October 2015 – Page 2 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Saratoga Hot Springs, Red Mountain & Bridger Peak, Wyoming (8-14-15)

The morning of Day 6 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation found Lupe and SPHP at the dispersed camping site at the intersection of USFS Roads No. 100 & 215 in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming. Lupe had climbed Kennaday Peak (10,810 ft.) the day before, and despite getting back rather late, she was full of energy. She sniff excitedly around in the forest nearby and was successful in finding a squirrel to bark at. The squirrel returned insults from the safety of a big pine tree.

While all this excitement was going on, SPHP sat in the G6 catching up the trip journal. Suddenly, a yellowish hummingbird was flitting around the G6 – kind of a bright, cheerful, living drone. The hummingbird was a good omen. Soon it was time to go. Lupe and SPHP paid a quick visit to the South Brush Creek Campground to get water, and then headed W on Hwy 130 to the town of Saratoga.

The first thing on the agenda in Saratoga was to check out the Saratoga Hot Springs. In addition to two hot pools, there is a regular cool swimming pool, too. SPHP was disappointed to learn that the swimming pool ($4.00 admission) wouldn’t open until noon, which was still hours away. However, the hot springs were open 24/7 and free, which was an amazing and unbeatable deal. SPHP looked forward to getting clean again!

Lupe arrives to check out the Saratoga Hot Springs on 8-14-15. Of course she couldn't go in, but she did get to wade in the nearby North Platte river. — Lupe arrives to check out the Saratoga Hot Springs on 8-14-15. Of course she couldn’t go in, but she did get to wade in the nearby North Platte river.

Unfortunately, the lovely cool swimming pool at the Saratoga Hot Springs was closed until noon.

The biggest, and by far the largest, of two hot pools at the Saratoga Hot Springs.

One rather unusual feature of Saratoga Hot Springs, is that it is situated right next to a small side channel of the North Platte River. More hot water bubbles up into the side channel from underground. SPHP was able to leave the hot spring, walk over to the hot bubbling water at the side channel, and wade a considerable distance upstream.

SPHP waded up this side channel of the North Platte river. There were little fish and crayfish in it.

There were little fish and quite a number of crayfish in the side channel. SPHP surprised a fawn grazing along the banks. If SPHP had waded downstream instead of upstream, it would easily have been possible to wade right on down all the way to the North Platte River itself.

SPHP returned to Lupe in the G6 from the Saratoga Hot Springs refreshed and clean. Lupe agreed that SPHP sniffed a lot better. SPHP had learned from a local oil refinery worker, and sometimes Medicine Bow Mountains hunting guide, where there was a city park. Lupe and SPHP went to the park for a picnic. Lupe wasn’t too hungry yet. She mostly rested on the nice green grass in the shade of some trees. It was a peaceful time, since the trees didn’t seem to harbor any squirrels.

After the picnic, Lupe and SPHP headed S on Hwy 130 to Encampment, WY. Along the way, SPHP took a picture of Kennaday Peak (10,810 ft.), which Lupe had climbed the evening before to enjoy the sunset.

Kennaday Peak from Hwy 130 a few miles S of Saratoga, WY. Kennaday Peak is 15 miles due E of Saratoga.

From Encampment, Hwy 70 went W up to Battle Pass in the Sierra Madre mountain range. There was a big parking area for the 3,100 mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail near the highway. Only one other vehicle was parked there, a pickup truck with a big horse trailer. No one was around.

Lupe had two peakbagging goals in the area. One was Red Mountain (10,508 ft.), located no more than 1.5 miles to the S, and which involved less than 600 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead. The other was Bridger Peak (11,004 ft.), which was about 5 miles away to the NW, and a more significant climb. Lupe was going to visit Red Mountain first.

A broken sign was propped up at the S end of the parking lot where a small road led up into the forest. It said “Dead End Road, Private Property 100 Feet Ahead, Horse & Foot Traffic Only On Posted Trail.” Not terribly welcoming, but Lupe and SPHP started going S following this road. It was 12:55 PM, and 70°F.

Right away Lupe reached the private property. The dirt road serving as the Continental Divide Trail continued through it. As Lupe progressed, various dirt side roads headed off in different directions into the forest. These were either chained off, had “No Trespassing” signs, or both. Occasionally there were big rock cairns with posts sticking out of them showing the correct way to go.

