Red Pass

[abraxas]

Pioneers would drive their wagons through the Red Pass, the low point in the mountains to this high valley with a parched and reddish dry lake in the center. Although another half a day away from the nearest water at Bitter Spring, the cooler air was a bit of relief from the thick hot air of the basin behind them.

A few miles behind me in the nutritionless basalt and rocky sand lies a grave as nondescript and featureless as the Red Lake. On the pile of jagged stones was found a sun-colored bottle containing a note with the following words;

"Emma Keebler Harris 1826 - 1872. Mother of six, died of sickness. This was as far as we could get her."

Nothing more is known about this woman or her children.

 

[LaFoto]

Oh my. What desolation!
Makes me SO glad I am not a pioneer and will never have to pass through a desert like this in a wagon!
If capturing the desolation was you goal, then ... you have achieved it. Oh my! ale:

 

[abraxas]

Oh my. What desolation!
Makes me SO glad I am not a pioneer and will never have to pass through a desert like this in a wagon!
If capturing the desolation was you goal, then ... you have achieved it. Oh my! ale:

Desolation is what I was going for. I don't know how these people did it. It's like this and worse for hundreds of miles. Parts of the trail you can see where the steel rim of the wagonwheel scarred and busted rocks. Steep grades both up and down, and no water for anywhere between 20-30 miles at a time. And in many places this scarce water was alkaline and nasty tasting.

Desparation also. How hard it must have been to leave someone you love buried in a land so isolated- knowing you'll never be back to say a prayer or place flowers on her grave.

120+ years later this spot is still remote. It took our group back into the desert about 20 miles from the freeway on dirt roads. The offramp was about 30 miles from the nearest town.

 

[Roger]

yep that's desolate all right, nice shot of it too.

 

[kundalini]

I've always been impressed by the pioneers as a whole and the struggles they must have endured. This only emphasises the hardship of their journey. Amazingly strong people.

Well done.