Picto Diary - 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 July 2017 - Dog Days
Above: LSDM Hikers. Sweeny Switchbacks. Park City, UT. 15 July 2017.
Above: Money clip and tool. Browning outlet store. Morgan, UT. 15 July 2017.
I went out on the Duc today to check out some of the nearby landmarks of the Donner Party. I had just completed the book, "The Best Land Under Heaven - The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny," and I wanted to channel first hand some of their experiences at the Wasatch stage of their route.
I stopped at the Browning outlet store in Morgan to pick up one of these money clips. I had since lost a similar clip that I purchased there five or six years ago.
Donnnering on the Duc.
Donner Party right here, at top of Wasatch's Big Mountain, looking at this view of the Salt Lake Valley, 15 August, 1846.
Already delayed, and having received bad advice about a putative short cut to California across the Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake Desert, they lost 10 days, due to arduous, unexpected trail clearing, making their way from East Canyon Creek, just north of here, to the Salt Lake Valley.
Those lost ten days would loom large in telling the story of conquering the American West in the era of Manifest Destiny. — at Big Mountain Pass.
Donnering on the Duc.
Devils Slide (I 84) and tubing on the Weber River. 15 July 2017.
Donner Party followed the Weber River from Echo Canyon to Henefer, five miles upstream from here. From Henefer they followed East Canyon Creek, to a flat (now called Mormon Flat) from where they made their long, arduous assault up Big Mountain.
However, the Donners' nemesis, Lanford Hastings, the promoter of the "short cut" across the Wasatch and the Great Salt Lake Desert, leading another party only days before, had come this way, past Devil's Slide on the Weber River, to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
Hastings had left the Donners a posted note advising them to avoid the treacherous Weber Canyon and to find another route by taking East Canyon Creek from Henefer.
Hindsight, the East Canyon route was more difficult than the Weber Canyon route, costing the Donner Party to use up valuable time needed to get them over the Sierra before the snow started to fall.
Donnering on the Duc.
Henefer, Junior Rodeo. 15 July 2017.
Serendipitous stop, after trying Taggart's Grill, near Morgan, where I woulda have had to wait in line. As everyone knows, the Bishop don't do lines.
No lines, though, for hot dogs at Henefer rodeo grounds , where a 10 year old kid was manning the cash register and competently making change. I felt sorry for the kid, forced to learn practical skills at such a young age, when he could have been at home playing video games.
Henefer is the point at which the Donner Party left the Weber River to take the East Canyon/Big Mountain route to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
A hundred kids out there on the rodeo ground each warming up his or her own horse. Another sad commentary on modern life. These kids could have been doing something more in keeping with today's American youth zeitgeist, like sexting with their friends.
The rodeo start was unfortunately delayed by a jingoistic ceremony honoring America's founding and the American flag. Everyone was forced to stand, hand over heart. Brown shirts, anyone?
Tragically, trophies were awarded only to winners, 2nd, and 3rd place. You have to be some kind of hater not give each kid a participation trophy.
Another problem... most of these kids are white, and are being raised in families headed by a Mom and a Dad. They are obviously deplorables and racists, and considering the nature of the unorthodox families in which they are being raised, they can only expect to be outliers in tomorrow's Zuckerberg world.
Sad to see to see kids going off the rails so early in life.
Donnering on the Duc.
Mormon Flat. Summit County, UT. 15 July 2017.
From this point on East Canyon Creek, the Donners, who had been told by promoter Hastings, that crossing the Wasatch would be easy, took ten unforecast days in August 1846 to blaze a trail to the Top of Big Mountain and down to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
The flat was later named after the Mormon pioneers who came to camp at this spot in August, 1847, exactly one year after the Donner Party was here. — at Mormon Flat Historical Marker.
Above: Park Silly Market. Lower Main Street, Park City, UT. 16 July 2017.
Above: Complementary chips. Lespri. Park City, UT. 16 July 2017.
Dinner with Mezzanine and Magnolia.
Steak 8 of 10. Good enough. Chowder outstanding. Setting, service, ambiance, company great. We'll return. — eating dinner and cocktails at Lespri Prime Steak Sushi Bar.
Above: Sweetner tray. Cafe Terigo. Park City, UT. 17 July 2017.
We don't like the new trend of many restaurants which put sweetner and sugar in open bowls. This way (pictured) sanitary and sure.
No image or post for 18 July 2017.
Above: Bishop, His Higness, Commodore, and Philly. Flaming Gorge, UT. 19 July 2017.
Flaming Gorge loop by motorcycle. 325 miles.
Above: Flaming Gorge Reservoir and bikes. 19 July 2017.
Later, we dodged a couple of thunder storms. For the thirty minutes at lunch in a restaurant in Manila, UT, there was a constant deluge. It was fine when we went in, and fine when we left.
Riding into Park City two hours later, we saw a thunder cloud dropping rain right on top of Park City itself.
By riding west on I-80 to Kimball Junction, and then turning south on SR 224, we were able to reach Iron Canyon without getting wet.