July 9

An emotion filled day.  We left Rock Springs and headed to a much used Oregon Trail ferry crossing a 30 minute drive north of Green River.  We took pictures of a replica of a ferry and saw our first wagon wheel tracks.

We then proceeded to Granger and took photos of a Stagecoach Change Station.  These stations weren’t needed in 1888 after the business collapse of the Pony Express mail service in 1861, the end of most passenger stagecoach travel with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, and the end of most conflicts with the Native American tribes in 1877.  Anyhow, Myra Parcel noted passing at least one of these stations in her diary.

We passed through much beautiful scenery.  This picture is in Idaho approaching Soda Springs.  The Parcels celebrated the 4^th of July in Soda Springs, so sometime on our trip tomorrow we will pass through the same location as the Parcels on the same day they did – just 125 years later.

 

 

The day was emotional for us because we finally (with only three days left) took a number of pictures that had eluded us since we started this diary-related journey.  As an added bonus, we took pictures of the most treacherous part of the trip that they survived.  The steep downhill struggle is depicted in the life-size portrayal outside the really really great National Oregon / California  Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho.