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Published: December 17th 2007
We move further east on I80 to Cheyenne, named after the Native American Nation and Capital of Wyoming. We’re not really urban people so we paid a fleeting visit, found I25 and headed north to follow the Oregon Trail Route in opposite direction to the Pioneers.
It was gorgeous day but we had a bit of a job finding the Guernsey Wagon Ruts after turning east on WY26. We entered Guernsey State Park first, where a very helpful ranger gave us good directions. Just as you enter the town of Guernsey, there’s a small sign to the right and you head down a very dusty track to a well laid out car park and scene by the National Historic Authorities. It’s just staggering the level of super human endeavour that made thousands of wagon trains grind down the ruts in the sandstone rocks. Amazing and well worth a visit. Just as we left this site, we had to quickly circumnavigate a huge convoy of Motorhomes (RVs) as it piled into the car park, blocking everything in its path. Were we pleased to get out!
Now to Register Cliff which is just down the road. Here, thousands of pioneers inscribed
their names on the sandstone, as they did 180 miles further west at Independence Rock and further on still at other places. The Register Cliff area, evidently, provided good campground and grazing facilities, particularly the North Platte River, which guided them west for a good part of the way. Pioneer hardship and illness were never far away. Of 55,000 emigrants in a peak year, over 5,000 died en route. That’s probably why the Oregon Trail is considered by many to be the longest cemetery in the world. It’s a pity that modern Numpties have scarred the rock in places and the chain link fencing put there to stop them spoils the scene a little. There’s a little cave in the rock that seems to house many bats, as they flitted in and out at high speed. But aaagh! Here’s that RV convoy again. It seemed like consisting of families of ……., we’ll not say what nationality, but they have a reputation for stealing deck chairs and beach towels at resorts across Europe! They swarmed everywhere so we cleared off again.
It’s onward to Fort Laramie, which, as the introductory sign states “….was perhaps the single most important location in
Guernsey Wagon Ruts
Imagine trying to get your oxen and wagons over these rocks and that's after a route has been ground out!America’s expansion to the west. Founded in 1834 as a trading post, it became a military fort in 1849.” There are some very interesting staff, buildings, ruins and information here. As we left to head further east, were we couldn’t believe it as that RV convoy trundle into the car park again. What have we done to deserve this?
Fortunately, the convoy didn’t get to Scott’s Bluff. We must have moved further and faster into Nebraska than them. We’re wearing them down! Coming off the mostly featureless plains, this huge outcrop of rock along with Chimney Rock further east guided the pioneers as they headed west. It’s a terrific spot with great views in all directions. Unfortunately, much of the view is scarred by higgledy-piggledy urban development. It was getting quite late so it was a relief to find our motel in Scottsbluff and a damned good meal at a local ‘Western’ restaurant.
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