“Finally Home, View From Big Mountain”
60 X 45 Oil
After Echo Canyon and the Weber River, the
remaining miles to Zion became a grueling ordeal. Choked by brush and willows, twisting
and rolling uphill and downhill, the path “home” was hard earned. And finally, the
weary saints faced the ascent up Big Mountain. At 8400 feet, the summit of Big Mountain
was the highest elevation of the entire trail, and coming after so many weeks of
hardship, also the most difficult. As if to test the strength of the saints to the
very last, the end of their 1300 mile journey proved to be the hardest. But at last,
the ridge and the first view! Far below lay the valley floor, proclaimed by Brigham
Young “the right place.” Here would be Zion. Here would be home.
After issuing from the mountains among which we had been shut up for many days, and
beholding in a moment such an extensive scenery open before us, we could not refrain
from a shout of joy which almost involuntarily escaped from our lips the moment this
grand and lovely scenery was within our view.
Orson Pratt
Of course, the work wasn’t finished, the trials not ended. Even the trail down from
Big Mountain was steep and dangerous requiring locked wheels and great care in the
descent. But with Big Mountain conquered, their journey was finally through.