Less than 0.5 mile NW of Doane Peak, the private property ended close to a “T” intersection with another dirt road. Lupe went to the right heading SW over a small ridge and then down to a meadow. Red Mountain could be seen ahead across the meadow.

Lupe reaches the meadow NE of Red Mountain - the forested ridge seen through the trees. Photo looks SW. — Lupe reaches the meadow NE of Red Mountain – the forested ridge seen through the trees. Photo looks SW.

Lupe left the road and Continental Divide Trail. She headed across the meadow straight up into the trees directly toward Red Mountain. There wasn’t too much deadfall timber to contend with, and the summit of Red Mountain was only a few hundred feet higher than the meadow. The way wasn’t too steep, either. Lupe enjoyed a pretty nice romp in the shady forest. SPHP followed her on up the mountain.

At the top of Red Mountain, Lupe came to a cairn about 3′ high made, appropriately enough, of red rocks. The cairn was about 30′ W of what looked like the actual highest natural point on the mountain. SPHP wasn’t really expecting much in the way of views from Red Mountain. The forested ridge might very well not offer views of anything at all other than the forest. Red Mountain surprised, though. There were some very nice open views to the S.

Lupe reaches the summit cairn on Red Mountain.

The natural high point is seen here, although the cairn 30' to the W is built up a bit taller now. — The natural high point is seen here, although the cairn 30′ to the W is built up a bit taller now. Lupe takes a break with her 1st peakbagging goal of the day already accomplished.

From the summit cairn, it looked like there was some pretty high ground still off to the W on Red Mountain. Since it was possible there might even be a higher point over there, Lupe and SPHP headed W, going far enough to be satisfied Lupe had already reached the true summit. Along the way, Lupe discovered a clearing with a good view of Bridger Peak off to the NW – her next peakbagging goal for the day.

Bridger Peak to the NW from Red Mountain.

The meadow with the view of Bridger Peak was less than 100′ from the summit cairn. Lupe and SPHP returned to the summit. SPHP took one last look at the great view to the S, while Lupe tried to hide from the sun.

"Kinda bright here SPHP, can we go now?" — “Kinda bright here SPHP, can we go now?”

On the way back down Red Mountain, Lupe stayed more to the E along the ridgeline than the way she’d come up. Before she lost much elevation, there were some openings in the forest with pretty good distant views all the way E to Medicine Bow Peak.

Lupe and SPHP were back at the G6 again at 3:10 PM. It was still 70°F. There was actually quite a nice clear view of Bridger Peak from Highway 70 close to the Continental Divide Trail trailhead where the G6 was parked. Lupe and SPHP walked down to the highway for a couple of shots of Bridger Peak.

Bridger Peak from Battle Pass along Hwy 70.

Lupe at Battle Pass with Bridger Peak to the NW.

The maps showed that there was a Battle Site and Battle Cemetery at two separate places up on Battle Pass. The Battle Cemetery road was shown a half mile farther N and closer to Bridger Peak, so SPHP decided to move the G6 over there. Lupe and SPHP had hardly left the Continental Divide Trail trailhead parking lot when there was a right turn off Highway 70 where the Battle Site was supposed to be. Why not find out something about the battle the place was named after?

SPHP pulled off the highway. A very short paved road led to another big empty parking lot. There were views from Battle Pass and signs about wildlife, but nothing about the battle that Battle Pass must be named after. Lupe and SPHP didn’t even get out of the G6. SPHP drove back to Highway 70 and continued N. Just before the highway turned W, there was a gravel road heading E into the forest towards where the map said Battle Cemetery was supposed to be.

A short drive on the gravel road led to a big parking area with dirt roads radiating out from it. This parking area was full of dust. There were lots of vehicles parked at various points near the surrounding forest. Campers could be seen back in the trees. People were around. From the dirt road to the NW, several ATV’s roared into view. The drivers skidded into the parking area purposely stirring up an impressive choking cloud of dust. Oh, yay, people!

SPHP parked the G6 in the dust cloud. The road to the NW the ATV’s had come from was probably the road to Bridger Peak. Lupe and SPHP left the G6 for Bridger Peak at 3:29 PM. (Still 70°F!) Lupe headed for the dirt road to the NW. SPHP was surprised and happy to see a little signpost for the Continental Divide Trail practically right next to the road. Lupe and SPHP could follow a single track trail leading N into the forest instead of the dusty road.

