As the colonizing expedition descended Bautista Canyon towards the coastal plain the cold grew less as snow line in the mountains receded in the distance. Wildlife and water were everywhere for a change. According to Font, noting a large lake and "...vast numbers of geese which at a distance are seen in large white flocks....Finally, it has a very clear sky and a very delightful view. And it seem to me that on the other side of the lake and the river there might be an excellent site for a large settlement, with good opportunities for large grain fields, and for the raising of horses, cattle, sheep and goats, which would be very advantageous in this place because it is in the midst of such desert country."