It wasn’t even noon yet, when Lupe concluded her successful visit to all three possible Washakie County, Wyoming high points(9,600 ft.). There was still time in the day for Lupe to tackle her next peakbagging goal, Hazelton Pyramid(10,534 ft.), which was only 6 or 7 miles away to the SE. Lupe and SPHP headed E on Hwy 16 in the G6. After going just a couple of miles, SPHP parked at Powder River Pass.
Some sort of bicycling event was going on along Hwy 16. There were lots of bicyclists at the big pullout, which was serving as a rest and refreshment stop.
Lupe wasn’t here for the bicycle event. A short stroll S of Hwy 16 were some big rock formations from which SPHP wanted to get a preliminary look at Hazelton Pyramid.
The view of Hazelton Pyramid was encouraging. Lupe also got a look at Hesse Mountain, which she had climbed on an intermittently foggy day almost 2 years ago.
Lupe and SPHP returned to the G6. A mile E of Powder River Pass, SPHP turned S off Hwy 16 onto USFS Road No. 29. No. 29 wound around for 4 or 5 miles in a generally SSW direction. At a small turnaround loop where the road first reaches the North Fork of the Powder River, SPHP parked the G6 again (1:02 PM). Hazelton Pyramid was about 2 miles away to the ESE. Lupe would start for Hazelton Pyramid from here.
A bridge near the turnaround loop got SPHP over to the N side of the Powder River where Lupe started off heading NE on 4WD Route 584111. She soon turned E on Route 584116, which quickly leveled out and left open ground to enter the forest. Before long, the road curved S and crossed a small creek. Beyond the creek, Lupe and SPHP continued on the road, but not very far, since it started trending SW.
Lupe left the road to begin climbing ESE through the forest. The forest featured great views of, well, trees. Lupe was happy with that. Trees meant squirrels! The slope gained elevation at a moderate pace, making for a pretty pleasant shady trek. Lupe had fun dashing this way and that winding along a maze of faint animal trails. She did find a few squirrels to growl and bark at, while they taunted and hurled insults at her from the safety of the treetops.
After 0.5 mile or more going through the forest, Lupe reached the top of a relatively flat and broad ridge. There was a large meadow here from which it was possible to see Hazelton Pyramid again, and some of the high ground above tree line leading to it.
There were a couple of reasonable looking routes toward Hazelton Pyramid from here. Lupe could either climb above tree line heading ENE to the base of a rocky ridge which she could follow up to high ground near High Point 10201, or stay lower and farther S while heading E in an area of scattered forest.
SPHP thought the route up near the rocky ridge looked more dramatic and interesting. Lupe was quite certain the scattered forest would offer more squirrel possibilities, but she had no real objections to the rocky route. After all, there might be marmots up there, and marmots are fun, too! Either way was fine with Lupe. In any case, there was still a bit of forest to go through even to get to the rocky route.
Lupe lost a little elevation going through the last section of forest on the way to the rocky route, but quickly regained it on a somewhat steep climb just beyond the forest. Soon (well relatively soon, SPHP kept stopping for air) Lupe was approaching the area below the rocky ridge. Here the climb was not so steep. The views got better and better as Lupe headed for a saddle near the E end of the ridge.
When Lupe reached the saddle (a short distance SW of High Point 10201), she had a great view of Hazelton Pyramid ahead. Lupe could also see the high ground she would follow as it swept around to the summit.
Before continuing on to Hazelton Pyramid, Lupe checked out the views from the minor high point immediately SW of the saddle.
After a short rest break on the minor high point, Lupe and SPHP returned to the saddle. It was time to follow the high ground leading over to the summit of Hazelton Pyramid. Most of the time, Lupe was able to stay at or near the top of the long ridge. A couple of times she was forced to lose some elevation to get around small cliffs.
The last part of Lupe’s climb up Hazelton Pyramid was the steepest and rockiest, but still easily manageable. The true summit turned out to be along a ridge of boulders extending farther to the SE a few hundred feet beyond the apparent summit Lupe had seen while climbing up from the NW. Lupe and SPHP stayed on the NE side of this ridge due to a steep drop off immediately to the SW.
Naturally, Lupe and SPHP took a break up on Hazelton Pyramid for water, a bit to eat, and to spend some time admiring the splendid views. Although it had been a beautiful, mostly sunny day during the entire ascent, a line of gray clouds was now approaching from the SW. Streaks of rain trailed beneath the clouds. SPHP eyed the clouds suspiciously, even though they didn’t look too threatening.
Fortunately, there wasn’t any thunder or lightning. Lupe and SPHP stayed on the mountain. A SW wind picked up and blew rather strongly for a little while as the clouds approached. Lupe had to endure a rainstorm as they passed over Hazelton Pyramid, but it didn’t rain hard or last too long. The day soon grew somewhat sunnier again.
Eventually, of course, it was time to start down off Hazelton Peak to begin the trek back to the G6. For a long way, Lupe and SPHP continued to enjoy the wonderful mountain scenery visible from the high ground above tree line.
Lupe retraced her way up Hazelton Peak all the way back down below tree line. Not too long after reaching the forest, SPHP tried to take a shortcut, heading WNW down off the ridge before reaching the big meadow.
The shortcut became a longcut and a Lupe adventure all its own, but one without photos as SPHP tried to hurry through the darkening forest. At one point Lupe crossed a road which may have been 4WD Route 584113. Lupe explored beautiful little clearings of swampy land near a tiny creek. However, the forest seemed longer, denser, and more difficult to navigate than on Lupe’s original route.
All’s well that ends well, though! Lupe finally emerged from the forest and swamps on open ground above and N of 4WD Route 584116. SPHP recognized Route 584111 a little farther off to the W. Lupe trotted happily along. She was almost back to the North Fork of the Powder River and the G6 (7:37 PM).
Well, Loopster! That was a pretty good day wasn’t it? Up before dawn barking at cows and horses on the way to the Bighorns, visiting all 3 of the Washakie County High Point candidates, and then climbing Hazelton Pyramid, too!
Yes, this was great, and about time, too! What’s on the agenda tomorrow?
Tomorrow you start for Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.), the highest mountain in the entire Bighorn Range! It’s so big and so far it will take us 2 days to get to the top.
Oh, sounds exciting! Will there be squirrels?
I think you’re gonna like it, and yeah, there should be some squirrels. Believe me, your summer of 2016 is going to be fantastic. You haven’t seen anything yet, Looper!
Heh, I certainly hope so SPHP, until today that’s been just about literally true!
Huge sigh! One of many at long intervals. Dejected, Lupe lay bored on the floor. Sometimes she stared out the window. Sometimes just out into space. After a promising start with a trip to the Laramie Mountains in Wyoming in late May, Lupe had returned to the Black Hills on June 1st expecting great things from the summer of 2016. Instead, June immediately turned hot – too hot for her Black Hills expeditions. June shot by, and Lupe didn’t get to go anywhere in the hills.
Early July started out a little better, with two short Summits on the Air outings (Custer Peak & Boulder Hill) with Joe and Dusty. Then it was back to laying on the floor, forlorn and disappointed day after day. The middle of July came and went. Still Dullsville.
Lupe didn’t realize it yet, but great things were in the works. Preparations for her fabulous Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation were nearing completion. Lupe would soon be on her way much farther than she had ever been before to visit beautiful places and climb some spectacular peaks!
One mountain on the list, however, wasn’t that far away. Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.), the tallest mountain in the Bighorn range of north central Wyoming, was easily the highest peak Lupe would attempt to climb this year. For Lupe and SPHP, Cloud Peak meant a 3 day/2 night backpacking trip.
Why not take Lupe to the Bighorns even before the start of her summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation? Getting Cloud Peak out of the way beforehand would free up several days on her summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation she could use to climb much more distant peaks she might never otherwise have a chance to attempt. It was a good idea, and high time for some action anyway.
SPHP checked the weather forecasts. Starting July 18th, 4 consecutive days of 100°F heat with little or no chance of rain were coming to Buffalo, WY. Perfect for adventuring in the high country, where it would be considerably cooler! Much to her surprise and delight, Lupe was on the road headed for the Bighorns before dawn.
Only a few hours later, Lupe was in the Bighorns! Before tackling Cloud Peak, though, SPHP had a couple of other easier peakbagging objectives in mind for Lupe. The first one was really easy – the Washakie County High Point(9,600 ft.). At 9:48 AM (66°F), SPHP parked the G6 just S of Hwy 16 along USFS Road No. 25. This intersection is in Washakie County only a short distance W of the Johnson County line.
The only thing time consuming or unusual about the Washakie County High Point is that there are three candidates for the actual highest point. Two of them are about 0.25 mile S of Hwy 16 on a low forested ridge. The third candidate is about the same distance N of Hwy 16. Lupe and SPHP headed across the field toward the S candidates first. As a guide, SPHP had a copy of a trip report by Edward Earl dated July 30, 2002.
At the edge of the forest was a barbed wire fence. The lower part of the fence was a wire mesh which Lupe could not get through. Lupe and SPHP followed the fence W until Lupe reached a gate with orange posts where she was able to get by. After that, Lupe sniffed around exploring the forest while making the climb to the first of the high points.
Lupe visited the two Washakie County High Point candidates S of Hwy 16. Both were very rocky. They were only a few minutes walk apart, but due to the forest, not really visible from each other. Neither had much in the way of views, although there were partial views to the S and E from the SE high point. The most open views were actually from a lower rock outcropping a bit to the S of the area between the two high points.
Edward Earl’s trip report mentioned a cairn at both high point candidates S of Hwy 16, but Lupe only saw a cairn at the NW high point. After visiting both of the S candidates, Lupe headed NE through the forest until she reached USFS Road No. 25 near a cattle guard providing an opening in the fence line. Lupe is an expert at crossing cattle guards, which present no obstacle to her at all.
