cream cone that was so cold it hurt to eat it. I took several more photographs including “Bank Robbers” signboard.

On the afternoon of August 13, 1896, Butch Cassidy and two of his infamous Wild Bunch Gang--Elza Lay and Bob Meeks--invaded Montpelier’s bank and scooped up between $7,000 to $16,500 in gold, silver and currency. Leaving the surprised cashier and terrified customers, they calmly rode away up Montpelier canyon. I photographed the historical Wyoming Marker, the historical signboards and the signatures in the concrete sidewalk. I walked back to the motel through back streets and alleys.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 21 – After breakfast, we left Lander for South Pass City, Wyoming. We stopped briefly at Red Canyon Scenic Overlook (Waymark Code: WM1TCV).

We passed the Clarissa Gold Mine on our way to the South Pass City State Historic Site. I visited three buildings of the existing 24 buildings in South Pass City, an old mining town (1868), including a hotel, saloon/bar (Butch Cassidy drank here) and the Wyoming Masonic Lodge No. Two, Home to South Pass City Mercantile (Waymark Code: WM1TD9). I got photographs and coordinates.

The Lander Cut-Off left the Oregon Trail at Burnt Ranch on the Sweetwater River near South Pass City, Wyoming. Frederick Lander surveyed the trail in 1857. Ten of thousands of emigrants passed over the trail (the Pacific Wagon Road) during its use. The Lander Cut-Off rejoined the Oregon Trail in Fort Hall, Idaho northeast of Pocatello at Ross Fort Creek. The new route offered water, wood and forage for emigrants and the stock. It also saved wagon trains seven days.

Heading for Rock Springs, I saw the rugged Wind River Mountains. We crossed South Pass, a National Historic Landmark. Wyoming has a mean elevation of 6,700 feet above sea level. We were at 7,550 feet above sea level when we crossed the Continental Divide at South Pass. Stone monuments mark the summit of South Pass.

South Pass was perhaps the most important gateway through the Rocky Mountains. Bounded by the Wind River Range on the north and the Antelope Hills on the south, the pass offered overland emigrants a broad, relatively level corridor over the Continental Divide.

We stopped at an Overlook with a good view of South Pass (Waymark Code: WM1TD0) and Oregon Trail ruts. With South Pass behind them, the emigrants faced the second half of their journey. They were now in Oregon Country. The roughest travel was yet to come.

We stopped at the false “Parting of the Ways”--a group of historical markers about 15 miles northeast of Farson. The actual jumping-off onto the Sublette Cutoff was eight or ten miles west of this site. I saw part of the main Oregon Trail.

We saw an ice cream store--Farson Merc--that sold huge ice cream cones but it was closed for remodeling!

We had a picnic lunch at Farson, Wyoming. The place made me extremely uncomfortable--not the present but the past. I found out later that the Mormons had destroyed two U.S. Army trains and then a third supply train at Farson in 1857. The wagon train contained more than 100,000 individual meals--provisions for the winter. The conflict between the U.S. Army and the Mormons followed the horrific episode known as the Mountain Meadow massacre where an entire well-to-do wagon company of 120 emigrants--men, women and all children over the age of six--had been slaughtered in southern Utah by the Mormons. Only 17 children were spared. The U.S. Army marched against the Mormons so they attacked the U.S. Army supply trains. Ultimately there were no winners in this war but then there never is.

We arrived at Rock Springs Quality Inn. We had free time for a couple hours. I did the research on Farson on the hotel computer. I went to the lounge for Happy Hour--free beer and popcorn. We had a buffet dinner at the Golden Corral Steak House. A few of us did presentations at the Inn’s meeting room. I did a presentation about Dr. John McLoughlin, Chief Factor of Hudson’s Bay Fort Vancouver. We made Corn Husk Dolls.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 20 – We traveled to the National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, situated on a bluff overlooking Casper. I enjoyed the show, found several names on the wall in the lobby, rode a covered wagon in a simulated crossing of the North Platte River and a stagecoach, and looked at the exhibits. I purchased a book in the gift shop--“In Tar and Paint and Stone” by Levida Hileman about the inscriptions at Independence Rock and Devil’s Gate.

