"traveled 18 miles and camped on a small stream near a beautiful spring"
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(Image at right is a painting entitled "Alcove Springs" by W.H. Jackson via this site)
Brigham Young made sure there were a lot of instruments for measuring latitude and longitude and barometric pressures and ways to record the temperatures. A barometer that Orson Pratt had said "the summit was 7,315 feet above sea level"
Heber C. Kimball entry for July 10th:
"Saturday 10 [ ] this morning we resumed our journey at 8 o clock the weather warm and windy [ ] after travelling 3½ miles we passed a small copperas spring at the foot of the mountain, a little to the left of the road. The water is very clear but tastes very strong of copperas and alum and leaves a very singular feeling in the mouth after tasting it [ ] it runs a little distance over the red sand which abounds in this region, and where it is saturated with water almost looks like blood at a little distance. After passing this spring the road winds around the foot of mountains gradually ascending for some distance till finally it leaks to the summit of a high ridge where Er Pratt took a Barometrical observation and found the lattitude to be ____ feet above the sea [ ] on arriving at the west side of the ridge 2½ miles from the last mentioned spring we found a very steep rough place to descent we halted sometime to fix the road. About half way down is a place where the road runs over huge rocks leaving barely room for a wagon to get down but by the labors of the brethren it was soon made possable [ ] a little further we had to dig down a pretty high bank which occupied some time prest. Young and myself assisting in digging. [ ] about a quarter of a mile from this place and 20 miles from Fort Bridger passed another copperas spring and a little beyond that on arriving on the bottom land again the road turns near south through a beautiful low bottom filled with grass at ¼ to 2 we halted in this bottom for noon having travelled 9 miles [ ] latitude of this halt 41°.14΄.21
after halting an hour and a half we proceeded again and at 3½ miles began to ascent the dividing ridge between the Colorado waters and the Great Basin. This mountain is very high and the ascent steep rendering it necessary to make a crooked road to gain the summit [ ] according to Er Pratts observations the height of this ridge is ______ feet above the level of the sea the top is narrow and on the left is another mountain as much higher than this as this is higher than the valley [ ] 3 bears were observed running up the side of the mountain but they escaped from the hunters [ ] on descending again on the west side we found it very steep having to lock the wagons for over half a mile [ ] on arriving at the foot of the ridge we travelle on the bottom a few miles between high rugged mountains till the road seems suddenly to be also up by a high mountain ahead [ ] here the road turns suddenly to the left and goes east about 200 yards then winds round another ridge till it takes a south west course. After rising and descending another high ridge we crossed a small creek about 10 feet wide and at a quarter to 8 formed our encampment on the south west banks having travelled this afternoon 9 miles and during the day 18 miles over the most mountainous country we have hitherto seen. After we had camped Mr Miles Goodier came into camp [ ] he is the person who is living on the farm in the Bear river valley [ ] he says it is 75 miles to his place from here although we are now within two miles of Bear River [ ] his report of the valley is more favorable than some we have heard [ ] he says the road is better to go by his place to the Salt Lake than it is to follow the Hastings route but we are some inclined to believe that he is anxious to have us make a road to his place through selfish motives. Er Pratt has found a beautiful spring of clear cold water, about a hundred yards south west from the camp the water is very pleasant tasted"
