This morning we found the ground covered with at least 1/2 inch of snow. After a hassle but thanks to my habit of carrying a small plastic bottle of Kerosene, I was able to get a good fire going. When the weather improved about noon Betsy Morgan, Cris Vance and I hiked on over NW to Santo Tomas, leaving Jim Layden to keep the fire stoked. March 27 (Thurs) After camping 2 miles just above Arroyo Alamosa, we followed it east 2 miles until it ends at the SW corner of the Santa Rosa meadows. We took on two quarts of water as there would be no more sure water until Cottonwood Camp, at 3500' below the eastern escarpement on the desert side. The two casas in huge Santa Rosa are in poor condition due to the unstable water supply in this entire area. Leaving the two casas we hiked east across and around the south end of the meadow until in about 1 hour or 2 miles we intersected the Cajon trail leading up to the saddle in the eastern escarpment. It will take you about 1-1/2 hours to reach this summit of about 7200'. There is a stock drift fence and gate here. The trail drops down on the east side rapidly (except for one 300' pitch) until pinon camp, elevation 4800', is reached. In March and April there is usually some water in the draw about 50' above the trail crossing. (Don't count on it). This campsite is in the first heavy grove of Parry Pines east of the summit, usually used on the up route only. Descending on rapidly we soon came to a big spring flowing in from the left or west. About 1/4 mile below here we made camp in some Fremont Cottonwoods (Cotton Camp, elevation 3500'). On the route up the above spring is the last reliable water supply until the SW end of Santa Rosa or more sure Santo Tomas and year around water. March 28 (Fri) A half mile below Cottonwood Camp the trail bypasses a 15' vertical waterfall to the north or left. About a mile below Cottonwood Camp is the last visible sign you are on route, a piece of pipe and a length of jack hammer drill bit embedded into the smooth granite rock on the left of north side of the stream bed. Its purpose (with mesquite wood filter in between the iron supports) is to keep cattle from sliding off. About 2 miles below Cottonwood Camp this side canon joins the main canon, El Cajon, at 900 coming in from due south. There is a confusing draw coming into this intersection from the NW (it has a 50' dry waterfall about 1/2 mile up the draw). This is the common mistake made by those seeking the Cajon Trail to Santa Rosa Meadows. One must take the small side canon due south from the main canon. This is the error J.R. and I made in Spring 1965 while making a number of exploratory hikes in search of it. It wasn't until Dec. 1965, when I found the two pieces of iron rods in the granite that I was sure of the correct route. We used this route in Spring of 1966 for the first Sierra Club climb of Middle Tres Palomas. Just below where the trail (or side cajon) meets the main canon is a deep depression in the bedrock with a 2' waterfall flowing into it that I call the Bathtub. Directly across on the east side of the canon on a crumbling cliff are the Cajon Petrographs. This area is about 3 miles from the roadhead or corral end of Cajon Canon. We had no sooner reached this nice clean up place than 3 people approached us. Two were Mexican guides with a big game rifle and both had large binoculars around their necks. The other, a hunter, said he was from Texas and was seeking a trophy Mountain Sheep. He said, also, he had a permit (this is a game refuge) and that there were four more hunters in the cajon to the north (probably Canon El Oso). This hunter lost no time in telling how hikers disturb the sheep and further said that the Mexican government would soon be closing the eastside canons from north of Del Diablo on south to Pico Matoni. The exception being possibly to hunters who are willing to pay high fees for a permit. We did not take this man seriously until later at the roadhead we met a Mexican offical (a game warden with offical seal of Secateria de fuona on his 4 WD Bronco). He spoke up first. Jim Layden, who speaks

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