1956 Trip Log of a San Juan and Colorado River Expedition "Moki Mac" Ellingson, Trip Leader
Do you recognize anyone mentioned in the record? We would love to hear from you! |
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or download a PDF file here. |
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The other day a very good friend of ours who is an "antiquarian" - a trader and seller of paper "ephemera", old books, manuscripts and such, called to tell us that he had unearthed a "treasure" from someone's garage, and he was sure it was something we would be interested in having.
It turned out to be a typed and hand bound record of an early Moki Mac trip on the San Juan and Colorado Rivers - way back in June of 1956. It included a roster of participants, a day-by-day journal of events, a 1924 poem written as an elegy to Rainbow Bridge, and a collection of original lyrics composed by enthusiastic members of the expedition, all directed to be "sung to the tune of" some popular melody of the time.
In reading through the daily log, the last few lines of the final entry caught my eye. This un-identified chronicler ended his account with these words:
"We unloaded and washed the boats, loaded the gear and boats and had one last and intensive river bath. ... A far cry was this group from those who left ... a week or so ago. Strangers? not a one - We were canteen swappers. A group - we had achieved we-ness. River Rats? Mokis? Well I guess."
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