√ Where To Go

The history of California has always had something to do about trails. Unlike the Eastern slope of America’s Continental Divide, with a convenient coastline, navigable rivers flowing in a beneficial direction, the canoe was of little use for Western explorers, other than for Lewis & Clark on the Columbia.
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The way through the mountains to reach north/south paralleling valleys always had something to do with horses. The short coupled Arab, noted for their long distance endurance were brought on the old Spanish trails starting with El Camino Del Diablo 1540 expedition commissioned by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, and then in 1775, Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza led three hundred people and one thousand cattle and horses on a journey over two thousand miles to San Francisco. The overland track between seaport missions became known as El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road). The intelligent foundation stock —mission slave natives on horseback controlling unfenced cattle — developed into a Californio man on on horseback cultural unequaled anywhere else in this world.

Americans used what is still called old Spanish Trail of Jed Smith, Fremont, Kit Carson, and added the Applegate, the California Gold Trail, the Mormon, the Lassen, the California Costal, and the last to built for horses —The State of California Riding and Hiking Trail, where I taught my children what it was like to ride 20-miles in a day. We would start from Samuel Taylor State Park, and wind upward to 2,500 feet Mt. Tamapalis through redwood forests, to look down on San Francisco.

Unfortunately when part of what was to be a 3,000 miles loop trail, was used to link the Anza desert, with the Sierra disappeared into the new, “turnpike” PCNST, the dream of many California trail volunteers was shelved forever. Also fading rapidly are the bit-less Californio hackamore reinsmen who can turn a mustang in a 180 degree rollback with a flick of a finger on the mecate.

But, If you want to touch history, and hike a portion of a world famous National Scenic Trail, take a look at my book, “Search For A Shadow Of The Past,” for an idea of where to go, at what time of year. I also suggest —even though they personally do not care for horses on “their” trail— the best detailed guide book publisher is Wilderness Press.  Click here to read the Pioneering The Pacific Crest Trail book from the beginning.