Intern insights from the Old Spanish Trail...

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Intern insights from the Old Spanish Trail adventure crew:

“National Historic Trails are awesome because they encapsulate the entirety of public lands so well. Historic trails offer access to cultural, recreational, and visual resources. They also provide the opportunity to connect at a historical level to the landscapes that surround us. They tell the story of how the American continent was settled. After traveling along the Historic trails with modern conveniences I am convinced that the men and women that once traveled and forged these trails are the astronauts of today.”

-Gordo Wood (American Conservation Experience, VRM Intern)

“While I could discuss the excitement I experienced from learning about the historical significance and cultural aspects the trail has to offer, my takeaways from our #OSTadventure were defined by the recreational opportunities available to us along the trail: climbing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, geocaching, and horseback riding were just some of the activities available on 400 mile journey. With more time and resources we could have done even more. Getting the opportunity to travel along the Old Spanish Trail with seasoned BLMers was a life-changing experience that opened my eyes to all the fun that can be had on Utah’s public lands. I hope our story encourages everyone to get outside and start playing!”

-Matt Martin (American Conservation Experience, Planning Intern)

“As we traveled the Old Spanish Trail, I was struck by the vast historical time-line. From discoveries of rock art and inscriptions to glass bottles, medicine containers, and dinosaur tracks, we found evidence of traders, Ute Native Americans, railroad workers, ranchers, and dinosaurs. Despite these archaeological and paleontological finds, the history that "blew our minds” was the discovery of an old railroad culvert; all that remained of a railroad grade washed away by years of flash flooding. The sheer power of swiftly moving water, combined with the realization that we were most likely the first people to stumble upon the culvert in years, left us dumbstruck and eager for future discoveries. In the few days we had to follow the trail, our knowledge of the land and those who crossed it greatly expanded. The cultural opportunities are endless, and the discoveries are only just the beginning.“

-Hannah Cowan (American Conservation Experience, Paleo Intern)

So what’s next for the #OSTadventure crew?

They already have plans for a video or collection of videos of the trip that will be tied to QR codes and posted at kiosks on or near the trial. And the group has considered a longer high production video and a photo journal for use in traditional venues as well as social media /digital publication.

If you missed any #OSTadventure posts last week, read them all now using the hashtag #OSTadventure on Tumblr.