One of the things I liked about the Historic Trails Museum in Casper was the number of interactive exhibits that give visitors a chance to actually experience aspects of the pioneers' journey west. Here I am trying to pull a Mormon hand cart. Trust me, it wasn't easy! Admittedly, I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, but there's no ignoring the fact that it takes a lot of strength, not to mention endurance, to pull a heavily laden cart thousands of miles. Handcarts may have been less prone to problems than mule-drawn covered wagons, but they were definitely a challenge for those pulling them.
Amanda, my sister (who's also a writer) and I were just talking about the hand carts used by those poor pioneers. Can you imagine pulling those things over mud and ruts, let alone mountains? The human spirit is amazing!
ReplyDeleteBTW, love the pic!
Dena -- I had seen other hand carts and marveled at the people who pulled them, but this was the first time I actually tried one. My admiration for the pioneers grew exponentially with each step I took.
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