Martin's Cove

Martin's Cove is a beautifully remote part of Wyoming, outside of Lander, and is an historical site complete with museum, visitor's center, and range rover transportation partway to the cove. Along the famous Oregon Trail and Mormon trail, it was where the Martin handcart company in 1849 sheltered during late October when 18 inches of snow had fallen, and caught the handcart pioneers off guard. They were stranded there for several days until help arrived from Salt Lake City and wagons rescued them on November 9. Many people died there and their bodies could not be buried because of the frozen ground and weak condition of the survivors. Bodies were hauled to one side of the cove and wild wolves would descend and fight for the flesh. It was a horrible thing. One woman made the men on corpse detail promise that they would put her fiancee's body in a tree trunk out of reach of the wolves, and she wrapped his head in her red shawl. She survived and lived to remarry and have six children in the future. Anyway, there were lots of stories told by the volunteers there and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. The Sweetwater River was crossed at least six times by these pioneers and it was a little river but could swell to a great size with the Fall/Winter moisture. One photo shows where the Sweetwater was crossed by the Salt Lake helpers, who hand-carried the stricken handcart pioneers across. The freezing cold waters caused great distress to the four young men who did the carrying. They did not die--but all suffered painfully for years afterwards from their efforts. Also in one photo is a little deer--this was the burial ground where the wolves ate--and if you look really closely, you will see the little fawn staring out at Grady and me. It was raining so Grady improvised with a bath towel for a hat (it was also a cold rain) and looks like a handsome desert shiek! We had such a good time on our trip! It is good to be home, though, and today is doctor visit day--blood draw at 8 am, gynecologist at 10 am, and mammogram at 3 pm. Fun, fun, fun. I had a uterine biopsy last week. They got me into see the specialist in record time, for which I am grateful. Hysterectomy, here I come!(hopefully)