Through the Valley of the Shadow...

By the third day in the desert, the men were mortally thirsty, frightened and rebellious.  They demanded that Walker turn back and continue the longer route where there was at least water. 

Captain Walker was not one to change his course based on what his men said, but this time, by midnight he yieldedto the wishes of his men, and as it was cooler at night, they started back towards the Sierra mountains.

Two bad days and nights followed which reduced the party to drinking the blood of some of the cattle.  No one died, however, and once they found the route again, they reached Humboldt Sink by June 18 without further ado.

Time to reunite with old friends and enemies...next time.

Searching the Sierras...

May 1, 1834, Walker's party found a spring in Owens Valley and said goodbye to a few more restless men of the exploration party, namely Bill Williams, Bill Craig, and Joe Meek who were tired of the tight discipline Walker required of his men.  Ironically once they left Captain Walker, they ran a muck in New Mexico and Arizona.


Meanwhile, Walker traveled North skirting Death Valley and the Nevada barrens, following the eastern foothills of the Sierras.  It was a safe route with abundant pasture and water.  However, they took the long way because Captain Walker reasoned that if they headed into the dessert on a northeast diagonal they would would cover less ground in the end. 

On May 10, they turned away from the Sierras into the dessert...which makes me wonder if there is ever any good reason to go into a dessert??  We will find out next time...