Thursday, December 19

After looking at some fascinating maps of early pioneer trails, the trails followed by wagon trains of settlers heading west, it seems as if we’re most closely following the Mormon Trail, or the Mormon Pioneer Trail. In fact we’ll be following this trail to Salt Lake City. What lead me to the maps was the feeling that I was, this morning, recreating the actions of innumerable pioneers as the headed further West: gradually shedding items that they had initially deemed indispensible for their trek. Suddenly the heavier furniture or cooking items seemed unnecessary and the china plates seemed frivolous and inadequate to rough terrain. No doubt the occasional cast iron stove was tossed overboard, too, as pioneers tried to lighten the load their horses pulled and grasses (horse feed) along the Platte River became more and more scarce (overgrazed by preceding wagon trains).

"Silas, next time, we fly!"

It is cold this morning although not as cold as it’s going to get. This coming Sunday morning, when we’re in Iowa, it’s predicted to be one degree above, freezing rain and snow. That isn’t the bone-freezing zero degree Suzy Groden reported in Melrose, Massachusetts, but it’s sufficiently unpleasant. It’s curious that the pioneers were determined to go so far west. Surely someone must have once asked a spouse, “Jud, can’t we just go on down to Seminole territory?”  That Florida was largely overlooked as a destination until the early 20th century seems an oversight to say the least.  Did no one have a craving for frozen orange juice or a yearning to perpetrate Election Day voting fraud?

Back to winnowing and paring down the luggage. I envision the pioneer’s trails littered with extra power cords, cable connections, iPads and video gaming equipment. The biggest single archaeological artifact lode will be the mountains of plastic water bottles, but of course we no longer live in an age of drinking wells and public water fountains. The often-mispronounced potable water has truly become portable – and plasticized along with everything else. But I’m looking forward to heading out across the GMO plains.