Day 46 – Biking again – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Tuesday. As of last night, the projection was for much warmer temps, higher winds, much more sun and higher humidity
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2025 Blog
Read all about our trek along the Mormon Battalion Trail!
Day 45 – Black Hills – Esterbrook, Wyoming
Kevin – Monday. With Denny and the Woodbury’s here, I’m kind of excited to show them the sections of the of the Black Hills I had access to last week and to get into a couple ‘new’ spots today. It’s not hiking or biking today. Too much ground to cover without good direct access.
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Day 44 – Sunday at Casper – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Sunday. We were all so bushed from the events of Saturday that we decided to sleep in and attend a church service starting at 11:30 AM instead of our
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Day 43 – National Historic Trails Center – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Saturday. We decided to spend a couple hours this morning attending a session at the Casper Wyoming LDS temple. Our session was at 8:30 so we were up early getting breakfast, getting dressed and then driving the few miles up the hill to the temple. It’s almost brand-new being open for
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Together Again!
Denny - Friday. We’d only been out on the trail a month when we took a short break at home, but the adjustment to “regular life” was something I hadn’t expected. It’s been both a surprising
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Day 42 – Anticipating the Return of Denny
Kevin - Friday. It’s been an exciting day here Gentle Readers – not for you or for anything remotely related to the trail, but Denny is returning. And, along with her will
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Day 40 – Field Day – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Wednesday. Dear Readers: It’s been so exciting preparing for this day afield that your correspondent could scarcely sleep. With an alarm set for 5:45 AM
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Day 41 – Preparations – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Thursday. After a very long, intense day of field work yesterday, I’ve decided to take it easy today. Not resting, but take it easy. On my schedule: Get my wash done since yesterday
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Day 39 – A moving day – Casper, Wyoming
Kevin – Tuesday. With plans in place finally to gain access to some Black Hills ranches, it’s time to move to the next town, Casper Wyoming. By myself,
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Day 38 – Quantifiable PROGRESS! Glendo
Kevin – Monday. Rainy days and Mondays always get me … oh, what the heck. It doesn’t matter. Every day is a good day, isn’t it? True, there may be setbacks in one area or another of life, but, each day has all kinds of opportunities and possibilities
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Day 37 – Church day – Wheatland, WY
Kevin -Sunday. It’s Sunday and having been invited by the Hammond’s to attend church in Wheatland, I decide to head back down I-25.
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Day 36 – “Therefore, take no thought…”
Kevin – Saturday. If you’ve been following along, you know that Denny isn’t with me for yet another week. She is attending a sister’s sealing in Utah
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Day 35 – Progress? – Glendo, WY
Kevin – Friday. It is certain that for those going west as early pioneers in the 1800’s, that they were continually seeking reliable information from published trail reports
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Day 34 – “Strike TWO!” – Glendo WY
Kevin - Thursday. The new mapping software is not recognizing my login and it’s needed help to put research items together into a visual arrangement.
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Day 33 – Liquid Sunshine – Glendo, WY
Kevin – Wednesday. A rarity; it’s been raining – hard – here in Wyoming for almost all morning and into the late afternoon. They need it and I’ve stayed indoors pretty much all day.
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Day 32 – Meeting trail helpers – Glendo, WY
Kevin – Tuesday. At 9 AM, I’m on the doorstep of Bill and Jean Hammond. Their home is on a perfect knoll with a view of Laramie Peak to the west and all the foothills surrounding. Beautiful.
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Day 31 – “Signs are …” - Glendo WY
Kevin – Monday Memorial Day. IMPORTANT: On our way back to Utah last week, I told Denny that I felt the need to be much mo
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Day 30 – Return to Wyoming
Kevin – Sunday. Denny and I attend church in the morning, then quickly pack all the things for going back on the trail. We’ve unloaded a bunch of stuff
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Days 26-29 – Hiatus in Utah
Kevin & Denny. If you’ve never been to a Polynesian family gathering (wedding, graduation, funeral, baptism), you’ve missed one of the best experiences of life. The PCC in Hawaii is kind of like one, but not really.
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How Deep Are My Ruts?
Denny – Tuesday. How glad I am, we took the extra time today to drive back to see the Guernsey Ruts! Clint Udy sent me a picture of them late the night before and after I saw it, I knew I couldn’t let Kevin miss out on seeing them merely
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Day 25 - Guernsey Drive Around Part 2
Kevin – Tuesday. We start the day early so we can get to Salt Lake before midnight (remember that). We pack up the trailer for its mothball week and prepare to head out.
