Register Rock

I'm on the road headed to Romcon in Colorado Springs. Yesterday I left Oregon and drove across Idaho. I made several stops, but not of a historical nature until less than 40 miles west of Pocatello, ID.

Driving along the freeway I was in awe of the wide, blue Snake River that wound along the bottom of a draw below the road. I've traveled along the Columbia River many times in my travels and have always been enthralled by the depth and breadth of it. And the way it is in constant motion with white caps, and movement. I've also rafted the Snake in the Hells Canyon and felt it's power and energy as the large raft bounced, nearly folded, and recovered in the rapids. But this portion of the Snake River along Hwy 86 runs slow and languid. The blue stretching from shore to shore like a large mirror. I kept staring at it imagining when it becomes the river I know from my rafting trip.

 I pulled my gaze from the river and spotted a sign that said Historical Site Register Rock. So I swung off the freeway and followed a paved road two miles back the way I'd traveled and found a small pristine picnic area and a large rock surrounded by chain link fence.

 This is a spot along the Oregon Trail where pioneers stopped for the night or sometimes a few days to rest. Men, women, and children carved their names and dates on the rock to let others know they had made it this far.
The First historical western romance I wrote had a bit in it about the Oregon Trail. But that's one book that will never see the light of day. It was a practice book. ;)

 There was also a fenced off rock a little ways away from the large Register Rock. This one has two heads carved on it. A preacher which was hard to see on the left and an Indian that is on the right and easier to see.

If I find anything interesting today, I'll toss it up tomorrow.