We saw tan pronghorns, the antelope-like animals, with little white rumps several times on the side of the road.

The emigrants had traveled within sight of the Platte River for more than 400 miles--past Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, and Fort Laramie. Now they were about to leave it behind for the final dusty approach to South Pass. Most emigrants crossed the North Platte at the site of present-day Casper and took the northern route. Others waited a few more miles to make the crossing. In either case, the North Platte crossing marked the beginning of some miserable travel, with a lack of good water and good grazing until they reached the Sweetwater River in four days of hard travel.

We traveled to Independence Rock “The Register of the Desert,” a massive dome of granite, a submerge mountaintop protruding more than 100 feet above the ground. Hundreds of names have been carved or chipped into the stone, among them a number of famous people. I walked half way around the rock so I could locate the signature for Option #2 of the Virtual Cache (waypoint: GC5E1D). I came across a small fenced-in graveyard near the path. I took several photographs of the graveyard, Independence Rock and the historical signboard.

We traveled west to Devil’s Gate, a 330-foot high fissure carved through solid granite by the Sweetwater River. Since the river gorge is impassable to wagons, the Oregon Trail passed over the ridge (Rattlesnake Pass) south of Devil’s Gate but some of the emigrants hiked over to see it up close. Two miles to the northwest, nestled at the foot of Sweetwater Rocks lay Martin’s Cove (National Register of Historic Places), a popular emigrant camping site. It was a pleasant change for the weary emigrants on the four day trek across the rough, dry country from the North Platte River. Here they found good forage for livestock, adequate fuel wood, excellent water from the river and shelter from the prevailing winds. From here, the emigrants followed the Sweetwater River to South Pass, an easy passage through the Rocky Mountains.

We visited the Handcart Visitor Center at the Old Sun Ranch west of Devil’s Gate. We ate a picnic lunch at tables under the shaded trees. Afterwards we saw a film and looked at the interpretive exhibits in the museum. I wandered the grounds where I found three historical markers: “The Pioneer Women Graves,” “The Oregon Trail 1841,” and “The Pioneer Graves.” Besides the historical markers there were deep trail ruts.

I took several photographs of the historical signs on the ridge, Devil’s Gate, museum exhibits, and historical markers. Twenty miles northwest was Split Rock. Its summit elevation is 7,305 feet. The notch resembles a gun sight when viewed from either the east or west and it is visible for more than 50 miles. I took a photograph of it from the tour bus window.

Continuing westward, we entered the Wind River Country. We rode to Lander, Wyoming. I left the tour bus to explore part of Main Street in downtown Lander. I met James Walker who was holding a bird at the Wind River Pet Shop. Next door at Radio Shack I purchased another 1.0 GB Sun Disk. I inquired about a historical book--“Woman with a Sword”--at a used book store. I photographed a very large bronze statue “The Bronco Buster”--a Frederick Remington Replica. I photographed and got coordinates of a stain glass clock (Waymark Code: WM1TAC). We had a delicious BBQ dinner at Cowfish, Coalter Square. We rode the bus to the hotel. I left the tour bus while several others traveled on to the beautiful Popo Agie River in the Sinks Canyon State Park. The Popo Agie suddenly disappears into a large cavern before reappearing about a half-mile down the river canyon. I wrote in my journal before going to sleep.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 19 – After breakfast, I went for an early morning walk in downtown Gering, Nebraska. I photographed bells in front of us bank, the City of Gering gate, and the Gering Courier Clock (Waymark Code: WM1T6M).

I located and photographed Benchmark: MN0274 at the north entrance to the Scotts Bluff courthouse in the concrete step on the west side of the door. It was a standard disk, stamped Gering 1934.

We traveled to Lingle, Wyoming where we visited the Western History Center. It is a small museum that focuses on the natural and human history of eastern Wyoming. I was the most interested in the items pertaining to the Oregon Trail.

