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Journal of Western Travel
by John McTurk Gibson
edited by Weldon Hoppe
July 2nd, 1859 -- There was ice on our buckets this morning as thick as window-glass, reached the crossing, where Gilbert's Station is about noon, the boys got there last night, the cattle were tired, so we laid over in the afternoon and are now refreshing ourselves drinking ice-water. A road starting from this point leads to California avoiding Salt Lake City, said to be 100 miles nearer, it is called Lander's Cut-off. We might probably have taken this road, had we not let the Salt Lake train have our flour, as it is we must go that way to get it.Powell
Travelled 11 miles and camped by the last crossing of the Sweet Water. We crossed two creeks to a trading post here. This is called South Pass City. The roads fork here, one goes by Fort Hall and is called the Landers Route, the other goes by Salt Lake. The Fort Hall Road is said to be the best for feed and water. I had the pleasure to day of rolling on the snow while the sun was pouring down its heat to no small extent. There is considerable of snow here. We have plenty of snow to cool tea. We also had a snow ball fight a few miles east of here. We have been 5 days, or about, travelling up the Sweet Water, distance about 100 miles. It is 244 miles from here to Salt Lake City. North west of here is a chain of mountains which appear to be covered with snow.