An added interest to the climb occurred for the writer and passengers as they awaited at the cattle gate near the end of Middle Creek jeep road. There was what appeared to be a beaver dam blocking the creek. Closer examination yielded a total of four dams and much recent "lumbering" activity by the large rodents. Trees up to 16" in diameter had been gnawed down, some very recently as the leaves were still fresh and green. The eager ones must have been planted in the area, and have evidently found a happy home, but it certainly was surprising to see evidence of them in this desert area. This marks the last event of the current 1967-68 Desert Peaks Section. NON-SKED EVENT-      A Success Story BAJA CALIFORNA CLIMBING ADVENTURE- Easter Vacation -Howard Stephens For those of us who enjoy peak climbing nothing seems to rankle us so much as the defiance of the peak we failed to get. The nearer the miss the greater the call to return. El Picacho del Diablo is becoming an increasingly popular challenge to climbers and true to its devilish nature, frequently refuses to submit to conquest on one's first attempt. Nine of us, being Jim Jenkins, Lew Hill, Horace Ory, Bill Rausch, Dick Searle, Abe & Helen Siemens, Mal Terrell, and myself evened our score with the "Peak of the Devil", (or if you prefer to be official with" Peak of the Enchantress") over the Easter 1968 week. We had previously attempted to find the fog-draped summit on the partially successful, ill-fated 1967 Thanksgiving weekend jaunt. On that event 26 Desert Peakers with the leadership of Ed. Lane along with 5 Paul Nelson-guided independents were forced to turn back just short of the summit due to a multiplicity of adverse conditions, which included fog, rain, snow, and a casualty. Having missed the Wall Street route, time and visibility spell no-go. Eleven had already pressed on and attained the summit. Now nine of us had returned with greater determination and more time. We had five days and planned a bivouac on the mountain if necessary. As we crossed the desert on Sat Apr 6, the mountain stood clear before us. No clouds. The desert was in bloom, the temp warm and pleasant with bright prospects. By 10:30 AM we had arrived at the roadhead be1ow Diablito Canyon and were ready to hit the trail northward into Canyon del Diablo. The desert growth is luxuriant in this area and now it was just coming into bloom. Palo Verde, mesquite, catclaw, giant cardon, and pitahaya towered above the cars. Beneath smaller cacti bloomed in profusion. The stream formed a large, deep pool below the first falls. In order to expedite passage of our group with packs it would be necessary to attach ropes to bolts which were placed high on the polished granite walls. The ropes could be placed only from above the falls. Searle, Ory, and I climbed the class 3 buttress and rappelled down the upper side above the falls and placed the ropes. Soon we were all above the falls the only 6th class pitch on the route, but several falls and class 3 pitches were to be found in the 14 miles ahead. Travel up this Canyon del Diablo is uniquely difficult, interesting and pleasant. Repeatedly challenging but never impossible, the canyon abounds in route-finding an climbing problems of a continuously changing nature. The lower canyon is narrow and the sculptured walls bottom in great boulders with stream likened sides that offer slight friction to climbing boots. We marveled at the small frog that were hopping about the vertical walls without seeming concern. Sometimes we circumvented the obstacles by friction climbing, other times there were small holds, but generally it was through, around, and over great boulders! Doubtful friction on a narrow cliff high above the dry stream pools created excitement, while brush was another source of consideration. Everywhere, boulders from watermelon to room size, were scattered in profusion. We conservatively estimated that each one of us hopped at least 40,000 of them during the course of the trip along with hundreds of stream-crossings.

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