The Continental Divide Trail climbed steeply to gain 150 – 200′ of elevation and then leveled out. It went up and down some, but was pretty easy going. The trail didn’t look like it got much use, but was in good enough condition so it wasn’t hard to follow, except in a couple of short sections. After about a mile, the trail reached a dirt road. There was no sign of the trail anywhere on the other side of the road. Apparently the road was the Continental Divide Trail from here on, because Lupe never saw a sign for it again the rest of the way to Bridger Peak. It’s quite likely this was the same NW road the ATV’s had arrived from back at the parking lot.

Lupe and SPHP followed the road all the way up to Bridger Peak. There was almost no traffic. Just a few vehicles and ATV’s came by. This was another road trek through the forest sort of like the one Lupe and SPHP had made the prior day up to Kennaday Peak. The road up to Bridger Peak did feature more openings in the forest, and more opportunities to see some views along the way.

The sky had been mostly sunny, with puffy clouds when Lupe left the big dusty parking lot. As time went by, the weather started deteriorating. Scattered thunderstorms appeared here and there not too far away. They weren’t big, but still worrisome. Eventually, a threatening cloud appeared over Bridger Peak and kept growing. It started sprinkling rain on and off. When the thunder started, Lupe really didn’t want to go on. She wanted to stop and hide.

SPHP allowed the concerned Carolina Dog periodic short stops, even though the need to hurry was growing. Thunder sounded closer and closer as the summit came into view. It was looking rather stormy by the time Lupe reached the top of Bridger Peak, but the storm hadn’t really hit yet. SPHP started taking a few pictures fast. Lupe wasn’t going to be willing to stay up on the summit very long. After about 10 minutes, suddenly there was a crack and thunder boomed very loud nearby. A gusty wind and cold rain hit Bridger Peak almost immediately.

The views from 11,004' Bridger Peak. — The views from 11,004′ Bridger Peak. The closest ridge in the center is 10,508′ Red Mountain, which Lupe had climbed just before coming here.

SPHP hadn’t seen the lightning, but Lupe left no doubt about what she wanted to do. SPHP was in full agreement. The American Dingo and SPHP both fled, scrambling downhill fast. Naturally, within 5 minutes the worst of the storm was over. The rain became just a sprinkle, the wind died down, and the thunder pealed from farther away. None of these storms were really very big. The Dingo was not reassured. Thunder rumbled a little ways off several times every minute. Although the thunder gradually diminished, Lupe begged SPHP again and again to stop and hide.

A last look back at the summit of Bridger Peak.

Looking E not far from the summit of Bridger Peak.

Lupe and SPHP did stop many times. Lupe liked hiding in the forest. Even though it was now all downhill, progress back down Bridger Peak was as slow or slower than coming up. By the time Lupe got back to where the Continental Divide Trail separated from the road, the sun had set and light was fading fast. Lupe was doing much better, though. The thunder had quit as the storms all moved off to the E. The sky was clearing again. Lupe actually had a lot of fun racing around in the woods along the Continental Divide Trail on the way back.

It was almost dark when Lupe reached the G6 again at 8:43 PM (59°F). Stars were already coming out. Lupe and SPHP left the dusty parking lot, and drove back up to the Continental Divide Trail trailhead closer to Red Mountain. Not a soul was around, nor any other vehicle. Lupe and SPHP had sardines for dinner right on the parking lot. It was getting so dark SPHP could hardly see to eat them, but Lupe really loved the sardines.Links:

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 142 – Castle Peak (10-17-15)

On Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 140 down Bittersweet Creek, Lupe and SPHP had failed to find a way to get down to Castle Creek when USFS Road No. 429 disappeared into a tangle of deadfall timber. Lupe’s peakbagging goal had been to reach Castle Peak (6,358 ft.) that day. Since Lupe and SPHP did not find a Northwest Passage to it from No. 429, it was time to take another approach.

SPHP parked the G6 just 0.25 mile N of Mystic at the intersection of USFS Road No. 428 and Mystic Road. It was a beautiful sunny day with hardly a cloud in the sky. Lupe and SPHP started up Pony Gulch following No. 428. Pony Gulch and the road wound around some, generally heading W. The road gained elevation steadily, at an easy to moderate pace.