We traveled to Fort Laramie. I was quite disappointed as I thought we would see the fort as the trappers/emigrants saw it – a large, 1840s wood, then adobe structure – not the later military fort. The Fort Laramie was a popular stop on the Oregon Trail. Here the emigrants gathered to rest, repair their wagons, replenish supplies, and talk with their fellow travelers. After a long trip on the muddy Platte River, emigrants welcomed the chance to bathe and wash clothes in the clear Laramie River. Abandoned in 1890, the fort is now a National Historic Site. We watched an orientation film and saw exhibits in the visitor center. I walked around taking photographs. We had a picnic lunch under shady cottonwoods.

We traveled to Register Cliff. This popular emigrant campsite was about a day’s travel west of Fort Laramie. Rising 100 feet beside the North Platte River, the sandstone cliff is covered with the names and dates of people who passed through the area on their way to Oregon or other points west. Unfortunately, many old signatures have disappeared – eroded away or covered over by later signatures.

We traveled to Guernsey where we walked in some of the best ruts on the Oregon Trail made by hundreds and hundreds of wagons in the soft sandstone. The ruts are nearly five feet deep in some places!

At the base of Deep Rut Hill, perched above the Platte River, is the improved gravesite of Lucindy (Lucinda) Rollins (Waymark Code: WM1T6W). Rollins, who may have started her journey in Dayton, Ohio, died here in June 1849. She was probably heading for California. Her cause of death is unknown. The existing obelisk was erected in 1934 by the Historical Landmark Commission of Wyoming and "dedicated to the pioneer women of Wyoming." The original headstone was placed behind glass in a niche in the obelisk. Unfortunately, many years ago, the monument was vandalized and the headstone removed. (It was supposedly thrown into the river.) Vandalism continues to threaten this site.

We visited Ayres Natural Bridge State Park. It sits about a mile south of the Oregon Trail. However, some emigrants went out of their way to see it. It is a very peaceful place by enormous red rock formations, leafy shade trees, and crystal clear LaPrele Creek. It remains the only natural bridge with a stream running under it in the United States.

At the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper, Wyoming I had problems with the room. We had dinner at JB’s. I walked back to the hotel. The others visited Fort Caspar, an accurate recreation of the original. I was exhausted and needed to write in my journal before I went to bed.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 18 – We traveled to Boot Hill cemetery. I took several photographs including couple of a time capsule (Waymark Code: WM1RYE). We traveled to California Hill where the Oregon Trail wagon ruts cut deep into the hill as they pulled up out of the Lower California Crossing of the Platte River. We walked the trail to the top of a hill where there was an Oregon Trail marker on the horizon. By the time the emigrants reached California Hill, more than three-quarters of their journey remained.

The bus got stuck when the driver tried to find a place further up the remote dirt road to turn around. Its right rear tire hit a mud bog on the dirt road and slid into a ditch. The bus was canted at an angle. We had to wait a long time for a big orange tow truck to pull it out. There was no shade from the searing sun. We had very little water – it was all on the bus except for a couple bottles.

We did not get to stop at Windlass Hill or Ash Hollow to make up for lost time. A sod house replica marks the entrance to Windlass Hill. We just did a drive-by. Windlass Hill was the steepest descent yet encountered. Here they tied ropes to their wagons, used various methods to slow them down, and hoped for the best. The hill was scarred by deeply eroded ruts cut by thousands upon thousands of wagons.

Then it was on to Ash Hollow for the emigrants - among the most favored spots along the Oregon Trail. Here, they found shade trees and firewood, abundant grass for animals, fruits, berries, and pure drinking water. Many rested a day or two at this place. I was deeply disappointed that we did not stop at Ash Hollow either.

We did stop briefly at a small cemetery on the left side of U.S.-26 just past Ash Hollow park exit. It is notable as the burial place of Rachel E. Pattison, who died June 19, 1849, at the age of 18. The dreaded cholera had struck again, this time claiming a bride of just two months. Her original headstone is encased behind glass at the grave. Her trailside grave was the beginning of this pioneer cemetery.

We stopped at the Oregon Trail Trading Post in Lewellen, Nebraska for lunch. I had a BBQ Beef Sandwich, Cole Slaw and Fries. I purchased a Hershey Bar for dessert and a disk (“Hard Headed” by Jim Rice.

