There were some bones of cattle around the springs which they thought was an indication that in years gone by there had been some traveling on this trail.

There surely would be water in the snow which could be got by melting it, and on the whole it seemed best to make the attempt to cross at the lowest place.

There were no signs of travel except the trail which had not been used in years, not signs of civilization except the bones.
Starting from the water holes which showed no signs of having been used for several years, their next camp was, as they had calculated, on the edge of the snow where they found plenty of dry juniper trees for fire.
and of course plenty of water.

Here they killed an ox and fed the hungry so that they were pretty well refreshed.

This was an elevated place and they could look back over the trail across the desert for, what seemed to them, a hundred miles, and the great dangers of their journey were discussed.