We are still in Wyoming following the Mormon Trail (Driving Route, which is quite close to the actual trail in many places).  Split Rock is a landmark for travelers on the trail and they could see it for quite a distance in both directions.  The next picture is pretty much the general scenery we have seen in Wyoming and it is also a landmark on the Mormon Trail where ice would stay frozen under the ground into June and July.  We camped  in the campground at the Willie Handcart Site. Also camping there was a couple from Germany we met, Volker and Petra, who were on a 20 month bicycle trip from Anchorage, AK to Argentina.  Wow!  We really enjoyed talking to them.

We took a gravel road for about 14 miles (scary at times) toward South Pass.  We passed Carissa Mine, a gold mine in South Pass City which was prosperous for a time and experienced several boom and bust cycles.  We loved the city sign for South Pass City.  We finally found South Pass and were able to walk out to the marker of the Mormon Trail, California, Oregon and Pony Express Trails (one marker with a trail marked on each of 4 sides).  It was so humbling and amazing to walk on the very trail that the Pioneers and especially important to me, that my great, great, great Grandfather Brigham Young had been on. - Ann

Of all of the pioneer trail sites we have visited in the past week, the one we stood on today with South Pass in the background is one of two that we could be 100% certain that we were standing on the actual exact spot where those events actually took place. The other one was Emigrants Gap. All of the others were all in the general vicinity and worthwhile, or course; but at those two sites we were standing on the actual spots where pioneers stood. It was awesome. Richard