Salvation Knoll

During the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers’ work on a road through the Colorado River gorge, four scouts—Lemuel H. Redd Sr., George W. Sevy, George D. Morrill, and George B. Hobbs—were sent ahead to search for a feasible route between the Colorado River and Montezuma Fort. What was expected to be an eight-day expedition became a twenty-three-day ordeal through some of the most difficult terrain in North America. Lost, weary, cold, and out of food after days in deep snow and blinding storms, the men climbed a small knoll southwest of their camp on Christmas morning 1879 to determine their location. From there, Hobbs saw the Blue Mountains about ten miles away across a spur of Elk Mountain, recognized the landmark they had sought for several days, and the party was able to locate itself and continue east through a canyon toward Fort Montezuma. They returned on January 10, 1880, exhausted but safe, having traveled 136 miles, and were praised for their pluck and determination under severe hardship.

Utah · United States