Lupe and SPHP proceeded across Hwy 16 a few hundred feet E of the Hwy 16/USFS Road No. 25 intersection. Shortly after re-entering the forest N of the highway, Lupe came to another barbed wire fence. It had 5 wires, and the lowest wire was dangerously close to the ground for Lupe. SPHP lifted Lupe over the fence. Lupe then continued N, once again up a gentle forested slope while looking for her final objective – the third and last Washakie County High Point candidate.
Edward Earl’s trip report mentioned a small summit, with perhaps 20′ of prominence just E of the Johnson County line in Johnson County. Lupe came to a pile of boulders that looked likely to be this small summit.
According to Edward Earl, the 3rd Washakie County High Point candidate was located on a small E/W running ridge 50 to 80 yards to the W of the small summit. Only 100 feet W of the small summit there was supposed to be a 4 foot high boulder with a cairn on it and a log leaning against it. Mr. Earl thought the true high point was 50 to 100 feet farther W of this boulder.
It sounded pretty easy to find. Lupe and SPHP headed W from the small summit looking for the 4 foot high boulder and E/W ridge. However, Lupe had no luck. She went well beyond 100 feet without seeing the 4 foot high boulder. There didn’t seem to be any sign of the E/W ridge either. The forest in this area was all on gently sloping terrain. A 4 foot high boulder or a ridge of any significant size should have been easy to spot. Lupe and SPHP circled around the area several times, but found nothing of interest.
Puzzling. Lupe and SPHP returned to the small summit with all the boulders. Was it possible this wasn’t the summit Edward Earl had mentioned? A short distance to the N, the forest sloped up toward higher ground. Well, Loop, let’s go check it out. I can’t think of anything else reasonable to try.
After going a little farther N, Lupe and SPHP arrived up on a ridge that was definitely higher than the small summit. This ridge seem to go roughly E/W, although it was N of the small summit, not W of it. Maybe Lupe was too far E? Lupe and SPHP headed W along the ridge. Lupe hadn’t gone too far, when there was a break in the ridge. Not far away on the other side of the break was a small hill or continuation of the ridge. Lupe headed for it.
On the W side of the break, Lupe did have to climb up about 20 feet to get up on a little hill from which the ridge continued on in an E/W direction. Perhaps this was the small summit Edward Earl had mentioned? There was another possibility, too. The hill featured a rock several feet high with a cairn on it. A rotting tree to the N of it might have been the log leaning against the 4 foot high boulder?
SPHP wasn’t completely certain where Lupe was in relation to Edward Earl’s directions, but this area did seem to fit the general description. It seemed clear that Lupe should continue exploring farther W along the ridge for at least a few hundred feet in any case. If this was Mr. Earl’s small summit, Lupe should find a four foot high boulder about 100 feet to the W. If not, Lupe should still cross the 3rd high point candidate somewhere along the way. Lupe and SPHP headed W.
Lo, and behold! There it was! Roughly 100 feet away Lupe did find a 4 foot high boulder with a cairn on it! It was sitting off by itself in the forest, like a true landmark. SPHP felt 90% certain this had to be the boulder Edward Earl was referring to.
Since Mr. Earl thought the actual Washakie County High Point candidate was a point along the ridge 50 to 100 feet to the W of this boulder, Lupe and SPHP wandered over in that direction. The ridge sloped gradually down toward the W, so the actual high point candidate was simply located along the ridge wherever the Washakie and Johnson County border crossed it.
There was no fence or other indication where the county line was. Lupe went far enough to make certain she had crossed the third Washakie County High Point candidate somewhere along the way. She then returned to the area about 80 feet W of the boulder. Smile, Lupe! As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done it and can claim another peakbagging success. Congratulations on visiting all three candidates for the Washakie County, Wyoming High Point!
Well, that really hadn’t been hard at all. By 11:48 AM, Lupe was back at the G6. Still plenty of time left in the day for another, more scenic and challenging adventure! Hazelton Pyramid(10,534 ft.) was close at hand to the SE. Lupe’s fun in the Bighorn Mountains was just beginning!
Light out. Looked like for a while already. Ugh! Loopster, you awake? Of course, she was, but even Lupe wasn’t looking too lively yet, still content to snuggle down on her sleeping bag. Lupe gazed sleepily back at SPHP. Is it time?
Uncharacteristically, Lupe had only wanted to go outside her “tiny house” once during the night to prowl around. The scene, the mood, had been magical. A full moon flooded Paint Rock Creek valley with ghostly light. Close by, but out of sight below the grassy ridge on which Lupe’s tiny house was perched, came the soothing sound of Paint Rock Creek gushing over a 15 foot high waterfall. Otherwise, silence prevailed beneath the night sky. Nothing stirred. Lupe and SPHP were utterly alone.
Now it was light out. Yes, it’s time, Loop. I wish it wasn’t – I’m not feeling it. Sheesh, why do I always do this? Bomber Mountain after Cloud Peak, indeed – what a joke! I must be delusional. Now I’ll be lucky to drag myself up Cloud today. I hope you’re more ready for this than I am. SPHP started preparations for the day’s climb. Lupe watched, but didn’t move. She made no comment.
Yesterday, Lupe and SPHP had made it from the trailhead at West Tensleep Lake to the junction of the Misty Moon Trail (No. 63) and the Solitude Trail (No. 38) SW of Misty Moon Lake in good time. The sun had still been high overhead. Lupe and SPHP could have made it to base camp on the ledge near Paint Rock Creek falls with many hours before sunset to relax and recuperate for the climb up Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.) today.
Hah! That would have been too easy. Instead, full of enthusiasm, SPHP had led Lupe E on the Solitude Trail off on a side excursion to see the Fortress Lakes and Gunboat Lake. Lupe even left the trail to climb a minor high point, Peak 10,860. From there, SPHP had seen what looked like a good route up Bomber Mountain(12,840 ft.) from the Florence Pass area. Wouldn’t it be fun for Lupe to climb Bomber Mountain, too, the day after climbing Cloud Peak?
The side excursion was fun and beautiful, but also chewed up lots of time. More importantly, it used up a lot of energy. As a result, Lupe and SPHP had dragged into base camp on the low ridge NW of Paint Rock Creek falls only an hour and a half before sunset. By then, the Bomber Mountain daydream was shattered. SPHP was played out. Even Lupe seemed tired. As soon as Lupe’s tiny house was pitched, Lupe and SPHP had crawled inside and crashed.
OK, Loop, let’s go! Yeah, yesterday’s side excursion may have been a mistake, but so what? You’re gonna make it to the top, sweet puppy! We still have lots of advantages. We are starting from the best and closest possible base camp, the weather is ideal, and we saw yesterday that there’s almost no snow left up there to stop us.
Not gonna set any speed records, unless it’s for the slowest ascent ever, but who cares? No one. It’s just us. We have all day. We can rest as often and long as we want to. There’s a reason for this SPHP tag, you know. Even so, this is still going to be a glorious day. Promise!
Lupe was ready! She grabbed a big stick and chomped it. She snarled and barked. She leaped around encouraging SPHP to please, finally, get on with it. And then she was off, tearing NE along the trail up Paint Rock Creek valley above the falls.
The unmaintained trail was good, at first. It paralleled Paint Rock Creek from a short distance to the NW. Lupe and SPHP went down to the creek, so Lupe could get a drink. Bluebells were growing in profusion along the banks.
Lupe and SPHP returned to the trail. Almost immediately, it veered N, leaving the creek behind. Gradually, the trail became more intermittent and harder to follow. Sometimes there were cairns to show the way. There was no reason to worry. It was just about impossible to get lost. To the N was a giant ridge of solid stone sweeping up to the NE toward Cloud Peak’s summit.
Lupe and SPHP came to several big rock formations that had to be traversed. Between the formations was much more level grassy ground. SPHP grew careless about following the trail, losing it several times. Lupe kept coming across it again. Once, at one of the formations, Lupe came to a rock wall that was too high for her to scramble up. SPHP lifted her up, but that was the only time she needed help.
Sometimes Lupe had to lose a little elevation leaving the rock formations to reach the next grassy section, but the elevation loss was never significant. The last grassy section was the largest of all. Several ponds were scattered around. Directly ahead, beyond the grass, was a headwall. Above it was a higher valley leading toward Cloud Peak.
After crossing the last big grassy area, Lupe was delighted to discover a big patch of snow in a cleft in the headwall. She frolicked, slid, and rolled on it. SPHP was happy for her. Down on the sagebrush prairies surrounding the Bighorns it was supposed to be 100°F, but here was Lupe having a blast in the snow!
Above the headwall, the long upper valley stretched ahead. There was a fair amount of grass in the center of the valley. A tributary of Paint Rock Creek cascaded down from above.
SPHP hadn’t really bothered to look for the route the intermittent trail took up over the headwall, but realized Lupe was probably SE of it. The center of the valley near the creek looked like the easiest way up. Unfortunately, instead of immediately working over to the middle, SPHP chose what looked like the easiest route from where Lupe had arrived on the headwall, which stayed SE of the valley center.
The route was full of boulders, but now and then there were short stretches of grass or dirt. They all led higher up on the SE side of the valley. Gradually, Lupe was getting farther away from the middle of the valley, instead of closer to it. Lupe didn’t seem to mind all the rock-hopping too much, but for SPHP it was time consuming and exhausting. Frequent stops were necessary to let heart and lungs catch up.
Eventually, Lupe was a long way up on the SE side of the upper valley. By now, even short stretches of grass or dirt were non-existent. Ahead was a seemingly endless boulder field. Somewhere up there, SPHP knew Lupe would arrive at the edge of massive cliffs to the SE.
From below, the boulders above repeatedly gave the impression that Lupe was nearing the top of the ridge. As Lupe scrambled ever higher, SPHP urged her to be careful. However, each time Lupe reached the apparent ridgeline, all that was revealed beyond were more boulders and an even higher ridge.
Slowly, Lupe and SPHP pressed onward and upward. There was no other reasonable choice. The floor of the upper valley was now much too far below to consider going back down looking for a better route. Sorry, Lupe, looks like I’ve really screwed this up again. We’re still going to make it, though. This can’t go on forever. On the way back down, we will find a better way.
