This morning we proceeded at 7:35 and after traveling two and a half miles, forded Black's Fork once more. Here also is abundance of good grass, wild flax and handsome flowers. After traveling two and three-quarters miles farther, forded a stream about two rods wide and two feet deep, very swift current, also lined on its banks with bunch grass. At twelve o'clock we halted for noon on the banks of the last stream, having traveled nine miles over pretty rough road. The day very windy and filling the wagons with dust. Some of the wagons have gone on expecting to reach Bridger's Fort before they halt. At 1:40 we moved forward and found the road more even, though in many places rendered bad by the cobble stones. After traveling seven and a half miles we arrived opposite to nine Indian lodges erected on the south of the road. Here we halted a while and found Tim Goodale here, one of the trappers who passed us at the Platte ferry. There are not many Indians here but they appear to have a great many handsome ponies. We then continued on and after fording four creeks on an average about a rod wide, we arrived at Fort Bridger which is proved by the roadometer to be 397 miles from Fort John. We went half a mile beyond the fort and formed our encampment after crossing three more creeks, having traveled this afternoon eight and three-quarters miles and during the day seventeen and three-quarters. The grass is very plentiful in this neighborhood and much higher than we have generally seen it. The whole region seems filled with rapid streams all bending their way to the principal fork. They doubtless originate from the melting of the snow on the mountains and roar down their cobbly beds till they join Black's Fork. Bridger's Fort is composed of two double log houses about forty feet long each and joined by a pen for horses about ten feet high constructed by placing poles upright in the ground close together, which is all the appearance of a fort in sight. There are several Indian lodges close by and a full crop of young children playing around the door. These Indians are said to be of the Snake tribe, the Utahs inhabiting beyond the mountains. The latitude of Fort Bridget is 41° 19' 13" and its height above the level of the sea according to Elder Pratt's observations is 6,665 feet. It is doubtless a very cold region and little calculated for farming purposes. To the west is a pretty high mountain which appears well covered with timber. The country all around looks bleak and cold.
Thursday, July 8
Morning fine but high wind. It is concluded to stay a day here to set some wagon tires, etc. Many have gone to trade their rifles and some clothing for buckskins. H. Egan traded two rifles and got twenty pretty good skins for them. The day continued warm with high wind. Evening there was a council and some complaints listened to from George Mills against Andrew Gibbons. It was decided for Thomas Williams and S. Brannan to return from here and meet Captain Brown's company from Pueblo. Inasmuch as the brethren have not received their discharge nor their paw from the United States, Brother Brannan goes to tender his services as pilot to conduct a company of fifteen or twenty to San Francisco if they feel disposed to go there and try to get their pay. Williams came clothed with authority to arrest Tim Goodale or one of his men for stealing a horse at Pueblo, but he can get no encouragement from President Young to make the attempt.
Friday, July 9
We started at eight o'clock, the brethren who go back bidding good bye to the camp and proceeding on their back journey while we moved westward over pretty rough roads. After traveling six and a quarter miles, we arrived at the springs and halted a while to rest our teams. We then proceeded on three-quarters of a mile and began to ascend a long steep hill, near the top of which and eight miles from Fort Bridger, Elder Pratt took an observation and found the latitude 41° 16' 11". Arriving on the top we found the table tolerably level for several miles then began to descend to the bottom again. The descent from this hill is the steepest and most difficult we have ever met with, being long and almost perpendicular. At three o'clock we crossed the Muddy Fork, a stream about twelve feet wide, and formed our encampment on the west bank, having traveled since the halt six and three-quarters miles and during the day thirteen. Here is plenty of tall bunch grass and a pretty good chance for our teams. The day has been windy, warm and dusty.
Saturday, July 10
Started this morning at eight o'clock, weather warm with tolerably high wind. After traveling three and a half miles we passed a small copperas spring at the foot of a mountain a little to the left of the road. The water is very clear but tastes very strong of copperas and alum and has a somewhat singular effect on the mouth. It runs a little distance over the red sand which abounds in this region and where it is saturated with water almost looks like blood at a little distance. After passing this spring the road winds around the foot of mountains gradually ascending for some distance till finally arriving on the summit of a high ridge. Here Elder Pratt took a barometrical observation and found the height to be 7,315 feet above the level of the sea. On arriving at the west side of the ridge two and a half miles from the last mentioned spring we found a very steep, rough place to descend and found it necessary to halt and fix the road. About half way down there is a place over huge rocks, leaving barely enough room for a wagon to get down, but by labor it was soon made passable. A little farther, the brethren had to dig a place considerably to make a pass between the mountains. President Young and Kimball labored hard with a number of others and in about a half an hour made a good road. At twenty miles from Fort Bridger, passed another spring and a little farther after arriving on the bottom land, the road turns nearly south through a beautiful low bottom filled with grass. At 1:45 we halted for noon, having traveled nine miles. Latitude 41° 14' 21". After halting an hour and a half we proceeded again and after traveling three and a half miles began to ascend the dividing ridge between the Colorado waters and the great basin. This mountain is very high and the ascent steep, rendering it necessary to make a crooked road to gain the summit. The height is 7,700 feet according to Elder Pratt's observations. The surface at the top is narrow. Here three bears were seen to run over a still higher mountain on the left. The descent was very steep, having to lock the wagons for half a mile. We then descend and travel on the bottom a few miles between high rugged mountains till the road seems suddenly to be shut up by a high mountain ahead. The road here turns suddenly to the left and goes east about 200 yards then winds again southwest. After ascending and descending another high ridge, we crossed a small creek about ten feet wide and at 7:45 formed our encampment on the southwest banks, having traveled this afternoon nine miles and during the day eighteen over the most mountainous course we have yet seen. After camping, Mr. Miles Goodyear came into camp. He is the man who is making a farm in the Bear River valley. He says it is yet seventy-five miles to his place, although we are now within two miles of Bear River. His report of the valley is more favorable than some we have heard but we have an idea he is anxious to have us make a road to his place through selfish motives. Elder Pratt has found a beautiful spring of clear, sweet, cold water about a hundred yards southwest from the camp. Water excellent.
Sunday, July 11
Morning fine with ice a quarter of an inch thick on the water pails. Walked on the mountain east with President Young and Kimball, from whence we had a pleasing view of the surrounding valley which is about ten miles wide. Abundance of timber on the mountains south and southwest and beyond that plenty of snow. After having prayers, we again descended and at the foot discovered a very strong sulphur spring. The surface of the water is covered with flour of sulphur and where it oozes from the rocks is perfectly black. The water in the creek shows sulphur very clearly and smells bad. During the day some of the brethren discovered an oil spring about a mile south. The substance which rises out of the ground resembles tar and is very oily. Some have oiled their gun stocks with it and oiled their shoes, others have gone to fill their tar buckets and are sanguine it will answer well to grease wagons. It is somewhat singular to find such a great contrast of substances within so short a distance. Here is pure water, sulphur, and oily tar within a mile of each other, and matter of curiosity all around for the contemplation of the curious. Porter, Brother Little and others have been out with Goodyear to view the route he wishes us to take. They represent it as being bad enough, but we are satisfied it leads too far out of our course to be tempted to try it. There are some in camp who are getting discouraged about the looks of the country but thinking minds are not much disappointed, and we have no doubt of finding a place where the Saints can live which is all we ought to ask or expect. It is evident the country grows better as we proceed west, and vegetation is more plentiful and looks richer. After dark, a meeting was called to decide which of the two roads we shall take from here. It was voted to take the right hand or northern road, but the private feelings of all the twelve were that the other would be better. But such matters are left to the choice of the camp so that none may have room to murmur at the twelve hereafter.