Stephen Aron

Those were not wagon-friendly roads or trails.

Instead, they went further south along the Platte, across South Pass, which was the critical way across the Rocky Mountains, a relatively gently sloped passage across the Continental Divide.

Had that not been available to wagoneers, it would have been impossible for the wagons to make it across the plains, to make it across the plains and then make it across the Rocky Mountains.

Well, I think the first thing to emphasize is most people walked.

So it was a great long walk.

Yes, they had horses.

Yes, they had oxen.

Yes, they might have other livestock.

But in order to lighten the loads of wagons and keep things moving, most people walked.

So it was not just a wagon train.

It was a great walk across half the continent.

And that, of course, limits how far you could go.

There were certain chores that had to be done before you set out.

Keep in mind, these are often families with lots of children.

So you had to sort of make sure that everything was ready and going.

And then the Great Walk, and then sort of after a day's walking, make camp, cook food, mend clothes, et cetera.

You know, it's often the case that the divergence between the experiences of men and women were quite profound on the trail.

And you see that when you read the diaries of men and women.

For men on the trail, they often write about this as the great adventure of their lives.

Because here they're freed from the normal burdens of farm making, and they're off seeing the elephants.