Show 116 information about the West that vas becoming such an important factor in United States history Although not the first — nor even among the earliest explorers — to reach the Great Salt lake Fremont did inaugurate original explorations and accomplish many things of lasting importance tion so greatly in of the West he supplied valuable first-han- d informa- regarding that mysterious section The Great Salt Lake was a barrier to trappers demand explorers and since it was relatively unknown rumors of whirlpools lake arms to the Pacific subterranean outlets the possible existence of a mighty lake tribe and the abundance of wild life and vegetation on the islands had caused the lake to gain an "almost fabulous reputation" It and is only natural that a man of Fremont’s disposition should to gain first-han- d phenomenal body of water toward the lake be tempted He information concerning this therefore directed his course Captain Fremont and his party made their first approach to the lake at the mouth of Bear River September 3 1843 afoul of thousands of acres of swampy land The willows and catwhere that river discharges its waters tails were so high that even a view of the lake could not be However Fremont made one observation that is noteobtained worthy he determined the elevation at or near the mouth of the Bear finding it to be 4200 feet above the sea Thus Here they ran |