Our family and some friends took a little excursion on Friday to visit part of the Oregon Trail that is here in Boise, ID. I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe I romanticized our family in rugged conditions being one of the pioneers that walked or rode the trails. So when we arrived, I guess I was a little disappointed to see the subdivisions and homes had been built around the marked "ruts" of the Oregon Trail.
It is more of a "preserved park" area, that has lookout points and information markers along the paved pathway that parallels the huge ruts that signify the Oregon Trail. I guess I was thinking we'd have a little more "adventure"! We did end up having a little bit of an adventure at the end of our trek. We walked and walked, looking mostly at the beautiful homes in the area, and noticed that most people who live there use the trails as a jogging path.
When we came up on the crossing that the pioneers used to get down to the Boise River from up on the trail, we decided to go down the rocky path. It must have been a treacherous descent for the wagons and horses, but if they needed water, then it was the only way.
We followed this path until we realized, the pioneers must have returned to the top on the same rocky slope! But our car was closer to where we were, just up near the paved pathway.....So, we decided to climb the rocky slope to find our car! Hope no one in the beautiful homes near the trail was looking out their windows!
6 comments:
I enjoyed your visit to the Oregon Trail. I would have never made it back to the car!! Makes me wonder how I would have done as a pioneer!
Pat
Looks like a blast!! And what wonderful memories you are building with your children.
:)
Looks like you still had fun. I was surprised when you told me about it too ~ I wouldn't have thought of subdivisions being built there!
Great photos. And what was the day's temperature for this adventure?
You are a stout hearted bunch. The Spirit of the Trail lives!
Nana
I was laughing with you all the way down the steep slope on your bums .... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee -
it's sad sometimes to see what "modernization" has done to our history. I was intrigued by the tracks formed from the wagon wheels. What a rough and bumpy ride that must have been! Wonder how many smoke signals they saw over those rocky tops?
Loved it Suzanne - thanks for giving us a lil bit of Idaho-History :)
Wow, the Oregon trail. Thank you for those photos. I would have loved to have done that. Fun! I would rather do that , then sit on the beach any day.
Carole
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