"Horse Thief Canyon"
by
Greg Kelsey

Greg has revisited the deeply inspiring history of Chief Colorow Ignacio Ouray Walkara.  His band raided ranches and attacked travelers in the Great Basin and along the Old Spanish Trail between New Mexico and California.  Walkara was an imposing figure; a large man with piercing hawk like eyes.  His public name, translated as "yellow," was based on the yellow face paint which he often wore.  In California, Walkara was known as a great horse thief, primarily due to an 1840 campaign through the Cajon Pass into Southern California which resulted in the capture of a large number of horses mainly from the Spaniards, with estimates ranging from several hundred to 6,000 horses.  Horsethief Canyon and Little Horsethief Canyon in the Cajon Pass are named for his thieving exploits.