On the Trail

Leaving Casper, it was time to turn our sights towards the southeast.

Our route took us south on I25 and then east on US 26 to the small

town of Guernsey Wyoming where we spent two days seeing some really impressive

Oregon trail sights.

Following the North Platte River, in this particular location the topography

forced the wagon trains into a narrow area where they had to proceed one behind the other.

Traveling over soft sandstone, the tens of thousands of wagon wheels cut into the

rock.   As the wheels cut into the rock, eventually the bottom of the wagons rubbed the rock

further cutting into it.

The result was these deep cuts in the rock that left a mark on the land to remember

these pioneers by.

These pictures were taken a few years ago.  This time I gave my knee a rest and did not make

the trip up the hill but Ron & Maxine did.

Wagon wheel ruts tell a silent story of emigration.

You can still see the ruts in the grass below as well.

In the same vicinity is Register Cliff.   We camped not far from its base.

The plaque below tells the story...

Some of the names left on the cliff.

The view below shows part of Register Cliff.   The trees in the far distance is the

North Platte River about 100 yards distant from the cliff.

This was a natural choke point where the wagons were concentrated in a narrow area,
and from here they passed behind me and about 1/2 mile further on they crossed 

over the sandstone creating the ruts in the pictures above.

While in Guernsey we visited the Ft Laramie Bridge over the North Platte.

Built in 1876 it was too late to be of great use by emigrants on the Oregon Trail,

but it did play a pivotal role in allowing the US Calvary from nearby Ft Laramie

easy access across the river during the Indian Wars.

It is now one of the oldest US Army Bridges in the US.

After visiting the bridge - we traveled another 2 miles to Ft Laramie.

One of the most famous of the Old West Forts it served as Fort and Trading Post

during the Westward Migration on the Oregon Trail.

Below are some of the houses that constituted "Officers Row"

The Calvary Barracks.

The top floor held an infantry company of about 60 men on each side.

The First Floor contained the Mess Hall and support facilities.

Some interesting copies of diaries and notes in the visitor center.

Click to enlarge and read.

This is the mess hall in the Calvary Barracks.

Here is one of the Wings on the top floor.

Notice that the beds are all made up and have the soldiers equipment such as

Swords, mess kits, pistols, cartridge cases etc.

A local elementary school was visiting and some of the boys underwent

military precision drill instruction.

Our intrepid band of travelers.

We departed Guernsey Wy this morning and now are camped

at Lake Ogallala State Park in Ogallala, Nebraska.

It's a lovely spot on the shore of the lake and shaded by mature Cottonwood trees.

A regular green oasis in the middle of western Nebraska.

We will stay here for the weekend and chill for a few days.

Its about 9pm now and the atmosphere is quite moist....

As if to protest this heavy load of moisture the skies opened up and

we just had a severe thunderstorm lasting 30 minutes with heavy rain lightening and hail.

The forecast is calling for an unsettled night.

Tomorrow we'll see if we have any damage to the F150.

No problem regardless...  that is why they invented insurance.

ON EDIT:

Someone asked what was wrong with the truck?   

I was concerned about hail damage but in the morning light it seems fine.

The National Weather Service reported that our storm had 70mph winds.   

Storm chasers were all over following this storm and only a few miles from here 

they had 2" sized hail.

Walla Walla Washington to Denver Colorado

It's been a busy couple of weeks since our last post.

We went to Walla Walla Washington for the Spring Wine Weekend.

While there we visited with friends, went to Wineries & Barbecues and had a great time.

We had Happy Hours

Steak on the barbie.

Visited Wineries

  

The ladies did crafts.

Kristi gets up close and personal with a gourd.

Her art work on gourds is quite impressive.

Our final nite in WW we went to a barbecue at a friends home in this lovely

setting above some grape vineyards.

The perfect nightcap was the full moon rising above the Blue Mountains in the distance.

Unfortunately I only had my iPhone for the photos.

After 4 fun days it was time to shift into travel mode.

WW marked our turn for the east coast and our home for a while.

