2400 Miles to Paradise

From the Missouri River, the Overland journey was 2400 miles.  The first stops were at Fort Kearney and Scott's Bluff in Nebraska Territory.  Here the pioneers stopped for water, rest, and provisions.  By the time they reached Fort Laramie they had traveled 635 miles.

Summer days were hot, and nights were cool as the trail climbed to higher elevations.  Add in the hailstorms as all dairies of the journey seem to mention, "fierce pelting of ice the size of snowballs" and the weather must have been one of the most unpredictable parts of the journey.

The trail went through Sioux territory and although expected, the travelers probably met no Indians at all except those wishing to barter or be paid to guide the settlers across the rivers. 

The next stop on the trail was Independence Rock where countless mountain men and trappers had inscribed their names.  The pioneer continued the custom, carving or painting or marking their names in axle grease.  Many left letters, notices and directions for future travelers.  Leaving Independence Rock, the trail led by easy grades up 8000 feet of the Rocky Mountains to the South Pass where the westward flow of river waters told them they had crossed the Pacific water shed.

From South Pass to Fort Bridger to Fort Hall , the second major leg of the journey covered 535 miles.  Total miles traveled so far:  1170 miles.

Next time - the pioneer separate for different destinations....
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This Day in Pioneer History:  On June 16, 1890,  Alaskan explorer Fred Fickett retires from the military to become a civilian lawyer after he contracted aliments during an arduous exploration of the Alaskan frontier.