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6 Hours to Explore an Amazing 25 Miles
Denny – Monday. Today’s events required six pages in my journal, so this blog won’t truly do it justice I’m afraid. 72.7 car miles. 27+ mph winds.
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Day 24 – Guernsey Drive Around Part 1
Kevin - Monday. With our decision to attend our grandson’s H.S. graduation in Utah, we have to get a little creative with our travel plans. We have to move the trailer forward to a secure location
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Casper Event Scheduled for June 07
INVITATION: If any of you will be near Casper Saturday June 7, we invite you to join us for a presentation that Kevin is giving at the National Trails Interpretive Center at 1pm
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Day 23 - Calendar Update
Blessed day of rest! And, Torrington Ward doesn’t start until 10 AM, giving all the outlying ranch folk more time to drive into town. And tired hikers/bikers/range-riders
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Let it Rain! Let it Rain!
Denny – Sunday. The Sabbath day is raining down blessings on the farmers and ranchers of Goshen County, Wyoming tonight. While at church
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Day 22 – Kearny, Ft Bernard & Goshen Hole
Kevin – Saturday. Waking this morning, I was a new man. The rest, medications and Denny’s tender care did what was needed and now we’re ready to pursue some work
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Day 21 – Invaded Again! Torrington, WY
Kevin – Friday. Denny has a habit of waking me out of a deep sleep for family crises. House fires, nightmares, children not home at the appointed time, etc.
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May 16 & 17
Denny - Friday. I got up early and trying to let Kevin sleep to get feeling better, I lay down on the couch. Hmmmm….
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May 14 & 15
Denny - Wednesday. I am sure the women of 1846 would be rolling their eyes at this post – since mice were something run-of-the-mill in their lives
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Day 20 – Against the Wind - Ft. Laramie, WY
Kevin – Thursday. Against the wind, Denny was biking against the wind. Slower now but still biking
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Day 19 – We've been invaded! Torrington
Kevin – Thursday. Up early again at 5 AM, breakfast downed, but … then as Denny is about to close the door so we can start biking, she sees a tiny little head
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Day 18 - Goshen Hole to Hawk Springs
Kevin – Tuesday. With a renewed commitment to start early, we roll out of bed at 5 AM, eat our oatmeal and head back to the Goshen overlook arriving there about 6:30.
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May 12 & 13
Denny - Monday. Today we drove 127 miles (in the CAR) moving equipment, back tracking to our start point for biking, and then forward again to get to the trailer
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Day 17 – Moving day & I-80 to Goshen Hole
Kevin – Monday. With our reservation expiring at Crow Valley, and with the ever-increasing distance back and forth from end-of-day location
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Day 16 – Layover at Crow Creek – Church
Kevin – Sunday. I’m very grateful for the mother of our children, my wife, my confidant, my partner in craziness and best friend –
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May 10 & 11
Denny - Saturday. Our miles were split today. Biking on nice roads with wide shoulders ~8 miles, Driving (dangerous roads)
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Day 15 – Crow Creek Colorado to I-80
Kevin – Saturday. As you read a variety of original journals, you inevitably come across an entry something like this ‘Nothing of importance happened today.’
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Day 14 – Greeley to Crow Creek Colorado
Kevin – Friday. With our RV park reservation expiring this morning, we pulled out and parked the rig at a local hardware store
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Pioneer Lessons Learned Today
Denny – Friday. Today I had many reflections about what the trail was like for the pioneer women. First – I learned I need to be
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Seeing The Battalion Today Along the River
Denny – Thursday. I think I know why Brigham Young would get so frustrated with members of the wagon trains that wouldn’t get up and be ready when it was time to pull out in the mornings.
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Day 13 – South Platte River Historic Sites
Kevin - Thursday. As I arose at my customary 6 AM, the expected sunlight outside was subdued. Peeking through the blinds, this is what I saw.
