SPHP only heard Lupe stir once during the night. Even so, when SPHP woke up around 6:00 AM, Lupe was already wide awake. The 3rd day of Lupe’s 2015 Dingo Vacation had dawned. Lupe was hungry! She hadn’t had anything to eat the previous evening after her long trek up Medicine Bow Peak (12,013 ft.). SPHP gave her Taste of the Wild and Alpo for breakfast.
After climbing two big mountains, Laramie Peak (10,272 ft.) and Medicine Bow Peak, on the prior two days, SPHP wasn’t really all that raring to go, even if Lupe was. SPHP wasn’t sure what to do this morning, but at least for a little while, it wasn’t going to be anything too strenuous. After Lupe had eaten, SPHP drove to Snowy Range Pass. There was a round rock observation platform there. Lupe checked it out.
To the S of the observation platform was a broad plain dotted with rock outcroppings and clumps of pines. A big pond or small lake could be seen out there. This area is known as Libby Flats. Beyond Libby Flats were mountains in Colorado in the distance.
A footpath led from near the round rock observation platform toward another smaller pond down the hill to the E. Lupe wanted to check that out, too. She raced down to the small pond and then came running back with her report. She liked it. SPHP promised her she could come back, but now SPHP was hungry.
After SPHP had eaten at the nearby Mirror Lake picnic ground, Lupe and SPHP returned to Snowy Range Pass. A trek to both the small nearby pond and the more distant bigger pond was on the agenda now. Despite the Carolina Dog’s enthusiasm, SPHP was feeling none too energetic. Libby Flats sounded good – especially the “flats” part.
Libby Flats proved to be a fun time. It was easy strolling around the various low rock formations and wandering the meadows between the clumps of forest. Lupe went to both of the ponds. Near the N shore of the larger pond, Lupe and SPHP watched clouds, listened to birds sing, insects hum and the breeze blow. SPHP dozed off for a while. The ever-faithful Lupe snoozed next to SPHP.
SPHP woke up feeling considerably recovered – still no where near 100%, but definitely better. Lupe sprang to life. What to do with all this newfound energy? SPHP had a plan – it was time to climb Sugarloaf Mountain (11,300 ft.)! Lupe had more fun exploring Libby Flats on the way back to the G6 at Snowy Range Pass. From there, it was only a short drive to the trailhead near Lewis Lake.
Lupe set off on the trail that goes between Lewis and Libby Lakes at 3:08 PM. The sky had clouded up to a considerable extent during the nap, and it was a pleasant 61°F out. The trail went along the S shore of Lewis Lake, and then headed up to the pass between Sugarloaf Mountain and Medicine Bow Peak.
Shortly before reaching the junction at the pass where the Lakes Trail meets the Medicine Bow Trail, Lupe and SPHP left the trail from Lewis Lake and started climbing SE towards Sugarloaf Mountain. Lupe reached the top of a small ridge. SPHP sat down on a big rock to study Sugarloaf Mountain for a few minutes.
The N face looked too steep to seriously consider. From perhaps 50 to 75 feet below the summit, a long ridge swept down towards the SW. Most of the ridge looked too steep for SPHP to climb up, too.
However, partway down the ridge there were two large white boulders sitting up on top right at the edge of the ridge. They were larger than any of the other boulders in view on the ridgeline. There were two clumps of greenery – bushes and small trees – near the top of the ridge too. One clump was closer to the summit than the two big white boulders, and the other was farther down the ridge.
It looked like it might be possible to scramble up onto the ridge at either of the clumps of greenery. Lupe and SPHP headed across the small valley toward the base of the ridge below the clump of greenery closest to the summit. Lupe had to cross a boulder field just to get to the base of the ridge. The boulder field extended all the way up to the greenery.
Lupe is great at picking her way through boulder fields. She is fast, too. Lupe had plenty of time to strike dramatic poses and survey the surroundings from various big boulders, while SPHP slowly climbed the ridge. SPHP eventually reached the greenery and arrived up on the ridgeline. The hardest part of climbing Sugarloaf Mountain was done.
Off to the S and E, a long line of showers could be seen about 10 miles away. What had been an increasingly overcast day was now starting to look like rain. Still, SPHP figured the showers would probably move away off to the E. SPHP turned and looked up the length of the ridgeline toward the summit. A cairn was on a big rock nearby. It seemed unnecessary. The way up was pretty obvious – a continuous scramble through boulders all the way.
The boulder field up the SW ridge really wasn’t bad at all. Soon Lupe reached some green mossy areas between the boulders. Most of the way SPHP was able to avoid the boulders and just walk normally along the mossy areas up to the top of the ridge. There the mossy areas ended. The last 50 to 75 feet up really was just a scramble up the big pile of boulders leading to the summit. Soon Lupe was there – on top of Sugarloaf Mountain!
At the top of Sugarloaf Mountain was a little curved wall built of loose rock that someone had built up there. It was rather cool. SPHP dubbed it the “Great Wall of Sugarloaf”. The summit area was narrow in the NW/SE direction, but quite long in the SW/NE direction. There was plenty of room to walk around and enjoy the fabulous views.
Less than a minute before Lupe reached the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, it had started to sprinkle. It sprinkled on and off while Lupe was on the summit. There was an E breeze up on Sugarloaf. Oddly and unexpectedly, the line of showers to the E & S was getting closer instead of moving farther away. Lupe and SPHP were having fun up on Sugarloaf when suddenly the sprinkles turned to rain. The rocks were getting wet and slippery fast. Even though Lupe had only been up on the summit for 10 or 15 minutes, it was time to head down.
By the time Lupe and SPHP were back down to the top of the SW ridge below the summit, the rain had stopped. It was back to just sprinkling intermittently again. SPHP wished Lupe had been able to spend more time up on the summit. However, since she was already on her way down, there was no sense in going back up. The rain could start in again any time.
Lupe had a blast on the way back to the G6. So did SPHP. It was fun scrambling around on the rocks. It sprinkled now and then, but it didn’t really rain. Sugarloaf Mountain had been just the right difficulty and height to make it challenging enough to be fun, but not another long exhausting trip.
Lupe reached the G6 at 6:57 PM. Inside the G6 she had another good meal of Alpo and Taste of the Wild. Within just a few minutes it started raining again – this time harder and more steadily. Nice and dry, and with a full belly, the Carolina Dog zonked out for a good long snooze on her pile of pillows and blankets.
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