Oregon Trail

On a little adventure to Wyoming: National Historic Trails Interpretive Center; Casper, Wyoming

/ Terry / 1 Comment

“Some men walked with whips to drive the team of animals puilling the wagon or to herd the stock. Many emigrants brought with them sheep, pigs, and cows to provide fresh meat and milk during the long journey.”

We hear of the Tiny House movement now but never think how the pioneers had to weed out all the unnecessary items of their former life for a life of hardship on the 2,170-mile (3,490 km) journey that lasted approximately 4 to 6 months and if started in the wrong season, longer. These men, women and children not only carried their personal belongings in their wagon or cart but also food and wagon parts. There were not many stores or trading posts along the perilous route. Most had no room in the wagons to sleep so they slept on the ground under the wagons or in tents.

According to the 1863 handbook “The Prairie Traveler” by Captain Randolph B. Marcy they should carry: Wrought Iron camp kettle, large enough for boiling meat and making soup; a coffee pot and cups of heavy tin, with the handles riveted on; tin plates; frying and bake pans of wrought iron, the latter for baking bread and roasting coffee; a pan of heavy tin or wrought iron for mixing bread and other culinary purposes; knives, forks and spoons; an extra camp kettle; tin or gutta percha (gum tree) bucket for water – wood being liable to shrink and fail to pieces is not deemed suitable; an axe; hatchet; a spade, mallet and matches; extra parts for the wagons such as covered tar buckets for tar, resin and grease; two bows, six “S”-hooks; a king bolt and wagon other supplies.

“When you start over these wide plains, let no one leave dependent on his friend for anything; for if you do, you will certainly have a blow-out before you get far.” – John Shively, 1846

The Westward Pioneer Trails in the north consisted of the Oregon, Mormon, California and Pony Express Routes which passed through Casper, Wyoming on their way west. Casper had in place a military presence at a garrison , a trading post and some settlers. At this point settlers heading to California and Oregon had only completed one third of their journey, while the Mormons bound for Salt Lake City, Utah had completed half of theirs. But crossing the Platt River at this location they faced a perilous crossing either by fording the river and possibly losing their wagon and animals or by paying as much as $5 per wagon to cross by ferry or bridge, a fortune back in the mid 1800’s.

Visiting this 11,000 S.F. (1,000 m2) Museum you will be able to discover what life was like on the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express Trails that brought settlers to the west coast in covered wagons and hand pulled carts. With 8 galleries, temporary exhibits and an 18-minute multimedia film, “Footsteps to the West” that explains the trials and tribulations of life along the trail in the theater. 

Allow 1-2 hours to understand what hardships these pioneers faced. The museum contains hands on exhibits for all ages:

you can sit in a covered wagon as it bounces across a river; 

pull a loaded Mormon Cart to see how difficult it was; 

Mormon Handcart

sit in a replica stagecoach; feel how heavy a backpack loaded with supplies that the pioneers carried as they walked across the plains on foot;

determine what is needed for the journey west;

see how they calculated miles;

Learn a bit of the native cultures and their way of life on the prairie;

 See the medicines that were taken on the trail;

And many more hands-on displays that capture the real-life adventure of over 400,000 settlers between 1841 and 1868.

Opening August 9, 2002 and operated by the Bureau of Land Management it was a joint private and public partnership with the BLM, the National Historic Trails Foundation and the City of Casper, Wyoming commemorating Native American History, early explorers and the Trails corridors.

This is a free museum to enter but I highly recommend if you enjoy your visit please leave a donation at the entry to help offset the cost of maintenance and for future upgrades. I found staff and volunteers were all helpful and friendly on the day of my visit. Take the time to talk to them, they have knowledge of the area and local events. If you are interested in local and early American History this is a nice place to visit.

On a little adventure to Wyoming: INDEPENDENCE ROCK STATE HISTORICAL PARK – WYOMING

/ Terry / 3 Comments

One of the most-noted landmarks on the emigrant trails west of Fort Laramie, Independence Rock is an oval outcrop of granite rock that is 1,900 feet long (579m), 700 feet wide (213.36m), and rises 128 feet (39m) above the surrounding landscape, standing 6,028 feet (1,808.3m) above sea level, with an area of 24.81 acres (9.924 ha). There is a trail surrounding the base of the rock that is more than a mile (1.8km) in length. Pioneer traveler J. Goldsborough Bruff said it looked “like a huge whale” from a distance.

