The Last Stretch

Day 6 Continued

10:00 a.m. - Crossed in No Man’s Land...Oklahoma Panhandle Territory. There was no water, and we were low on supplies.

11:00 a.m. - Reached the Republic of Texas!!! We are on the trail to Camp Ashmore Inn Suites in Amarillo, Texas. Can’t wait to eat a 72-oz Steak YUMMY!!!

1:45 p.m. - Reached Camp Ashmore Inn Suites. Heading out to the Texas Show in Palo Duro Canyon.

6:00 p.m. - In Palo Duro Canyon--105 degrees! Rick and Tom cooked eggs on the rocks...good and gritty!

11:00 p.m. - Texas Show in Palo Duro Canyon was great. Met many folks who live in the Pan Handle. Can’t wait to get back in Camp Hill College where it is green with trees!!


12:00 p.m. - Reached/crawled to Camp Ashmore Inn Suites in Amarillo, Texas.

Day 7
6:00 a.m. - Loading wagon, very windy, lost luggage, and hats keep blowing away! Headed out to the JA Ranch. Wagon Ho!! We hope to reach Fort Hill College by 7:00 p.m.

Seein' the End of the Trail...

Day 5

8:30 a.m. - Entered Colorado Territory and saw the “Great American Desert” for 300 miles. No Trading Posts, no Native Americans, we are very thirsty for water, we are going to die!!

2:08 p.m. - Arrived at Bent’s Fort...crawled to the Fort for water and food.  Trail Boss John could not ring the Fort’s bell, too tired and weak.

6:00 p.m. - Went to Carmen’s for rations. Celebrated Doc’s Birthday. We asked, ”How old Doc?” And he replied, “Dirt!”

8:40 p.m. - Made our way to Camp Bent’s Fort Inn.  Trail Boss John's Cami & Kay's rooms are haunted.  We keep hearing voices, and our room doors will only open half way.  Trail Boss John so scared sleeps in wagon last night.

Day 6

8:00 a.m. - Left Camp Bent’s Fort Inn for the Republic of Texas!!!

Indians, Horses, Cowboys, Oh My!

7:07 AM: Left Camp Holiday Inn and stopped to fill up on energy.

7:20 AM: Visited Rebecca Winter’s grave on the Mormon Trail. A strange machine called a train passed within ten feet of the grave and scared us all to death. The temptation to throw Kathleen’s phone on the train tracks was almost unbearable.

7:58 AM: Visited the Horse Creek Treaty Grounds with over 10,000 Native Americans present and over 20,000 horses. Eric kept photographing all of the Indians and ran out of film on the 8,234 shot.

8:10 AM: Crossed into Wyoming Territory while traveling on the Mormon side of the trail. Doc pulled a Mormon cart for five miles. What a great Samaritan citizen.

8:39 AM: We witnessed the Grattan Massacre Battle. The battle broke out at 8:42 AM over an old cow.

8:47 AM: Arrived at Western History Center Camp and met up with John’s friend, George Zeimens, who guided us with safe passage to Fort Bernard.

9:16 AM: While at Fort Bernard Archaeological dig site, Cami came across a new wild wolf friend named Billy. We stocked up on supplies to head into the mountains.

10:36 AM: Stopped at supply station and learned what chicken nuggets were really made of. Yum!

11:22 AM: Still in Wyoming Territory...we made it to Camp Guernsey on Rut Hill from Oregon Trail wagons. Doc and Kathleen finally could visualize the ruts. They were only eight feet deep.

11:27 AM: Made our way over to Register Cliff. It’s harder than you’d think to carve your name in it… Cami would know.

11:50 AM: Lunch at Fort Laramie American Grille (FLAG). Almost the best water on the Oregon Trail!

1:21 PM: The wagon finally made it to Fort Laramie. Most of the group had Sarsaparilla for the first time.

3:50 PM: WAGONS EAST! Back in Nebraska territory.

4:30 PM: Made our way up Scotts Bluff National Monument. We had to go through tunnels and cliffs with the wagon pulled by mules and ropes.

6:45 PM: Visited Barn Anew B&B for dinner. Saw the sheep wagons and rugged Trail Boss quoted “Aw, aren’t they cute”!

8:30 PM: Arrived back at Camp Holiday Inn in Scotts Bluff.

11:00 PM: Eric was alerted by a family dispute in Camp Holiday Inn. Daughter wanted to leave the Oregon Trail and found new love and headed out on the Mormon Trail.

Day Five

6:30 AM: Trail Bosses are rounding up the trail riders to go South toward the Santa Fe Trail for 300 miles. Destination is Bent’s Fort...headed back into Indian Territory.

Excitement Along the Trail

7:00 a.m. - Left Camp Rodeway Inn following the North Platte River. Trail exhaustion is setting in for everyone. Doc is falling asleep on the floor of the wagon.

9:02 a.m. - Reached Ash Hollow unexpectedly. First sighting of strange boots on the fence posts. Also, first warning of rattlesnakes.

