They were thirty-three in all, thirty-one men, a women and child plus one more if one counts the dog. Nearly two hundred years ago they came, the first band of explorers seeking to learn all they could of the land and each living creature there. Today we follow in their wake, a trail as intricate and multi-faceted as the colors of sunset undulating behind our vessel. Like the patterns traced on the waves, those who came behind left an ever changing trace, taking of the wealth of the land and giving to its economic worth. On the surface it is different now than then but beneath there lies a solid base of lessons learned and yet to be imparted.
It was only teamwork that pulled the Corps of Discovery through a long and arduous journey. It is that same sense of cooperation and family that turns our days into a time of relaxation and pleasure. While we eat or sleep and while we explore away from the ship, our crew are hard at work. They are hidden behind the scenes on the whole but their presence is always felt. Not a fingerprint can be found on the glimmering brass and the whites are always white. Our vessel is steady in each and every lock. Yet how many will watch a deckhand deftly toss our line with as much skill as a rodeo rider after a bull? Our fleet of Zodiacs seem to magically appear just when we need them to, tubes tense with air and engines emitting a gentle even purr. Numbering only twenty-two, this band tends to our needs and enriches our lives as together we follow in the wake of Lewis and Clark.
