#juncal

Defendamos el Valle Juncal y Parque Andino Juncal

Pintura digital

Los Padres National Forest, California.

I was determined to hike what I could of the Franklin Trail. Then, you had to drive down to the old Juncal Campground (decommissioned) and hike up three miles of road to Jameson Reservoir to hike any of the trail. There's a lot more of that can now, and it all looks quite a bit different since the Thomas Fire and floods 3 weeks later. This is what it was in November 2015.

Immensity

Almost 400 years after storms sent one of Spain’s greatest treasure galleons to the bottom of the sea off Mexico, archaeologists from the two countries are to renew their search for the ship and its precious cargo of gold, silver and jewels.

Even before the tempests hit, the omens for the Nuestra Señora del Juncal’s return voyage in October 1631 were decidedly ill. A day before the fleet of which it was a part set sail from Mexico, its commander died. The ships pressed on even though the Juncal was in a poor state of repair and taking on water.

After weathering a fortnight’s storms, cutting the main mast and tossing cannons and other heavy objects overboard in a desperate attempt to lighten the ship, the crew could do no more. Of the 300 people on board, 39 survived by climbing into a small launch.