Riley Root: August 17, 1848 
15 miles to camp, on Grand Round river. Eight miles across the head of the beautiful Grand Round valley, to a small branch, where emigrants might camp for the night, at the foot of the Blue mountains bordering the valley. From thence, we wound our way over the steep and rugged mountains, racking and straining our wagons, the distance of 7 miles farther, to the deep and lonely dell, where the Grand Round river is struggling and forcing its way through its narrow passage, down to the beautiful valley, Grand Round…Where we are encamped, the dell is narrow, and furnishes but little grass. It is remarkable for loudness of sound, when a gun is fired.

Riley Root: August 18, 1848
10 ½ miles, over a very uneven district of volcanic rocks and mountain soils, to camp, on one of the highest peaks of the Blue mountains on our route. Country, to-day, becomes more densely timbered all around and along our road, overshadowing it in many places with yellow pine, fir and spruce hemlock. Have passed several deep cuts, to-day, so steep that teams were necessarily doubld to ascend out of them, and some of them were dangerous and difficult. Our camp is located on the side of a high ridge, in a small opening, nearly one-fourth of a mile above its base, where we are obligd to descend, to obtain water for cooking. From this high ridge, it is said, Mt. Hood can be seen, but at this time it is so smoky, that we can see but a little distance.

Possibly this location Mr. Root describes is at the Blue Mountain Crossing at the summit of the Blue Mountains. It is a good site to visit in the summer months, but is closed during the winter. It gives you a real feel for what these individuals had to go through for their dreams of the Land of Milk and Honey.