New Mexico Santa Rosa de Abiquiú, July 30 :The first night of the journey they stayed overnight at the
Santa Clara pueblo, north of Santa Fe. From there they "traveled nine
leagues, more or less, and arrived at the pueblo of
Santa Rosa de Abiquiú, where because of various circumstances we remained on the 31st without traveling, and where by means of a Solemn Mass we again implored the aid of our most holy patrons."
Colorado Mesa Verde, August 10 :From Dulce, they entered present-day Colorado through
Arboles,
Ignacio,
Durango and
Hesperus. The river was named from the word
manco, meaning "one-handed" or "crippled" after one of the men fell into a river, injuring his hand.
Escalante and Domínguez Pueblos, August 13 :Near present-day
Dolores, Escalante and Domínguez found and recorded
Ancestral Puebloan ruins in southwestern Colorado, the first white men to do so. Escalante Pueblo and Domínguez Pueblos, named for them, are included within the
Anasazi Heritage Center. :The expedition continued west and northwest, crossing the Dolores River. They traveled through a canyon before they came to an area near current
Egnar and traveled along the
San Miguel River to an area about five miles west of
Nucla. The land became increasingly arid, with less pasture land and insufficient water for the horses, and the canyons difficult. Having seen signs of settlements, which they called
rancherías, and realizing that they needed assistance, they searched for
Utes who might serve as their guides.
Bowie, September 1–2 :Continuing travel to the northeast, the expedition reached the area of Bowie, encountering eighty Ute men on horses. Most were from the village that Escalante and Domínguez sought. Some of the men accompanied them to the Ute village, consisting of about thirty "tents". Father Domínguez met the chief and his sons. With villagers gathered, Domínguez preached through Andrés Muñiz, the interpreter. He expressed concern about their practices of plural marriage and naming people for animals, which he said was a lower form of life than man. They referred to one of the Ute guides as "Silvestre", and said that he was a Laguna, a Timpanogo from the
Utah Lake region. The Ute men strongly encouraged the expedition to turn back, because they would encounter the
Comanche on their trip west. The Ute worried that if they were harmed, the Spanish governor would blame the Ute. The leaders responded that they needed to continue to find a lost
Father Garces and put their faith in God to watch out for them. Violating the agreement on which the expedition had gained permission for this journey through Ute territory, and the spiritual purpose behind it, the interpreter Muñiz and his brother Lucrecio traded goods for guns, as they feared the Comanche warriors. :Having arranged for guides, they traded their horses for fresh ones from the Ute. They gained agreement to continue the expedition, guided by "Silvestre" and a boy they named "Joaquín". The party traveled through what is now protected federal land, including the
Grand Mesa National Forest, to the south side of
Battlement Mesa. Three Ute women and a child that they met exchanged for piñón nuts some berries that they had been drying in the sun. The group crossed the
Colorado River at
Una, where it ran west and southwest and was fed by the Dolores River. The group met some Ute who helped resolve questions with "Silvestre" about the best route to take next. The party learned from other Ute that the Comanche had moved to the east, away from their planned route. Silvestre warned them of a high hill which they reached; it was steep with loose rocks that caused a few mules to fall down its side 20 or more feet. The party had a strenuous climb to the top. They had traveled on the
Roan Plateau and in the southern end of Douglas Canyon. From the top of a high ridge, Silvestre pointed to the north, to the
Comanchería, and to the west, where his people lived in
Utah Lake Valley.
Rangely, September 10 :Having traveled north and west through the
Cañon Pintado, the expedition entered present-day
Rio Blanco County, Colorado, named for the
White River (which they named the
Río de San Clemente), which runs into
Utah at its western border. They crossed the White River just east of
Rangely. After weeks of mountain, canyon and mesa travel, the land here was flatter. They followed a
bison trail heading in the direction they wished to travel.
Utah The travel journal kept by Escalante provided the first written descriptions of the
geography and
people in the area that would later become the state of
Utah.
