Sweeney Ridge and the Accidental Discovery of the San Francisco Bay

our Commander determined to continue the journey in search of the harbor and vessel of which the scouts had been informed by the heathens, and in the afternoon we set out going along the shoreline until we took to the mountains on a northeast course. From their height we (saw) the great estuary -- Miguel Costans , Nov. 5, 1769

I underestimated the climb. For some reason, I thought the hike up to the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site in San Mateo County would be a breeze, an afterthought. This assumption was wrong.

Portol Monument | Photo: Hadley Meares

I panted up the dusty, steep trail, in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, which I soon stripped off, revealing my one and only sports bra. When I reached the one mile-marker, I almost cried -- I was sure I had already hiked at least two miles. As I ascended higher, the view became breathtaking and the scrubby vegetation more impressive -- yellow and red wildflowers, poppies, a plateau of fir trees. After 2 miles of frequent stops, I reached the top of Sweeney Ridge, about 1,220 feet above sea level.

Teenage boys were smoking pot on the only bench, so I stood and took in the majesty of the San Francisco Bay, spreading out in front of me, like a giant inviting pool. Farther up a smaller trail I found a monument, a hunk of rough stone in a field of brown dirt. It read, From this Ridge the Portol Expedition Discovered the San Francisco Bay November 4, 1769

None of the other hikers on the trail ventured up to the secluded monument -- few even seemed to know it was there. I sat and caught my breath on the cement block that held the monument in place, pouty and bummed that I still had to hike back down to my car. I reflected on the fact that when Gaspar de Portol had reached this daunting ridge over 200 years ago, he had also been bummed out -- for another, more pressing reason.

He had not found what he was looking for.

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In May 1602, a self-funded Spanish explorer named Sebasti n Vizca no set out to explore the coast of what is now California for the viceroy of New Spain. Vizca no and [his] company were to chart and sounds, bays, islands, reefs and bars, a report from the National Parks service states. They were to take solar and stellar readings, note wind directions, map locations of anchorages, reference wood and fresh water sources and establish place names with their topographical descriptions. Vizca no was particularly interested in discovering safe harbors, which could host treasure ships from the Philippines. When he reached Monterey Bay on December 16, he believed he had found a perfect harbor, sheltered from all winds. News of his discovery spread in New Spain, and the utopian harbor of Monterey became a legendary find.

Over a century passed. The Spanish were slow to explore the coast further, consumed in the governance of other parts of their empire. In 1767, Gaspar de Portol , a sophisticated 50-year-old career army officer from an aristocratic Catalan family, arrived in New Spain, posted to duty in the Army of America, -- a post he did not ask for.

Gaspar de Portol

By 1769, the Spanish were finally ready to begin occupying California. A sacred expedition on land and sea was organized, and Portol was appointed its leader. A group of 300 explorers, including 27 Calvary officers, soldiers, Christianized Mexican Indians, blacksmiths, carpenters, engineer Miguel Costans , and an army surgeon were assembled, and set out on foot for San Diego. Also in the party were the legendary Franciscan Father Jun pero Serra, considered the father of the controversial California mission system, and his associate, the astute and literary Father Juan Cresp . Three ships -- the San Jose, San Antonio, and San Carlos -- were to provide food and materials to the land party throughout their journey.

When the land party reached San Diego their number had been cut in half, decimated by illness and exhaustion. The surgeon had lost his mind. When the San Antonio and San Carlos arrived, their crews were not much better off, having been ravaged by scurvy.

Portol , joined by 64 men, including Father Cresp and engineer Costans , left San Diego on July 14, 1769. Father Serra stayed in San Diego to establish the first California mission and care for the ill. Portol and his men ventured farther north on foot and donkey, clearing a trail that would later be known as the El Camino Real. They were searching for Vizca no's mythical Monterey Bay. They were also on the lookout for the San Jose, which was supposed to meet them at Monterey with life-saving provisions.

It was an exhausting journey. The men traveled hundreds of miles, through present-day Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Simeon, while scurvy sapped their strength. Supplies were running low and their maps, drawn up by the Vizca no expedition, were inaccurate, complicating matters further. When they came across a large bay on October 1, they explored it for two foggy days, and decided it could not possibly be the epic Monterey Bay of Vizca no's description. Not only was it just an ordinary bay, the San Jose was nowhere in sight. Unfortunately, they were incorrect -- the bay was indeed Monterey.

1781 Map of San Francisco Bay by Jos de Ca izares | Public Domain

And so they traveled on, searching for what they had already found. In late October, Portol met a group of Quiroste Indians near the edge of southwestern San Mateo County. The Quiroste told them that close by were two harbors, and in one of those harbors was a foreign ship. The party was thrilled -- finally they would find both Monterey Bay and the missing San Jose. The ship is there, Father Cresp wrote. Divine Providence grant it be so, and that we reach there as soon as can be.

On November 3, a portion of the party went up what is now Sweeney Ridge. They returned that evening, firing their gun

LINK:	https://www.kcet.org/shows/california-coastal-trail/sweeney-ridge-and-...
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