When Lupe spotted a mud puddle ahead on the road, she ran to get a drink. She was shocked to find that the water cracked beneath her paws – the puddle was frozen! This was the first ice Lupe had encountered on her Black Hills expeditions this fall. This puddle proved to be the only puddle that was frozen, but Lupe didn’t come to very many other puddles. It has been a very dry autumn so far in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Lupe was happy to soon discover a little stream, which had evidently gone underground before reaching the lower end of Pony Gulch where the G6 was parked. The little stream was close to the road for a while, but then went up a side canyon. Another little stream appeared farther up Pony Gulch, but it soon disappeared underground at both ends.

The first (lower) tiny stream in Pony Gulch.

On USFS Road No. 428 exploring Pony Gulch NW of Mystic, SD.

Near the upper end of Pony Gulch there was an intersection. It wasn’t marked, but this was USFS Road No. 238, also known as Divide Road, probably because it winds around hills up on a ridge dividing the Rapid Creek and Castle Creek drainages. Rapid Creek is the largest stream in the Black Hills. Castle Creek is its largest tributary.

Lupe and SPHP followed No. 238. It continued climbing, but very slowly. Lupe was now out of Pony Gulch and up pretty high. There were some open points with nice views off to the S. The road then wound around to the N side of the ridge, but the forest hid the views in that direction.

Lupe pauses along No. 238 where there were views of distant hills to the S.

The fall colors are virtually done now in the Black Hills. This small stand of aspens with a few yellow leaves still clinging to the trees along USFS Road No. 238, was the best remaining example Lupe found on her way to Castle Peak.

Lupe eventually came to the intelligence test intersections along No. 238. Of course, this Carolina Dog passed both tests with flying colors! No, she didn’t want to take USFS Road No. 184 to a place called Bloody Gulch. And no, she wasn’t taking any dead ends to Poverty Gulch either.

Lupe at the 2nd Intelligence Test intersection. Not really all that difficult to figure out. No, Lupe did not want to take any dead ends into Poverty Gulch.

Shortly after passing the Dead End to Poverty Gulch test, Lupe reached USFS Road No. 238.1A, which goes 0.75 mile all the way up to the top of Castle Peak from the N. Lupe was soon there. Although Castle Peak is heavily forested, the summit featured an open area clear of trees. There were good views SE toward Harney Peak (7,242 ft.). Custer Peak (6,804 ft.) was visible to the N. Trees around the open area still blocked the views in other directions.

At one time there must have been a fire lookout tower on Castle Peak, but nothing remains of it except a bit of the foundation. There was a USGS Survey Benchmark set into solid rock. The benchmark did not show the elevation, but did say “Castle Peak” and “1950”.

The USGS Survey Benchmark on Castle Peak.

Someone had built a crude, but effective, bench out of some rocks and a board. There were also three poles lashed together so they stood up like a big tripod. Lupe used the bench as a platform for a few pictures.

Lupe on the bench. Photo looks SE toward Harney Peak. — Lupe on the bench. Photo looks SE toward **Harney Peak** **(7,242 ft.)** , the highest point in the distance on the left.

**Custer Peak (6,804 ft.)** is the high point in the distance. The USGS Survey Benchmark is at lower right. Photo looks N.

After spending a little time at the summit, Lupe and SPHP headed SW through the forest. Before long, Lupe reached a viewpoint where it was possible to see to the W. On the horizon, a number of peaks and high ridges Lupe visited earlier in 2015 were in sight.

**Whitetail Peak (6,962 ft.)** from Castle Peak.

Looking WSW. The N end of Reynolds Prairie is the grassland in the distance. Beyond it to the WSW is **Nipple Butte (6,800 ft.)** (L of Lupe’s ears). **Flag Mountain (6,937 ft.)** is to the W (R of Lupe’s ears).

Lupe was hungry and thirsty. She took a break at the viewpoint SW of the Castle Peak summit. Water and Taste of the Wild were on the menu, as usual. While Lupe dined, SPHP considered Lupe’s options from here. Her next objective was to reach the Castle Peak campground along USFS Road No. 181. It wasn’t far away at all, only 0.5 mile S as the crow flies.

Lupe chows down on some Taste of the Wild on Castle Peak.

Lupe isn’t a crow, though, and neither is SPHP. There were cliffs to the S. The way down to the campground was through a valley just W of the SW viewpoint. How would Lupe get down there, though?

