The more I learn, the less I know. I have been reading Historical Topography:A New Look At Old Sites on Mountain Meadows Morris Shirts & Frances Anne Smeath. I mention this for four reasons 1)It is a great read. 2) It deals at times with the OST in the MM area and mentions my old friend Barney Ward. 3) as a partial excuse for my procrastination in adding more anecdotal speculations on The Virgin Hill. 4)It is a scholarly treatise on the complexities involved in identifying any trail, anywhere, any time...... I did feel that I saw a pattern when I visited Halfway Wash, still do. it is all subjective, no GPS, it is muddled by contemporary contradictory accounts (too many or too few, I am undecided) and no tiny silver bells on the trail:-) What I think I know is there was a destination (California Wash) at least for California bound travelers, a geographical obstruction (Halfway Wash) and a distressing amount of variables that are pertinent to any single usage of the trail. The three most interesting questions for me are 1)If I was returning from California, pushing 4,000 head of stock, which trail I might use? and 2)If the nightmarish Virgin River (or my direction of travel) dictate heading up Halfway Wash, why not proceed 2 miles farther past the Historic Site Virgin Hill and ascend a 200 yard hill instead of a 3/4 mile hill? 3)Where were the Native American trails prior to the OST/Teamster/Mormon usage? I will post a quick recap of the 3 Virgin Hill Trails, rough mileage for destinations, incline for the last 500 of the ascent based on Google Earth elevations. I add my comments related to erosion with my view from top and bottom about where I would likely ride a horse/mule if I had to gain the top of the Mesa. I will add a separate photo file for each hill, the Virgin River and the Halfway Wash in the next few days. I suggest, what you archaeologists already know, there is no definitive answer to the questions, only the opportunity for further investigation. Here is to The Trail.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:08:49 +0000
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