Down the valley of the Bear

"No one of the party knew anything about mountaineering and scarcely anyone had ever been into the Indian Territory, yet a large majority felt that we were fully competent to go anywhere no matter what the difficulties might be or how numberous and warlike the Indians."

So said John Bidwell, whose diary forms the main record of the 1841 expedition in which Joe B played a major part.  Ignorance and self-confidence are always a potent mixture, and with a great stroke of luck they hit on the expedition of the missionaries and joined forces with them and their guide, Broken Hand Fitzpatrick. 

                                                Thomas 'Broken Hand' Fitzpatrick
John Bidwell



Fitzpatrick then guided them up the Platte, across the plains and through the Rockies via the Continental Divide at South Pass Wyoming with no great dramas, during which time there had been two weddings and a self-inflicted death.  But now, in present-day southeast Idaho,following the Bear River northwestward past Soda Springs to Sheep Rock where the river curls around the north end of the Wasatch Mountains and turns back to the south, he had  some strong  words of advice.    He  believed that to try and carry on to California, where no other wagon train had ever gone was foolhardy in the extreme and he persuaded about half of them to opt for Oregon Territory, but the other 34, including Joe B, turned their oxen south with the Bear River heading for the Great Salt Lake. They sent four men on horseback  to  Ft. Hall, four days ride away, to see if they could purchase some supplies and ideally a guide who knew something of the route they should take to California.
                Ft. Hall, southeastern Idaho
In the meantime,  the remainder of the California-bound emigrants went slowly down the valley of the Bear, which was reminiscent of their travels along the other rivers with which they had become familiar.  They criss-crossed the river, enjoying the late August sun and the availability of feed for their animals.  But some severe challenges lay ahead.  The four horsemen returned from Ft. Hall after 10 days with the news that there was nothing to buy and no guide who could lead them. But they pressed on nonetheless.  Bidwell and another man even found time to explore the neighboring mountain where they had seen snow glinting in the sun.  They entirely mis-judged the distance and were forced to sleep under a tree high up on the mountain, returning the next day to a mixture of  relief and opprobrium from their fellow travellers who were convinced that they had been killed by Indians.  The party now got under way in earnest, shortly arriving at the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake where their trials would truly begin. 

How it looks today

Valley of the Bear, still as crowded as ever

Our little party is now three--the three Chiles brothers--joined today in Pocatello Idaho by youngest brother John.  We might be fewer than Joe B's company, but our technology is mighty, even here in The Big Empty of the Great Basin.  Of course this encourages lively discussion about directions as the two who are not driving consult with maps and iphones to help us most closely map our route from Sheep Rock to the Great Salt Lake to that of Joe B.  Up to this point, the route of the 1841 expedition blended into the same California trail followed by all the others who came after, but beyond southeastern Idaho, their route was almost unique to these first emigrants across the continent, mostly because it was so difficult and tiresome that virtually everyone else found an easier route.

We ate tonight in a Mexican restaurant, largely because it was the only place we could find that served alcohol in the form of beer.  Utah is a famously dry state, because of the influence of the Mormon Church.  At any rate, it was all worth while when we examined the menu to find one of their signature dishes called 'Los Tres Chiles'  Job done.