By now, even Lupe was getting sick of all the rock hopping. Each time SPHP stopped for a breather, she curled up at SPHP’s feet as best as she could. SPHP tried to stop at tiny patches of grass, so she could be somewhat comfortable, but often there wasn’t anything resembling “comfortable” around.
Despite the horrible route SPHP had selected, there were still cairns scattered around here and there. They were utterly meaningless. SPHP did derive a little comfort from them. Well, Loop, looks like we aren’t the only suckers to ever come this way!
Over time, SPHP could see Lupe was making progress. She was gradually gaining on Elk Mountain (11,321 ft.), far off to the SW. After a while, she was even with it. Eventually, Elk Mountain was clearly below Lupe’s elevation.
At last, Lupe reached the edge of the cliffs! Across a chasm to the ESE was an impressive view of Bomber Mountain(12,840 ft.). To the NNE was Lupe’s first relatively close up view of “The Bridge”. It was farther away than SPHP had hoped. The entire intervening distance was still nothing but more boulders. Beyond “The Bridge”, boulder fields rose 1,000 feet above Lupe’s current position.
What SPHP refers to as “The Bridge” is a narrow band of rock connecting much wider portions of the long SW ridge leading up to the summit of Cloud Peak. If “The Bridge” didn’t exist, Cloud Peak would be a technical climb, the summit attainable only by those with genuine mountaineering skills and equipment. Casual day hikers and backpackers like Lupe and SPHP would have no way to ever reach the summit.
Lupe and SPHP had no choice, but to continue on to “The Bridge”. Lupe went N over the boulders along the edge of the chasm to the E. As she got closer to the narrowest part of “The Bridge”, Lupe turned NE to cross it. There were huge drop offs on both sides, with spectacular views, but “The Bridge” is plenty wide enough so that crossing it under favorable conditions isn’t a terrifying experience.
While crossing “The Bridge”, Lupe gained little net elevation, if any. The crossing was still slow, since “The Bridge” is all boulder field, just like the rest of the terrain. There appeared to be a somewhat easier route toward the S side, but naturally, SPHP had led Lupe along the N edge to see the views in that direction. Was it possible to go any slower? It was hard to see how.
Beyond “The Bridge”, Lupe resumed her climb. Only another 600 or 700 feet of elevation gain to the top! Only? SPHP was fading. Lupe wasn’t, though! There were many places where SPHP thought the Carolina Dog might need help over huge boulders. Each time SPHP offered to lend her a hand, though, all on her own she appeared a moment or two later grinning down at SPHP from above. Show off!
This high on the mountain, Lupe started coming to more snow. The snow actually helped. SPHP was able to trudge right on up it, where the snow wasn’t too steep. Although it was warm out and the snow was melting at a good clip, it didn’t give way. Crossing the snow was much faster than trying to negotiate the boulders.
Finally, less than 500 feet below the summit during one of SPHP’s innumerable rest breaks, SPHP saw something that had been expected for hours. Below, and not terribly far away, someone was coming! Two people and a white dog! They were moving fast. Soon they would overtake Lupe and SPHP. Until now, Lupe and SPHP had been totally alone on the mountain.
Before long, Lupe and SPHP met Garrett, Ariel, and their dog Apollo! They were from Casper, WY. After a pleasant few minutes chatting, Lupe and SPHP were left behind. Garrett, Ariel and Apollo blazed ahead, eventually disappearing high above. Lupe and SPHP plugged along slowly. At long last, from the SW, Lupe reached the summit area.
The summit area was quite large – a few hundred feet across or more. The whole area was still all boulder fields, but they sloped much less dramatically. There was a high point to the W, which had been visible at times on the way up. The true summit was a large boulder with a cairn on it off toward the E edge of the mountain. Huge precipices were to the E and S near the true summit, and W of the W high point.
Garrett, Ariel and Apollo were still at the true summit when Lupe and SPHP finally arrived. Lupe was more than a little ill-mannered toward poor unoffending Apollo. Apparently, SPHP had been moving so slowly, Lupe had spent enough time on Cloud Peak on the way up to start thinking of the mountain as her own territory. Lupe repeatedly growled warnings at Apollo. This mountain isn’t big enough for the two of us!
Come on now, Lupe, of course it is – behave!
This was it! Success! Despite the perfect weather, no one else was coming to climb Cloud Peak today. Garrett and Ariel said it was already 3:15 PM. (Good grief, had it really taken SPHP 8.25 hours to struggle up this mountain? A lousy 3,000 feet of elevation gain from base camp? Apparently so. Record crappy ascent time secured! No matter, it was still a successful ascent.) Time for everyone to celebrate with a few photos!
Garrett and Ariel stayed up at the summit talking with SPHP. They were trail runners, and spent quite a bit of time in the mountains when they could. They had only 2 days off work, and had come up to the Bighorns just to tag Cloud Peak. Amazingly, they had hopes of being down off the mountain and back to Pizza Hut in Buffalo, WY before it closed at 10 PM!
It seemed impossible! SPHP would be thrilled with stumbling back into Lupe’s base camp before it was pitch black. SPHP talked with Garrett and Ariel so long, they probably never stood a chance of enjoying that pizza. It was after 4 PM by the time Garrett, Ariel and Apollo took their leave, and disappeared off to the SW.
Alone again, Loop! What a glorious place! We did make it, didn’t we? Lupe panted happily at SPHP. Sure did! You knew we would! You’re with an American Dingo. It was in the bag all along. SPHP sat petting Lupe on the summit boulder for a while. Yeah, but you gotta remember, I’m no American Dingo. Lupe sighed and rolled over, paws in the air. Good! You can scratch my belly, then. SPHP complied, while surveying the world from 13,167 ft.
It must have been approaching 5 PM, by the time Lupe and SPHP started back down. Going down was easier, but still ridiculously slow. SPHP did improve on route selection, which in some places made virtually no difference, but in others helped tremendously.
The big improvements came below “The Bridge”. This time, Lupe stayed much farther to the N, heading W from “The Bridge”. This eventually brought Lupe down to a big, nearly flat area that swept off to the S and then down around to the SW. There were so few boulders here, that Lupe was free to run around exploring as she pleased. It was like a Cloud Peak super highway compared to the way Lupe and SPHP had struggled up earlier!
Better route selection hardly mattered at first. It took a long time just getting down to “The Bridge”. The scenery was spectacular, though!
By the time Lupe reached the Cloud Peak super highway, the sun was already very low, and the light was beginning to fade. It was still a very long way back to Lupe’s base camp. Fortunately, Lupe and SPHP could now make rapid progress for a while.
The big flat area gradually steepened, and eventually led down into the upper end of the valley above the headwall where the tributary of Paint Rock Creek was flowing. There were lots more boulders again here, but Lupe was able to avoid most of them. Successive trails marked by cairns went down long stretches of narrow, boulder-free paths of dirt or grass.
As Lupe got close to the stream, she found a lot more grass, plus big areas of relatively smooth exposed bedrock. Staying on the SE side of the stream, but close to it, was a lot better than Lupe’s tortuous climb among the boulders higher up on the SE side of the valley in the morning.
As fast as Lupe’s progress was, by the time Lupe and SPHP managed to get down the headwall to the biggest grassy area with scattered ponds, the sun was long gone. Twilight was fading fast. Beyond the grass, SPHP had a hard time finding a decent route over the first of the rock formations that had to be traversed. Once on the other side, nothing looked familiar, not that it was possible to see much.
SPHP brought out the flashlight and a headlamp. Ahead to the SW, a wide valley of exposed bedrock sloped down into a deep dark hole. Off to the SE was the outline of a dark ridge, but it wasn’t nearly high enough to be the ridge S of Paint Rock Creek. Confusion set in. SPHP couldn’t see much, but what was in view seemed wrong.
Did the map show the dark ridge to the SE? SPHP didn’t remember it from earlier in the day. A look at the topo map didn’t seem to show it either. Was it possible to miss going right by Lupe’s base camp by simply continuing down the canyon? Both the map and what SPHP could remember seemed to indicate that was impossible, yet the yawning black hole ahead looked totally unfamiliar.
Lupe, let’s go back up a way, maybe we are supposed to be on the other side of this dark ridge to the SE? Lupe was fine with that. For a few minutes, Lupe and SPHP headed back up to the NE. Reason soon set in again. SPHP stopped. Let’s have another look at the topo map.
Little bulges to the SW in the topographic lines probably indicated the presence of the dark SE ridge. SPHP probably hadn’t paid any attention to the ridge in the morning, because it wasn’t really as big as it looked in the dark.
Loop, we are turning around again to go back down into the dark hole. If we persist in trying to reach the other side this SE ridge, we may find ourselves in a real jumble down along Paint Rock Creek way before it reaches the trail. Keep an eye out for the trail, and sniff around for it, too. We need to find it!
Cautiously, SPHP headed back down toward the dark abyss. Lupe sniffed around. She found the trail! It was faint, but here was a little cairn. This had to be it. Across the grassy areas and over the rock formations, Lupe helped SPHP stay on the trail. It had been intermittent and kind of hard to follow in the day. In the dark, it was really tricky.
Whenever the trail disappeared, SPHP watched Lupe, in a minute or two she was usually on it again. Several times SPHP disagreed with Lupe on which way to go. Lupe was soon proven right almost every time.
The rock formations seemed much steeper and rougher in the darkness than during the day. The way back seemed much longer than expected, too. Darkness does that. Time passes much more slowly than one thinks. SPHP went on and on in the darkness, but with growing confidence. The little cairns were helpful. Lupe was helpful. The trail gradually improved.
Finally, Paint Rock Creek could be heard not too far away. The trail still didn’t go toward it for what seemed like a long time. Eventually it did, though, and not long afterward, Lupe arrived back at her tiny house. Ta da! That was quite a day, Lupe! Thanks so much for your help! We are going to remember Cloud Peak for a long time. Hungry?
