Pioneer Day Countdown: July 22, 1847 (Thursday)

Today was an exciting day for most of the pioneers. The Advance Team and the Main Company both entered the Valley on this day. Brigham's Party was still miles behind.

The day started when Orson Pratt rode to the Main Company in Emigration Canyon to find out what to do next. After discussing with Willard Richards and George A. Smith about places crops could grow, Pratt took a number of men and "rode into the Valley to explore."

The men Orson Pratt took were: George A. Smith, Porter Rockwell, J.C. Little, John Brown, Joseph Matthews, and John Pack.

The mouth of present-day Emigration Canyon

The 42-man Advance Company continued to clear the mouth of Emigration Canyon of the thickets and underbrush which prevented their way. This way, the Saints wouldn't have to climb the back-breaking Donner Hill (see bottom of page).

Coming out of the mouth of Emigration Canyon, Pratt and his companions rode to towards the Great Salt Lake for about 5 miles, then turned north searching for farming options. They noticed that the early part of the ride found "soil of excellent quality," but as they came closer to the lake, it "began to assume a more sterile appearance."

After traveling 15-miles into the Valley, Pratt's party turned back to Emigration Canyon. By this time, the Advance Guard had cleared the mouth of the canyon, and were resting 5-miles into the Valley.

In the meantime, the Main Company of Saints were traveling the canyon, and taking time to improve the roads. William Clayton climbed the top of a mountain hill, and was "much cheered by a handsome view of the Great Salt Lake." He described his view as "an extensive, beautiful, level-looking valley from here to the lake. Numerous green patches must be fertile and rich."

However, there was little timber to be found in the valley. This wasn't a surprise to the Saints, as "we have not expected to find a timbered country," Clayton said. "The lack of trees was about the only objection which could be raised, in my estimation, to this being one of the most beautiful valleys and pleasant places for a home for the saints which could be found."

"There is no prospect for building log houses without spending a vast amount of time and labor, but we can make Spanish brick (adobe) and dry them in the sun. If the land be as rich as it appears, I have no fears but that the saints can live here and do well," Clayton added.

One of the saints commented: "I would rather live at peace in this wild-looking country amongst the saints than dwell amongst the gentiles with all their wealth and good things of the earth and be eternally mobbed, harassed, hunted, our best men murdered and every good man's life continually in danger."

William Clayton had been separated from his family since Winter's Quarters. He worried about them often, especially about the difficult trek he most certainly would have to repeat with them.
"I could almost envy those who have go safely through, having their families with them, yet they will doubtless have a hard time of it this winter."

Coming into the Valley:

The Main Company finished cutting the road around 4 p.m., "turned around a hill and came in view of the Great Salt Lake in the distance," Thomas Bullock said. "A very extensive valley burst upon our view, dotted in three or four places with some timber."

Thomas Bullock could not help shouting: "Hurrah hurrah, hurrah, here's my home at last!" Like Clayton, he noted the lack of trees, but said: "there is an ocean of stone in the mountains to build stone houses and walls for fencing."

"If we can find a bed of coal, we can do well and be hidden up in the mountains of the Lord," Bullock noted.

The Company was so excited, they made a "very rapid descent" down the foothills and camped beside a small stream.


Donner Hill:

I decided to find Donner Hill today.  Here are some pictures that might bring the stories more to life.

This is the actual Orson Pratt Trail, right before reaching Donner Hill and the mouth of Emigration Canyon. You can see how thick the trees would have been.

This is where the Saints had to decide to conquer the back-breaking Donner Hill (left of my car) or cut their way through thickets (straight in front).

Of course, the Saints chose to avoid the hill. The ill-fated Donner Party (1846) chose to do the hill, which delayed them due to their exhaustion. The Pioneer Advance Party decided to, instead, cut their way through the thickets.

Here is Donner Hill. There is a clearing to see how steep it was. I wonder if that's the path they actually followed...

A few hundred feet long (the picture makes it look shorter). This is the hill Orson Pratt and Erastus Snow climbed yesterday to see the Valley for the first time. 

 It's difficult to see how steep and long this hill really is. At times, it has an almost vertical slope.

Here is the other side of the Donner Hill. The Big Red building is at the peak. Going down the other side is just as steep. The Saints made the right decision to cut their way through (following the present-day road through the mouth of the Canyon).

Source: Kimball and Knight. 111 Days to Zion. Deseret News. Salt Lake City, 1978