Firstday road log, trip 2, from Washington Ranch to Lower Slaughter Canyon, Slaughter Canyon Cave, and Black River valley
— David Love, Lewis Land, and Victor Polyak

Trip 2 of the first day of the conference diverges from Trip 1 at the gate to Washington Ranch, turning right onto Rattlesnake Springs Road to proceed up the Black River valley toward the mouth of Slaughter Canyon, where spectacular vistas of the Capitan Reef and forereef talus facies can be observed. We then park vehicles and hike into lower Slaughter Canyon, where exposures of the Yates shelf facies and transition into the Capitan Reef can be seen in the north wall of the canyon. The hike continues up the south side of the canyon to the mouth of Slaughter Canyon Cave, which is formed primarily in the Capitan reef. Unlike Carlsbad Cavern, Slaughter Canyon Cave is not developed for the casual tourist. No special skills are required to tour the cave, but there are no paved trails, hand rails, or electric lights. We advise attendees to bring a light source with at least D cell batteries, since the galleries in Slaughter Canyon Cave are so large that normal caving lights are inadequate. After touring the cave and examining surface features in Slaughter Canyon, hike back to the vehicles and drive to the Bureau of Land Management Cottonwood Day Use Area on the Black River, where springs discharge from alluvium and karst conduits in the Castile gypsum. The final stop of the trip is 1 mile farther north at Rattlesnake Springs, a well-vegetated oasis that features large springs fed by a local Quaternary gravel aquifer. The spring pool and surrounding area provide habitant for fish and a plethora of birds and other animals.