Yampa Plateau, September 11 :With their provisions running low, a few men successfully chased and killed a bison on the
Yampa Plateau in present-day
Uintah County, Utah. Traveling northwest, they next came upon the
Green River (which they named the
Río de San Buenaventura) and Split Mountain, which they described as follows: "Here it has meadows abounding in pasturage and good land for raising crops, with facilities for irrigation. It must be somewhat more than a league wide and its length may reach five leagues. The river enters this meadow between two high cliffs which, after forming a sort of corral, come so close together that one can scarcely see the opening through which the river comes." They camped off the Green River near present-day
Jensen, Utah. At a stand of six cottonwoods, Lain carved his name in one of the trees, with the year 1776 with a large cross and two small crosses. Heading southwest from Jensen, the expedition noticed fresh horse tracks which they determined to be Comanche following a Ute bison-hunting party. They camped at Horseshoe Bend on the Green River and then headed west to what is now
Myton, where they found ruins of a pueblo. Continuing westward they camped near
Duchesne,
Fruitland, and Soldier Springs. The route from Jensen to Soldier Springs was roughly along the current
U.S. Highway 40.
Uinta National Forest, September 20 :The expedition traveled westward through the present
Uinta National Forest, from Strawberry Valley, along Fifth Water Creek and Diamond Creek, to Wanrhodes Canyon. They experienced difficult traveling conditions: cool temperatures, blustery winds and varying types of hazardous terrain; soft ground with holes that caused the horses to sink, dense groves of cottonwood and shrubs, and
defiles. As the expedition moved slowly in the difficult terrain, "Silvestre", anxious to reach his home, pressed ahead of the expedition many times, so that the main group compelled him to stay with them. :On September 22, not far from Wanrhodes Canyon, "From the top of the last ridge we saw in front of us and not very far away many columns of smoke arising in the same sierra. The guide Silvestre said that they must have been made by his people who were out hunting. We replied to them with other smoke signals so that if they had already seen us they would not take us to be enemies and thus flee or welcome us with arrows. They replied with larger smoke signals in the pass through which we must travel to the Lake, and this caused us to believe that they had already seen us, because this is the most prompt and common signal used in any extraordinary occurrence by all the people of this part of America… And about two o'clock in the morning, the hour when according to [Silvestre's] opinion there might be one or more Indians close at hand, he made a long speech in his language, giving them to understand that we were peaceable people, friendly and good."
Utah Lake, September 23 :Silvestre and Joaquín were given woolen cloth and red ribbon which they used to adorn themselves before entering the village of their people. Silvestre tied the cloth around his head, with the long ends hanging down his back, and wore a cloak that had been given to him earlier. The men traveled out of the canyon, into a meadow and entered the
Utah Lake Valley, and the lake which they called the Lake of the Timpanogos Tribe. They saw many plumes of smoke and meadows recently burnt or still burning, which they took to mean that the Timpanog Utes believed they were Comanches or another hostile Native American tribe. :After they had camped near present
Spanish Fork, a small contingent including Silvestre, Joaquín, Muñiz and Domínguez traveled ahead to a Native American village on the
Provo River, north of Provo and east of
Utah Lake. Men came out to meet them, brandishing weapons, but as soon as they recognized Silvestre, the men from the expedition were warmly welcomed and embraced. They met with the tribal leader, Chief Turunianchi. The Native Americans were greatly surprised to learn that they had traveled safely through Comanche territory. The purpose of the visit was explained, including the desire to share their faith. Domínguez asked for another guide to continue their search for Father Garces. Joaquín would continue on the journey as well as a boy they named "José María". The fathers gave gifts to the tribe and received a large quantity of dried fish for their travels. Understanding the desire of the expedition to return, the tribe offered the use of their land to build houses for other Spaniards who might wish to join them on their lands after they completed their journey. :The
Utah Lake Valley was described by Escalante as conducive to settlement. The temperature was comfortable day and night. There were four rivers, large meadows for farming, and sufficient fish, fowl and animals for hunting, wood for homes and fires, pasture land for horses and more. Because of the abundance of fish, the Timpanogos are described as "fish-eaters". Although they heard of
Salt Lake Valley, and the salty lake located there, the expedition did not travel into the Salt Lake area.