Lupe could try to go directly down the steep W slope of Castle Peak, or backtrack to the summit and go down on USFS Road No. 238.1A the way she had come up. About 0.5 mile to the N, Lupe would reach No. 238.1E, which did curve around to the W and down into the valley, but it was a rather long detour. SPHP took a couple more pictures before having Lupe explore the options.

A last look at White Tail Peak from Castle Peak.

Looking down the steep W slope of Castle Peak, it looked like a long way down to the valley floor. It appeared possible to go that way, but it would be slow going. SPHP decided Lupe may as well take the long, but easy route. Lupe returned to the summit of Castle Peak and headed N on No. 238.1A. She turned W on No. 238.1E when she reached it.

The maps had shown No. 238.1E heading W and then turning S into the valley W of Castle Peak, only to dead end in the valley. However, another road, No. 181.1A, came up into the lower end of the same valley from Castle Creek not far from the campground. It also dead ended in the valley before reaching No. 238.1E, so that there was a gap between the roads. All Lupe had to do when No. 238.1E ended was continue on down the valley and find No. 181.1A.

So that’s what Lupe did. When No. 238.1E ended, Lupe just kept going down the valley. The valley became rocky and narrow with a deep gully in the valley floor. There was a lot of deadfall timber in the way for quite some distance, too. It wasn’t too terrible, though, and eventually Lupe reached No. 181.1A.

In the meantime, a small creek had appeared. No. 181.1A had a lot of deadfall timber on it at first, but finally it pretty much ended. The little creek then flowed on the road, but was too small to cause any problems. Lupe enjoyed splashing through the cold water. No. 181.1A linked up with Castle Peak Road (No. 181) very close to the campground.

Lupe reaches the Castle Creek Campground. — Lupe reaches Castle Peak campground. The Castle Peak campground is located in a remote part of the central Black Hills. It is one of the nicest campgrounds in the hills, but has only 9 campsites. All of the campsites are next to Castle Creek, which is one of the largest streams in the Black Hills.

Lupe and SPHP walked through the campground. It looked very nice. All of the sites are level, spacious and right next to Castle Creek. There was plenty of grass beneath the shade of big pines and spruce trees. The campground was deserted, except for two guys living the good life at one of the sites. They had a campfire going. Although the sun wouldn’t set officially for a couple of hours, there wouldn’t be sunlight down in the valley much longer.

Lupe checks out a campsite at Castle Peak campground. Hidden in the trees, Castle Creek flows at the base of the cliffs.

It was a long way back to the G6 – 8 miles along Castle Peak Road back to Mystic Road. Another 2 miles along Mystic road would take Lupe to Mystic. The G6 was 0.25 mile N of Mystic. Lupe and SPHP started the long trek back.

Down in the valley there were no distant views, but Castle Creek flowed merrily along. Above the valley floor, rocks and hills were still in sunlight. Gradually the sunlight retreated up the slopes until it disappeared altogether.

There was no traffic along the road. None whatsoever. Twilight came on. An owl hooted far away. Except for the soothing sound of flowing water, it was quiet. Lupe explored the forests and fields until darkness, then she traveled close to SPHP. There was another break for Taste of the Wild. SPHP got out the flashlight and put on a sweater.

The flashlight wasn’t really needed. A crescent moon, low in the SW, put out an amazing amount of light. Another expedition ended the way many of them do, with Lupe and SPHP traveling the road together beneath a night sky full of shimmering stars.

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Kennaday Peak, Wyoming (8-13-15)

Day 5 of Lupe’s Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation started out just great. The G6 wouldn’t start. It wouldn’t even try. It just clicked when turning the key. Other than that, it was another glorious morning in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming. It wasn’t long before kind people came along willing to give the G6 a jump start. The jump fried the tire pressure detection system, but the G6 was running!

Although the plan had been for Lupe to climb Kennaday Peak (10,810 ft.) near Saratoga, suddenly there was a new plan. Lupe was going to get a tour of Laramie, Wyoming! Lupe enjoyed the trip to Laramie on Hwy 130. Once out of the Medicine Bow Range, there were fields with cows to bark at. Lupe hadn’t seen cows for several days. She leaped up and down, back and forth, barking furiously the whole time. By the time Lupe reached Laramie, she needed a big drink of water. She panted happily and seemed quite satisfied with herself.

