Road Trip - Blogged by JME

N8 and I took a fun road trip to Casper, Wyoming to see one of his favorite bands (Shinedown) play in the Carnival of Madness Tour. On the way there, we stopped at Independence Rock.



Independence Rock is a large granite rock, approximately 130 feet high. It is close to the highway and hard to miss. This rock is important in our church history. It was a prominent land mark during the middle of the 19th century on the Oregon, Mormon, and California emigrant trails. During the period of westward emigration on the trail (from 1843 to 1869), it was common for emigrants to carve their names in the granite rock, especially near the summit. Many instances of such carved graffiti are visible today at the summit of the rock, which is accessible by an easy free climb up the surface of the rock.



N8 and I climbed to the summit to look at the names, and close to the top, I caught sight of a jack rabbit that had climbed up there. It scurried under a rock before I could get a picture, but it was still pretty cool to see.

Then, on the way home, N8 and I stopped at Martin's Cove. We couldn't stay very long. Just long enough to use the very nice facilities and take a few pictures.

This picture is a land mark close to Martin's Cove called Devil's Gate.



Martin’s Cove received its name when, in November 1956, about 500 Mormon emigrants in the Martin Handcart Company were halted for five days in the Cove by snow and cold while on their way to settle in Salt Lake City. The Martin Handcart company had begun its journey on July 28, 1856, which was dangerously late in the season. Although the number who died in the Cove is unknown, more than 145 members of the Martin Company died before reaching SLC. A few days prior to their arrival at Martin’s Cove, the company was met by a small rescue party with food, supplies, and wagons that President Brigham Young had sent from SLC, Utah. On November 4, the company and rescuers forded the bitterly cold Sweetwater River and sought shelter in the cove. That evening a powerful north wind blew the tents to the ground. The tents were set up again, but a blizzard brought heavy snow. The company remained in the camp for five days, unable to proceed due to the snow and cold. When the weather warmed, the company was able to move on toward Utah. With assistance from the original rescue party and from additional rescue parties that met them along the way, the survivors finally reached SLC on November 30.



I've been to both Independence Rock and Martin's Cove a couple times before, but N8 has never been. It was really cool to see both of those places with him and share some of our church's history together.