that the ban was not yet enforced and she suggested that we go on as planned. By 10:00 a.m. our multi-car caravan was winding its way eastward and upward into the San Pedro Martir. Just below Oak Pasture, a steep, muddy section of the road stopped all but the 4-wheel drive vehicles and VWs, so most of our party began the hike from there. By 11:30 all were assembled with packs at Oak Pasture and we began our 5-day adventure by hiking downhill to La Jolla junction. The leader had made the decision to do the loop, in reverse (counter-clockwise), so in the event we were stopped by observatory personnel at Vallecitos, near the northern part of the circle-trip, we would be on our way out. After a pleasant, shaded lunch stop at La Jolla Junction, where the roaring streams of Arroyos Valladares and Tasajera join, we tackled the steep, hot uphill stretch onto the main plateau. For many, with heavy packs, this first afternoon was the roughest part of the trip. Two hours of grueling workout got us over the rim and into the pines, and we paused for a mid-afternoon, rest alongside a beautiful mountain stream. Another hour of easy hiking got us to our first, campsite, the small stream-fed meadow of Lower Vallecito. Sunday was a long day of gentle up-and-down hiking in a southeasterly direction. Crossing the rocky La Tasajera ridge, we caught our first glimpse of La Grulla, one of the largest meadows on the plateau, and the 9000-foot peaks of Tres Palomas and Blue Bottle beyond. Lunch was alongside Arroyo San Antonio, largest stream in the range. After lunch, we made our first mistake. We tried to cross marshy La Grulla instead of going around it. It was sticky going - one member attempted to negotiate what looked like only a slightly muddy stretch much to his horror he sank in first to his knees, then he tried to continue, clear to his waist in mud. After this unpleasant experience, we beat a hasty retreat, and continued the long way around the swamp. La Grulla is a huge meadow, some three miles long; it seemed like hours before we finally reached its eastern terminus. Then four miles through an open forest of Jeffrey brought us to La Encantada, another huge meadow near the eastern edge of the plateau. La Encantada was much drier than La Grulla, so we headed directly across it and northeastward to our cozy campsite among the pines alongside trickling Arroyo Encantada. We were a tired bunch that night. Monday saw us climb northward into the intricate recesses of the great La Tasajera rock ridge. We made one false start up a prominent canyon north of La Encantada, but the trail fizzled

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