The highway follows Los Gatos Creek along La Vereda del Monte, the Mountian Trail and into Murrieta’s badlands. Once it crosses into San Benito County it’s full of ruts and potholes cutting through the southern part of the Diablo Range. With its highest peak at 5,200 ft, it ‘s nearly as inaccessible as it was 175 years ago when Murrieta herded his stolen horses past Spanish Lake through the canyons at Horse Thief Trail. Here we are at 1,500 ft; to the right we begin our ascent up to 4,500 and along the ridge

Blooming Oaks along Los Gatos Creek. Murrieta’s route, called La Vereda del Monte (The Mountain Trail), entered Coe Park at San Antonio Valley, where they rustled horses from Isabel Valley, holding them at Mustang Flat, then rounded Mustang Peak and headed south, past the Pinnacles and what is now Hollister There they would have followed the San Benito River up into the badlands. Much of the range crests over 4,000 ft in elevation and the peak at San Benito is 5,200. Joaquin Rocks, at the eastern edge of the range is where Murrieta had his hideout, complete with horse corrals. If you look at some of the maps I’ve posted, you can get an idea of how remote an area this is, even now. One thing that fascinates me about Murrieta is how well he must have known California.