Our maps showed two extensive limestone areas just north of Jalisco’s border with Zacatecas. On December 10, 1988, Susy and John went out to collect information on what we hoped would be a multitude of caves. We were joined by new ZOTZ member Steve Dal Zell. Newspaperman from the Guadalajara Colony Reporter and intrepid leader of Guadalajara’s ESA Scout troop.
After passing through gorgeous Oblatos Canyon, we arrived at Las Palmas, Zacatecas. “Any caves around here?” we asked. “Plenty? Answered several friendly Palmaranians. “They’re out that away, right?” we exclaimed, pointing toward the vast area of limestone hills indicated by our map. “No, señores,” replied our informants, “There’s not a single cave in those hills, but you’ll find some nice ones over there,” and 
they gestured toward a hill of pure volcanic rock.
We took down info caves in particular. “Los Portales” and “La Cueva del Leon,” the former being largest caves in the area and the latter having once been the home of a mexican lion or puma. But rather than investigate these two spot, we haded northward to Santa Rosa, where the next big limestone patch begins. Once again, the friendly local folk pointed toward the volcanic rock while insisting there was nary a hole in the limestone.
Still unconvinced, we headed further up the road, which brought us alongside a high cut in one of those infamous limestone hills. The “rock” had the consistency and color of pressed cement powder and was about as unlike karst as anything we’ve seen. But to be sure, we checked out two local “caves,” neither of which had names ... perhaps because both, of them turned out to be less than three meters deep!
Reaching those “caves” involved crossing two rivers, beating through impenetrable bush, and getting covered head-to-toe with a great assortment of viciously tenacious prickers, which are definitely in season in December. These efforts left no energy or time to check out our most promising lead, Los Portales, located atop a high volcanic cliff a few curves of the highway south of Santa Rosa and reputed to have bats and a skylight. It could be worth investigating ...after the ‘prickly season” ends.