You are welcome to climb the rock but be very careful of not walking on or damaging any engravings. It was a breathtaking view from the summit of the rock with many names carved into the face of the granite. I spent about and hour at the top then climbing down I circled the rock on the trail at the base. Make the effort it is well worth the time. Some scrambling is required so be prepared with proper footwear.

As the approximate midpoint of the Oregon Trail between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean the rumor was that the emigrants needed to reach here by July 4 to pass safely through the Sierra Nevada Mountains before winter storms hit, hence one story of its name. But emigrants arrived at this site throughout the traveling season. Another naming story was that William Sublette who held an Independence Day celebration here on July 4, 1830, as he led the first wagon train to cross the new overland route. Before an audience of 80 pioneers, he christened the rock in honor of the birth date of our nation. Another popular legend says Its name actually comes from a party of fur trappers who camped here on July 4, 1824. Take you pick of the naming of the rock I’m sure there are many others.

Independence Rock State Historic Site is on the south side of State Route 220 at the Independence Rock Rest Area. Independence Rock is in an area of windblown sand and silt that has grooved and polished the granite to a high gloss. This smoother surface let the pioneers easily carve their names into the rock. It was the approximately 5,000 names carved in stone here that caused Father Peter J. DeSmet to appropriately name this place “The Register of the Desert” in 1840, thus becoming a part of our pioneering history. One of the earliest signatures is a carving dated 1824 by M. K. Hugh. Register Cliff and Names Hill in other locations along the Oregon Trail also contain names left by the pioneers. Independence Rock was a popular camping site for the travelers. 

Fur trapper Rufus B. Sage noted that “the surface is covered with names of travelers, traders, trappers and emigrants, engraved upon it in almost every practicable part, for the distance of many feet above its base….”

On August 1, 1843 John C. Fremont, who camped a mile below this site, made this entry in the journal of his 1843-’44 expedition: “Everywhere within six or eight feet of the ground, where the surface is sufficiently smooth, and in some places sixty or eighty feet above, the rock is inscribed with the names of travelers. Many a name famous in the history of this country, and some well-known to science, are to be found among those of traders and travelers.”

Names were placed on the rock through engraving or by painting them with wagon grease, tar or a combination of buffalo grease and glue. Over the years many of these names have flaked off, been damaged, cleansed off by wind or rain or been obscured by lichens. Despite this, thousands of names remain and are a source of delight to those visitors who climb the rock.

On July 4, 1862, Independence Rock, was the site of Wyoming’s first Masonic Lodge meeting and in the 1950’s the Boy Scouts held their annual Jamboree here camped along the base of the rock.

Labor Day 2018 Barlow Trail Adventure

/ Terry / 1 Comment

Excuse the lack of clarity in the photos and the videos; they were all taken with an iPhone 6 mounted to my windshield. The road was very bumpy and your looking through the very dirty windshield .

I was asked by my son to join him and 3 other friends to traverse the Barlow Trail on Labor Day weekend. I use the term Barlow Trail and Barlow Road interchangeably as the non-paved portion of this route is considered a trail on forest service roads.

What is the Barlow Road? Originally named the Mount Hood Highway this historic road/trail was the last segment of the Oregon Trail over the Cascades from Missouri.  The opening of the Barlow Road in 1846, as a toll road, allowed wagons to pass over the landscape that was both rough and steep. This ended up being the most harrowing 100 miles (160 km) of the 2,170-mile (3,490 km) Oregon Trail between Missouri and the Wilmette Valley in what was then the Oregon Territory. The original overland portion of the Oregon Trail ended in The Dalles, Oregon.

