Traveling the Historic Trails Through South Pass

When we drove from Ft. Bridger to Lander, Wyoming last week, we were following the Emigrant trails of the Mormon, California, Oregon, and Pony Express routes, only going the opposite way they went.  Wayside information boards were set up to read and see/experience what happened when.  Today we traveled back to the roadside stands to understand what the emigrants experienced.

The emigrants left Fort Caspar (present day Casper, Wyoming) and followed the North Platte River westbound.  Last summer we camped at Scott's Bluff and saw where they passed through that area on to Fort Laramie and points westward.  As they neared present day Lander, they veered south and west to go through Red Canyon - just an absolutely breathtaking area, only 8 miles from where we are camping.  Then the gradual incline up and over South Pass.  South Pass is a 20 mile wide gap at the southern end of the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains, a pass that was discovered back in 1812 by trapper Robert Stuart, which allowed those mountain men/fur trappers a way over the range without the hardships of the mountains.  Emigrants did not realize the incline,  it is that gradual.  However, at 7550 feet, at the Continental Divide, the route started down into flatter, more arid land.  And more deadly.  No trees, no water, no cover from storms.  How did they do it?

Town of Lander is middle of picture right beyond the taller mountain

Instead of stopping at the signs while at South Pass, we continued on westward to the "False Parting of the Ways" sign.  The real parting was about 10 miles west of this sign - on private property.  However, the sign depicted the general area that the emigrant trains split, depending on their ultimate destination. Some continued on west to Fort Bridger, some went on the Lander Cutoff, or drifted a bit south on the Sublet Cutoff. It depended on the wagon master, the end route, and the conditions/weather/timing of the year which route the wagon train went.  Each cutoff dropped days/miles off the trip but were more harsh.  Very impressive.  How did they have the stamina and courage to do this trek?  This westward movement is considered to be the largest mass migration - all voluntary, not forced - of any people migration of the world.

Wagon Ruts

Even tho not the actual place, still could see the ruts in the ground

At this point we turned around and headed back east, back to the South Pass Overlook where, again, you can still see the ruts of the wagon trains.  Even though the South Pass was discovered back in1812, it was not used until the late 1820's by the mountain men going to their Rendezvous.  It is 100 miles from Fort Caspar, on a gradual incline up to South Pass, riding in wagons, walking, herding the animals, traveling 12 to 17 miles a day, often on the move for 12 to 15 hours, stopping, securing, getting dinner ready and eating, sleeping, then up and going again right after daylight.  Over 2,000 miles (depending on your end point) and traveling about 4 to 7 months.  We are in awe.

Ruts looking westbound towards Fort Bridger