During this time period the fur trade was the principal business activity in the western wilderness. In 1811, John Jacob Astor founded a fur trade post, Fort Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River. He sent a party overland and they crossed the mountains using the route Lewis and Clark blazed up the Missouri. Fighting the strong current made the ascent a long, arduous trip and fighting belligerent Indians who lived along the river's shores also made it perilous. A partner of Astor's, Robert Stuart, who was on the expedition, returned to report to Astor on their troubles and he chose to return by another route. Stuart and six companions were the first white men to travel what was to become the Oregon Trail, but they travelled in reverse. They discovered the famed South Pass - Sweetwater - Platte River route, the trail used during the pioneer emigration and by mountain men bringing their pelts east.
In 1832, Captain B. L. Bonneville led 110 men and 20 heavily loaded wagons to the Rocky Mountain trapping grounds. His were the first wagons to cross the Continental Divide. Ten years later, in 1842, Lieutenant John C. Fremont, undertook the first of his famous expeditions. Fremont, known as the "Great Pathfinder", widely publicized his westward journeys. His report and map later served as one of the first guidebooks for emigrants traveling along the Platte River.
In 1841 the first emigrant group, the Tidwell-Gartleson party, left Missouri for new homes in Oregon Territory. Traffic swelled on the Great Platte River Road from 1843 to 1848. Oregon and Utah were the preferred destinations and during this period, about 15,000 settlers took advantage of this opportunity. Each offered the prospect of a new home and a new way of life. In 1848 gold was discovered in California and in 1849 the mass migration to California began with nearly 30,000 headed overland to strike it rich. The year 1850 was the zenith for emigrant travel with over 55,000 persons headed West and the migration continued until 1869 and the coming of the railroad. In the years 1841 - 1869 some 350,000 people joined wagon trains that set out westward, the largest voluntary emigration in history.
Yesterday we heard that Ash Hallow was a milestone for the pioneers, today it was all about Scotts Bluff. I guess both had their appeal to the travelers, but Scotts Bluff marked the end of the plains, what was known as "The Great American Desert". The travelers gauged their 3-mile-per-hour- progress by using pioneer-era mile markers that lay upon the ever-distant horizon: Courthouse and Jail Rocks, then Chimney Rock, and finally Scotts Bluff. Called by the Plains Indians "hill hard to get around", it is now a National Monument.
After stopping in the Visitor Center and viewing the exhibits, we headed out to climb Scotts Bluff. There is a road and you can drive to the top, but why would you do that if you can walk and climb the 1.6 mile trail?
The trail is called Saddle Rock Trail and this is the formation for which the trail is named.
Along the trail you could dial a number and receive a description of the geology or vegetation. There is one tunnel that was hand-dug and Frederick is dialing his phone to get the details on the construction.
Just like Nebraska roads, you can see where you have been on the trail up the bluff.
Dialing for more information! We have now reached the saddle formation.
From on top of the bluff you can just make out the Platte River (little patches of blue) and the "bad lands" between the river and the bluffs that forced the pioneers to find a route through the bluffs.
And there it is. The little cluster of buildings at center right is the Visitor Center and parking lot. Just above that you can see todays highway that travels through Mitchell Pass, the same route as the Oregon Trail.
From the viewpoint up on the bluff you can see the sweeping auto road that travels to the top.
As we were traveling the trail back down we heard the now familiar sound of a rattle. (Snake in the center of the picture.)
While we waited, the snake crossed the path in front of us.
We couldn't say that we weren't warned!
We were amused by this sign at the end of one of the switch-backs. Like where else would you be going down the trail?
Nice view south, across the prairie from which the pioneers would have come.
Look carefully and you can see that there has been a rock slide that has covered the trail. You can also see the place on the side of the bluff from where the rocks fell.
To me, this side of the bluff looked like a poured concrete foundation.
The trail, Saddle Mountain formation, and the prairie beyond.
Back through the tunnel.
I had just mentioned that we had not seen any prickly-pear in Nebraska when there it was up on the bluff. But, it is very small. That's the tip of my trekking pole at the bottom of the picture. Texas prickly-pear would have been ten-times this size!
Back down, we headed out to the Oregon Trail.
This is Mitchell Pass through Scotts Bluff. There is a highway to the left.
This is the actual Oregon Trail. You don't see two wagon wheel tracks because the wheels softened the soil which eroded creating this "swale".
The official state marker stating that the Oregon Trail passed 37 feet from this spot.
At this point the Oregon Trail and the California Trail are joined. This is also the route of the Pony Express.
Looking back through Mitchell Pass. Notice the storm clouds gathering.
In addition to being the route of the Oregon Trail, Scotts Bluff is also a Nebraska geo-site. Scotts Bluff is a remnant of the ancestral high plains and at one time the plains were hundreds of feet higher, on a level as the top of Scotts Bluff. Four or five million years ago the land began to erode faster than new strata from the newly uplifting Rocky Mountains could be deposited by wind, water, and occasional volcanic eruptions. Some limestone concretions in isolated patches near the surface happened to be more durable than the surrounding material. Known as cap rock, this stone roof has protected Scotts bluff so far from the same fate as the adjacent lands.
Mr. Spock observing Scotts Bluff from the vicinity of Mitchell Pass.
Spock and Frederick contemplating becoming pioneers and traveling west via covered wagon. (The cover is off for the winter.)
Spock almost took off on his own, but you'll be happy to know that he decided to return to the car with us. More geo-sites to be seen in the up-coming states.
This young woman is Morgan. She remained remarkably patient with us and was able to answer all our questions with this most pleasant smile. Thank you, Morgan, for all your help!
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