Lupe was hungry. Famished, actually. She had hardly eaten anything all day. She inhaled her Taste of the Wild. Then she was ready to curl up on her sleeping bag. SPHP pulled part of it over her. Keep the puppy warm! Lupe was asleep in no time. SPHP was too weary to eat. Out like a light.
Suddenly, it was morning again. Bright and beautiful, but not a cloud in the sky. It was going to be a scorcher, even way up here. Now it was SPHP’s turn to eat. Lupe hardly stirred, happy curled up on her sleeping bag. SPHP wrapped it around her a little better again. Hope you weren’t too cold in the night Loop, I never regained consciousness to check on you.
Well, Loopster, Cloud Peak was your toughest peakbagging success yet, but it’s time to go home today. We are low on water, and even if we had gallons of it, I am totally out of energy to climb Bomber Mountain. That was pure fantasy for this trip. Not going to happen. It wasn’t in the original plan, anyway. Would you like to explore the ridge to the W for a little way, though, before we leave?
Lupe was fine with sniffing around to the W. She climbed some low hills. She saw a beautiful unnamed lake. She drank from a tiny stream. SPHP admired Paint Rock Creek valley, and all the wonderful sights in and around it.
Lupe and SPHP returned to base camp. It was time to go. SPHP took down Lupe’s tiny house. Away went Lupe and SPHP, S across Paint Rock Creek valley, up the other side to the Solitude Trail, and over the pass. Lupe went by Misty Moon Lake, reached the Misty Moon Trail, and proceeded S past Lake Marion and Lake Helen.
At 4:14 PM (81°F), Lupe’s 3 day/2 night adventure to Cloud Peak was over. She was back at the trailhead at West Tensleep Lake ready to bark at cows and horses from the comfort of the G6 on her air-conditioned ride home to the Black Hills.
A couple days later, Lupe had an email from her mountaineer friend, Jobe Wymore, congratulating Lupe on her ascent of Cloud Peak. By sheer coincidence, Sam Grant, a mountaineer buddy of Jobe’s had climbed Cloud Peak on 7-21-16, the day after Lupe did! Had Lupe run into Sam by any chance? Sam would have made the entire trip as a day hike in one day!
SPHP saw on Peakbagger.com that Sam had taken the Misty Moon Trail from West Tensleep Lake, too. Lupe and SPHP almost certainly passed by Sam somewhere along the trail on the way back to the G6. Jobe was soon able to confirm that Sam thought he might have actually talked to SPHP for a few minutes! Fun stuff! Too bad Lupe and SPHP hadn’t realized who Sam was. Lupe could have gotten her picture taken with him, and added another genuine mountaineer to her collection of friends.
Just think, Lupe! Sam Grant can do in one day what took me 3 days and 2 nights! Maybe Garrett, Ariel and Apollo did get to Pizza Hut in Buffalo in time, after all? I’m clearly holding you back. Maybe you better consider an upgrade from SPHP? You could get a lot more accomplished!
Aren’t we going on my wonderful, most stupendous ever Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation in less than a week?
Of course!
Well then, I’m stuck with you, SPHP, at least for the time being.
Good thing, Lupe! I’d sure miss you, if you ever left. Now you are going to help me pack all this stuff, right?
Start without me SPHP, I’m kind of busy resting up for all the adventures I have to star in ahead!
Morning! (5:57 AM, 30°F) SPHP opened the door of the G6 to let Lupe out, and grabbed the boots left outside on the ground the previous evening in the hopes that they would dry out a little. SPHP’s boots had been soaking wet after spending much of the previous day hiking through snow drifts with Lupe on her fabulous day trip to Warbonnet Peak(9,414 ft.) and back.
Well, that didn’t work. The boots weren’t dry. They weren’t soaking wet, either. Instead, they were frozen stiff. It was chilly out. Outside, there was frost on the picnic table. SPHP turned on the engine to warm things up, with the blower blasting the boots with hot air to thaw them out. Lupe hopped back into the G6 to bask in the warmth.
SPHP studied the maps. SPHP hoped Lupe would be able to climb two more mountains today. The original plan had been to go for Buffalo Peak(9,387 ft.) and then Squaw Mountain(9,313 ft.), which were 4 or 5 miles N of the Campbell Creek campground where Lupe and SPHP had spent the night. The Peakbagger.com topo map showed a 4WD USFS Road No. 664 leaving Cold Spring Road (County Road No. 24), and leading after a few miles to a trail going between the two mountains.
However, SPHP had acquired a new map yesterday. The forest service personnel who had been reinstalling the campground sign (washed away by floods a few weeks ago), gave SPHP a “Motor Vehicle Use Map” for the Medicine Bow National Forest. It didn’t show the road and trail leading between Buffalo Peak and Squaw Mountain at all. It did show something interesting, though. There was a trailhead along Cold Spring Road, and a Twin Peaks trail No. 618 leading right to Twin Peaks(9,280 ft.).
The Peakbagger.com topo map also showed Trail No. 618, but did not agree with the Motor Vehicle Use Map. The Peakbagger.com map showed Trail No. 618 passing 0.5 mile N of the Twin Peaks summit.
By the time SPHP’s boots had thawed out enough to become sopping wet again, and pliable enough to put on, Lupe had new plan for the day. She was going to find the Twin Peaks trailhead, and take Trail No. 618 to Twin Peaks. If there was enough time left in the day after that, she would try for Squaw Mountain.
After breakfast, Lupe and SPHP left Campbell Creek campground. SPHP drove N on Cold Spring Road. Three miles N of the campground, SPHP saw a big empty parking lot next to the forest a little uphill and W of the road. There was no sign along the road, but SPHP turned in and parked anyway (8:25 AM).
A small wooden sign, in deteriorating condition, still said clearly “Twin Peaks Trail No. 618”. The sign was next to an old jeep or ATV trail heading W from the parking lot. There was absolutely no other information around. This is it, Loop! Let’s get going!
The old jeep trail went gradually up and over a low part of a ridge coming down from the SW. On the other side, a little over 0.5 mile from the trailhead, Lupe reached Roaring Fork Creek. Snow was still melting up in the mountains, so Roaring Fork Creek was living up to its name. The creek wasn’t terribly large, but big enough so that SPHP started wondering how much of a problem creek crossings were going to be on Trail No. 618.
SPHP needn’t have worried. Trail No. 618 never did cross Roaring Fork Creek even once, although it did cross a few much smaller tributaries, most of which were clearly seasonal in nature. None of the tributaries presented any problem.
Lupe trotted along Trail No. 618, sniffing here and there, and making occasional short forays into the forest to investigate points of interest to American Dingoes. The trail went W following the S side of the creek upstream, most of the time well above it. About where the trail had reached Roaring Fork Creek, the valley had narrowed and the forest had become denser. Lupe and SPHP enjoyed a shady trek, with the pleasant sound of water tumbling over rocks below.
Gradually, the trail became steeper. About 0.75 mile after reaching Roaring Fork Creek, Lupe came to an intersection. It was unmarked, of course. Here, the old jeep trail veered to the SW (L) and started climbing steeply. To the R, a single track trail led down a hill toward the creek.
Decision time. Which way Lupe? The Carolina Dog made no response. Instead, she looked expectantly up at SPHP. We better check the maps. Hang on a few minutes. SPHP already knew what they would show. The old jeep trail to the L looked like it was heading in the direction shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map directly to Twin Peaks. The single track trail continuing up Roaring Fork Creek was the route shown on the Peakbagger.com topo map. Depending on which map one looked at, both were supposedly Trail No. 618.
Yep, that was what the maps showed alright. The Motor Vehicle Use Map showed almost no details. It was impossible to know if the jeep trail actually went up to the top of Twin Peaks or not. SPHP suspected it wouldn’t, although it must end somewhere not too far from the summit.
The Peakbagger.com map showed the Roaring Fork Creek route would ultimately leave Lupe facing at least 0.5 mile of off-trail bushwhacking going up the N slope of Twin Peaks. On the other hand, if Twin Peaks proved impossible to climb, Lupe’s alternative peak, Squaw Mountain, would be much closer.
SPHP pondered for 10 minutes. Lupe took the single track trail near Roaring Fork Creek.
After going a little way on the single track trail, Lupe reached a barbed wire fence across it. A yellow sign said “Please Close The Gate”. The sign must not have been very effective. Sterner measures had been put in place. There was no gate. Only a fence. It ended at a rock formation a foot to the L of the trail. Lupe and SPHP climbed over the rocks to get by.
A little farther on, a more serious situation developed. The trail came to a marshy area with lots of little streams running through it. Crossing the area wasn’t a problem, but following the trail was. SPHP lost it completely.
Lupe soon found the trail again a little farther upstream, but from here on, the trail seemed to be seldom used. Most of the time it wasn’t hard to follow, but every so often, it faded away. SPHP lost the trail completely several times, but Lupe always came across it again.
Trail No. 618 eventually began to climb well above the level of Roaring Fork Creek. The trail and creek started to diverge. The trail turned more to the WSW, while the creek angled NW.
For a long way up the creek valley, the only really view had been N toward Squaw Mountain on the opposite side of the valley. However, as Lupe continued gaining elevation, she now started seeing occasional glimpses of a high point to the S. A long, moderately steep, forested slope led up toward it. That high point had to be some part of Twin Peaks.
Lupe and SPHP took a break. SPHP needed to check the topo map to determine where Lupe should leave the trail. She would have to go S to start the climb up Twin Peaks. The topo map showed that Lupe was approaching a saddle in the trail. To the N of it were some contours indicating minor high points. The trail’s high point should be a good place to turn S.
The trail leveled out slowly as it approached the saddle. Some fairly impressive rock outcroppings began appearing on the N side of the trail. Lupe reached the saddle.
Lupe and SPHP went a little farther W on the trail. It started losing elevation at a pretty good clip. Yes, Lupe had made it to the saddle. No doubt about it. Lupe and SPHP went back to the trail’s high point. It was time for Lupe to leave Trail No. 618. SPHP took one more look at the topo map. Lupe would be climbing the N slopes of Twin Peaks. The map seemed to indicate the climb would be easiest going around toward the NE side of the mountain.