SPHP found a Wal-Mart in Laramie on Grand Boulevard. Although they were busy and booked up, the Wal-Mart guys tested the G6’s battery almost right away. SPHP was fully prepared to buy a new one, but surprisingly, it tested just fine. The G6 seemed to start again fine, too. Hmm. Mechanical things just don’t fix themselves very often, but whatever.

Somehow SPHP had forgotten to bring a can opener on the trip. Wal-Mart was a great place to buy one. It had been a long drive to Laramie just to buy a can opener, but it was all SPHP really accomplished in Laramie. After a picnic at a Kiwanis Park on the way out of town, Lupe headed back up into the Medicine Bow Range. The cows along Hwy 130 were noisily assaulted by the crazed dingo once again.

Back in the Medicine Bows, at the junction of USFS Roads No. 100 & 215, SPHP parked the G6 at a dispersed camping spot. It was already 3:34 PM and 75°F out by the time Lupe and SPHP were ready to start up USFS Road No. 215, which goes all the way to the summit of Kennaday Peak. A sign warned that the 6 mile long road was narrow and steep. Before leaving the dispersed camping site, Lupe checked out Fish Creek and wetted down her barker again.

Lupe in Fish Creek before starting out for Kennaday Peak on USFS Road No. 215. — Lupe enjoys a quick dip in Fish Creek before starting out for Kennaday Peak on USFS Road No. 215.

Most of the way to Kennaday Peak, USFS Road No. 215 wasn’t nearly so steep and narrow as the sign had warned. The G6 could have gone most of the way up with no problem, except that there were virtually no places to park anywhere along the road. The road did deteriorate substantially near the summit, but it still would have been a piece of cake for any high clearance vehicle.

No. 215 went through a forest until it got very close to the barren summit area of Kennaday Peak. So there really wasn’t much to see along the way other than trees. There was a horse near Fish Creek at a sharp bend in the road where it crossed the creek fairly early on. Three ATV’s came along, the last one coming down the road with a black lab running in front of it for exercise. Other than that, Lupe and SPHP had the road completely to themselves the whole way up. Lupe ran in and out of the forest looking for squirrels, but there weren’t many.

The summit of Kennaday Peak from USFS Road No. 215.

Once the road finally left the forest, things got more interesting. Now the terrific views could be seen. It was still a bit of a trek to the top, but soon Lupe was there. The lookout tower proved to be abandoned. It was all boarded up and had some junk stacked next to it.

The abandoned lookout tower on Kennaday Peak.

There were fabulous mountain views in all directions from Kennaday Peak. To the N was Elk Mountain (11,156 ft.). To the E was Medicine Bow Peak (12,013 ft.). Far to the NE was Laramie Peak (10,272 ft.). On the S horizon were distant mountains that may have included Mt. Zirkel (12,180 ft.). And very far away on the NW horizon was a jagged line of mountains that may have been the Wind River range. The North Platte River valley to the S and SW was huge and impressive too.

Elk Mountain to the N of Kennaday Peak was closer than most of the other mountains that could be seen. There were huge views from Kennaday Peak, but lots of the mountains that could be seen were very far away. — Elk Mountain to the N of Kennaday Peak. There were huge views from Kennaday Peak, but lots of the mountains that could be seen were very far away.

Lupe had arrived at the summit of Kennaday Peak about an hour before sunset. There had been quite a few clouds around at first, but they started to dissipate as Lupe and SPHP enjoyed the views and waited together for the sun to go down.

During the wait, SPHP noticed that many of the rocks on Kennaday Peak were quite rounded and there was a lot of sand. It looked like Kennaday Peak may have been a beach or underwater in ancient times. The incredible age of the world before Lupe and SPHP seemed impossible to truly comprehend.

Day 5 of Lupe's summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation fades from view. — Day 5 of Lupe’s summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation fades from view.

Most of the 6 mile trek back down USFS Road No. 215 to the G6 was in darkness. Except for one ATV and one pickup truck that made brief appearances, Lupe and SPHP were alone. The horse was still near the sharp bend in the road where it crossed Fish Creek. In the darkness, SPHP couldn’t see it, though Lupe probably could. She seems to have excellent night vision. SPHP could hear that the horse was wearing a bell. At 10:37 PM (57°F), Lupe was back at the G6. Time for dinner and a snooze!

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