Two Brothers Big Spring Adventure--The Anza Trail

 Two hundred and thirty seven years ago, Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza of the Spanish military in what was then New Spain (now Southern Arizona) departed Tubac Presidio--the last bastion of Spanish security--with 240 soldiers and settlers, plus over 1,000 head of livestock in the first overland pioneering crossing to California.  Why would someone set out with untrained men (not to mention women, children and 4,000 hooves!) to cross the Sonoran Desert and the Salton Trough (which includes Imperial Valley, most of which is desert below sea level, similar to Death Valley)?

Here's at least part of the answer...

In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer  sailing on behalf of Spain, made the first sighting of the California coast.  But this territory remained unsettled for 227 years, until  in 1769 Father Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portolla established the first California mission in San Diego.  The Russians were breathing down Spain's neck from the north, and the English were snooping off the coast.  The Spanish Crown was afraid that unless they settled the land they claimed to be theirs, then some "foreigner" might challenge their holdings.  The "River of San Francisco" (San Francisco Bay) was discovered, and Spain planned to colonize the area to solidify it's hold on Alta California.

So why not just pack up a boatload or two of people and animals and sail right on into the Bay? There were several reasons, but the biggest one was the wind.  Because the prevailing winds blow toward the south along the California coast, a trip from western Mexico could take up to five months.  The toll on both humans and livestock attempting this trip would be severe.  There had to be a better way.

In 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza asked for and received permission to explore an overland route from the northern most point of New Spain's mainland (just south of present day Tucson, Arizona) to Monterey, California (then the capital of Alta California).  About three dozen men, including several priests, set out on horseback to find an overland path that could shave months of travel time.  He accomplished the round trip in three months (albeit at great peril).  He was then promoted and charged with finding volunteers to make the next trip with him.  These adventurers would eventually settle in San Francisco to become the original "Californios."

Because water was the key to survival during the through-the-desert trek, the expedition followed the Santa Cruz river (which runs through Tucson) north to the Gila River, which joined the Colorado River (at Yuma).  From there, they went from well to well along either side of what is now the California-Mexican border, until they reached the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California.  Leaving in October of 1775, they reached Mission San Gabriel (eight miles north of present day downtown Los Angeles) in January, 1776.  His trips were chronicled by more than one source, so we have a fairly good record of where Anza went and what took place.

At San Gabriel, Anza and the settlers could follow the newly founded path connecting the mission of San Gabriel with those of San Luis Obispo, San Antonio de Padua (in the foothills west of the Salinas Valley)  and Carmel.  This path would eventually connect all the missions, and become known as the El Camino Real.  Last summer, I biked to all 21 of these historic California missions (see June 2011 entries in this blog).

As I was cycling last summer, I noticed a lot of the signs like the one at the top.  Anza's name was familiar, as Anza Borrego Desert State Park was one of my dad's favorite camping and hiking areas.  So I did some research, and found that Anza history was just as rich in Arizona (state of my present residence).  The National Park Service designated a National Historic Route in 1990, roughly following the explorer's path.  Thus was born the idea of yet another crazy cycling adventure.

Just one more thing.  I read the diaries of the Anza party.  I wasn't convinced that crossing the desert on a bike by myself was all that smart an idea.  I had to find another person who was just as crazy as myself.  Hmmm... now who could that be?

Enter my brother Kent!  Twenty-one months my junior, he used to follow me all around the house when we were little tikes.  Perhaps I could get him to do that again. :)  (See brother Kent's blog, bikebruce.blogspot.com, for his side of the story.)

Saguaro cactus along the Anza National Historic Route in Arzona.