Lupe and SPHP left Trail No. 618 going S. The ground was almost level close to the trail, but Lupe soon reached the beginning of the long slope upward. Nothing but forest could be seen above. Just like yesterday, during Lupe’s trip to Warbonnet Peak, this forest with a N exposure was full of snow. The snow was stacked in drifts 2 to 4 feet high. The long struggle up the mountain began.
SPHP tried to angle toward the SE to get over to the NE slope of the mountain, as suggested by the topo map. The terrain didn’t want to cooperate. The easiest way up kept looking like it was farther to the W, where Lupe would be going up the NW side of the mountain. Lupe and SPHP made forays to the E where possible, but the terrain always soon started looking easier back toward the W.
Lupe was having a great time. The snow wasn’t a problem for her. SPHP made fewer attempts to go E, gradually giving in to the terrain. Lupe was destined to climb Twin Peaks from the NW.
Lupe climbed and climbed. Finally, she came to a more level area in the forest. A quick stroll led her to a rock formation. Now she could get a look at what was ahead.
From the rocks, Lupe could see the summit of Twin Peaks ahead. The rest of the climb to the top didn’t look terribly long, but it was steeper than before. A rough, stony ridge rose from the NW almost to the top of the mountain, before turning E to the summit. Lupe could try to follow that ridge. Climbing directly up the steep, snowy, forested N slope was the other option.
After a short break, Lupe and SPHP left the rock formation. Lupe lost a little elevation crossing a shallow saddle. Lupe and SPHP stayed in the forest a little to the E of the rough, stony ridge. The slope kept getting steeper and steeper, the higher Lupe went.
SPHP decided Lupe should try to get up on the rough, stony ridge. Deep snowdrifts were in the shade of the NE side of the ridge. Lupe and SPHP had to climb up over them to reach the ridgeline. Lupe made it first. SPHP followed.
SPHP wondered if the ridge would be too rough to follow. If Lupe had gotten on it a little lower down, it looked like it would have been. From where Lupe reached it, however, the ridge wasn’t hard to follow. There was little or no snow on the ridgeline. Lupe began to make rapid progress.
Soon there were cliffs to the SW. Their height increased as Lupe climbed. A huge view opened up to the S. The ridge turned E. Lupe was nearing the summit. Instead of staying up on the highest rocks, Lupe and SPHP traversed ledges slightly below and to the S of them. The ledges were 5 or 6 feet wide, and seemed safer than the rocks above, despite the cliffs along the edge.
Lupe and SPHP proceeded carefully. Just short of the summit was a gap in the rocks. Beyond the gap was a wall of rock that looked like a potential problem. SPHP could get up it, but how was Lupe going to get up there?
SPHP told Lupe to wait, and went closer to get a better look. Suddenly, a Carolina Dog appeared above! Lupe had found a way up on her own. She knew what she was doing. Now it was SPHP turn. SPHP had to pass through a crack between two big rocks. The L boulder moved slightly as soon as SPHP touched it! It wasn’t completely stable. That was unnerving!
SPHP pushed gently on the boulder again. Yes, it did move, and quite easily. It rocked back and forth. More force didn’t make it move any farther, though. It wasn’t going to fall, its range of motion was quite limited. SPHP joined Lupe on top of Twin Peaks(9,280 ft.)!
Right away, it was apparent that Lupe was at the true summit of Twin Peaks. The summit area was quite small, with cliffs to the N and S. The last part of Lupe’s climb had been from the W along the narrow rocky ridge and ledges. To the E, rocks went another 10 feet farther before reaching a drop off.
Lucky, Lupe! Purely by accident, Lupe and SPHP had come up the NW spine of the mountain. From the top, it looked like the only possible route Lupe and SPHP could have managed. Lupe had made it, though! Now she had fabulous 360° views, and a chance to rest while enjoying her peakbagging success.
Maybe Lupe didn’t like being up on the exposed rocks of the small summit area, or maybe she was simply ready for a break. After SPHP took a few photos of her on the summit, she went down to rest in a slot below the highest rocks.
The slot was a couple of feet wide and deep, 4 or 5 feet long, and protected by rock on three sides. The only opening was toward the W. There was a little grass for Lupe to lay down on, and a bit of shade. Lupe tried to close her eyes and rest, but a fly kept harassing her.
While Lupe snapped at the bothersome fly, SPHP tried to identify some of the surrounding mountains.
One of the mysteries of Twin Peaks was why it was even called Twin Peaks. Lupe was clearly at the highest point on the mountain, with unobstructed views in every direction. Yet there didn’t seem to be any other similar peak nearby to be its “twin”. There were some lower ridges of rounded rocks a little way E of the summit, but they were close enough so it was hard to consider them a separate peak.
SPHP decided High Point 9225 to the SE had to be the twin, but it didn’t look like one at all, at least not from here. High Point 9225 was a much longer, flatter, broader ridge. It didn’t resemble the true summit where Lupe was one bit.
Lupe and SPHP remained up on Twin Peaks for around 45 minutes. As lovely as the views were, the time came to think about moving on. Squaw Mountain(9,313 ft.) was next! Climbing Squaw Mountain didn’t look hard at all, but would take hours. Lupe and SPHP took a last look around from Twin Peaks, before starting a careful descent.
At first, Lupe and SPHP retraced her route up on the way down. The narrow, rocky ridge presented no other obvious options. Eventually, though, Lupe got back down to more forgiving terrain.
SPHP had seen some open ground way down in the valley to the NW of Twin Peaks. It was W and NW of the saddle where Lupe had left Trail No. 618. SPHP suspected this open ground might lead far enough N to take Lupe around to the NW end of Squaw Mountain. After Lupe passed by the rock formation where she had gotten her first good look at the summit of Twin Peaks from the NW, Lupe and SPHP continued down trying to stay toward the NW.
Somehow, it didn’t work. Much to SPHP’s surprise, Lupe arrived at Trail No. 618 again right back at the top of the saddle. Lupe needed to go N from here to get to the W end of Squaw Mountain. However, the big rock formation N of the trail hadn’t gone anywhere. To get around it, Lupe could either go W or E.
SPHP decided Lupe should try going E. The plan was to turn N, and eventually NW going up the Roaring Fork Creek valley. Based on what had been seen from up on Twin Peaks, Lupe ought to find open ground somewhere W of Squaw Mountain.
Working her way around to the N side of the big rock formation, Lupe gained a little elevation, and ran into more snow. Not as much snow as on the N slope of Twin Peaks, but enough to slow SPHP down. Deadfall timber was abundant, too. Progress wasn’t as fast as SPHP had hoped.
The dense forest went on and on. Lupe did not come to open ground, even though she was getting closer and closer to the W end of Squaw Mountain. Now gradually losing elevation, the American Dingo came upon a series of small bright green openings in the forest. These bright green areas were swampy, full of shallow standing water and trickling little streams. The green openings were beautiful, but crossing them took time, as SPHP tried to avoid the wettest spots.
In the end, Lupe reached a final bright green marsh, somewhat bigger than the others. She had made it back to Roaring Fork Creek, but much farther upstream than before. The creek flowed E in the forest a little beyond the N edge of the marsh. Lupe went to the far NW end.
Lupe was now just S of the far W end of Squaw Mountain. It had taken longer to get here than SPHP had expected. Lupe hadn’t come to any easy open ground. Beyond the marsh, a damp, dank forest continued for who knew how much farther?
There were still hours of daylight left. SPHP had no doubt Lupe would be able to get to the summit of Squaw Mountain before dark. That wasn’t good enough, though. Lupe and SPHP weren’t at all equipped to spend a night on the mountain. Lupe would need enough daylight to find her way back to the trail through miles of trackless forest before dark. She wouldn’t have that much time.
Lupe stood on a rotting log at the edge of the forest. She was at her point of farthest advance. SPHP stared deeper into the forest, wistfully. Maybe Lupe would come back again some day to climb Squaw Mountain. Or maybe this was it, her only chance, a moment passing into history. Sorry, Lupe, we aren’t going to make it this time.
When Lupe reached the G6 again, it was 5:27 PM (65°F). Soon Lupe and SPHP were heading N on Cold Spring Road. Lupe’s trip to the Laramie Mountains was ending, but Lupe and SPHP were still having fun. The drive to Douglas was absolutely gorgeous. Mile after mile of unspoiled classic western scenery.
Pronghorn antelope and cows caught Lupe’s attention. Barkfest was on! Lupe sped past them all having the time of her life. In the rear view mirror, Squaw Mountain and Buffalo Peak loomed impressively high and blue.
In the wee hours of the morning, Lupe wanted out. SPHP opened the door of the G6, and she bounded into the night. No stars. A light mist explained why. Hours later, dawn came. Low hanging clouds hid the mountains. There wasn’t a speck of blue sky anywhere. Maybe it was time to move on?
The plan had been for Lupe to explore nearby Twin Mountain(8,831 ft.) and the Sherman Benchmark area in the Laramie Mountains SE of Laramie, WY. Now there didn’t seem to be much point, unless the clouds were going to burn off soon.
Lupe had spent the last 2 days peakbagging in these mountains. Most of her goals had been achieved, or ruled out as too difficult. The more SPHP thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to move on, whether the sky cleared or not. Warbonnet Peak(9,414 ft.) was calling.
Warbonnet Peak was in the Laramie Mountains, too, but far away in the NW part of the range. It was a beautiful drive. The farther NW Lupe went, the more beautiful and remote the scenery became. N of the town of Medicine Bow, Lupe and SPHP left Hwy 487, taking Little Medicine Road for miles through high rolling plains where there were more pronghorn antelope than cows for Lupe to bark at.
The gravel road slowly deteriorated. There was almost no signage. At least not that meant anything unless you knew the names of the local ranchers. SPHP made a wrong turn onto Holaday Road. Almost 10 miles later, a red pickup truck appeared going the opposite direction. Turned out the lady driving it was lost, too. However, she had a great road atlas showing every little dirt road in Wyoming.
