The New Mexico Trail - page 4 of 4
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I have considered two alternative routes within the Quemado Volcanic Field, one being a mile east of present day Blains Lake where the captain could have entered a similar canyon where a lava flow interrupts northward travel. Going around the flow to the west (left) and proceeding again northeast leads to a high volcanic hill called Cerro Pomo.
Besides modern earth works creating pools, aerial photography suggests there are natural low spots near the base of this hill that might be Zúñiga’s tinaja. From Cerro Pomo the distance to Zuni Salt Lake is about five leagues in a north-northwest direction. Just before reaching the lake, two high rock formations squeeze the trail and once past this constriction the trail makes a sharp decent immediately to the salt lake.
A second alternative route considered was through a canyon to the Red Hill lava flow and then left to present day Goat Spring but the direction from San Vidal to Red Hill is almost north, the overall distance between San Vidal and Goat Spring is almost eight leagues, and Goat Spring is not a pool. The Agua Fria Creek route (the first mentioned) is therefore chosen as the most likely direct route to Zuni Salt Lake.
At day break on April 30, 1795 the fatigue party followed a trail north and turned into present day Moreno Canyon where they found water. Then they proceeded over Santa Rita Mesa and through Jaralosa Canyon to Atarque Lake. After making a gradual climb northward over rocky terrain, probably in the region east of Mesa Colorado, the expedition crossed Plumasano Basin and quickly lost the road.
Continuing in a round-about-way they came across a region of red earth (Red Mesa) and found a pool of water and evidence that someone had recently cut wood. With the sun setting the captain called a halt and camped for the night. The expedition was now at the watered head of Trapped Rock Draw and only two leagues or so south of Zuni Pueblo. During this day they pushed father then any other day. According to Zúñiga they had covered 16 to 17 leagues. It is nearly 44 miles by road between Zuni Salt Lake and Zuni Pueblo.
On May 1, 1795 the captain sent Ensign Don Antonio Narbona and a small party ahead with news of the approaching fatigue party. The ensign probably rode north down Trapped Rock Draw and approached the pueblo. Zúñiga following the same beaten path arriving shortly thereafter on the same day.
Greeted only by the Franciscan priest, Zúñiga immediately sent a letter to the governor of New Mexico asking him to send two experienced men so they could familiarize themselves with the new road. On the 7th of May, fearing the snow that had fallen, Zúñiga departed the mission pueblo for home.