But first we have stops to make.

Enroute to our first stop in Denver we spent a night in Three Island Crossing State Park.

The park is located on the Snake River in Idaho.   The name refers to 3 islands

in the middle of the Snake that was used by the westward emigrants on the

Oregon Trail to Cross the River to the Northern Shore.

The park is another green oasis.

Below you can see one of the three islands.

Many pioneers drowned here trying to cross.

The alternative was to stay on the southern shore for another 250 miles

but the southern route was longer, dry, difficult, and rocky so it was advantageous

to make the crossing if possible.

The view from our campsite - looking across the Snake River you can

see the path the wagons made in the hillside coming down to the river to

attempt the perilous crossing.

A few years back Kate & I traveled the first half of the Oregon Trail to

South Pass Wyoming.   It is on our list to pick up the trail from South Pass and

follow it the rest of the way to the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Our next stop was Utah Lake State Park in Provo, Ut.

It is on the shore of Utah Lake - the Largest Freshwater lake in Utah.

The park had sort of an urban feel to it but it was perfectly nice for an overnight

stop while we are in travel mode.  They have 50amp full hookups and pull thru

sites so no need to unhook the toad.

The view to the east from our window looking at the Wasatch Mountains.

Unsettled weather has been traveling thru the intermountain west and our normally dry

weather has turned cool and unseasonable.

One of our pretty neighbors.

Not sure what sort of bird it is.

Our site.

If you look closely you can see Gracie watching my every move.

She always is on watch.

Our next stop was at the J Robb State Park in Fruita, Colorado.

A very nice park with a pretty campground on the shore of the Colorado River

and just outside the Colorado National Monument.

We again chose a pull thru site so that we did not have to unhook the toad.

The view from our site towards Colorado Natl Monument.

In between the passing thunderstorms we were able to view some of the migrating waterfowl.

We were able to snap a photo of these two marauding wild beasts!

The next day we made our final push thru the Rocky Mountains to Denver.

The drive thru Glenwood Canyon on I-70 is gorgeous.

The canyon walls climb as much as 1,300' above the roadway as it

winds its way 12 miles thru the canyon next to the Colorado River.

The road is an engineering marvel and this stretch was one of the last Interstate

sections competed.  Care was taken to preserve the recreational and scenic value of

the canyon.   Hiking trails run right alongside the roadway

From rushing waters to still ponds...

On a hot day many people use the river for rafting, canoeing,

kayaking etc.

Further east the roadway climbs over Vail Pass.

Here the roadway reaches an elevation of 10,662'

From the pass we descend back down to around 9,000' in Dillon.

Leaving Dillon eastbound you again climb steeply at 6 and 7% grades to the

Eisenhower Tunnel which is the highest point on the US Interstate Highway System,

and one of the highest road tunnels in the world.

The tunnel reaches 11,162' and is about 1 3/4 miles long.

Meanwhile - Gracie is at her normal travel station.

She sits in the window like a cat and just watches the world go by.

She sits there hour after hour.

Lucy on the other hand could care less.  She makes a nest on the  couch and sleeps.

Our unsettled weather - first encountered in Utah - continued all the way to Denver.

We arrived in pouring rain.  It rained for a couple of days and then turned to snow.

We woke up with 9" of wet heavy snow on the ground.   Later the sun came out and by

2pm it was all gone.

While in Denver we went to our wine storage facility and picked up a couple of cases

of some fine 2000 and 2005 reds that we'd been aging.

We visited my good friend Frank and spent Mothers Day with him and his family.

Frank and I go back over 40 years to our days working in an electric generating powerhouse.

It is alway a good time when we see Frank & Sandy.

On Monday May 11th we departed Denver for the 5 hr drive north on I-25 to
Casper Wyoming where we hooked back up with Ron & Maxine.

The Doodles went crazy to see their second parents.

We are now in Casper to see some Oregon Trail sights, and then tomorrow we will slowly head
our way down US 26 into Nebraska following the Oregon Trail in reverse.

See you on the trail!