A couple minutes later, it was all figured out. The red pickup truck raced W out of sight. Lupe and SPHP turned around and followed it, but there was no way the poor G6 could keep up with a pickup on these roads. SPHP turned N onto Little Medicine Road again. Lupe enjoyed a spectacular ride up into the Laramie Mountains.
Little Medicine Road is shown on Wyoming state road maps. In combination with other roads, there was supposed to be a route through the Laramie Mountains here going all the way N to Douglas, WY. The creek crossings were mighty rough, though, for a road shown on the official state map. One might think an official state map would only show principal routes. In Wyoming, one would be wrong.
Lupe had already been going downhill again for miles when SPHP saw a couple of people. Did they know where the Campbell Creek campground was? They sure did. This was it! Heavy rains and flooding 3 weeks ago had washed out roads in the area. The county had just patched them enough to be passable. The two people were park service employees putting the campground sign back up. The campground was closed for a few days yet, but it was OK to stay here. No fees or services until the campground opened.
Perfect! That was a deal. Lupe and SPHP took the very last of the six campsites, No. 6 at the upstream end of the campground.
After a few minutes of preparation, Lupe and SPHP struck out for Warbonnet Peak (12:15 PM, 50°F). A wide trail led upstream on the W side of Campbell Creek. Lupe hadn’t gone very far when she reached a creek crossing. The creek was still swollen with melting snow. SPHP didn’t want freezing cold wet feet this early in the trip. There was a narrow spot just downstream. Maybe SPHP could jump across?
Lupe is a great jumper! SPHP, not so much. SPHP decided maybe it would be better to go upstream looking for a better spot. Lupe and SPHP explored the W bank a bit farther up. Nothing.
Turn back, jump across the narrow spot, or ford the icy cold creek? Those were the choices. SPHP threw the backpack across the creek. Then SPHP jumped. Made it! Good thing Campbell Creek wasn’t any wider, though.
Lupe and SPHP continued upstream along the trail. The ground was marshy. The trail itself was part trail, and part mucky little streams. Almost everywhere, the ground was sopping wet. Lupe and SPHP had to weave through the forest, on and off the trail, to avoid deadfall timber and particularly wet spots. Lupe hadn’t gone much farther, when she came to a stone fire ring. It was right on the trail at a rare dry spot.
Edward Earl had written about taking this trail up Campbell Creek on the way to Warbonnet Peak more than 7 years ago on May 24, 2009. SPHP had a copy of Mr. Earl’s trip report in the backpack. In it, Mr. Earl described a long slog with creek crossings, deadfall, brush, swamps and occasional deep snow. Conditions didn’t seem like they had changed for the better since then.
Even before Lupe had left home more than a week ago, Edward Earl’s trip report had SPHP thinking maybe there was another way to Warbonnet Peak from Campbell Creek? The topo map showed a long, broad ridge to the E of the creek that eventually wound its way past high points all the way to Warbonnet Peak. There wouldn’t be any roads or trails – just forests, fields, rocks and whatever else Lupe might encounter.
The first problem, of course, was how to climb 500 ft. up out of the Campbell Creek valley to get onto the ridge? Directly ahead, just past the fire ring, was a steep rocky spine coming all the way down to the trail from the NE. Climbing near the spine didn’t look that bad, though it was impossible to say how far up things would remain that way. Forests hid the slope.
Lupe wasn’t far from the campground yet at all. Nearly the entirety of Edward Earl’s miserable slog along Campbell Creek lay ahead. Whatcha, think Loop? Long, miserable slog along a questionable trail down by the creek, or try pioneering a new American Dingo route?
American Dingoes are high spirited and adventurous. Lupe was not only ready, but eager, to trail blaze an all new Lupe route to Warbonnet Peak. Lupe and SPHP left the trail, climbing NE along the rocky spine. Up and up. A forested hill came into view over on the W (opposite) side of the creek valley. Lupe and SPHP were gaining on it. Before long, Lupe was as high as it was.
The slope continued up. Lupe came to small rock outcroppings. The climb was steep, but steady. There were always manageable ways higher. Multiple ways, actually. SPHP had to stop for breathers, but leg and lung power were the only real limitations. When Lupe was clearly higher than the forested hill across the valley, things started leveling out. Lupe had made it up onto the ridge E of Campbell Creek!
Lupe found a snowbank to cool off on in the forest. While Lupe was chillin’, SPHP consulted the topo map. Time to change direction. From here the ridge sloped gently up toward the SE. When Lupe was sufficiently cooled down, Lupe and SPHP turned S or SE wandering through the forest. The going was much easier now.
Before too long, SPHP saw an opening in the forest. A small, partially sunlit hill was nearby off to the SW. It looked like the hill was on the edge of a drop off. Lupe and SPHP headed over to climb the little hill. A view would be great. SPHP could get oriented properly.
Lupe saw a high forested ridge to the SE. The ridge was situated beyond a big gap over much lower ground SPHP realized must drain W toward Campbell Creek. The SW end of the long ridge featured a towering cliff. Take a break, Lupe! Time to figure out where we are.
SPHP studied the topo map for several minutes, comparing it to the view from the little hill. It seemed pretty clear. OK, Loopster. This little hill is most likely High Point 8585. That high forested ridge to the SE has got to be High Point 9180. About 0.25 mile to the E should be High Point 8590. We will have to go over there to get around this big drainage before we can continue SSE to High Point 9180.
Lupe and SPHP left High Point 8585 going E near the edge of the drainage to the S. Lupe’s immediate objective was to get to High Point 8590. It didn’t take Lupe long to get there.
From High Point 8590, Lupe faced another big climb, 590 feet of elevation gain, up the forested NNW slope of High Point 9180. The topo map showed that Lupe might not have to climb all the way to the top. Maybe she could skirt around to the NE of the high point.
Soon after Lupe entered the forest to begin the climb up High Point 9180, it became apparent a tougher climb was in store than anticipated. As expected, the slope was moderately steep, and there was the usual deadfall timber. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was Lupe found snow. Lots of it. Almost everywhere.
The snow was soft and melting. Around the bases of most tree trunks, little or none remained. Between the trees, though, snow was stacked in drifts 2 to 4 feet high. Lupe was light enough to travel over the snowdrifts. SPHP was stuck post holing. The climb became a relentless endurance struggle.
Going around the NE side of High Point 9180 wasn’t going to be possible. Sheltered by the mountain’s shadow, the snow was deepest over there. Lupe and SPHP worked over more to the W, close to the edge of the drainage. Better exposure to the sun meant less snow. SPHP was able to climb faster.
It wasn’t until Lupe was on the upper portion of the slope that she started angling back farther E. Just below the ridgeline were the biggest snow drifts yet, 6 to 8 feet high. Lupe trotted up the snow to the top. A few minutes later, SPHP was able to join her. SPHP had to stop to breathe.
When SPHP could move again, Lupe and SPHP set out SW exploring along the ridgeline. Lupe had come up at the NE end of the highest part of the High Point 9180 ridge. Lupe appeared to be at the true summit. There wasn’t any snow on the exposed rocks near the edge. Lupe found a glorious view off to the NW, only 50 – 100 feet from where she had reached the ridgeline.
The fabulous view to the NW made High Point 9180 seem like a great objective in and of itself. Lupe and SPHP liked the rocky ridge with numerous viewpoints. Lupe had to press on, though. Warbonnet Peak was still a more than 1.5 miles to the SE as the crow flies. So far, Lupe and SPHP hadn’t even seen it yet.
Lupe and SPHP left the edge of the ridge behind and turned SE, immediately disappearing into the forest again. The ground was sloping gently downward now, but the way forward was still a struggle.
Despite a southern exposure, even this part of the forest was full of snowdrifts. To make things worse, the deadfall timber was thicker than before. If the rest of the way was going to be like this, Lupe wouldn’t make it to Warbonnet Peak – not through this kind of stuff. Maybe Lupe and SPHP should have stuck to Edward Earl’s route?
SPHP was thinking these gloomy thoughts, when suddenly the forest ended. Ahead was open ground! And off to the SE was a high peak, Warbonnet Peak!
Reaching the open ground and finally seeing Warbonnet Peak was most encouraging! Lupe still faced obstacles, however. The biggest obstacle was High Point 9310. It was directly ahead. SPHP could see quite a bit of snow up on it. Once again, SPHP consulted the topo map.
The topo map contours suggested the possible existence of cliffs on the far (SE) side of High Point 9310. Climbing to the top made no sense. Skirting High Point 9310 to the NE would definitely be shortest.
Lupe and SPHP made excellent time over the open ground heading down the slope toward High Point 9310. However, as Lupe approached the area NE of High Point 9310, the view was not encouraging. The area was heavily forested. Big snowbanks were near the trees.
Lupe and SPHP made only a short foray into the forest. The snow was deep. Like 5 or 6 feet deep, in many places. Staring further into the dark, dense forest, with snow piled so deep it looked like winter, prospects seemed simply ominous. Battling through for any significant distance looked impossibly slow and difficult. Lupe and SHP beat a hasty retreat.
From higher up, where Lupe had first broken out of the forest SE of High Point 9180, she had seen a huge knob of solid rock to the SW of High Point 9310. Open ground led almost all the way to it. Lupe would have to try going around High Point 9310 from somewhere over there. Lupe and SPHP turned S looking for the huge rock knob. Being a huge rock knob near open ground, it wasn’t hard to find.
Lupe and SPHP went over a small saddle to the NE of the huge rock knob. On the other side was a forested valley coming up from the SW. Lupe could see plenty of snow down below, but there wasn’t any up on the slope where Lupe and SPHP were. Lupe and SPHP tried to head NE on the slope between High Point 9310 and the valley to the SE. Lupe’s goal was to maintain elevation as much as possible while avoiding the snow.