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Rainy Day – A Blessing in Disguise
Denny - Wednesday. Another Rainy Day! People advised me to make sure I had enough space on my phone for this trip. It was something I didn’t make time for so today ---after seeing my phone (and Kevin’s) were BOTH almost full—a significant a
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Day 12 – Layover rain day 2 - Greeley
Kevin – Wednesday. As projected, the rain keeps on a-comin’. It’s not blowing quite as hard, but it’s a steady rain. I didn’t really include
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Day 11 – Layover day - Greeley Colorado
Kevin - Tuesday. The wind is howling this morning and the forecast is for something like an inch or more of rain starting about noon with the storm extending well into tomorrow
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Day 10–Denver Confluence Park to Brighton
Kevin - Monday. Denny is selected to begin the day from downtown Denver because trail head locations are dictating who has to go the most distance today. I’m planning to take the skightly longer
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Day 09 – Layover at Brighton Colorado
Kevin – Sunday. To review; after yesterday's 'living history' event at Historic Fort Lupton's Heritage Fair, we were so in need of a good scrubbing that we rented a hotel room for the night, had a wonderfully long, hot shower and headed to bed.
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Day 08 – Historic Ft Lupton Historical Fair
Kevin - Saturday. Up with the sun at 6 AM, it's a frosty morning. So chilly was it that we bumped the RV heater for a few minutes whilst we got breakfast ready.
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The Big City, Reenactors, A Good Samaritan
Denny - High Plains Library, Greeley, CO. Friday night after our marathon bike rides we drove up to old Ft. Lupton for the Heritage Days event Saturday.
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Day 07 – From Franktown to Denver
Kevin - Friday. Truthfully, Denny and I have felt stronger on the bikes than we anticipated. Even with headwinds we are making
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Un-synched Maps, Rescuers, & Miles to Go
Denny – Point of Rocks to Denver, CO So much to do – Not enough time! Putting up Kevin’s blogs (with my limited HTML skills-not to mention our handicapped hotspot issues) is quite a feat when you truly understand my minimal
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Day 06 – Point of Rocks to Franktown, CO
Kevin – Thursday: We grabbed a quick breakfast and buzzed out from Franktown back down to Point of Rocks. Cody, the current owner of portions
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Day 005 – Jimmy Creek to Point of Rocks
Kevin - Point of Rocks, El Paso County, Colorado? We started off from Jimmy Creek Camp area (property currently off limits) heading north
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Day 004 – April 29, 2025
Kevin - Jimmy Camp, Colorado Springs, CO Just in case you don’t already know the traditional methods of detailing a moving camp, the journalist usually states the date (in some fashion) and the evening campsite is the location stated for the END of the day’s travels.
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Climbing to Heaven
Denny - Franktown, CO HIlls! Hills! Everywhere Hills! Today was so interesting. Different from Monday but still beautiful in its own way.
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The Wind & The Waves...
Kevin here: I woke up from a deep sleep in a semi-panic. WIND!!! WYOMING WIND!!! I had failed to account for headwinds. While planning for this event, I created a spreadsheet detailing how f
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Beauties Surround Us Leaving Pueblo
Denny – Fountain, CO Monday the 28th was my kind of Heaven. After stopping to visit with the Director of the El Pueblo Museum
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Dio Dos (Day Two)
Kevin here –Sunday, Pueblo Colorado. Thinking about how to approach a fireside presentation for this evening has occupied a lot of thinking time this past
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Day One - Stepping Off
Denny - 9:56 pm Pueblo. Kevin is busy finalizing his presentation for tomorrow night at the Pueblo Stake so I'll share our first day – frome
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Settling In
Denny 5pm, Pueblo. It's been a hectic few days trying to get ourselves out of town, on the road, and to Pueblo. Now we're here, the focus will be
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On The Road Again
Kevin - Friday morning, 6 AM. We are in Pueblo Colorado, just about ready to start hiking tomorrow. Tuesday was spent with last minute auto repairs, cold food packing,
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Those Women I Want to Honor
I’ve wanted to learn more about the women who spent time in Pueblo. Who would I turn to but Mary Ann Kirk, who has spent so much time researching
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What Would We Do Without Friends?
One of my DUP Friends, Jenny Purinton, gave me this beautiful pot holder. We’ve only known each other a short
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Easter - Why The Battalion Served
Of course I've had the Battalion and pioneers on my mind a lot lately as we prepare for our departure. The OCTA Convention
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The Shot Heard Round the World
We had the privilege of participating in Utah’s Patriot’s Day Celebration Saturday – for the 250th Anniversary of “The Shot Heard Round the World”.
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When It's Springtime in the Rockies
My Grandma Cox loved the song "When It’s Springtime in the Rockies". I was thinking about her today as we were out enjoying the gorgeous spring display Mother Nature is putting on here in Utah.
