Go West for Nativity

Charlie Ashton's church fundraiser

In the mid-1800s, over 500,000 pioneers crossed plains, prairies, deserts and mountains in search of a better life and new opportunities out West. One of the most widely traveled routes came to be known as the Oregon Trail, stretching 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri to the Oregon coast.

Most of the Oregon Trail route is now on private property or covered by highways. But in the wilds of South-Central Wyoming, a continuous 160-mile stretch remains on public land which is accessible to anyone with good boots, strong legs and a backpack full of food and water.

With the help of my trusty GPS as well as traditional paper maps, I'm going to try to hike this section of the Oregon Trail, retracing the route followed by the pioneers and hopefully discovering a few wagon ruts along the way.

The remoteness of this area means no concerns about social distancing: I expect to encounter many more elk than people.

Beyond experiencing a little of the landscape that the pioneers traversed so long ago, my goal is to raise money for Church of the Nativity in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

With our building being a hundred years old and showing its age, I'll be raising money for much-needed renovations. I hope that my hike will encourage contributions to this worthy cause.

Please consider supporting me in this effort to raise money for our church.

Thanks,

Charlie