La Vereda del Monte – San Benito Mountain – May 1, 2021
Tires on the ole chariot were holding up fine, I was a bit road rattled, driving since early morning in a giant u, up Clear Creek, along Joaquin Ridge, dropping in elevation, heading east, back toward Coalinga. This geography becomes important, as we get into the night, but for now, the sun is still high and just around the corner I come to the gate. No sign saying: Joaquin Rocks thata’ way, no trailhead posted, just a locked gate across the road and a turnout. I sit for a moment on the picnic table to take it all in. At this elevation the landscape had changed, oak knolls and grassy slopes, much like the hills near where I grew up – Briones, and the Berkeley hills are part of the same mountain range to the north, where the Mountain Path begins – and I think about this as I look up the trail and try to imagine Murrieta on his sorrel, driving a herd of 300 wild horses through the some of the most remote parts of California, ending up here, probably under the very tree I’m leaning against.Ranger Tom said it was a good 3 miles to the rocks from the gate, although he wasn’t too exact. There was 3 hrs of light left, give or take, so I decided to go for it. I cooked up a quick coffee on the single burner, hydrated a half quart of water, and downed some boiled eggs, 6 miles, I’d be back by dark, and if if I was on the trail after sundown, no worries, it looked like a good road, what could happen? I packed light, only my camera and a pocket full of trail mix –
I was about to find out.

how are you going to dream up a solution?

Southern California man found at a remote location in the San Benito Mountains last week, by a resident while on his way to tend his cows early in the morning. The man, who refuses to disclose his identity, was sitting on the side of the road muttering to himself. The only coherent sentence he spoke was ‘I am Joaquin’. Apparently he lost his way while hiking in the wilderness and took a wrong turn leading him down the mountain pass on trails not open to the public. The noted horse thief and Calavaras marauder, Joaquin Murrieta, lived during the California Goldrush and was a reputed to have made his last stand near to the location where this man was found. When asked about the mask on his head, he finally confessed to having been inspired by facebook confidant Sean Brown. He then went on to describe,

in elaborate detail, how he was using his old masks to keep his brains in. When it was pointed out that he looked nothing like the famous bandit, he replied, “What does this have to do with anything?” he said with a throaty Mexican accent. He is currently under observation by medical professionals at an undisclosed location, for any signs of post traumatic stress.

Several days later, Mr Brown was contacted and given an opportunity to tell his side of the story. He chose to respond by portraying his own likeness to the decapitated murderer, dead in a jar, as if to say: ‘I too, am Joaquin’ – In his post on Fb, he appears to be having delusional paranoia and refers to ‘them’ and openly states how ‘they’ wouldn’t believe him. After the fusillade, he recovered long enough to give a smirk and then stuck his face back in the jar.

Note: the Historical Landmark #344 below marks Joaquin’s place of death as < thata way