For a while, Lupe and SPHP had no problem maintaining elevation, but as Lupe drew closer to the area right below the High Point 9310 summit, the terrain grew more rocky and steep. Progress slowed. Finally, it was time to give it up. Lupe would be better off going down to face the snow in the valley.
It wasn’t terribly far down to the valley floor. This valley had a SW exposure. Although there were snow drifts, they were only 2 to 3 feet high. SPHP had seen some open ground to the SE somewhere on the opposite side of the valley. Lupe and SPHP tried to find it.
Lupe and SPHP passed to the SW of some higher ground before beginning the climb out of the valley. On the way up, Lupe did find open ground, although she was already well up the slope by then. Soon Lupe was astride a boulder in a wide saddle on a ridgeline leading SE. The next obstacle, another forest with snow in it, was just ahead. A quick glance at the topo map, and SPHP decided the ridge ahead was High Point 9223, the last major obstacle on the way to Warbonnet Peak.
High Point 9223 didn’t look that high. It looked like Lupe could easily climb it. However, there didn’t seem to be any point in doing so. The topo map showed it should be possible to go around either end of the ridge. By now SPHP had figured out what that meant. The NE side would be dense forest with deep snow. The SW side was the way to go. Lupe and SPHP took the easy way, following open ground around to the SW.
As expected, the open ground ended. Lupe entered the forest again, as she neared the SW end of the High Point 9223 ridge. Lupe climbed a little and made it over the lower part of the ridge, but the ground ahead dropped off surprisingly steeply. The terrain was so steep, that SPHP decided Lupe had better climb higher up to find easier ground on which to get around High Point 9223.
Lupe made a short, but very steep climb to the E up a rocky ridge along the N side of a narrow ravine. She arrived up on a platform of rocks along the spine of the ridge. The rocks presented a good view back to the NW toward High Point 9310. Ahead to the E was more level ground as SPHP had expected. Beyond the level ground was a high spot that SPHP was still thinking must be the top of High Point 9223. Lupe wasn’t that far away from it. There were too many trees to see much to the SE, where SPHP was expecting Lupe would soon see Warbonnet Peak.
SPHP hadn’t consulted the topo map in a little while, but remembered it showed relatively flat ground on the SE side of High Point 9223. If Lupe could break out into the open beyond High Point 9223, Warbonnet Peak ought to be visible less than 0.5 mile away!
There was no reason to climb all the way to the top of High Point 9223. Lupe could now go around it on this relatively level terrain. Lupe and SPHP proceeded in the general direction of the top of High Point 9223, but angling 45° to the R (SE) to bypass it.
For a few minutes, Lupe and SPHP progressed quickly enough through a somewhat thinly forested area over and around big flat rocks. The slope began to steepen toward the S as the rocks gave way to more typical, denser forest. Everything seemed to be going fine. Any minute now, Lupe would see Warbonnet Peak up ahead!
Suddenly, there was trouble. The ground started dropping off sharply. Between the trees, Lupe and SPHP did see the blue outline of a massive peak. It was very far away, however. It wasn’t Warbonnet Peak, but SPHP recognized it. Lupe had been there before, last summer. Miles and miles away was the unmistakable shape of the highest peak of the Laramie Range – Laramie Peak(10,272 ft.).
Well, that wasn’t so surprising. What was surprising was that the easy, relatively level terrain the topo map showed SE of High Point 9223 wasn’t there! And where on God’s green earth was Warbonnet Peak? It was nowhere in sight! Something was wrong.
Maybe SPHP was just turned around a bit? Whatever the case, the ground now dropped off very steeply this way. Lupe would have to try going around the NE side of High Point 9223. She would have to backtrack some to do so. Fortunately it wasn’t far. Lupe and SPHP turned around. Before long, Lupe was in position. SPHP wasn’t looking forward to a difficult trek through dense forests and deep snow, but expected that was what was in store.
Lupe had hardly gotten started trying to go around the NE side of High Point 9223 when she came to a stunning view, once again seen only partially between the trees. The terrain dropped steeply for hundreds of feet. Far lower mountains were seen just a few miles away. Lupe wasn’t going to be able to go around High Point 9223 this way either!
She wouldn’t have to. The truth hit SPHP like a bolt out of the blue. Lupe wasn’t on the slopes of High Point 9223. She must have circumvented it to the S while on the way through the snowy valley SE of High Point 9310. This was great news, actually! SPHP now knew where Lupe was. She was already high on the upper slopes of Warbonnet Peak(9,414 ft.). The summit was only a short climb away!
Within minutes, Lupe was attacking the last part of the steep, rocky W slope just shy of the summit. Suddenly she was there, standing atop Warbonnet Peak(9,414 ft.), the Converse County, WY High Point!
The summit of Warbonnet Peak was virtually all rock, with little vegetation. Consequently, Lupe had fabulous 360° views. There were still quite a few hours of daylight left – plenty of time for Lupe and SPHP to take a long break relaxing, sharing chocolate coconut granola bars, and enjoying the world from such a terrific vantage point.
The summit area wasn’t terribly big, maybe 10 to 20 feet wide and three times that much long, but there was room to walk around a bit on the jumbled rocks and decide on a favorite perch.
SPHP found a plastic jar with a green lid (about the size of a medium-sized peanut butter jar) tucked down among the rocks near the survey benchmark. Inside was a green plastic Indian Chief, and a red and white round plastic souvenir left by a winehead chick and an ex-drunk.
There was also a single sheet of paper, on the back of which was a climber’s log with only 4 entries on it, the first one dating back to 9-23-2011. The other side of the log was a copy of the same trip report by Edward Earl that SPHP had a copy of in the backpack. Unfortunately, there was nothing to write with in the jar, and SPHP hadn’t brought a pen along. Lupe’s ascent did not get recorded on the log.
Lupe was a bit bored with the climber’s log and assorted associated paraphernalia. While SPHP fiddled around with it, she found a very small grassy spot on which to curl up for a snooze.
SPHP put the climber’s log and other items back in the plastic jar with the green top, returning the jar to its original resting place. While Lupe tried to snooze, SPHP took more photos of the views before discovering a larger Simply Orange plastic bottle a few feet away from the jar with the climber’s log.
Inside the Simply Orange bottle were a $1 bill, a penny, a folded newspaper article yellowed with age, and a photograph. SPHP had no way to get the photo or newspaper article out through the narrow neck of the bottle. SPHP left the cash inside, too.
Despite what had seemed like a long trek to reach Warbonnet Peak, Lupe had arrived at the summit with what SPHP estimated to be 4 to 5 hours of daylight remaining before sunset. Lupe and SPHP were in no rush to leave. After an hour or so, though, the sun had clearly made progress across the sky. Lupe was starting to revive from her nap, and showed signs of being ready for action again.
It was a long way back, and without any trails to follow, SPHP didn’t want to take a chance on not leaving enough time for Lupe to find her way back to Campbell Creek while it was still light out. A few more photos at the top, and it was time to bid a reluctant farewell to the fabulous views from Warbonnet Peak.
Lupe and SPHP took the same route Lupe had just pioneered on the way back to Campbell Creek. Now that the route was known, Lupe made faster progress than before. It helped that the return trip was mostly downhill, Lupe now knew a few shortcuts, and this time SPHP didn’t have to keep stopping to check the topo map. It was still a long trek. The sun made steady progress on its way to the horizon.
Once around High Point 9310 again, Lupe found a shortcut on her way back to the NW edge of the High Point 9180 ridge. She followed more open ground just a little farther to the W, instead of heading NW through the trees directly toward the actual summit.
This enabled Lupe to avoid the fairly short, but difficult trek through the snowy woods full of deadfall timber. When she reached the NW edge of the ridge, Lupe had a slightly longer trek back to the NE to the High Point 9180 summit. However, this was all much easier terrain. The view was terrific, too!
In fact, the highlight of the trip back was High Point 9180. If anything, the views were even prettier in the slanting light of early evening. Once again, Lupe and SPHP were impressed!
Although Lupe was fearless, and greatly enjoyed her second round of exploration along her newly blazed Warbonnet Peak route, there were two places that were a bit worrisome to SPHP.
The first one was the trek down from High Point 9180 to High Point 8590. Once Lupe was off the top of the High Point 9180 ridge, the entire route down was endless forest, with snowdrifts several feet deep between the trees almost the whole way. The forest was so dense, there were no viewpoints anywhere along the way. It was hard to tell whether Lupe was on course, or not.
SPHP started off just fine, following tracks left in the snow earlier in the day, but eventually lost them at one of the rare places with little snow. From then on, SPHP had to worry about staying on the ridgeline to High Point 8590. Uncertain of the correct direction, Lupe and SPHP wandered back and forth as Lupe continued down the slope, hoping to find either Lupe’s old tracks again or a glimpse of High Point 8590.
The concern was that SPHP might be unwittingly leading Lupe down into one of the big drainages to the E or W instead of to High Point 8590. The way down the mountain seemed longer than SPHP remembered, which added to the concerns. When the forest ended with the clear ground to High Point 8590 straight ahead, exactly as planned, it was a relief.
The second worrisome part of the return trip came almost at the end. SPHP couldn’t remember exactly where Lupe first reached the ridge above Campbell Creek before she had turned toward High Point 8585. SPHP’s recollection was that it hadn’t taken Lupe very long to reach High Point 8585 after gaining the ridgeline.
Upon reaching High Point 8585 again, Lupe and SPHP went NNW not too far from the W side of the ridge until Lupe reached some small clearings. These seemed vaguely familiar. SPHP had Lupe start down the steep W slope of the ridge right after passing by the last of these clearings.
SPHP was soon convinced that this was NOT the exact place Lupe had come up earlier in the day. It just wasn’t as rocky. Once again, the way down seemed farther than SPHP remembered. However, the steep forested slope didn’t come to any cliffs or get treacherously steep, so Lupe and SPHP just kept going down. Sooner or later Lupe would reach Campbell Creek!
Lupe did reach Campbell Creek. Conveniently, the trail was right there on the near side of the creek. SPHP still wasn’t certain if Lupe was upstream or downstream of where she had left both creek and trail many hours earlier.
