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Driving and Pedaling across the Continent, 2018
Reno ::: Antelope Island ::: Independence Rock ::: Badlands ::: Blue Mounds
Gettysburg ::: Rappahannock ::: Katy ::: Breckenridge ::: Grand Junction


Independence Rock, August 2018
Across the Continent, part 3: A Photographic Log
30 August 2018, 13 miles

I'm driving solo across the continent, with the Ogre in the back of the Forester. Some days I hop on the Ogre to ride a few miles out-and-back or in a loop. That slows my forward progress, but enables me to explore some interesting places along the way. Here's my full itinerary.

Third stop, Independence Rock, Wyoming.

Independence Rock was an important landmark on the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Pony Express route. Westbound wagon trains needed to reach this point no later than Independence Day (4th of July) in order to have any hope of getting over the mountains before winter. Today I pedaled on and across the wagon trail at three closely grouped historic sites.

Arithmetic thought for the day. Not mathematically precise, but pretty close:

A passenger jetliner can fly from one coast of the US to the other in approximately five hours. A car requires approximately one day to travel roughly the same distance an airplane can travel in one hour. A touring bicycle requires approximately one day to travel roughly the same distance a car can travel in one hour. A wagon train requires approximately one day to travel roughly the same distance a bicycle can travel in one hour.


After leaving Rawlins this morning, I parked the Forester at the Independence Rock historic site and highway rest area.


Independence Rock represented an important landmark on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail.


Many of the westbound settlers carved their names in the rock, or paid to have it done.


Some visitors at the rock give an idea of its size.


Looking back at the rock from the road.


Here the modern highway crosses the old trail.


At this point, all the trails took basically the same route.


Looking toward the south and west, where the wagon trains were going.


Looking toward the north and east, where they were coming from.


The trail crossed what is now "Dumbell Ranch."


The sign at the entrance to the historic site.


The trail passed through the gap shown here, which is slightly west of the modern highway.


Slightly farther to west is the feature known as the Devil's Gate.


Devil's Gate.


Looking down on Martin's Cove. This sheltered area was commonly used as a campground for wagon trains. One Mormon group was stranded here in a multi-day blizzard, with an unknown number of fatalities.


Still many miles to go for the slow-moving wagon trains.

The short mileage I covered on my bike in less than two hours would probably take a full day for heavily loaded wagons pulled by animals, and the settlers wouldn't even be pausing to snap photographs or search for WiFi hotspots.


Bonus: Later in the day, my route in the Forester crossed part of the George S. Mickelson Trail, a 100-mile rail-to-trail conversion in South Dakota. Jeff and I have talked about riding this some day.


Bonus: Here's part of the Mickelson Trail. The Ogre was ready to ride, but unfortunately I can't pedal every trail I come across.


Bonus: At the trailhead I met this couple from Minnesota doing the trail on fatbikes. The little dogs ride along in a Burley trailer. I'm told the dogs love to go on long bike rides, because they get rewarded with doggie ice cream.



Summary

Date: 30 August 2018
Time: 8:30 - 10:00
Weather: 55 - 80° F, mostly cloudy
Route: Independence Rock to Devil's Gate and Martin's Cove and back
Distance: 13 miles
Bike: Surly Ogre
Riders: Solo




Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.

Driving and Pedaling across the Continent, 2018
Reno ::: Antelope Island ::: Independence Rock ::: Badlands ::: Blue Mounds
Gettysburg ::: Rappahannock ::: Katy ::: Breckenridge ::: Grand Junction

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