Show 130 exploring party then struck westward intending to reach California via a route along the south shores of the lake and across the Salt Desert Although Jedediah Smith The crossed this desert on his return trip from California in in 1827 his route had been much farther south than the one had in making his desert crossing Fremont really blazed the trail that was to become famous as followed by Fremont Hastings Hence Cut-o- ff After spending two weeks in the vicinity of the Jordan river Fremont's party started westward (October 22 1845) past the present location of Garfield across Tooele valley From and camped at the springs near what is now Grantsville this point the party continued westward across Skull valley to the edge of the Salt Desert where they camped to make preparations for the desert crossing They directed their course toward a high peak some 75 miles distant which An advance party consisting of kit named Pilot Peak Fre-mo- ng Carson (as guide) Archambeau Maxwell and one other unnamed sent ahead to locate water and light signal fires to guide the main party to it should they he successful In Ho white man had ever attempted such a crossing man was f fact Indians in the vicinity warned Fremont that no man had ever succeeded in traversing the barren waste Kit Carson and Joseph Walker probably knew as much about desert country as any other men but neither had knowledge of this part of it |