September 7, 2008

September 7, 2008

From Fort Laramie, WY we follow the Oregon Trail to Guernsey, WY. Outside town are two remnants of pioneers passing through. Trail Ruts State Historic Site has deep parallel cuts in the rock crests. So many pioneer wagons with their iron rimmed wheels passed over this crest they gouged deep grooves into the solid rock!

Register Cliff State Historic Site is next to the North Platte River. Many of the pioneers who camped on this flat grassy spot carved their names on the adjoining sandstone cliff wall. While you can see lots of names from 150 years ago, (if you look hard), there is mostly modern graffiti.

The weather has turned decidedly colder today. That is the snowbird’s clue to head south; so we link up with I-25, bid adieu to the Overland Trails and take the highway south. The route takes us through barren ranchlands. There is not a tree or building to be seen in any direction. We pass by Wyoming’s capital, Cheyenne, cross into Colorado and roll into the Denver suburb of Parker to visit Aimee’s brother and his family. The six of us pile into our covered wagon and drive to nearby Castlewood Canyon State Park. There we do a short hike and in honor of our pioneer ancestors have a chuck wagon supper of BBQ-ed hamburgers.