In a rut

After checking out the Capitol in Cheyenne we headed north to the Platte River crossing where so many prairie schooner wheels climbed the sandstone bluff it was cut down several feet and the ruts are still evident 160 years later.

Just east along the river at Register Cliff you can still read the names and dates of the many travelers who left their mark for family and history to view.

Ft Laramie was the reason so many passed through the area. Only 1/3 the way to Oregon, it was one last night in civilization, with supplies and repairs readily available. But if you opted to stay too long in the beautiful, relatively safe valley, you risked the fate of the Donners.
Laramie began as a peaceful trading and treaty outpost and served in that capacity until gold was discovered in the Black Hills and Montana, sparking rushes and conflict with the tribes to whom the USA had promised the land.