Departing from Fort Laramie, a vanguard company of Saints, including President Brigham Young, trekked across the high plains of Wyoming, passing such landmarks as Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate, and South Pass. During this phase of the journey, the pioneers encountered Jim Bridger, the legendary mountain man who offered advice and encouragement about the unfamiliar territory stretching before them. Bridger spoke optimistically, though cautiously, about the Salt Lake Valley. Wilford Woodruff recorded, “He spoke . . . highly of the great Salt Lake for a settlement,” but warned “there was but one thing that could operate against it . . . that would be frost.”
