Scotts Bluff rose abruptly from the plains and became a striking landmark for many people traveling west from the eastern part of the continent. Its dramatic appearance inspired poetic diary descriptions, and for emigrants bound for Oregon and California it brought relief because it marked that about a third of the journey was complete, that the plains were nearly behind them, and that the mountains were about to begin. It also signaled that the easy portion of the trip was ending and the difficult part lay ahead. The pass beyond was used not only by emigrants but also by Pony Express riders, stagecoaches, and the first transcontinental telegraph, all following a trail traveled by thousands. Although the first railroad route across the nation ran several miles south of Mitchell Pass, its effects were soon felt, and beginning in 1869 travelers chose the faster, safer Iron Horse over wagon trains.