Martin's Cove

Next stop on our journey towards Mt Rushmore was Martin's Cove, the site where the Martin Handcart Company was stranded on their journey to Salt Lake City. We decided to do a mini-trek with the kids, but first we had to pick out our rig.

This was Lander's choice:

Jake's choice was slightly larger.

Josh & I prevailed, insisting on the covered hand cart, knowing that we might be able to glean a bit of shade from its canopy.  Boy, that was a good decision. Wyoming summers can be as brutally hot as the winters are cold.

We pulled the handcart roughtly two miles on a flat, gravelled, and beautifully maintained trail. Prickly pears littered the ground all around the trail and we started wondering how many spines the pioneers must have pulled from their feet.

We then dumped our cart at what is known as "the parking lot", and walked the rest of the way, climbing into the hills, higher and higher. I had always thought that Martin's Cove would be sort of flat. Well, it's not. Those starving, barefoot pioneers' stamina amazed us all.

Josh and the boys are standing in front of the actual Martin's Cove. The surrounding hills offered shelter to the pioneers from the blizzardy weather.

Regardless of what Josh tells you, this is the antelope that nearly attacked us. It sprinted towards us, leaving its baby, stopping maybe 30 feet away. I'm sure that my fervent prayers are the only thing that saved me from facing its dagger-like hooves. 

On a final note, we learned that some of our family was at Martin's Cove as members of the William B. Hodgetts Wagon Company. Some may already be familiar with this, but just in case you are not, Grandpa Farnsy's mom was Maud Cluff. Maud's dad was Heber Cluff. Heber's parents were Ann Bond and Moses Cluff.  Ann Bond & Moses Cluff left England and joined the William B. Hodgetts Company, a wagon train headed west, in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hodgetts Company acted as the a support for the Martin Handcart Company. Here is a link just in case you are bored & want to learn more: "Handcarts West in '56", Trail Excerpts by John Bond