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Two Important Trail Bills Proposed
If you listened to Kevin's podcasts about Trek 2025, you'll remember one of the reasons we are doing this trek is to help increase awareness of two new historic trail bills that
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The Tiltin' Hiltin - aka Our Wagon
We decided to try out our “gear and wagon” this week so there wouldn’t be any surprises once we get to Pueblo. We’d put the trailer in the
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Two Public Events Scheduled for Pueblo
We invite you join us as we remember the Battalion Detachments before we step off for the Trek. Kevin will talk about the history of the Battalion
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Why Are We Starting in Pueblo, Colorado?
Well, one third of the Mormon Battalion volunteers, the men themselves were detached and sent to Pueblo for the winter of 1846-1847. They went
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Packing the Wagon
Kevin is being reminded of the joys of RV ownership. As you'll hear on our podcast there has been alot to do to get it
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Come See Us at Ft Lupton!
We've been invited to participate in the South Platte Valley Historical Society's Heritage Fair Saturday May 3 10-4pm. Kevin's excited
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Mady Gets Our Wagon Ready
We have our grandaughter, Mady to thank for getting our wagon all spic and span ready for our trip. She has a gift for organization
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Do You Have a Battalion Ancestor?
For April Fools Day You may be surprised to find you have an ancestor on the Mormon Battalion Trail - if you start looking. Kevin got a surprise himself today as he found
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Missing My Dad Today!
As we prepare for this 2025 Trek - I'm missing my Dad, Jerry Watts who was so integral for our 2008-9 Trek. It's his
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The Mileage Breakdown for Trek 2025
I would think Kevin would be cross-eyed and crazy from all the calculations and routes he's examined the past few months but…. today he gave me the breakdown of what he thinks we'll be doing this time around.
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Hosts Who Help!
Who comes to your house and says, we have to leave in a few hours but have to walk three miles before we go? Who says, “Great, let's go!?” Mark and Becky. So, at 7 am we roll out of the house and walk through St. George
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Sharing Mormon Battalion Music with the DUP
What a great audience attended Kevin's lecture at the St. George DUP meeting today. They got into the spirit of things participating in the sing-a-long portion and Becky Woodbury's piano playing brought it all together.
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Little Troopers Join Our Training Hike
These folks made training fun Friday night as we arrived in St George and apologetically said we needed to get in our miles.
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A New Bill for The Mormon Trails!
The future of The Mormon Battalion Trail and its possibility of obtaining historic trail status rests in the hands of the National Mormon Trails Association being able to push a new bill through congress.
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RootsTech 2025 - Battalion Booth
People are proud of their Battalion Ancestors. We enjoyed meeting many of you today at the Battalion Booth at RootsTech.
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We Have a New Website!
I tried to build one myself but…then God sent Heather Nuffer to my aid! We needed something simple but she jumped right in and voila!
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In the Reading Room at Natl Archives
Here we are in the room where they bring you the documents you request. Everyone has their own space and their own documents. See the cart full of boxes behind Craig in the back corner? You are not allowed to bring in any ink pens, notebooks, or loose papers unless they have been stamped by the archivists. I could look at Laura’s documents but only touch the ones I had checked out.
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Holding History in Our Hands
Kevin’s search through the archives was a challenge but it was fun to see the types of things he did find. The amazing documents you see (and handle) there gives you a real respect for the past. The paper – often brittle and worn, the handwriting mostly beautiful but sometimes illegible. The elegantly designed printing on the old government forms. I was thinking about the hours and hours and hours people spent copying, calculating by hand, and meticulously recording details that we were now looking at! I bet they never imagined in a million years that some in 2025 would be scrutinizing what they wrote.
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Hiking the Hill for Trails
Lobbying for the Mormon Trails extension of "Period of Significance." Laura and Kevin met with congressmen and senators while we were in DC.
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Touching the Past!
We're at the National Archives this week and I got goosebumps when Laura Anderson held up this old bundle of documents and said they were records about the Detachments at Pueblo!
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We Have a Wagon!
Today we were fortunate to find a travel trailer that will serve as “home” for our trek. Nothing fancy, but perfect for two people who will be tired each night and don’t feel like pitching a tent. 😉
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Planning is Under Way!
Kevin & Denny Henson are deep into planning another trail research hike—this one from Pueblo, Colorado to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. This hike will commemorate the 1847 Mormon Battalion detachments and Mississippi Saints journey from their temporary wintering settlement to join Brigham Young’s pioneer company on the Mormon Trail.
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