Hey! This is the same trip! Remember in my ggrandpa's memoir he said a young man named Jeffries had shot himself in the foot or something and had to be taken back to their starting point in Missouri? Here is the same incident mentioned by Judge Benjamin Hayes: "Jeffreys was wounded on September 12th at the Lower Spring, in consequence of which they stayed there three days." How about that?!! Now I've got to read Hayes' account!! By the way, Hayes apparently stated that they crossed the Colorado on Dec 31, 1849, whereas my ggrandpa wasn't sure. But if Hayes was correct, then my ggrandpa would indeed qualify as a 49er. Joan in San Jose