The Braille Trail on Casper Mountain

We learned about the Braille Trail from the Casper's visitor information magazine and thought we would climb up the Laramie Mountains to find this trail.  What a wonderful idea and very well planned out. For those people who are visually impaired, this trail was developed to learn and experience what a sighted person would see.  At each station is information about something of the forest, whether learning about trees, stone, what you may be hearing or feeling.  On each sign is information but below the writing is the same in braille.  Was the vision of one man and became a reality in 1975.  Huge organization to keep the trail vibrant and accessible.

Clear day to head up to mountains

Crossed over Platte River

Heading up - steep grade

Viewpoint half way - Platte River we went over minutes ago

Many homes tucked away in mountain 

Had to watch for skinny Bambis!!

Lots of mountain roads - Braille Trail to upper left

I felt this was a very sensory hike.  The trail had markers to explain a facet of the forest, telling the impaired person how to maneuver on the trail - take so many steps or walk so many meters to the next station, reaching a knot on the rope to let you know you are close to the next station.  Hearing a creek babbling, the wind rustling, the smells, the touching of trees/shrubs/ground - was a great experience.  If you so choose, you could also wear a pair of glasses that prohibit you from seeing, to feel and experience what an impaired person would experience.

Very dense woods

To show the Braille at bottom of each station

Instructions 

Could don the impaired glasses if want

Up, down, around we go

The trail was 1/2 mile long, up and down, in deep forest, crossing bridges, into a bog, and back out.  I swear there was deer or even a moose, we both could hear something near by, snorting every now and then.  Never did get a glimpse of it.

Allowed impaired person to get to water to feel it (look beyond bridge)

Very pretty Elk Creek 

Like the ending statement by Emerson.....

Chattered at us, reminded us of Bud Man - always talking to us

Devil's Gate, Martin's Cove, Split Rock

After visiting Independence Rock, we traveled another 6 miles west to Devil's Gate.  This is another landmark the emigrants looked for on the trail.  You can definitely see it from Independence Rock, we saw it from the roadway as we dropped down into Sweetwater Valley.  Devil's Gate is where the Sweetwater passes through the granite rocks, causing a deep chasm.  The emigrants did not pass through here but a mile to the south along Rattlesnake Pass.

Devil's Gate ahead to right of road - look for V in rock

Pretty impressive to see.  And to see it more than 20 miles away.  Reminded me of when we saw Chimney Rock and could see Jail House Rock much farther away, two prominent points that the emigrants looked for.

History of Devil's Gate

Photo of photo of Sweetwater River running through Gate

From ridge by Rattlesnake Pass

Great view of V of Devil's Gate - Rattlesnake Pass  to right

Martin's Cove is an area at the base of Devil's Gate where a group of Mormon's had to stop and hunker down during a bad snow storm.  This was Martin's Handcart Company, left Iowa City much too late to safely get to Salt Lake City before snowfall.  Long story short, many lives were lost from the harshness of the weather and nothing to eat, waiting for help which did arrive but after many lives perished.  A  pioneer Tom Sun purchased the land in 1872 and had a thriving ranch, the Mormon Church purchased the land and buildings in 1997 from the estate with the idea of protecting the history that is so important to the Church and the fate of the Martin's Handcart Company.

Original buildings of Tom Sun ranch, Devil's Gate right behind

Handcarts lined up

We stopped at the Mormon Handcart Historic Site, had no idea what it was about.  Long story short, the Mormon Church purchased the Sun Ranch and today it's a working ranch with visitors able to see the history of a group of Mormons who almost perished.  An Elder greeted us after we parked the car, and talked us through the museum.  Did not give us any time to read any of the information or displays, he told us what he wanted us to hear.  Very disappointed.  And a sales pitch for the Church, too.  Did not take any pictures inside the museum, just wanted to leave.  The Elder said 14 of his ancestors were part of the Martin's Handcart Company, only one perished during the ordeal.

From Devil's Gate we could see 20 miles to the west to another landmark the emigrants watched for and this is Split Rock.

Split Rock from Devil's Gate - 20 miles away

Closeup

Independence Rock

One of our 'bucket list' things to do this summer, and for the last couple of years, was to visit Independence Rock.  Lots of history with this particular place.  When we visited Scotts Bluff in Nebraska last year, we learned that the emigrants traveling along the Oregon Trail, California Trail, or the Mormon Trail left Scotts Bluff, stopped at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, then Casper, then to Independence Rock, then onward.  Needed to be at Independence Rock by July 4th in order to make it over the mountains before winter set in. The Pony Express also followed this same route for it's 18 months it was in existence.

We followed the North Platte for only 10 miles or so

And then it disappeared

Looks like sand dunes petrified

The route out of Casper

Once we dropped into Sweetwater valley, saw this marker

The Rock is located about 54 miles southwest of Casper, the trail the emigrants followed was parallel to the North Platte River, breaking off and following the Sweetwater River about 10 miles out of Casper.  If we would have traveled another 50 miles we would have been at South Pass where they traveled the shortcut that Jim Bridger discovered which bypassed the mountains.  We had visited South Pass this past June when we came up the western side of Wyoming.

Route of the emigrants

Sweetwater Valley

First glimpse of Independence Rock

Reminded me of a whale

Experts say there were over 550,000 people who migrated west using this route.  And they had to have stopped at Independence Rock before moving on westward.

Can't believe that the state allows climbing on this rock!

Some names

So many names - many from 1840 to end of 1880's

The Rock is huge - if you walked around the base (which we did) it is one mile.  The highest point is 136 feet.  It is equal in mass to 24.81 acres. Made out of granite but sculpted out of wind and sand, the rock is polished and made it easy to carve names and dates in it which are too numerous to count.
We saw evidence of many names and dates as far back as 1840 when we walked around it.

No marker - not sure who or history

Markers on south side - Boy Scouts did this as memorial

Path around Rock

The name of Independence came from trapper William Sublette when he brought a wagon train of emigrants to this point in 1830, arriving on July 4th, naming the rock in honor of the nation's independence from England.  However, this area was known by the Native Indians and artifacts from 12,000 years ago have been discovered.  The original peoples depended on the resources the Sweetwater provided.  Mountain men would pass through this area traveling from the mountains to the east to bring in their furs for trade.

Learned about Ezra Meeker back in Baker City, Idaho couple years ago

Trails were marked along the Rock

If zoon in can see trail markers, Sweetwater meandering along

Wagon ruts from the emigrants could be seen as we traveled along the road.  How did they do this?  Could you walk 2000 miles in 4 months, in the searing sun, thunderstorms, sickness, often time hungry and thirsty, burying your loved ones as they perished along the trail, taking care of your family's needs and the animals you brought along?  I cannot even walk 2 miles without complaining, amazing.