One thing was for certain, Campbell Creek campground was downstream. Lupe and SPHP started following the trail downstream. Almost immediately, Lupe came to the stone fire ring where she had first left the trail. Lupe and SPHP had come down the ridge less than 100 feet from it.
The only remaining excitement on the way back was when SPHP had to leap across that first creek crossing one more time. Campbell Creek was visibly a little higher now due to all the snow that had melted in the afternoon. Once again, SPHP pitched the backpack across Campbell Creek. Once again, SPHP made the leap successfully.
At 8:16 PM (41°F), Lupe arrived back at the G6. Warbonnet Peak had been quite a day!
SPHP noted it had taken Lupe 8 hours to go from Campbell Creek campground to Warbonnet Peak and back. Edward Earl’s trip report indicated it had only taken him 6 hours. Of course, Lupe and SPHP had stayed up at the summit for at least an hour, probably somewhat longer than Mr. Earl had been there (he didn’t say exactly how long he stayed). Still, it had taken Lupe longer on her new route.
Lupe looked at SPHP. Hey, we had a fabulous day, and made it there and back in one piece. What more do you want? The Carolina Dog was too polite to mention that unlike Edward Earl, she was stuck with waiting for SPHP all the time.
Now how about some Alpo? I’m famished!Lupe’s route to Warbonnet Peak would, of course, be easier and faster when there is little or no snow. Save time going around the NE side of High Point 9310, instead of SW near the huge rock knob, to reach the high ground near High Point 9223. Take a more direct approach up Warbonnet Peak itself from the NW, instead of going so far around to the W or SW.
Lupe would still climb to the top of High Point 9180. The views are worth it!
Yeah, that had to be it. That was the same semi-barren big hill that SPHP had suspected was Point Crawford(8,840 ft.) at lunch time down at the defunct Wallis picnic ground.
Lupe and SPHP were in the G6 a mile E of I-80 on USFS Road No. 705 (Blair-Wallis Road) on the way back from Lupe’s almost successful ascent of Poland Hill(8,480 ft.). From up on this treeless ridge, there was a good view to the NE. The big semi-barren hill was clearly the last real high spot at the S end of a long, high, otherwise more heavily forested ridge. That had to be Point Crawford.
Point Crawford was Lupe’s next peakbagging goal. She would also visit nearby, but much lower, Bennett Hill(8,440 ft.), provided SPHP could figure out exactly where it was.
Lupe and SPHP abandoned the G6 at the Wallis picnic ground (4:20 PM, 61°F). Lupe went N on No. 705 a short distance, then left the road heading up the first big grassy slope going NE. The slope grew steeper as Lupe entered the forest.
From below, it had looked like Point Crawford would be easiest to climb along a ridgeline approaching the mountain from the WNW. Lupe and SPHP tried to trend N to get there. Lupe successfully crossed several ravines without losing much elevation.
The terrain grew more challenging. Getting to the WNW ridge wasn’t going to be worth the effort. It was easier to simply keep climbing NE. SPHP should have continued 0.5 mile farther N on the road, if Lupe meant to attack Point Crawford from the WNW.
The climb became progressively steeper. Finally, Lupe managed to get up on the SW ridgeline. A dangerous downed barbed wire fence followed the spine of the ridge. SPHP lifted Lupe over the fence, then paused to admire the beautiful view to the SSE. Lupe had already gained more than half the elevation required to reach the top of Point Crawford.
Lupe and SPHP resumed the climb, staying a little E of the spine of the ridge. The barbed wire fence on the ridgeline soon disappeared. It was replaced for a short distance by a log rail fence, but it ended before long, too.
Lupe reached a knoll along the ridge. Ahead was a rocky high point. SPHP suspected it might be the summit of Point Crawford. At the very least, it couldn’t be far from the summit.
Beyond the knoll, Lupe found a trail. The trail led up to the base of the rocky high point, and then curved around the E side of it. The trail continued climbing toward the NNE until it was even higher than the rocky high point. To the N, a line of rock 5-10 feet high formed the summit ridge of Point Crawford.
The summit ridge ran E/W for about 300 or 400 feet. The trail faded away before reaching the E end. Lupe continued up for a look around. The ridge was strewn with good-sized rocks, but there wasn’t any clear highest point. Lupe and SPHP explored out to the W end of the summit ridge looking for the true summit, but finally concluded the highest points toward each end of the ridge were really about the same elevation.
Lupe and SPHP returned to the E end of the summit ridge. The best views were here. Lupe had a grand panoramic view of a huge amount of territory from the NE around to the S.
Point Crawford was one of the more spectacular mountains Lupe had climbed while in the Laramie Mountains SE of Laramie, WY. Only the Leg Benchmark and Pole Mountain had been better. Naturally, Lupe and SPHP hung around for a while, taking a break and gazing at the terrific views.
Before leaving the summit area, Lupe climbed the false summit to the SW.
On the way down, Lupe and SPHP followed the trail that Lupe had found on the way up. SPHP stopped occasionally to take photos of the views, but mostly concentrated on trying to figure out exactly where Lupe’s next peakbagging goal, Bennett Hill, was.
A series of solid rock high points could be seen below to the S. None of them looked like anything Lupe could climb. Despite consulting the topo map repeatedly, SPHP wasn’t certain which, if any of them, might be Bennett Hill.
At first, the trail coming down from Point Crawford was easy to follow. However, when Lupe reached a field N of the biggest of the rock formation to the S, it simply faded away. Lupe and SPHP went around to the W, where Lupe found the trail again. The trail went clear around to the SE end of the rocks, before turning S again.
SPHP kept losing the trail. Lupe kept finding it again. The trail headed S for a while, eventually angling over to a N/S running fence to the E. For a short distance, the trail followed the fence line before turning SW to go up over a little rise in the forest. To SPHP’s surprise, beyond the rise the trail angled more and more to the W.
Following the trail W, Lupe caught a glimpse of Point Crawford back to the NNE. The trail came to a small high point, which it skirted to the N, before starting to lose serious elevation as it continued WSW. It seemed certain the trail was on its way down to USFS Road No. 705 somewhere close to, or a bit S of, the abandoned Wallis picnic ground where the G6 was parked. SPHP hadn’t noticed a trailhead anywhere along the road, and didn’t know exactly where it would come out.
Lupe wasn’t going back to the G6 yet! Leaving the trail, Lupe and SPHP got up on the small high point to the S. In the distance, Lupe could see Poland Hill, where she had discovered a hidden grotto with water in it earlier in the day. Much closer, she could also see a small, forested hill.
By now, SPHP had stared at the topo map enough times to conclude that none of the rock formations Lupe had seen from up on Point Crawford were Bennett Hill. The map showed Bennett Hill farther SW, very close to a bend in USFS Road No. 705 around its W slope.
There was no mistake. The small forested hill Lupe saw was Bennett Hill(8,840 ft.)! It wasn’t far away, and looked easy to climb. Lupe was going to have her Bennett Hill peakbagging success, after all!
Lupe and SPHP struck out into the forest for Bennett Hill. Lupe went around the E end of a small valley draining to the W to avoid losing much elevation on the way.
Soon Lupe was around the valley, and approaching Bennett Hill from the E. A clearing in the forest exposed much of the E slope. Lupe could see the highest rocks at the top of Bennett Hill ahead. Why, there might even be a bit of a view from Bennett Hill!
Lupe reached the summit. SPHP lifted her onto the highest boulder. The intrepid Carolina Dog had made it! Another peakbagging success!
The sun would still be up for more than an hour, but it had already been a long day. Lupe had 5 peakbagging successes, and 1 near-miss failure to show for it. She also had a ravenous appetite. While SPHP relaxed, Lupe chowed down on Taste of the Wild.
Lupe exhausted the Taste of the Wild supply. As she digested it, SPHP came up with a new idea. It was still more than an hour until sunset. The G6 had to be moved from the defunct Wallis picnic ground due to a goofy little “No Overnight Camping” sign. Why not go get the G6, drive around to a place SPHP had seen to the E along USFS Road No. 707, and return to make a 2nd ascent of Bennett Hill at sunset?
Lupe is always ready for almost anything. Lupe and SPHP left Bennett Hill heading down the steep, forested NW slope. The Carolina Dog reached No. 705 a little S of the Wallis picnic ground. She crossed a green field near Middle Crow Creek that turned out to be rather marshy, arriving at the G6 at 7:18 PM.
There was enough time left before sundown so SPHP could grab something to eat. SPHP served Lupe some Alpo, too. After a quick dinner, Lupe and SPHP jumped in the G6. SPHP drove S on No. 705, turned L on No. 707 (Headquarters Road) S of Bennett Hill, and drove NE going uphill.
Just past a cattle guard was a little side road leading down into a gully. It looked like the perfect place NOT to park the G6 during a flash flood, but would do for tonight. SPHP parked, and Lupe and SPHP set out for Bennett Hill for a 2nd time, this time from the E (7:53 PM, 53°F).
The G6 had gained enough elevation coming up USFS Road No. 707 so that Lupe wouldn’t have to gain much on her way to Bennett Hill. There was still some up and down along the way. Lupe headed W, skirting around the S side of a tall rock formation. Lupe loves both dawn and dusk. She was having a great time exploring paths between the sagebrush, and looking for squirrels in the trees.
Lupe reached Bennett Hill again 15 minutes before sunset. Together, Lupe and SPHP watched and waited. The sky overhead was clear and blue, but in almost every direction there were big clouds on the horizon. Slowly they turned pink or golden, but the colors were subtle, not dramatic.
Unfortunately, the one direction where there weren’t many clouds was toward the setting sun. A brilliant display wasn’t in the cards. As the sun sank below the horizon, Lupe leaped back onto the highest rock on Bennett Hill.A flight of bats flew over zig-zagging toward the sunset. A few minutes later, a flock of small birds flew after them. Even after the sun vanished, Lupe and SPHP stayed on Bennett Hill, watching the colored clouds fade to gray (8:42 PM).