In 1991 the Grand Canyon Pioneers examined Hopi Clan symbols left by the Hopis over the years as they traveled along the wash toward the salt deposits in the Grand Canyon. Each year the chosen members of the clans made the trip and marked the symbol of his clan in the desert varnish on the boulders, a picture of a stalk of corn to represent the corn clan, a bear paw for the bear clan or an antelope to represent that clan. It was a great honor for these men to be chosen for the hazardous trip through the Little Colorado River Gorge to the confluence with the Colorado at Grand Canyon to gather sacred salt. They made the trip regularly for hundreds of years and stopped on their way long enough to carve these symbols beside what became known as the Salt Trail.

From the Hopi Clan rocks, Val Avery led the members of the Pioneers along the base of the cliffs to the ruins of the old Willow Springs Trading Post and pointed out that the early Mormon settlers used the same trail to make the trip back to St. George, Utah, where they could have their marriage vows sanctified in the temple. These early travelers, seeing the clan symbols, began to imitate the Indians and carved their names in the rocks and on the sides of the cliffs. The wide sandy Hamblin Wash soon became a well-used highway for both the Indians and the white man, who designated it as the Honeymoon Trail.

Al Richmond gave us a quick lesson in geology explaining how the area came into being and Carol Werhan told us about the vegetation before we faced the blowing sand and made our way back to the modern wagons. The group took a rough Navajo road past the old John D. Lee house and peach orchards at Moenave and on to Tuba City. We drove by the old Tuba City trading post and picnicked on the grounds of the Tuba City Elementary School where the buildings and grass protected us from the blowing sand (but not the wind). Marie Maiorana surprised us by sharing her birthday cake and we sang "Happy Birthday".

The original plans were to follow the Honeymoon Trail on to Lee's Ferry but the wind and blowing sand proved too much. The early pioneers were more hardy than the modern ones so that will come at another time. Our thanks to Val Avery for her splendid presentation and for sharing her vast knowledge of history. It was a wonderful and exciting trip that all enjoyed.

Used by permission of the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society.

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