Week 2 Results

Well here we are at the end of week 2! The following are total miles for each individual:

Reece 42.5

Rachel 33.8

Leslie 32.5

Caitlin 32.1

Ivin 20

Brooke 20

Steve 16

Katrina 10.5

Garth 6.5

Lucy 4

Josh 4

We went 110.1 miles this week! Excellent work! That puts us at 221.9 miles the past two weeks! 

That puts us between Rock Springs Wyoming and Wamsutter Wyoming.

Evanston 

 Wamsutter....I love the sign, and the nothing that is around it. 

So points of interest along the way...Shortly before we arrived in Lyman Wyoming we passed Fort Bridger.

Fort Bridger in 1850

Pony Express Route, stopped in Fort Bridger where the Pony Express barn is still standing, as is a wall used by the Mormon settlersto defend themselves. 

Fort Bridger, or part of it I guess 

Fort Bridger was established in 1842 on the Green River by Jim Bridger, and was an important resupply point for the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. The Army apparently also had an outpost here during the "Utah war"in 1858. President Buchanan sent the Army to Utah to install a new governor, replacing Brigham Young, as well as set up a military presence in 1857. Brigham Young sent raiders to burn supply trains and several other forts/citys along the way in order to slow down Johnston's army, and even set fire to Fort Bridger to keep it from the Army. The Army, slowed by the loss of supply trains and expected outposts, wintered near the fort, and Johnston's army went to Salt Lake City in the spring, leaving two companies behind to establish an official Army Post at Fort Bridger The other troops went to SLC and eventually established Camp Floyd, south of Salt Lake City. 

The members of the church in Northern Utah moved south for a time under the direction of Brigham Young to avoid becoming casualties, filling their homes with straw in order to be burned if necessary. They left behind some young men to work the fields and irrigate, etc, but buried church records as well as stone cut for the Temple and the foundation, leaving a field above the Temple to remove any suspicion. The majority of the members from northern Utah lived more south for a while, (south as in Provo, Spanish fork area I believe). When the press found out that the members were moving south, it became a story of the United States persecuting the innocent, and gained national and international attention, pressuring the US to let up. After peace talks were completed and it was decided that the army would not invade but instead set up an outpost at Camp Floyd, the members of the church moved back north. 

So, thats Fort Bridger.