October 13, 2021 : Oregon Trail Surprise

The original plan for today was to head to Spearfish SD. However, they got surprise foot of snow yesterday with 5-8 more inches possible today. It was expected to all be gone by 6pm. We had about a 5 hour drive to get there. 

So after morning classes, despite some crazy winds we decided to head north and see what happens!

We get a little ways on the road and these strange rock formations appear in the distance. A quick internet checks tells us they are Courthouse and Jail Rocks - one of the landmarks on the Oregon and California trails. Only 2 miles off our route we had to stop! 

The boys went climbing.

As you can see, we were the only visitors!


Now that the rabbit hole had opened, we realized Chimney Rock (“Jedidiah has died of dysentery”) and Scott’s Bluff were close by so with our wagon hitched we followed the path of the old travelers.

Chimney Rock

Our new camper! 

This girl makes a slide out of anything - even a Pony Express memorial.

Happy 13th to us! Always an adventure!

At Scott’s Bluff, John sent a letter via pony express and got his 5th Junior Ranger badge. It’s fascinating to drive these fairly empty roads and imagine what it must have been like for those early settlers. 

As we move forward in life, sometime a quick peak into the past can guide your future.

On the recommendation of the Rangers at Scott’s Bluff, we decided to head to Fort Robinson instead of trying to battle snow closed roads in Spearfish. We got to the Fort at sunset and marveled at the scenery because settling in for the night.