Virtual Reward on the Oregon Trail
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Blasterz admit to being captivated by all aspects of the Oregon, California, and Mormon Emigrant Trails. They are truly mythic.
Waypoint 1: Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site
These are the best OT ruts we have ever seen anywhere, and trust us: we have seen a bunch of OT ruts! The geography of the area required that every emigrant had to go over this hill at this place, which explains why the ruts are so deep. Every emigrant seeking land and opportunity in Oregon, gold in California, or religious freedom in the Valley of the Salt Lake crossed this hill in this exact spot.
Spend a minute considering the hope, bravery and deep commitment shown by every person who set off from civilization to go west on the emigrant trails, leaving their homes and loved ones, who were not going West with them, behind forever.
Remember Jason Lee and Nathaniel Wyeth, the first missionary group to head West from Independence MO in 1834 before the US claim to the Oregon Territory was finalized.
Remember John and Narcissa Whitman and Henry and Eliza Spalding, who left Independence MO in 1835 as Congregationalist Christian missionaries to the Indians. Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding are the first white women to cross the Continental Divide and travel through South Pass on the Oregon Trail.
Remember the 70,000 members of the Mormon Church who emigrated over the trail, many in Handcart Companies, who walked on foot pushing 100-lb. handcarts from Missouri to Utah.
Remember Patty Sessions, a Mormon midwife who traveled the trail in 1847 delivering dozens of babies along the way, losing not a single infant or mother despite the dangers of childbirth.
Remember the Donner Party, who passed this exact point on their way to starvation, desperation, heroism, and infamy in the Sierra Nevadas.
The Oregon Trail Ruts Historic Site is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is no fee to visit.
A very short walk up smooth stairs from a close-in parking area will take to you the ruts. Water, a group picnic shelter, and bathrooms are available at the parking area.
Waypoint 2: Register Cliff, Register Cliff State Historic Site
Register Cliff is a wonderfully human landmark on the Oregon Trail. Tens of thousands of emigrants passed by here, some camped, and many carved their names into the soft sandstone of the cliff. Some included their hometowns, others inscribed the exact date of their passing, or their role in the Wagon Train.
The Register Cliff State Historic Site is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is no fee to visit. There are restrooms here, but no water.
Obey all fences and warning signs. Stay out of the brush and on the paved trail. Mama Blaster got buzzed at by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake when she went off the trail.
Waypoint 3: Register Cliff Cemetery
This small poignant cemetery might have been forgotten and abandoned, but now it has been fenced with a new wrought-iron fence. The names of the 4 people buried here, most likely Oregon Trail emigrants, are lost to history, but their graves are preserved as part of the epic, tragic, and triumphant Oregon Trail story.
To log this cache: (1) Post a photo in you log of yourself preferably with your GPS (your smiling face is optional but appreciated) at either Trail Rut Hill or Register Cliff, (2) Send us an email by the Message Center answering one or both verification questions: How many interpretive signs are there at (a) Trail Rut Hill or (b) Register Cliff, and (3) Tell us about your visit and impressions of these sites in your log .
To prevent armchair logging, Cache Owners will evaluate and delete logs that do not meet logging requirements.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018 This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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