This question is incomplete, here´s the complete question.
Which of the following challenges did pioneers typically face on the Santa Fe Trail in the mid-1800s?
A. desert sand that slowed wagons to a crawl.
B. harsh winter snows that trapped travelers.
C. heavy rainstorms that washed away roads.
D. high, rugged mountains that were hard to cross.
Answer: A. desert sand that slowed wagons to a crawl.
Explanation:
The Santa Fe Trail was America’s leading trade route, established by traders themselves. It connected Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico and reached around 900 miles of the Great Plains.
It became a freeway for innumerable traders, pioneers and military people, as well as a key element in America’s westward expansion.
However, desert sand made it hard for the wagons to run fast, because wagon wheels had a tendency to sink into the sand, especially on rainy muddy days. Some would even get stuck in quicksand.