Early explorers kept detailed journals of their expeditions, recording the routes they took and their friendly and hostile encounters with Indians, and these journals aided later travelers and helped communicate the newly discovered world. From Santa Fe to Los Angeles, Mexican mule trains traveled 1200 miles across 6 states on the Old Spanish Trail during 1829-48, often moving in single file in caravans that could stretch as long as a mile. Along the trail, Indians watched from mountain hideouts, greeted Mexicans at camps by watering holes, traded goods with them, and helped them find the easiest trails. The desert along the route was home to many animals living in their natural habitat.
