Days 5,6,7: Lots of Miles, a little bit of trails

For those curious about my route, here it is in simple form.  Started on the east, running west.  Yesterday I arrived at Independence Rock, so named because if you got there by the 4th of July, you had less of a chance of freezing to death before getting to your destination.  It was tradition to carve your name into the rock there as evidence that you had made it.  We climbed the 120 foot tall block and found some names from the 1850's.  Devil's Gate is a narrow crack in a mountain where a stream flows through. It was a mile off the trail and a good place for the emigrants to cool off.  While there, we stopped in Martin's Cove, an interpretive site run by the Mormons.  That was the first place I was able to get onto the actual Oregon Trail and run for any length of time.  The trail went for about 7 miles from Devil's Gate. It was scenic, remote, and totally what I had been craving.  I had spent the better part of 4 days breathing in diesel exhaust from the road shoulder so the fresh air welcome.  That section of trail took me past a former Pony Express station, now only a single rock in the tall grass.  Who searches out these sights, anyway? Just beyond was a BLM operated campground, shut down for the winter but still open for use.  

We camped there and had a great night, particularly after rinsing off from a hand pump with very cold water.  

This morning, we hoped to run more of the trail rather than the paved road.  It took some time, but we navigated a matrix of cattle trails, ranch roads, and odd angled side paths to stay on the Oregon Trail/Mormon Trail/ Pony Express/California Trail.  All morning today we went through cattle fences with wire gates. Surprisingly, there weren't any postings for No Trespassing.  We were excited that this might mean that we finally were in the open for some real stretches of trail. After 8 miles of blissful running with stunning views of some beautiful rock slabs that Hewett was craving he could boulder, I came to the last fence before rejoining the highway because the trail went back onto private property.  At that last fence was a sign saying "No Trespassing, violators will be Prosecuted." There was a phone number so I used my radio to ask Hewett to call it and see if I could cross with permission. The number was disconnected. He then used his iPhone to look up the organization on the sign and got through to them. They lease the land from the owners and couldn't give us permission since they don't own it themselves.  That meant that I had to veer away from the trail, buschwhack through the sage for a half mile back to the paved highway and miss the last section of trail. This private property thing is really unique compared to so many other states I've crossed.  In Ohio, it was commonplace to climb a style over someone's fence, cross their yard, and go back into the woods while on the Buckeye Trail.  In Indiana one day, I was running past a house with a sign that said, "If you can't stop in, at least yell 'Howdy!'"  I decided I did have time to stop. The family inside was a bit surprised when I knocked on their door and said I was taking them up on their invitation, but a few minutes later I was sitting in their living room sipping iced tea and watching tv with them.  

Those things don't happen here in Wyoming.  

After 30 miles on this highway today, we arrived in Jeffrey City and had a midday BLT at the only bar open in town.  We had been told that there was gas in this town but the store decided to stop selling it last month. That left us in a pinch as we needed gas and there wasn't any for a long way.  Looking at the map, we decided to run out the day and then drive to Lander for the night, for gas, and a shower.  I ran until 6:30, for a 12 hour day, covering 43 miles in the sun.  It's been a long day and a late night, but I'm starting to see the end of this trail and that's a relief. An article came out today from the Casper Star Tribune. Enjoy that:
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/runner-treks-oregon-trail-in-wyoming/article_ec7060a0-f1e2-5567-8a61-b35068f04a68.html

And here is one of the many videos I've taken of antelope along the trail. It also gives you an idea of what this land looks like most of the time.