Kevin – Tuesday. Our little group decided to hike Martin’s Cove starting early this morning. The weather is supposed to be cooler today and tomorrow, then start getting HOT for a few days. Accordingly, we were out the door at 7 AM and on the loop trail at the Cove by 7:30-ish. It’s a 4-1/2 mile route that’s not difficult. There is a small, first ‘cove’ with a set of benches that fooled us. We thought it was Martin’s Cove but soon realized our mistake and kept on hiking.
As I presume most of you Gentle Readers will be familiar with the handcart pioneer stories – the Willie and Martin groups in particular – I’ll not go into those events. Though I have no personal connection to the pioneer handcart groups, I was a ‘Pa’ for the early modern handcart program run by Brigham Young University in 1978 and 1980. Denny was my new bride in 1980 as we worked up in the Utah mountains with twelve handcart treks and a wonderful staff. Suffice it to relate that we have had experiences that are sacred to us. We have a degree of appreciation for those hand carters of 1856-1860. We get a lump in our throat as we tell ‘our’ stories of what we saw, heard and felt along the trail with the thousands of youths and adults we got to share the trails with. We didn’t experience what the original trekkers did, but we have an affinity for them and are grateful for that connection.
Our second activity of the day was an unexpected bonus. Did you know that each year the National Pony Express Association conducts a re-ride of the entire Pony Express (XP) route? Yup. Women and men saddle up on their trusty steeds, carry a leather mochila (mo-CHEE-la) of letters and messages a few miles, then trade the mochila off to the next rider. On odd years the route goes west to east and on even years, east to west. St Joseph Missouri and Sacramento California are the end points. The XP group seems to have one of the most interesting and fun events conducted on any historic trail.
We had just learned of the XP re-ride on Sunday. Our plan was to be at the Sun Ranch/Handcart visitor’s center in time to view the handoff scheduled for ‘about’ 11 AM. However, hiking the Cove, we were running a little behind. Off in the distance we could see a string of trucks pulling horse trailers into the Visitor’s Center, so we knew the rider was not far behind.
And suddenly, there he was across the Sweetwater on a grassy ridge, “riding a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty ‘Hi-yo, Silver!’” But we were still too far away and missed the rider change. Fear not, Dear Reader; not all was lost. As stated above, this year the route was going east – along the very route we had covered last week.
We hopped into our ‘fiery steed’ and buzzed back to Independence Rock, the next rider exchange location. We passed the rider on the bridge over the Sweetwater and pulled into the parking lot just as she rode up. The mochila needed a tad of repair which took a few minutes. Meanwhile, all the tourists, journalists, bloggers and the official XP group were taking photos and all the publicity stuff was taking place. Finally, the mochila was slung over the next horse, the rider mounted and off they went.
You may recall from earlier posts that part of my presentation at the September Oregon-California Trail Association conference in Pueblo will include information about Col S. W. Kearny’s 1845 South Pass Expedition. In my readings of the Expedition’s journals, it seemed clear that Kearny had left the route we’d been following. Instead, he took a route along part of Fremont Canyon, named (of course) for John C. Fremont who explored the area in August 1842.
The single photo above cannot begin to do justice to the canyon’s wildness and beauty. From research readings, I fully expected it to be impressive but ‘Incredibly Spectacular’ seems more appropriate. Come to the OCTA Pueblo conference to hear more about it.