Sunday, May 16, 1847:

This was a day of Sabbath rest in the pioneer camp, which meant no traveling. In the morning nearly all the men were engaged in washing, bathing, baking bread, and drying beef. Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff and Ezra T. Benson of the Twelve spent the morning scouting out the bluffs to the northwest for the best route for the next day.Appleton Harmon made some final adjustments on the "roadometer" by adding a wheel to revolve once in 10 miles. He also encased the whole from the ravages of weather. It now occupied a space on a wagon wheel of about 18 inches long, 15 inches high, and three inches thick.

In the afternoon, Elder Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards of the Twelve, addressed the pioneer company. Stephen Markham and Albert Perry Rockwood also preached. Brother Kimball said he had traveled in many companies of the Saints. He declared that he had never been in a company where the men behaved themselves better than those in the pioneer company.

Monday, May 17:

It was cold in the morning. Before breaking camp, Elder Willard Richards left another letter in a secured wooden case for the next company to read.

The pioneers traveled 123/4 miles along the North Platte in a westerly direction. Wilford Woodruff, who had scouted out the route the previous day, guided the company over numerous sand hills and a dozen small streams that came from springs in the bluffs.

Tuesday, May 18:

This proved to be a good day for progress and reformation in the pioneer company. It began with a 7 a.m. meeting in which President Young reproved some of the brethren for leaving buffalo meat on the ground simply because it was not the prime hind-quarter.

The camp benefited from a warm day and traveled 153/4 miles, much higher than the eight miles they had been averaging over the last two weeks. In the evening, "Colonel [Stephen] Markham called the camp together to remind them of their duty in regard to traveling and getting up their teams," wrote Howard Egan. William Clayton also sat down to coordinate his mileage and Orson Pratt's scientific calculations with that of the government explorer, John C. Fremont's published topographical map. Brother Clayton concluded that it would be an impossible task at this point and would produce his own map when the pioneers had finished their journey. This project would eventually reach fruition with the publication of The Latter-day Saints' Emigrants' Guide, published in St. Louis in 1848.

Wednesday, May 19:

In contrast to the previous day, this day was one of the most uncomfortable days the pioneers had yet experienced on their journey and the hardest one on the teams. About midnight a heavy rain started to fall. Some men scurried to put valuables under shelter.

Since feed was scarce, they broke camp at 5 a.m. and traveled three miles in light rain before stopping for breakfast.

Heber C. Kimball, out on an exploratory mission over the next few bluffs, went into a deep hollow and ran nearly face to face into several large fierce wolves. He got away safely because the animals had been feasting on a dead carcass and were not eager to engage the newcomer. When Elder Kimball mentioned this frightening experience to President Young they named the creek Wolf Creek.

Pelting rain poured down on the company all day long. The rain, combined with a rough road over sandy, hilly bluffs, made for slow travel and low mileage - a total of eight miles for the day.

Thursday, May 20:

The brethren were eager to get an early start to make up for the short distance traveled the previous day and left at 7:45 a.m.

However, after traveling only a quarter of a mile, the "roadometer" broke. The rain had caused the wood to swell, breaking one of the cogs. Appleton Harmon went right to repairing it, but William Clayton had to make do with it only being partially repaired and ended up counting each mile during the day.

In the afternoon the wagon train made good time and went eight miles, making a total of 153/4 for the day. A shower of rain passed over the camp just before the company stopped for the night.

Friday, May 21:

Before leaving camp in the morning, William Clayton put up a guide post for future companies: "From Winter Quarters 409 miles. From the junction of the North and South forks [of the Platte] 931/4 miles."

In traveling the 151/4 miles during the day, the men found the prairie rather wet with many ponds of water standing along the way.

The day seemed more like spring than any since the pioneers had left Winter Quarters.

During the evening many Indians were spotted with the spy glasses riding on their ponies on the bluffs, so the encampment was formed for the night in a circle with the wagons as close together as possible.

Saturday, May 22:

The pioneer company made good time today, traveling 151/4 miles.

Porter Rockwell, who had gone ahead of the main company, reported that he had ascended a high bluff and spotted Chimney Rock. William Clayton was also anxious to see the landmark so he struck out on his own, climbed the bluff, and took a look for himself. "At the distance, I should judge of about 20 miles, I could see `Chimney Rock' very plain with the naked eye," he noted in his journal, "which . . . very much resembles the large factory chimneys in England, although I could not see the form of its base." He continued, "The romantic bluffs on the north and the lightning [seen in the distance] . . . tended to fill my mind with pleasant reflections, on the goodness and majesty of the Creator and governor of the universe and the beauty of the works of His hands."

Sources: An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton, 315-20; Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 554; "The Pioneers of 1847," Historical Record 9 (March 1890): 36-39; Pioneering the West, 1846 to 1878, 39-47; Wilford Woodruff's Journals 3:177-81.