Trail Ruts

Surviving odds from impassable mud to temperatures in the 120;s, a group of ordinary people cross the Oregon Trail in 1959 just as their ancestors had over a century before. They find that their own tempers might halt the journey. Richard Carter weaves the history of the original Oregon Trail where his great grandmother died in 1852 with the story of a group re-enactors he led to retrace the pioneers' footsteps. The risks of 19th century cholera are replaced with dangers of driving wagons with skittish livestock on interstate highways where traditional routes had been fenced. big personalities suffereing from "too much togetherness," trek together for four months. Romantic nights singing camp songs under the stars give way to threats until the young Carter completes his journey with a maturing sense of human nature and community. Stunning photographs enhance the tale.Martha Crites, author of Grave Disturbance