Timeline of the Portolá expedition

  See Fray Juan Crespí diary (Bolton), pages 180–202

  1 – North, staying inland of the extensive sand dunes along the coast, to today's town of Guadalupe. When the expedition saw the area, it was covered by a large lake.

  2 – North, entering today's San Luis Obispo County, California, to a small lake. Some of the soldiers called the place Oso Flaco because they killed a "skinny bear" nearby. The place is relatively unchanged, unlike most of the Portolá route, and is still called Oso Flaco Lake. It's a state park within the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
  3 – A rest day at Oso Flaco, while the scouts go ahead to find the best way through the mountains that are again pinching off the coastal plain.
  4 – To avoid the sand dunes that extend well inland to the north of Oso Flaco, the party first went west to the beach, then north until they passed today's Arroyo Grande Creek. Turning inland to go around a large estuary (today a much smaller Pismo Lake between the towns of Pismo Beach and Grover Beach), the expedition moves through today's town of Arroyo Grande. Rounding the estuary, they turned northeast and headed into the mountains, up the arroyo now called Price Canyon, camping along the creek.
  5 – West-northwest through the hills to San Luis Canyon, where camp was made along the creek. This is the canyon where today's Highway 101, after leaving the coast, descends from the pass into the present-day San Luis Obispo area, coming within a few miles of the later site of Mission San Luis Obispo.
  6 – Another rest day, while the scouts once again look ahead.
  7 – To a valley west of San Luis Obispo that the soldiers named Los Osos because they saw many bears. The valley, creek and town still have the name Los Osos today.
  8 – West to a hill just east of today's Morro Bay. Crespí noted the large free-standing coastal rock formation, a shape the Spaniards of that time called a morro. Bay, town, creek and rock have all kept the name.
  9 – Northwest around Morro Bay to one of the small creeks near modern Cayucos.
 10 – The expedition left the coast again, following the creek north from where they had camped, then over hills and down to west-flowing Santa Rosa Creek, above modern Cambria.
 11 – Starting out following the creek west back to the coast, they follow the coastal plain (and modern California State Route 1) northwest to Little Pico Creek near modern San Simeon.
 12 – Continuing northwest past the point now home to a lighthouse, called Piedras Blancas, to a creek now called Arroyo de la Laguna.
 13 – Continuing northwest past the point now home to a lighthouse, called Piedras Blancas, to Carpoforo Creek just south of Rocky Point. On the north side of the creek, the Santa Lucia Mountains (so named by Vizcaíno) rise abruptly from the sea to form the rugged Big Sur coastline.
 14–15 – Seeing that it would be difficult to continue along the coast, the party stopped here while the scouts went out to find a way through the mountains.
 16–20 – The scouts having prepared a trail, the party set out to the east-northeast up Carpoforo Creek. They spent the next several days struggling through rugged mountain back country that is still wild today, part of Los Padres National Forest. The journey also crosses into modern Monterey County, California.
 21–23 – Emerging from the mountains, the party camped on the river later named Nacimiento, inside modern U.S Army Reserve Fort Hunter Liggett. The main party rested here, near a native village, while the scouts again went ahead.
 24 – North-northeast over a range of low hills to the San Antonio River, near modern Jolon. Crespí noted that the river valley was "not unworthy of a good settlement" and, about 5 miles upstream (northwest) from this campsite, Junipero Serra founded Mission San Antonio de Padua in 1771, third of the eventual 21 missions. The river presumably took its name from the mission.
 25 – Due north across the river valley and up Jolon Valley into the next range of hills, where they found a small pool of water.
 26 – Over the crest and down into another arroyo, which they followed northeast out into the Salinas Valley, camping at Salinas River near today's King City.
 27 – Following the river downstream (northwest), the party crossed to the other side and camped near today's Metz.
 28 – Again following the river, the camp was between today's Soledad and Gonzales.
 29 – On the Salinas River near today's Chualar.
 30 – To a point on the river just south of modern Salinas. From this camp the scouts range ahead and reach Monterey Bay, but failed to recognize it as the port described by Vizcaíno. The expedition leaders feared they had missed the great port they sought, because of the long inland detour.


Question: How many ships were involved in the Portolà expedition?