The first ones down were back at camp by 4 while one of the leaders and the slowest "limper" in tennis shoes were back about 6. The group then divided up with some electing to stay in the same area, others moving over to climb Ajo, and still others going to try Kino. Paul Nelson led the Ajo group up from Bull Pasture with seven people signing in on the summit.

Jon Inskeep "led" the group up Kino but got hopelessly lost finding the roadhead on Friday night. He was an hour late at the meeting place and missed the 7:30 am departure time of the group by fifteen minutes but caught up with them in time to lead an approach to the peak from the wrong side (the east). This was enough to discourage six of the group, but eight people made the summit via the northeast notch and the third class route on the east face. Assistance was given by John Hardt who had climbed the peak the year before. We returned down the canyon on the east side of the peak and were back to the cars by four. Some headed for a Sunday climb of Ajo while most spent the night at Bates Well with nothing more than the drive back to LA planned for Sunday.

For those with a natural tracking ability similar to that of the leader, here are the mileage's into Bates Well, the roadhead for Kino. From Ajo drive south and turn west on the Derby Well Road and follow it to the pavement's end at the well. Take the left fork (0.0 miles), stay left at a side road (2.8), take a right fork (3.4), stay left past a side road (6.0), go right at a minor fork (7.3), take a left fork (7.9), pass the monument boundary (11.2), and park near Bates Well (15.4).

Even as far east as Sells in the Mountain Time Zone, sun time (sunrise, sunset, etc), which is more important than clock time, does not seem to vary significantly from Pacific Time. In the future then, it would seem better to handle trip scheduling in Pacific Time to avoid confusion. (Editors note: We would like to congratulate Jon for the brilliance of the above revelation - now that he has already written up Mountain Time into two of our Western Arizona trips and thereby causing many people to get up too early. Thanks, Jon.)

SPECTRE and GRANITE #1   -   Fran Smith

Twenty-four climbers met on an exhilarating Saturday morning forty miles east of Twentynine Palms. Objective - the summit of Spectre Peak. The drive to the roadhead consisted of three slightly sandy miles to a junction followed by .8 miles left to a parking area. Good road makes it easy for all cars. Upon leaving the cars we headed east in a wide, sandy wash for a half mile where the wash bottom becomes rocky. After another half mile a low pass is crossed and then by swinging slightly south and crossing several gullies you will enter a large canyon coming down from the southwest. This beautifully clean canyon is followed for about a mile into a small flat area surrounded by the three peaks at the north end of the Coxcombs. Spectre was climbed by continuing southwest and climbing the steep east face. The other two peaks in the area are Tensor on the north and Dyadic on the east.

After the routine of signing the register, consuming lunch, and viewing the surrounding ranges, our group split. Eleven with Art de Goede in charge accepted an invitation from the Riverside Mountaineers to join them in an ascent of fourth class Dyadic. Our remaining thirteen returned to the flats and split again. Harry Melts and four others retraced our steps back to the cars while the leader and seven others climbed to the summit of first class Tensor. We continued down the north side of Tensor to the cars via a steep but more direct route. All twenty-four had returned by four and we then caravaned 23.5 miles east on the, highway and then 6 miles south on a very good desert road to a gravel quarry. This roomy area was excellent for car camping.
 
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