10:10 a.m. - Trail Boss John yelled out the sighting of Courthouse and Jail Rocks.

http://www.bridgeportneb.com/Sites/courthouseRock/pictures_of_courthouse_and_jail%20-1.htm

10:11 a.m. - Courthouse and Jail Rocks are out of sight. Doc yells out, “I traveled 1,000 miles, and we missed it!”

10:12 a.m. - Rocks are back in view.

10:16 a.m. - Carts are getting heavier, and we were about ready to abandon them when we saw the foreboding Platte River.

10:30 a.m. - Arrived at Chimney Rock and yet another warning sign about rattlesnakes. Met Loren, John’s long-lost friend from the fur-trapping days. Also, sweet Tornado Tour Barb met up with us here.

12:30 p.m. - Arrived at the North Platte Valley Museum for lunch and a tour of the second greatest museum ever.

2:00 p.m. - Went over Robidoux Pass (http://www.oregonpioneers.com/OTSites10_NE.jpg). 

The tornado chasers were too afraid to warn us of the danger ahead.

3:12 p.m. - Rotation of tornado above bus. Ray hollered, “Get on the wagon!” Everyone boarded except Tom and Rick, who were too amused by the dung beetles to care. Ray took off with the wagon with no head count.

4:30 p.m. - Arrived at the luxurious Camp Holiday Inn in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, after outrunning the fatal storm.

5:15 p.m. - Rode a covered wagon at Chimney Rock with Ms. Rupp’s long-lost brother. Ate a chunk of cow and had a sing-a-long with the Lakota-French-German cowboy.

9:10 p.m. - End of long day of hail, rain, tornadoes, fire, flooding and singing. Tomorrow, we are heading to higher country in the Wyoming Territory.

Ring of Fire Pictures

Day Two Continued On


4:00 p.m. - Reached the Great Platte River Road Archway & Pawnee Earth Lodge. Learned that the Oregon Trail will be much more difficult to cross ahead.

9:00 p.m. - Found a local trading post named Walgreens to load up on supplies. Trail Boss Kathleen Miller broke her glasses and is now blind without them. Will have the local Blacksmith fix them.


10:00 p.m. - Made our way to the Camp Roadway Inn for a 6-hour rest. Will load up at 6:00 a.m. for the start of day 3.

Day Three


4:15 a.m. - Woke to a major thunderstorm with heavy rain and lighting. Camp Roadway Inn is flooding.  Most Trail Riders can’t swim...the Platte River is rising...could be a hard day ahead!

Telegraph From the Trail

Telegraph 6:15 a.m. 6-15-11
8:45 p.m. yesterday -  Arrived at the “Ring of Fire”...the burning flames started at 9 p.m. 
Day two
6:15 a.m - Packing up at Camp Days Inn in Wichita, Kansas. Heading out on the Chisholm Trail and will arrive on the Pony Express Trail later today. Trail Rider Tom Sale overslept today...for punishment, will make him carry a heavier load on the trail.

History Trails Pushes On

Trail Boss John Versluis & Kathleen Miller telegraphing in...  

Day One Continues On

Group traveled 10 hrs. Still alive and well

9:30 a.m.  - Crossed the Red River into Oklahoma. Very hard to cross the Red River...almost lost Doc Auvenshine in the water, but we made it. We are now traveling on the main Chisholm Trail Route towards Perry, Oklahoma.

10:30 a.m.  - Arrived in the Arbuckle Mountains to water the horses at Turner Falls. Almost left Trail Boss Kathleen Miller behind, but she caught up with us.

1:00 p.m.  - Arrived at Perry, Oklahoma, at the Cherokee Strip Museum. Scout Ray Roberts...very tired...took a nap while we went on to Rose Hill School and learned with Ms. Rupp.  We learned all about the Cherokee Strip Land Run and pioneer life.  She was a tough teacher, and we all got in trouble during class. After class was dismissed, we traveled as fast as we could to the Kansas border. I didn't want to spend another day facing the corner in the school house.

5:30 p.m.  - Arrived in Wichita, Kansas for rest. Will travel to the Ring of Fire tonight.

History Trails "Class" Hits the Open Road!

Trail Boss John Versluis and Kathleen Miller reporting...


Hill College History Trials Course is northern bound.  We are immersed in the Cowboys, Native Americans, and Pioneers of the Wild West!!!

Day One
7:30 a.m.  - Left Fort Hill College for 1200-mile trail ride to the Wyoming Territory.
7:35 a.m.  - Made it onto the Shawnee Trail for five miles to the I35 split.
7:40 a.m.  -  Arrived on the Chisholm Trail moving toward cattle town Fort Worth.
8:45 a.m.  - Left cattle town toward the Oklahoma Territory. Heading toward Perry, Oklahoma, for the last free land the government is giving away. The land run will take place later today. 
8:50 a.m.  - Mapping a way to cross the Red River, will check in when the sun is high noon.