We saw two of the best-known high rock formations of the Oregon Trail--Courthouse Rock and Jail Rock--from afar. Many emigrants carved their names on the sandstone and clay rocks, but these have long since worn away. These rocks are at the eastern edge of a region known as the Wildcat Hills.

We traveled to Chimney Rock near Bayard, Nebraska. It was an awesome sight! Of all the natural landmarks along the Oregon Trail, Chimney Rock is probably the most famous, mentioned in more emigrant diaries than any other. Rising almost 500 feet above the North Platte River, Chimney Rock can been seen from 30 miles away. We stopped briefly at the Visitor Center located about 0.75 mile east of the monument. According to the information plaques, Chimney Rock is mainly composed of Brule clay, with horizontal layers of volcanic ash and sandstone. The same type of sandstone (called Arikaree) found in Chimney Rock is also abundant in a Courthouse Rock and Scotts Bluff.

We traveled to Scotts Bluff, another famous landmark. We rode to the top of the bluff through a couple tunnels. One of the finest views on the Oregon Trail can be found atop Scotts Bluff National Monument. While the group admired the view, I took several photographs including a few of the benchmark: MN0634. The benchmark was located on the highest point of Scotts Bluff, on bare, soft, chalky rock near precipitous cliff to the northeast. The sandstone has worn away from the benchmark leaving the cast-iron pipe exposed about six or eight inches above the ground.

We traveled on to the Microtel Motel in Gering, Nebraska where we were staying the night. After a brief stop in our rooms, we boarded the bus and traveled to the Oregon Trail Wagon Train for a 20-minute covered wagon ride and steak dinner with baked potato and green beans. We had homemade ice cream cones for dessert. There were songs around the campfire as the sun set. I was glad to get back in my motel room as I was really exhausted. I wrote in my journal before going to sleep.

The Oregon Trail Journal

Sunday June 17 – We traveled to Fort Kearny State Historic Park, Nebraska (Waymark Code: WM1RWE). In its 23 years as a military post, Fort Kearny came to symbolize westward expansion. It was the first Western military fort of six major forts built to protect emigrants on the Oregon Trail and other western routes. We watched a short film in the interpretive center. I walked around the beautiful tree-shaded grounds taking several photographs.

We traveled to The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney. The seven-story Archway spans all four lanes of I-80 east of Kearney. It is a trail-themed visitor center with fascinating exhibits. I took photographs and coordinates of the covered wagon, and the 1914 historic bridge (Waymark Code: WM1RWB).

Around noon we traveled to Ehmen Park in Gothenburg at 15th & Lake Avenue for a picnic lunch. I visited a historic log building which was used as a fur trading post/ranch house along the Oregon Trail, now a museum. It was moved from its original site and rebuilt in Ehmen Park in 1931. The museum has been open to the public since 1954. I found various markers and a time capsule (Waymark Code: WM1RWA) in front of the building.

Leaving the park, we visited a gift shop in a barn, and a sod house replica with sparse interior furnishings and a covered wagon in the yard.

Mid-afternoon we visited the historic Buffalo Bill’s Scouts Rest. Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846-1917) built the magnificent 1880s North Platte house during the heyday of his famous Wild West Show. I toured the house, line cabin, and huge barn. The site featured Wild West show memorabilia. Near the barn I saw four shaggy bison in a fenced area.

At the Lincoln County Historical Museum I visited the museum and a couple buildings including a log Headquarters Building from Fort McPherson. I took photographs and coordinates of the historic Fort McPherson sign and building. Nothing remains of the fort itself.

We have passed large sandhills (loess) covered with rich native grass which act as natural reservoirs for irrigation water. This also was the area in which the emigrants first caught up with the Platte, which would guide them for hundreds of miles into present-day Wyoming.

