Oregon Buttes in Winter

Oregon Buttes seen from the road near the Continental Divide.  This is the route of the Oregon/Mormon Trail.  For those travelers whose destination was Oregon, South Pass marked approximately the half way point in the journey from Independence, Missouri. 

"A major landmark, the Oregon Buttes marked the passage beyond South Pass into the Oregon Territory. In this region, many emigrants felt a sense of disappointment. Having reached one of the key destinations, they were now struck with the seemingly endless trek still ahead. Theodore Talbot in 1843 probably expressed this sentiment best when he wrote: "Today we set foot in Oregon Territory, the land of promise. As of yet it only promises an increased supply of sagebrush and sand."

About twelve miles southwest of Oregon Buttes lies the Tri-Territory site where Spain, France, and Great Britain all had a common boundary as the Mexican Territory, Louisiana Purchase, and Oregon Territory converged."

For more on South Pass and the Oregon Trail, go Here.  http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/continue.htm

Red Canyon looking toward Lander, WY.

Saturday afternoon we drove over South Pass and on to Pinedale to visit over night with Howard and Heidi.

It is amazing to see the herds of antelope grazing on the high desert in the middle of winter.  Tufts of brown frosted grass poke up through the sagebrush dotted snow.  It hardly seems a landscape that would sustain animals through the cold and bitter months.

A bald eagle kept watch on a power pole near Farson, hawks of several varieties hunted their small hapless prey.

"Springtime in the Rockies" is nearly three months away.  The only sign that the year is slowly creaking toward the vernal equinox was the fact that when we reached our destination a bit before 6 PM there was still daylight.