Payson, September 26 :The group left Silvestre's village near Spanish Fork on September 25 and traveled southwest. They camped next at sites near
Springville,
Payson, Starr,
Levan and Scipio. The route from Springville south to Scipio is essentially the route of current Interstate Highway 15. They came across several small groups of Native Americans along the way, most of whom were quite friendly and social. Some of the men had thick beards and were thought to look more in appearance like Spanish men than Native Americans; Men of this tribe were friendly, helpful and gracious and like "Silvestre's" tribe, encouraged the Spaniards to return. After Scipio they had difficulty finding pastureland and water fit for drinking. At times the only water that they could find was water made salty by the region's salt beds, which made the horses ill. Pasture land had become increasingly scarce. To add to their troubles, "José María" walked off one morning to return to his village, disappointed by the ill treatment of one of the servants.
Beaver River Valley, October 5 :A cold wind blew in followed by heavy snowfall, hail and rain that prevented travel for several days. Conditions were very uncomfortable, with no wood to create a fire. Once they attempted traveling the horses were bogged down or fell down in the snow-covered mire. Domínguez and Escalante weighed the risks of continuing their expedition to California: all the mountains that they would need to pass to get to California were covered with snow. If they continued with hardships, their last guide, "Joaquín" might desert them, too. They reflected that the missionary goals for the trip had been met; they had invitations to return for future settlement. Thus, they decided that rather than heading west, they must begin heading south and return to Santa Fe. Heading south, they met with greater success; the ground was not so difficult for the horses to travel as the previous day and they camped near current
Milford. There snow had melted into a pool of water and there was pasture land for the horses. This was the end of the territory of their friends, the long-bearded Utes. :They came upon members of a Native American tribe who were quite suspicious of the group of men. Mostly as a means to lead the men away from their tribe, the chief and another man led the expedition from an area near present
Kanarraville to an area near present-day Pintura where the guides silently left the Spaniards. They continued their journey south towards
Toquerville. Although several days of travel had been quite hot, they came upon mild weather, green meadows and an area where a Native American tribe grew maize. Near
Hurricane the land became sandy, making travel difficult for the horses, and that day they did not find pasture land or water. They camped next on lands southwest of
Hurricane near the border of Arizona.
Arizona Mojave Desert, northwestern Arizona, October 16 :The expedition wanted to travel south to the
Colorado River but learned from eight Native American men that although they were not far from the Colorado River it was unapproachable, surrounded by a great, deep canyon (the
Grand Canyon). Out of provisions, they sacrificed one of the horses for food and the next day sought water. Miera was ill, unable to eat and nearly unable to speak. Near Diamond Butte, they came upon five Native Americans, called Yubuincariris, who showed them to an area of good water and took a few men back to their village to trade for some food, wild sheep, prickly pear and grass seeds. The Native Americans also shared information about other neighboring tribes. Although they knew nothing of Monterey, they had heard of the travels of Father Garces.
Paria River, October 22 :The expedition continued to experience difficulties due to illness and lack of water, pastureland and supplies as they made their way east across what is now the state of
Arizona, sometimes heading north enough to cross into what is now
Utah. Many stops were made along the
Paria River canyons and plateau,
Wahweap and
Glen Canyon.
Crossing of the Fathers, Colorado River, October 26 – November 7 :Guided by local Native Americans, the expedition proceeded to the site of present-day
Lees Ferry, but found it too difficult a crossing. They were led to a second ford of the Colorado River, where they carved steps into the canyon wall. This ford, named the
Crossing of the Fathers, is now submerged beneath
Lake Powell.
Northeastern Arizona, November 8–12 :While crossing northeastern Arizona, the party endured snowy, cold weather, had little food or water, and faced difficulties in finding a good trail. Their journal records these difficulties, but the record of their route is sketchy because they were too busy trying to survive.
Pueblo of Oraybi, November 16 :Finally, the party arrived at a Hopi (Moqui) pueblo,
Oraybi, on the
Third Mesa, where they were sheltered, fed, and provisioned.
Return to New Mexico Northwestern New Mexico and Santa Fe, November 17 – January 2, 1777 :Continuing their journey through northwestern New Mexico, the party finally arrived in Santa Fe on January 2, 1777. ==Old Spanish Trail==