We traveled to Ogallala and the BW Stagecoach Inn (time change). Ogallala is the jumping-off place for western Nebraska’s Oregon Trail landmarks: Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff. This evening we went to Valentino’s Italian Buffet for dinner.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 16 – We boarded the bus at 7:30 am to travel to Alcove Spring. Alcove Spring (Waymark Code: WM1RQQ), located near Marysville and Blue Rapids, Kansas, has been called the most significant historic site on the Oregon Trail. Emigrants typically arrived here in the late spring and often had to camp several days to wait for the Big Blue River’s early season runoff to subside so they could safely ford a quarter mile away. This popular campsite was mentioned in many emigrant journals, noting the cold, clear rushing water, tall native grasses, and beautiful wildflowers blooming in profusion near the spring. There are many carvings on the ledge of the waterfall and rocks in the surrounding area. The mosquitoes were huge and persistent.

Nearby was the memorial gravestone of Sarah Handley Keyes (b. 1776), mother-in-law of James Frazier Reed, later a Donner Party survivor. She was 70 years old, blind and deaf and also suffered from consumption. She was traveling west in hopes of rejoining her son, Robert Cadden Keyes, but she died on May 29, 1846 and was buried at Alcove Spring. The exact location of her grave is unknown. A marker commemorates her journey: “God in his love and charity has called in this beautiful valley a pioneer mother.”

We traveled to Hollenberg Ranch, Kansas which is set on a prairie miles from the nearest town. Hollenberg Ranch is a seven-acre state park and national historic landmark. It was initially built in 1857 as a waystation for the countless emigrants on the Oregon and California trails. Emigrants relied on the ranch for meals, lodging, food, clothing, and livestock. At the Visitor Center I saw a large mural depicting travel on the Oregon Trail by Charles Goslin. The locals served as models for the artist. We ate a picnic lunch at long, shaded picnic tables overlooking the Cottonwood Creek valley.

We crossed the state line into Nebraska. The Platte River accompanied the emigrants most of their way across what is now Nebraska. But to reach the Platte River, the emigrants stayed close to the Little Blue River, moving northwest.

We visited Rock Creek - State Historical Park (Waymark Code: WM1RRG), Nebraska where I saw an Oregon Trail Rut or Swale carved by the many covered wagons that traveled the Oregon Trail, covered wagon replicas, and an Osage orange tree hedge. The deep depression ran downhill, more or less north to south. So many wagons, people and animals traveled the trail that the grass was killed. The soil was ground down to fine powder, which the wind blew away or rain washed to the bottom of the hill. That erosion created this large trail rut or swale.

Rock Creek was a popular camping spot for trappers, traders, and emigrants. Although Rock Creek’s steep-sloped crossing was difficult, the area offered good spring drinking water, wild game for food, wood for fuel, and grass for grazing. Among the most notable early visitors to the area were John Charles Fremont and his scout, Kit Carson, who camped nearby on June 22, 1842.

We visited the Heritage Center at Homestead National Monument near Beatrice, Nebraska. A film introduced the park and the homestead history. From Rock Creek the Oregon Trail cut northwest to the Platte River, meeting it near Fort Kearny. We stayed the night at Best Western Kearney Inn, Nebraska.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 15 – I had a surprisingly decent breakfast at the Radisson hotel--eggs, crisp bacon, yogurt and muffin. We traveled to Steamboat Arabia Museum (Waypoint: GC3270) where I found the answer to the Virtual Cache. We saw an interesting film and toured the museum which featured more than 200 tons of goods salvaged from the fully-loaded steamboat that sank in 1856 on the Missouri River. I photographed “Frozen Charlotte” and asked two guides for the story. Copies of the doll were sold in the gift shop. I also photographed the Arabia’s anchor and the snag that sank the great white Arabia. I saw the skeleton of the mule that drowned – Lawrence (of Arabia).

We went to Lewis & Clark Historic Park at Kaw Point. The Lewis & Clark expedition arrived here at Kaw Point on June 26, 1804, concluding another daily struggle against the powerful current of the Missouri River. Captain William Clark wrote in his journal that “our tow rope broke twice & with great exertions…we Came to and Camped in the Point” above the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas (Kaw) Rivers. They continued their journey west on June 30, 1804. I saw the High Water Mark on a tree about six feet from the ground.

