(click on the maps for a lager view)
Mushaway peak is just south of Gail TX and is a significant land mark in the area. Traveling from the east this peak can be seen from 25 miles away. It is located at the head of the Colorado River. This location would have made a pretty good winter camp. Like the other base camp locations once on top of the Llano Estacado carts would have move easy. I bet a lot of horses and cattle went down this trail.
Traveling up Tobacco Creek they would have found Cedar Lake as a good water source. They then traveled west to Seminole Draw and up it to present day Hobbs NM. From the head of Seminole Draw they had two trails.
The southern trail went off the Caprock (know as the Mescalero Ridge) just west of Hobbs. Just off the Mescalero Ridge is the Querecho Plains. Several accounts talks about this location. The Laguna Plaia would be a great water source along this trail. Moving on down in to the Pecos Valley the traverse down Gutuna Canyon was a trail location. Clayton Basin was another good water source and also provides for an excellent place to hold livestock. Seven Rivers provided great water and abundant grazing. It is also where the Comancheros turned north and traveled parallel along the Pecos River.
The northern trail went on to Twin Lakes, located just east of present day Lovington NM. From there the trail went west to the Mescalero Ridge (Caprock). I have found only one really good point to take carts down the Caprock in this area. Its location is Latitude 33.06, Longitude -103.80. The trail then went on to Nakee Ishee Lake and then on to Buffalo Valley on the Pecos River. Then the Comancheros turned north and traveled parallel along the Pecos River.
Traveling north along the Pecos they traveled to Bosque Redondo and on to Puerto De Luna. From there they went on to Anton Chico or Chaperito.
No comments:
Post a Comment