Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HOLE IN THE ROCK -- One hundred-thirty years ago, a group of Latter-day Saint pioneers did what many still call the impossible: They braved southern Utah's Hole in the Rock. Author Gerald Lund documented their journey in his new book about the San Juan mission.
Near a little-used, 60-mile stretch of road that runs from Escalante toward Lake Powell, the band of 250 men, women and children created a trail on their way to settle a new territory. There aren't too many places in the area where the wagon trail is obvious, but there is one where you can literally see it crossing the road and then moving on into the distance.
"There were springs at about every 10 miles, and so they called them Ten Mile Spring, Twenty Mile Spring, Thirty Mile Spring," Lund explained.
Lund has written a new book titled "The Undaunted." It refers to the courage, faith and endurance of the group of Latter-day Saints whose church leaders had asked them to settle the Four Corners area and make peace with the Native Americans.
When the terrain changed to rock and discouragement set in, one of their company leaders said something that defined them.
"The first thing he said was, ‘We must go on, even if we cannot,'" Lund explained.
Their scouts finally reported only one way down to cross the Colorado River: a gap, known as the Hole in the Rock. Impossible, many said, to take horses and wagons. They wrote about starting down the hole.
"Lizzie Decker said it was the most frightening day of her life. She said, ‘If I told you, you wouldn't believe it,'" Lund said.
But with ropes and manpower, they guided horses and wagons; none were lost.
Lund says they conquered the Hole in the Rock and went on to build the town of Bluff. They made peace with the land and its inhabitants.
That group of pioneers traveled up and down the gap for a year, carrying supplies.
Gerald Lund's new book, "The Undaunted," was released Wednesday by Deseret Book.
E-mail: cmikita@ksl.com