We ate a picnic lunch at the Shawnee Methodist Mission, established in 1839 for the instruction of Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian children. It was also a popular overland trail campground. We saw the five-story Kansas State Capitol in Topeka from afar. It was in Topeka--after about eight days on the trail--that emigrants encountered their first real river crossing, the Kansas River. After 1842/1843 they were able to cross by ferry at the price of $1.00 per wagon. We passed silo paintings by area artist Cindy Martin at the Oregon Trail Nature Park near St. Marys, Kansas (see photo).

We stopped at the Red Vermillion Crossing/Vieux Cemetery/Cholera Cemetery (Waymark Code: WM1RMV). This was the site on the Red Vermillion where Louis Vieux, of Pottawatomie Indian and French ancestry, established a toll bridge over the river in 1847. We stopped at the Vieux Cemetery where members of the Vieux family and other early settlers were buried, crossed the bridge over the Red Vermillion, and walked a short distance to the cholera cemetery. In the spring of 1849, a large wagon train camped on the east side of the creek was struck by cholera, which left 45-50 emigrants dead within a week. The emigrants would heat the water which was contaminated to make coffee but did not understand that to kill bacteria they needed to boil the water.

We drove to Manhattan “The Little Apple” to the Comfort Inn. We ate dinner at the Little Apple Brewing Company. I had a restless nights sleep.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 14 – Following a disappointing Continental Breakfast, I began the journey west with the Elderhostel group. We traveled in a 54-passenger motor coach with a restroom that we were encouraged not to use. Five of us chose to be “nesters” which meant that we did not have to rotate seats. Near the journey’s end we acquired two more “nesters”. These were our permanent seats for the entire 16 days. I chose the next to the last seat on the right side with a large view window.

We traveled with a step-on guide, Ross Marshall, to Wayne City/Upper Independence Landing (“Jumping Off The River”), past the stately Victorian Truman House, walked around the historic Independence Courthouse Square (Benchmark: KE1382/“Here The Oregon Trail Begins” Waymark Code: WM1RF7), and visited the National Frontier Trails Museum (1989-90) & Ruts where we watched an award-winning introductory film, looked briefly at the interpretive exhibits and rode an authentic covered wagon. There was a life-size bronze statue of Jim Bridger (Thomas Beard, 2004), famous explorer, mountain man and western guide, in front of the museum. He was supposedly buried in Mt. Washington Cemetery in Independence.

We had a marvelous lunch in the Carriage House and tour at the historic Lewis-Bingham-Waggoner Estate (1850s). The 20-acre estate was completely surrounded by trail traffic by 1848.

We toured the Independence Route of the Santa Fe-Oregon-California Trails. We passed the Rice-Tremonti House (1844) which was a popular trail campsite area for trail emigrants, saw trail swales, or wagon ruts, at several sites, and visited the New Santa Fe Cemetery (all that was left of the last “civilized” settlement Oregon-bound emigrants would see before the frontier).

We had dreadful dinner at the Radisson. Afterwards we heard a presentation “Pioneer Life vs. Mountain Man Lifestyle” by Jim Two Crows Wallen.

The Oregon Trail Journal

June 13 –I went next door to Tanners to have breakfast of oatmeal, brown sugar and raisins with milk. As I was leaving the restaurant the fire alarm went off--very loudly! Someone was cooking with a microwave oven. I could smell something burnt and saw a smoky haze in the hallway leading off the lobby.

I went down to the Radisson lobby around noon to watch the Elderhostelers arriving. The hotel arranged for the airport shuttle to take five of us to visit the Zona Rosa, a shopping area at Interstate 29 and Barry Road. I ate lunch at Barnes & Noble, wandered through the mall and purchased a raspberry sorbet at Cold Stone Creamery. We were picked up around 3:00 pm.

The Elderhostel group met for a Welcome and Orientation session at 4:00 pm, followed by a dinner and a lecture in the Meeting Room. We met the Group Leader Charla Johannes of St. Peters, MO and the Study Leader Molly Smith of Sandy, OR. I “volunteered” to be the weather person during the journey. I got a Hershey Bar from the vending machine for dessert.