You can hear the echos of pioneer kids saying, "How long till we get there?"

Summit Meadow

After hiking the Pioneer Bridal Trail up Laurel Hill recently, I checked out a couple of easily accessible spots nearby where remnants of the Barlow Trail still exist. These sites are on or near the pass leading to Government Camp. Three of the spots are only a few steps from a parking area. The other site demands a short hike to see what must have been one of the, if not the most, daunting sections of the Oregon Trail.

Pioneer Bridal Trail exhibits strength, tenacity and toughness of those who journeyed west

A portion of the Barlow Trail

After having travelled along and ignoring various sections of the Barlow Trail virtually all my life, I decided recently to finally be a little more proactive in the pursuit of Oregon’s earliest history. After researching the trail, I drove up Highway 26 toward Mt. Hood. There, I discovered firsthand the tenacious determination the folks traveling over the trail possessed. The desire to leave everything behind in pursuit of a new life is one thing. The hardship they must have suffered while traveling along the trail is entirely another. This is what you realize when you experience the trail for yourself – seeing the unyielding longing these people had to go west and start a new life.