Early next morning the group of 15 survivors headed past Benton Station to the Glass Mtn. roadhead. We found a pleasant, deserted campground east of the peak and then began the ascent up a snow-filled gully to the ridge and summit. Once on the summit six of us decided to climb a bump to the south. Bob Herlihy agreed to escort the remaining people to the cars. Two people refused to follow instructions and descended into a canyon that they insisted was the right one. When they failed to return to the cars by the time everyone else was ready to go, Wally Henry volunteered to stay with me until they could be located. After waiting an hour Wally climbed a ridge to try to locate them. Eventually we drove to where we thought their canyon would cross the road. They were finally found wandering down the road and their apologies were only slightly less adamant than my vows to not lead again.

NON-SCHEDULED CLIMBS

MATOMI, EASTER 1970 — Louise Werner At Cowcamp (2500’) near the south end of the Sierra San Pedro Martir, fear gripped me at the thought of two people starting across the untracked cactus wilderness with a knapsack, no maps, and no assurance of finding water. There were four 4-wheel drives in the party but only Bob Boyd and myself wanted to go in search of Matomi. Twenty years ago Mrs. Alberta Meling of the Rancho San Jose described to me a big plateau, called Matomi, where Indians had left many artifacts. Many years later Bob Boyd and Tom and Trudie Hunt, going up from the San Filipe Desert in search of Matomi, reported spending most of their Christmas vacation in a huge canyon with palms and artifacts. On Howard Gulick’s map Matomi appears as a 4500’ peak. Wondering how all these pieces fit together, it occurred to us that climbing the peak might satisfy our curiosity, if we could find the peak. During Easter of last year, an attempt from the west side, via Rancho Cypres, only added to the confusion. After going as far as the vehicles could, and then taking off across country for half a day, we were not sure we could identify the peak. Christmas of that year found Bob and Trudie trying it from the south. They identified the peak from a photo in Gerhard and Gulick and determined that Cowcamp was the point to which one could drive. The peak was estimated to be about six miles distant, with canyons and ridges in between. On the morning of the start of the trip my fears evaporated when Bill and Pauline Holden and Jack Baldwin decided to go part of the way, especially when the men offered to carry my pack, which had a gallon of water, liquid foods in cans, and sleeping gear. The peak came into view from the first ridge to the north. Every step was beset with bayonets of agave, spines of cacti, and other similar pleasantries. Ridges alternated with canyons but the loss of elevation was not great. Bob tied yellow ribbons to the tops of ocotillo wands. It wasn’t long before we spotted a canyon with water and palms. This made perfect the clear temperate day. Buterflies and bees sucked nectar from the prickly poppies and apricot mallow. Scrub junipers appeared.

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