Kevin – Friday. It seems like Saturday, but then we’re ahead of schedule.
Yesterday it became apparent that the brakes on the Highlander needed replacement, so Denny made arrangements for a quick service this morning. My plan was for me to drive to Casper and do all that was needed to be done in civilization; car repair, laundry, shopping, cleaning and washing the car, etc., and let the ladies have the day off. But I was outvoted.
Becky decided this morning to accompany Denny, so off they went at sunup. With nothing necessary to do at the trailer, it is true that I’ve had an itch to climb Devil’s Gate peak and hike through the Gate itself. Accordingly, Mark and I grabbed some breakfast and packed the necessaries of water, snacks and bug repellent. Shortly after 7, off we went back to Rattlesnake Pass. We parked and headed over to the granite outcrop that constitutes Devil’s Gate.
It’s an easy climb with just a little bouldering but mostly just walking steadily uphill. No rattlesnakes we could see despite the ominous name. Of particular interest to me are the dark black basalt dikes that penetrate the pink granite mass. There are a couple dikes we could see from a distance and I’m really itching to go examine them. Potential for interesting geology and geo-chemistry. Interesting chemistry happens when volcanic magma underground comes into contact with older, cooler rocks.
As we work our way uphill we start finding fragments of the basalt where it has eroded away from the mass. And, in true geology field trip fashion, we happen upon some interesting hand samples placed atop prominent rocks. It’s obvious that someone else has been up here rock hounding. My suspicion is that a college-level geology field trip has taken place here in the past.
As Mark and I continue working uphill, the wind begins to pick up. As we reach the summit, it’s so strong we can barely stand against it. In fact, other than hurricane weather I’ve experienced in Florida, this is the strongest sustained winds in memory.
We look over the edge to see the Sweetwater River flow exiting the gate, but with the granite eroding, it would be unwise to get too close to any kind of slope lest one begins to slide off the hill. The drop would be deadly. But the view? We see way back towards where we were a week ago. Independence Rock and all around us. It’s a little hazy from all the forest fires in Canada but still we can see a long distance.
We head back down and get to camp. Mark takes a siesta. I work on blogs and get ready for another visitor. From our old congregation in Michigan, Tom French is due in a few hours. I’m tasked to vacuum the RV and do a general cleanup. About the time I’m finishing, Denny and Becky return with the car and booty. We turn to and quickly put the groceries and laundry away. Then we hustle back to the Martin’s Cove visitor’s center where we’ve arranged to meet Tom.
Though a member for many years, Tom has never been to the far west, so he’s got a whirlwind vacation planned to see old friends, historic sites and other interests over the next couple of weeks. He takes a tour of the Visitor’s Center and tells us that upon his return to Michigan, he’s been tapped to give a talk in church about this trip. Tom has always been able to spin a story about his experiences, so it’s clear he will have lots to talk about.
1847 tie-in: The Battalion detachment men were very happy on the trail to meet Amasa Lyman and other men sent by Brigham Young. They renewed old acquaintances, brought each other up-to-date on what was happening, their families, the Church, the trail and what lay ahead. It’s what we all do when we get together with friends and family we haven’t seen for awhile.
