Journal Entry: Day 34, Friday, July 2,1976, Conshohocken,Philadelphia ,Pennsylvania....10mi

"A Beautiful Day"
 to Conshohocken, on the Forbidden Trail

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Journal Entry : Day 34, Friday July 2, 1976,  Conshohocken,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...10mi

We all got up late today (around 7 am) because we are not leaving until 10 am.  We had a meeting at 7:15 and then breakfast. 
 Got our new harness adjusted up and on the horses.  Left Roxborough at 10:15. 

 The Penn 6 Horse Hitch that is with us was asked to go behind us in line & the chuck wagon behind them.  As we start out, we can see that a lot more adjusting must be done with the harnesses – about 10:30 we started down the same hill we came up last night, one at a time again.  

11:15 we are all at the bottom and start along  the Wissahickon Creek on the "Forbidden Trail"in The Wissahickon Valley State Park, which we will be in most of the day.  What a treat ! Shady gravel non-moterized trail. This afternoon we are going to meet the Great Lakes Train and so tonight we should have about 60 wagons.  This forest has great dirt roads which run along theWissahickon, even though no motor vehicles are allowed here are many spectators.

11:45 We stop at the Village Inn for water & lunch.  We started out again at 1:15 from the Valley Forge Inn at the entrance to the Wissahickon Valley Trails. 2:05 We come out of the park and go left on Rte 422 past the White Marsh Country Club.  They say that Joe Frazer's

house is nearby. 

 2:08 We stop for a break.  There are many people walking today and most of the wagons are full of  people.  Pat & Frank Howard, Leah & Curt are in our wagon.  Dawn was in the wagon but now she is riding Chub & Ranny is walking along with Cathy.  Tom K & also Bob & Juanita Silva.  Pat is riding today. The SPCA is providing the water breaks.

About 2:35 we got going again by Joe Frazer’s house.  Now we are all going through the town.  3:10-3:20 we take 5 minutes on a hill, then we start up a longer hill on a cement road which is very slippery at one point the wagons in front of us were jammed up and so we slowed up.People had to get out of the wagons and help to push wagons up the hill to help the horses. I got out and helped push . It seems those shod with borium tips are slipping the worst. In order to get some room at that time the chuck wagon slowed up and then started again.  When he did the “ditch horses” legs went right out from under him and he fell flat on the ground.  We stopped and they got the horse up.  It seems OK but there is a little bit of blood coming from it’s mouth.Lee is riding Thunder driving the wagon.

Lee driving "Conestoga"style !

About 4 o’clock we are a short ways from camp and we are waiting for a parade that will lead us into camp.  We unhook at 4:20.  The Great Lakes Train did not get in until 7pm.  They had 8 official wagons, 24 in all and very few riders.  They are encamped about ½ mile down the road. 

We went to watch them come in.
 We are camped in a ball field and our truck along with N.H. is along the road which is quite heavy with traffic but I don’t think we will have any problems. 

Getting ready to pack up our ruck and trailer

Ranny Tuchon's trailer was painted with a Wagon Train scene

Around 11pm word went around for every one to leave except wagon train people.  But tonight there are many parties and there will probably not be too much sleep – and we must be up and have our gear ready to go at 5 am ,with the wagon totally empty !