Sixth Jedediah Smith Trail 1826/1827

Map of sixth Jedediah Smith Trail Map of sixth Jedediah Smith Trail
Map of sixth Jedediah Smith Trail

This year I am following again the trail of Jedediah Smith in the years 1826 — 1827, when he set off for his south west expedition. I will follow his trails also in the oncoming years until his death in 1831 by Comanches.

My trail starts this time again off my historic trails. First I visit the area north of Arches National Park. There are still old remnants from the uranium boom to see. Then I travel on to Canyonlands and the Islands in the Sky district. After passing Las Vegas I reach the San Bernardino Mountain range where I pick up Jedediah’s trail again. He went on to Mission San Gabriel in Los Angeles and waited for the permission from the Spanish to travel on North. Eventually he had to go to San Diego to see the governor. The Spanish thought he was on a military mission, because it was very suspicious to have a beaver hunter arriving from the desert

Jedediah sailed to San Pedro and went back to Mission San Gabriel. I follow his path along the coast line and to the Mission. The governor had ordered that he has to leave California the same way as he came in. So he went again over the San Bernardino Mountain range. There he decided that he has complied with the governors order and went at the Mohave Fork to the northwest. He crossed the Tehachapi Mountains on old Tejon Pass and followed the San Joaquin Valley up to Kings and American River. I only follow his path up to south of Kings River where I do some side trips to see the giant Sequoia trees. Via Barstow I reach I-40 again and travel via St. Louis and Louisville back to Pittsburgh.

  • Impressions from the road
  • Yellow Cat Trail Yellow Cat Trail
    Yellow Cat Trail
    Yellow Cat Trail Yellow Cat Trail
    Yellow Cat Trail
    Old Mining Truck Old Mining Truck
    Old Mining Truck
    Squaw Park Trail — this is the “Road” Squaw Park Trail — this is the “Road”
    Squaw Park Trail — this is the “Road”
    Canyonlands Mesa Arch Canyonlands Mesa Arch
    Canyonlands Mesa Arch
    Canyonlands Green River Overlook Canyonlands Green River Overlook
    Canyonlands Green River Overlook
    Canyonlands White Rim Trail Canyonlands White Rim Trail
    Canyonlands White Rim Trail
    Canyonlands Shafer Trail Canyonlands Shafer Trail
    Canyonlands Shafer Trail
    White Rim Trail Gooseneck Overlook White Rim Trail Gooseneck Overlook
    White Rim Trail Gooseneck Overlook
    White Rim Trail Musselman Arch White Rim Trail Musselman Arch
    White Rim Trail Musselman Arch
    Canyonlands Shafer Trail Canyonlands Shafer Trail
    Canyonlands Shafer Trail
    Canyonlands Potash Road Canyonlands Potash Road
    Canyonlands Potash Road
    Canyonlands Thelma & Louis Canyon Canyonlands Thelma & Louis Canyon
    Canyonlands Thelma & Louis Canyon
    Canyonlands Potash Road Mud Hole Canyonlands Potash Road Mud Hole
    Canyonlands Potash Road Mud Hole
    Mission San Gabriel Mission San Gabriel
    Mission San Gabriel
    LA Olvera Street LA Olvera Street
    LA Olvera Street
    LA Hollywood Sign LA Hollywood Sign
    LA Hollywood Sign
    LA Hollywood Sign LA Hollywood Sign
    LA Hollywood Sign
    Cabrillo Point Loma Lighthouse Cabrillo Point Loma Lighthouse
    Cabrillo Point Loma Lighthouse
    San Diego Coastline San Diego Coastline
    San Diego Coastline
    Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park
    Sequoia National Park
    Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park
    Sequoia National Park
    Sunset in Visalia, CA Sunset in Visalia, CA
    Sunset in Visalia, CA
    Bears in Sequoia National Park Bears in Sequoia National Park
    Bears in Sequoia National Park
    Tornado Warning along I–64 Tornado Warning along I–64
    Tornado Warning along I–64

The daily trails are in preparation