The Cascade Range of mountains west of The Dalles at Mount Hood proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to early wagon trains. Surviving the journey from Missouri the settlers found The Dalles crowded by others awaiting the expensive and dangerous passage down the Columbia River. Barge operators floated the wagons down the river, the settlors walked along the banks of the river or drove their livestock over the high-elevation Lolo Pass of the Cascades. This was the only way to complete the journey until 1846 when Sam Barlow was authorized in December 1845 by the Provisional Legislature of Oregon to build a road. The road proved popular with more than a thousand immigrants and 145 wagons using it in the first year of operation. Only about twenty percent of the old Barlow Road is still visible today, the rest being covered over by paved roads and highways.

This segment of the Barlow Road, now known as Barlow Trail (NF-3530), is open to 4x4ers, bicyclists, hikers, and those with an adventurous spirit.

Leaving town heading to the Barlow Road

Leaving early in the morning to rendezvous with the others at a roadside rest area by Mount Hood in Oregon my son and I arrived a little late, the others were waiting as we fueled up for the 32-mile overnight off-road adventure.

 

Heading east along Highway 26 to Highway 35 we turned off on a dirt side road to find the entrance to the Barlow Trial. Before continuing we all stopped and aired down our tires for better traction and to give us a more comfortable ride on the dirt forest service road. Our speed would not be more than 20 miles an hour although more often than not at a 5-10 miles per hour.

 

 

Off to Wamic we go n our adventure.
Lunch stop

Turning left onto the road we stopped about 2-3 miles along under the trees for lunch. Sandwiches and snacks made, eaten and enjoyed we continued on.

At about 8 miles into the adventure we came to a bridge across a small river that was closed due to flood damage from a few years ago. Hikers and bicycles are allowed to cross but no vehicles are allowed. We went into the campground just before the closure to see if there was a way around or if we should just call it an early day and stop for the night. There is a way across the river but it is an illegal crossing and shouldn’t be used. As per Trails Off Road: “While there was once a crossing ….. the Motor Vehicle Use Map shows the crossing as being closed and all indications on the ground are that it is intended to be permanently closed. Further, the crossing itself is in a wilderness area. However, some 4x4ers still attempt the crossing illegally, damaging important natural resources in the process ………… Do not under any circumstances attempt the crossing. For those wanting to access the Keeps Mill Campground on the south side of White River, there are well-maintained roads coming from the south. Remember it is everyone’s responsibility to Stay on the Trail and Tread Lightly to protect our natural resources and help preserve access to our shared 4×4 trail system.” At the time we did not know this information but we all came to the conclusion this was probably an illegal crossing and we shouldn’t cross.

Deciding it was still too early we retraced our tracks then headed east on Highway 35 until we could reconnect with the trail on the opposite bank of the river.

 

 

Back on the trail we found a side trail that cut off to the north along the creek we had been paralleling. We drove in about a mile and found a beautiful creek side camping area to enjoy our evening. Fires were not permitted due to the high fire danger that the entire west was having so we sat around a legal propane fire pit one of the guys brought for a nice evening under the stars and a pretend fire. We all headed to bed rather early, bunch of old farts, and enjoyed listening to the stream splashing by us all night long.

 

 

Campsite

After a great nights rest we got up for breakfast. Having eaten and picked up my camp I looked around the area and noticed some large cat prints in the sand down by the creek just 20 yards from camp. A mountain lion had been down to the water sometime during the night as we all were asleep to have a drink. They were relatively fresh in the sandy mud and in the water so it must have come down early this morning before we got up. My son got a little nervous at that point as his 3-year-old son with us. The rest of the time we were there as he ran around camp, the forest and creek side there was one of the 5 of us keeping our eyes open and not letting him wander to far from us.

Continuing on after breakfast we still had a fair ways to travel.

 

 

Lined up for another break.

The group at lunch at the end of the trail

Upon completion of the trail a little after 1 PM and stopped at The Sportsman Bar and Grill in Wamic, OR for some nice big burgers before we all headed home our separate ways.

 

Heading north my son and I caught Interstate 84 at The Dalles and drove along the Columbia River until we crossed back into Washington on the Interstate 205 bridge. Arriving home right around 5 PM I unpacked the perishable foods from the cooler, showered and just rested until retiring for an early bedtime.

What a great time was had by all, it was great to finally meet this group of guys my son talks so highly about. I cannot wait to share some more adventures with them.