Monthly Archive: May 2023

Historic Fort Bridger Gate – Lyman, Wyoming

Historic Fort Bridger Gate - Lyman, Wyoming

Fort Bridger is a historic trading post located in southwestern Wyoming, United States. It was originally established in 1842 by the famous mountain man and trader, Jim Bridger, as a fur trading post. Over the years, the fort served as an important stopping point for travelers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Pioneer Trails.

During the mid-1800s, Fort Bridger was an important center of commerce and diplomacy in the region. The fort played a key role in the development of the American West, as it served as a supply point for emigrants, soldiers, and miners. It also served as a meeting place for Native American tribes and government officials.

The fort changed hands several times over the years, and it was eventually abandoned in the 1890s. Today, the site is managed by the state of Wyoming and is open to the public as a historic site. Visitors can tour the reconstructed fort and learn about its rich history through exhibits and interpretive programs.

Columbia River Gorge Barge – Oregon

Columbia River Gorge Barge - Oregon

The Columbia River is an important transportation route in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and barges are one of the primary modes of transportation on the river. Barges on the Columbia River carry a variety of goods, including agricultural products, timber, petroleum, and other bulk commodities.

The Columbia River barge system is part of the larger inland waterways transportation system of the United States, which includes more than 25,000 miles of navigable waterways and over 240 locks and dams. The barges used on the Columbia River are typically flat-bottomed and can be up to 300 feet long and 54 feet wide.

The Columbia-Snake River System, which includes the Columbia River and its major tributary, the Snake River, has four main lock and dam structures that help to maintain navigability for barges and other vessels. These locks allow barges to move up and down the river, as well as through the various reservoirs created by the dams.

Mendon Utah Barn in Storm

Mendon, Utah Barn in Storm

A barn in Mendon, in Utah’s Cache Valley during a fall thunderstorm. Behind the barn the Wellsville Mountains rise skyward.

A large rural mountain valley in northern Utah, the Cache Valley is one of Utah’s top agricultural areas, providing land for cattle, milk and cheese production, and the growing of wheat, barley and hay. The valley is located between to the Wellsville Mountains to the west and the Bear River Mountains to the east. Both ranges are part of the larger Wasatch Mountain Range that dominates northern Utah.

The Cache Valley gets its name, from early fur trappers who created caches in the valley to protect and hide their goods from thieves.