The pioneers of 1847 traveled over a soft, slow prairie on May 5th. But that wasn't the biggest problem.

Just ahead, great prairie fires burned, fanned by a strong south wind. After traveling about 13 miles, the danger prompted Brigham Young to order them to backtrack about a mile.

Thomas Bullock: "...THE WIND BLEW THE ASHES OF THE BURN GRASS IN ALL DIRECTIONS WHICH SOON CAUSED US TO LOOK LIKE SWEEPS. HOWEVER, BY WASHING AFTER OUR HALT WE WERE ENABLED TO DISCERN EACH OTHER AGAIN."))

Compounding their problems this day--sickness. They blamed it on all the fresh buffalo meat they'd been eating.