Easter week-end was selected as having perhaps the best weather, and a group of 16 was soon collected for the unofficial trip. Our rendezvous at the Observatory Road and Mexico #1 was duly accomplished, and we caravaned to the road end beyond Vallecitos by 10 am. Armed with an excellent map from John Robinson, we were soon headed down the trail. Despite this accurate aid we (I) managed to bypass the correct canyon and take the rather more devious route, eventually passing Tres Palomas, before emerging at the base of Blue Bottle about 4:30 pm. The short night's sleep, the circuitous route with full packs and the unexpectedly high temperatures prompted the group to the unanimous election to camp on the ridge next to the only snow bank on the plateau rather than attempt the tricky descent to Campo Noche. Saturday morning dawned bright and warm and here a second poor choice was made. Losing sight of the priority for Big Picacho, it appeared we could do Blue Bottle (about 200' above us), shoot down the ridge and climb Tres Palomas and return to camp by noon, leaving plenty of time for the trip down Gorin's Gully to Campo Noche. Needless to say, the trip to Tres Palomas was considerably more involved, with the group reaching the peak about 1 pm, the return trip placing us back in camp at 4:30 again. Since we figured a minimum of 3 more days to get the big one, all but 5 declared themselves unable to devote an extra day to the effort, and ruefully decided to pack out in the morning. Our return to the cars was uneventful and we arrived in L.A. in due time, having refuelled from the Teakettle dinners in one of Ensenada's best. I subsequently learned to my relief, that the offshoot 5, led by Jim Jones (John Burke, Earl Kesler, Bill Maslow and Eric Bloland) had successfully completed the trip almost as planned and arrived back in L.A. about 4 am on Tuesday. This route appears to be a feasible route and probably can be done in three days--one long one-- with about the same mileage and gain, but without the hazards of lengthy boulder-hopping and rattlesnakes. Our group enjoyed the beauty of the plateau as well as the accomplishment of bagging both Tres Palomas (too bad this one didn't make the list!), and Blue Bottle (a VABM, no less!)
OUTLAW TRIPS
JEFFERSON, PATTERSON, GLASS	7/4-7/74	JOHN BACKUS
This Fourth of July weekend Duane McRuer and I decided to get some of the more distant desert peaks, those listed above. We took four days to do the 3 mountains, driving to the roadhead for Jefferson the first day, climbing it and driving to the roadhead for Patterson the second day, and so on. The information we acquired in doing these mountains may be useful to others. Mt. Jefferson: From Tonopah drive east on US 6 about 5 mi. to Nevada 8-a, north on this about 12 mi. to a fork signed Monitor Valley via Belmont, about 28 mi, the last half a good dirt road. From Belmont continue on 5.1 mi. to a fork on left with a sign Meadow Canyon. Take this road, passing a crossroad one mile from the fork and a ranch 2.5 mi. further, to a fork to the left 7.5 mi. from the highway turnoff, with a sign Jefferson Summit. The road deteriorates, but should be passable for most cars; I had to back my van up the last half mile. At 1.5 mi. up this fork, there is a wide saddle, a sign Jefferson Pass Summit 9400', and ample camping space. From this saddle a jeep road runs north toward Mt. Jefferson, whose summit is spectacularly visible. This can be driven a ways, but we elected to walk. This road runs along the left side of the fence, then crossed over and continues on the right side, then disappears. Follow the fence to its terminus at a rock

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