May 14 Denny – Wednesday. There is a Mouse in the House.
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. In MaryAnn Kirk’s booklet on the Battalion Women, I read one life sketch where she wrote about having to kill snakes every night in their dugout before they could go to bed! Given that comparison, I don’t plan to be-labor the point here but… we had a mouse get into the trailer and in one night it left lots of visible evidence and covered quite a bit of territory.
I show you these photographs of our camping spot to help you understand how idyllic it was - sans the mice problem.
Less any of you read Kevin’s blog and think I was a wimpy woman who ran away at the site of a mouse – I did trap it in its “space” before I notified Kevin we had a problem. Just like the pioneers – there was no Wal-Mart or Ace a few blocks away. We drove 25 miles to get a mouse trap and other supplies then 25 back to set our traps and develop a plan. As lovely as the Hawk Springs State Rec Area camp spot was – the rolling prairie nearby was a perfect home for field mice and we had no fresh water for cleanup so… we pulled up stakes a day early and headed for Torrington and their Pioneer RV Park with full hookups and amenities and not a prairie in sight.
Needless to say, the day was filled with cleaning and sanitizing and going to the only laundromat in town. Kevin diligently scoured the trailer for potential entrance points and plugged them up. After dinner, we gave up the fight confident we’d solved the problem and devoted the rest of the evening to listening to the pitter patter of rain and trying to get Kevin’s blogs caught up.
May 15 - Thursday. Weather, Wind, & Wyoming History
Mother Nature put on another spectacular show for us this morning with clouds, wind, and beautiful geology. All day we expected rain with the dark looming clouds hanging over us and all around the perimeter of the valley. And yet, we had time of brilliant sunlight and perfectly white cotton candy clouds. It was a real paradox. It made me wonder how the women felt as they saw those storm clouds brewing and headed their way. I had a car to keep dry and warm. They did not.
Weather was cold so I started out with my fleece jacket but worked so hard peddling up hill in a stiff wind, I wished I’d left it in the car. 1.79 miles in 19 minutes. The wind was incredible – worse I’ve seen. I kept wishing I had a smaller body mass – so I wouldn’t create such a wind barrier. We had trouble taking photographs because the wind made it difficult to hold the phone still. Kevin and I were both blown backwards and had to brace ourselves to keep from being knocked over by the strong gusts.
With the bad wind and the narrow shoulders on the busy road, we determined we’d spend the day going to Ft. Laramie as a last-ditch effort to get to speak to someone about the trail and Ft. Bernard. Kevin had been calling and emailing for months – with no response so our best bet was to go directly to the visitor’s center and ask in person. Research trumps bicycling on this trip. He had success. Julianne & Fred at the Park helped him get into the library and he now has another resource to use to help pinpoint the trail segment he is still trying to puzzle out.
I was a little (ok a lot) disappointed that we didn’t get to bike much again today but I had such a marvelous time listening to Kevin tell me the history along the way that I soon got over my “frumpiness” and thoroughly enjoyed my ‘private tour’ of the area and fort. I was especially surprised at my feelings when Kevin said, “We are now directly on top of the Pioneer Trail.” I wasn’t expecting to be so emotional as I finally got on the trail that my Great-Great Aunt Ellen Sanders Kimball followed in the vanguard company of 1847. There were alot of my other relatives that were on the Mormon Trail but they are not considered to have been on an "historic" trail. Until these two new bills get passed. I think there are many of your ancestors that are in the same boat. Let's get the word out about the Trails Bills and pray Rep. Celeste Maloy can get the support and co-sponsors she needs.
The area around Ft Laramie is quite remarkable really – It’s very much as it probably looked in 1846-47. Kevin told me how Brigham Young was on the North side of the North Platte River and the Mississippi Saints were on the South side. Brigham crossed to the south to join them and continued west. You can see huge swales (ruts) heading west as you drive into the fort. Kevin told me to look behind me. All I saw was open prairie, rolling hills. “Just imagine leaving Ft. Laramie and looking at that knowing you were leaving the last outpost of civilization with absolutely nothing ahead of you.” I can see why these forts were so important along the trail! I'll let Kevin share the photos. Kevin surprised me and bought me an old fashioned looking journal. He says he thinks I am writing so much, I'm going to run out of room in my current one. The one he bought is gorgeous!