Lupe’s uncle Joe and cousin Dusty were in town for Memorial Day weekend. Joe had hoped to climb Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), but the weather was not cooperating. With gloomily overcast skies this morning, it wasn’t at all sure there was going to be any kind of a successful outing this day. An 80% chance of rain was in the forecast, but it wasn’t raining yet as Lupe and SPHP drove out to Lupe’s grandma’s house to pick up Joe & Dusty. The plan was to head out not too far into the hills and hope the rain would hold off for at least a few hours.
Joe parked the G6 at the Samelius trailhead of the Centennial Trail just off Hwy 16. Surprisingly, the almost foggy conditions had broken up on the way. There were even sizeable patches of blue sky around. Perhaps there was an inversion going on, which sometimes happens in the hills. Typically the inversions happen in the winter though – May would be quite an unusual time for one. In any case, things were looking up.
Since Joe and Dusty had already hiked N on the Centennial Trail No. 89 with Lupe as far as Mount Warner (5,889 ft.) on a previous trip to the Black Hills, today SPHP suggested heading S towards the Big Pine trailhead. Horsethief Lake was just a short distance off the trail beyond Big Pine and might be a good goal for the day, provided the weather continued to be cooperative. Fog still swirled around the summits of nearby Samelius (5,856 ft.) and Hardesty Peaks (5,562 ft.) as Lupe, Dusty, Joe & SPHP headed S on the Centennial Trail from the Samelius trailhead.
Lupe and Dusty ran ahead resuming their role as scouts, just as they had the day before on Expedition No. 129. The first part of the trail paralleled Hwy 16 heading W for a little way before turning S to go through a narrow little tunnel for foot traffic under Hwy 16. Lupe hadn’t been here since Expedition No. 9 way back on 3-4-12. Back then Lupe had only been 14 months old and the long, dark, narrow tunnel had been just too scary for her. SPHP had carried her through it in both directions.
Lupe had forgotten all about those long ago fears now. She and Dusty both trotted through the tunnel with complete confidence. Beyond the tunnel, the Centennial Trail headed up a partially wooded hillside and joined a gravel road for a short distance. Soon the Centennial Trail left the gravel road again and went through an area of small hills covered with a woods sparse enough so a fair amount of grass was growing between the trees. Both Lupe and Dusty had a great time running around exploring the area.
At first, the Centennial Trail was close enough to Hwy 16 to hear the traffic on it. Sometimes the highway was even in view. After about 0.5 mile though, the trail reached a creek which is a small tributary of Battle Creek and headed away from the highway down into a wooded narrow valley with steep rocky walls. The trail didn’t follow the creek for too long before leaving it to head more to the W while heading up a small side valley.
The trail came to a wide gentle little pass where there were some rock outcroppings on both sides of the trail. While still in the area of the pass, the 1880 train could be heard in the distance ahead. The trail headed into a grassy field. Small trees were growing in the field and will eventually turn this field into forest again. Just ahead, some of the big granite outcroppings near the start of the Black Elk Wilderness came into view.
Nearing a home along the old Keystone to Hill City road, Lupe and Dusty heard some marmots whistle an alarm over by the rocks to the N. They ran over to investigate, but were soon back, the marmots having taken cover. The Centennial Trail skirted to the SE of the private property with its heard, but not seen, ferocious little defending doggie. The trail crossed Battle Creek, the 1880 train tracks, and the old Keystone to Hill City road (paved) in rapid succession. Unfortunately, the 1880 train had already gone by, so Lupe missed seeing it, although it could still be heard now far away towards Keystone.
Once S of the old Keystone to Hill City road, the trail began the only relatively steep part of this day’s traverse. It was just around 0.33 mile to the Big Pine trailhead along Hwy 244, and the trail started leveling out even before reaching it. A few people were around at the Big Pine trailhead. Hwy 244 had a fair amount of traffic on it. Big Pine is only a few miles NW of Mount Rushmore (5,725 ft.), and Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the tourist season in the Black Hills.
From Big Pine, it wasn’t far to Horsethief Lake. No more than 0.25 mile. SPHP wasn’t even sure Horsethief Lake had any water in it, since the last time Lupe had been by it on the highway, SPHP had been surprised to see it had been completely drained. (Perhaps to be dredged out?) After crossing Hwy 244, Joe & SPHP stayed on the Centennial Trail a short distance before leaving it and heading down a little gulch towards the lake.
There is quite a nice campground at Horsethief Lake. Soon Joe, Dusty, Lupe and SPHP emerged from the forest on the paved campground road. There were a few people camping, but the big majority of the sites were open. The wet, cool weather had discouraged camping, which is not unusual for Memorial Day weekend in the Black Hills. Joe, Dusty, Lupe and SPHP headed towards the lake.
Horsethief Lake did have water in it, but wasn’t as pretty as it normally is. Normally the lake is nice and blue, but it was all brown this day – probably partially from dirt and silt in runoff from recent rains, but mostly from not having had a chance to settle out from having been completely drained and refilled not long ago. Close to the lake, Joe & SPHP selected a picnic table to use for 10 minutes for a little energy bar break. Lupe wasn’t hungry yet, but Dusty was very happy to partake of as much Taste of the Wild as SPHP allowed her.
Horsethief Lake isn’t very big, perhaps in the 5 – 10 acre range. However, it is in a scenic little spot near Hwy 244 just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore. The campground is really nice and has some campsites quite close to the water. There are big granite outcroppings around and two good trails nearby leading into the Black Elk Wilderness. Centennial Trail No. 89 doesn’t come down to the lake or the campground, but is just up a hill to the N of the campground. Lupe recommends Horsethief Trail No. 14 which heads into the Black Elk Wilderness from a trailhead near the SW corner of Horsethief Lake.
After the snack, Joe, Dusty, Lupe and SPHP headed across the curved footbridge to the road on the W side of Horsethief Lake. The road led to the Horsethief Trail No. 14 trailhead. About 0.75 mile in from the trailhead, Horsethief Trail No. 14 would link up with Centennial Trail No. 89. It was possible to make an almost complete loop around well to the W of Horsethief Lake and come back just N of it on the Centennial Trail. However, clouds had kept coming and going the entire time so far. With possible heavy rain in the forecast, it was decided to return to the G6 at the Samelius trailhead on the Centennial Trail without making the loop.
At a little under 4 hours round trip, Expedition No. 130 was one of Lupe’s shorter Black Hills expeditions. Like Expedition No. 129 the day before though, it was shared with her uncle Joe & cousin Dusty, which added to the fun.
This proved to be Lupe’s last outing in the Black Hills this Memorial Day weekend. The next day was a combination of rain and fog all day. Lupe never saw the sun. Joe and Dusty didn’t get to climb Harney Peak this trip before heading home for Arvada, CO on Memorial Day.
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Next Trail Section North:
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 228 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Spring Creek to Samelius (5-6-18)
Centennial Trail Map & Brochure
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