Death Valley '49ers
[2]: 60–61 The stories of the Donner Party were still fresh on everyone's mind when a group of wagons arrived at Salt Lake City and organized in early fall 1849.
This was too late in the season to reach and cross the Sierra Nevada without risk of being similarly trapped, so it appeared the group would have to wait out the winter in Salt Lake City.
[7]: 63 In addition, Hunt instructed the group to wait a few more days before departing, as cooler weather would prevail during the southern route's path through the desert.
Instead, Hunt led the party west down the Beaver River, to present day Minersville, Utah, where they camped for two nights to rest and prepare for a long stretch with no water.
[6]: 52 After backtracking, the group continued down the I-15 corridor over the difficult Beaver Ridge to the Parowan Valley, where they camped near Little Salt Lake on October 27.
[4]: 62 Part of the group, led by Captain C. C. Rich and Francis Pomeroy, would break off on October 28 to follow Smith on the Ward route.
Everyone agreed that the Ward route would cut off 500 mi (800 km) from their journey so most of the 107 wagons decided to follow Smith's pack train.
The party proceeded to a point near present-day Enterprise, Utah in early November,[7]: 78–79 where most of the wagons continued west while a handful turned south to follow the Spanish Trail with Hunt.
[6]: 53 Most of the people became discouraged and followed Mr. Rynierson back to join Jefferson Hunt on November 7,[3]: 112–113 and 27 wagons decided to continue on through the wash.
[12] The oxen grew weak from lack of nourishment and water, and the pioneers began discarding treasured items in late November, approximately 90 mi (140 km) west of "Mount Misery" near present-day Hiko.
[12] They continued over Hancock Summit into Tikaboo Valley [citation needed] and then on to Groom Lake, now encompassed by Area 51, where they rested and took water.
[1] On Christmas Eve of 1849, the group arrived at Travertine Springs the west-facing canyon of the Amargosa Range, located about a mile from Furnace Creek Wash in Death Valley itself.
[14] The Jayhawkers arrived at Rancho San Francisco on February 4, 1850; the survivors later held reunions and celebrated annually on that day from 1872 to 1918.
[15] Meanwhile, the Bennett-Arcane group attempted to cross the Panamints to the south at Warm Springs Canyon, where Manly had reported seeing a lake,[13] but failed and retreated to the valley floor.
At the start of 1850,[13] they dispatched two men, William Lewis Manly and John Haney Rogers, with two weeks of supplies and US$30 (equivalent to $1,100 in 2023) to purchase relief and return.
Instead, Manly and Rogers walked nearly 300 mi (480 km) to Mission San Fernando, purchased supplies, and rode three horses and a one-eyed mule back to rescue the survivors, returning 26 days after they had set out.
[16] Each November, the group holds their annual Encampment "to celebrate this pioneer spirit and this special place called Death Valley.
