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Page 3 of the June 1997 ISSUE OF PASS PATROL CAMPFIRE TALES

The June issue included here contains the stories and not the advertisements. Keep in mind, the stories here were written in 1997.  

This issue includes
Hole In The Rock

The San Juan Mission

ANOTHER OF THE MANY ADVENTURES OF PASS PATROL

Consider for a moment, the implications of such a call.  The family being called might be very successful with a beautiful home, a thriving business, and surrounded by friends and family.  Suddenly one night, he and she are asked to give all that up and move to an uncharted area and to a location that had not yet been determined ... an area controlled by hostile Indians, ruthless outlaws, and loosely described as uncivilized.  They were told it would take six weeks to reach their new destination along a route where no wagon had ever gone before.

During the last weeks of October and into November of 1879, a main convoy of wagons traveled the well established wagon road between Cedar City and Escalante.  Along the way, they were joined by other wagons coming from different directions and the convoy grew to more than a mile long.  Although the road was well established, it was not easy going.  Mountain passes were already deep with snow and night temperatures fell well below freezing.

The end of the primary wagon road ended in Escalante.  From that point on, the pioneers would travel faint wagon trails that would soon become no more that cattle paths.  Although ranchers had pastured livestock into the country east of Escalante, no effort had been made to improve the trails enough for wagon travel.

Escalante was the last outpost where supplies could be obtained.  From the time they left the small community, the pioneers would be pushing their way into country farther and farther away from civilization.  The farther they went, the more difficult it would become to send riders back to Escalante for replenishment.