Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions – The Early Years: 2014 & 2015

A brief review of Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions during 2014 & 2015 for which insufficient photos exist to facilitate the development of full individual posts, as further explained in The Early Years: 2012.

Expedition No. 74 – Willow Creek to Sylvan Lake (1-19-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 75 – The Mysterious Black & Pink Checkered Trail (1-25-14)  No photos.  On this warm January day, Lupe discovered a trail while wandering in the forest somewhere between Sheridan Lake Road and Victoria Lake Road.  Persisting for miles, the mysterious trail’s route was marked only by pink and black checkered tape attached to trees.

Expedition No. 76 – To the Bald Hills & Back (2-2-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 77 – Search for the Tall Blue Water Bottle (2-16-14) During Expedition No. 76, SPHP lost the tall blue water bottle that had nearly always been brought along since Lupe’s earliest adventures.  Lupe returned to the same area N of Sheridan Lake Road to look for it.

On the lookout for the tall blue water bottle.

Although Lupe ventured all the way back to the Twin Sisters (5,244 ft.) region in the Bald Hills, her search turned out to be in vain.  SPHP could hardly believe it!  The bottle had been lost on many prior occasions, but had always been found again.  Not this time.  Sadly, gone for good.

The Bald Hills.

No choice, but to make the best of it!  Lupe roamed W clear over to Hwy 385, followed part of Centennial Trail No. 89, and explored numerous hills, ridges, and USFS Roads.

On USFS Road No. 160.2B.

Expedition No. 78 – The Experimental Forest & Minnesota Ridge (3-9-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 79 – The Snow Trek (3-16-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 80 – New Year’s Eve Peak (3-23-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 81 – Peak 6070 & Nugget Gulch Peak (3-30-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 82 – Marshall Gulch (4-6-14)  Climbing out of the Horse Creek valley, Lupe headed W directly over hills and ridges all the way to Marshall Gulch.

The Horse Creek Valley. Peak 5800 (Center). Photo looks ENE.
False North Point (6,130 ft.) (Center). Photo looks S.

In Marshall Gulch, Lupe ran off all by her lonesome over to sniff with 2 coyotes.  SPHP was deeply concerned, but the coyotes were friendly.  Sadly, no photos exist of this daring Carolina Dog – coyote meeting.

Marshall Gulch, where Lupe joined the coyotes.

Plans to climb Lowden Mountain (6,055 ft.) were abandoned when SPHP lost track of it.  Lupe ended up exploring a large region to the N.

Expedition No. 83 – Greens Gulch & Telegraph Gulch (4-12-14)  Lupe spent another long day wandering at will.  Starting from USFS Road No. 256 at the NW end of Minnesota Ridge (6,240 ft.), she headed SE on No. 203, eventually traveling down Greens Gulch to Silver Creek.

Greens Gulch.
Silver Creek.
After something among the rocks near Silver Creek.

After climbing out of the Silver Creek valley, Lupe followed ridges NW all the way to USFS Road No. 217, which took her to Hwy No. 17 miles N of Rochford.  W of Hwy No. 17, Lupe visited Bergesonville, then followed the Mickelson Trail S from the Montana Mine to USFS Road No. 231.

N Fork of Rapid Creek from the Mickelson Trail.

Turning W on No. 231, Lupe passed Chicken House Draw where a totem pole sat up on a hill near crumbling old buildings.  Expedition No. 83 ended with a jaunt N on USFS Road No. 259 through Telegraph Draw to Nahant, then E on USFS Road No. 256 back to the G6.

Near Chicken House Draw on USFS Road No. 231.

Expedition No. 84 – The Mini-Snow Trek (4-19-14)  A case of spring fever!  SPHP had the notion that Lupe ought to try to find Crows Nest Peak way up in the limestone plateau country of the western Black Hills.  Several miles NW of Deerfield Reservoir, the American Dingo started her trek on USFS Road No. 157 after seeing a bald eagle.

Might not have been any snow for a while back home, but this was high country.  Plenty of snow up here!  The higher Lupe went, the more snow there was.  The Carolina Dog made it up to the flat region near the N end of Coulsen Hughes Draw before SPHP realized that Crows Nest Peak was completely out of the question.

USFS Road No. 157 NW of Deerfield Reservoir.
Questioning SPHP’s sanity.
A snowmobile would have been just the ticket.

Lupe had a good time, but Crows Nest Peak (7,048 ft.) would have to wait for another day.

Enjoying the return after the adventure got cut short.

Expedition No. 85 – Estes Creek (4-26-14) Taking USFS Road No. 208.1K, Lupe explored up the Estes Creek valley.  She soon came to Trail No. 8, and a series of ponds where frogs were croaking.  Lupe got almost far enough W to reach Hwy 385, and at one point saw Pilot Knob (5,440 ft.) not too far to the S.

Estes Creek.
The first frog pond.
Approaching Trail No. 8.

For the first time ever on a Black Hills expedition, SPHP dozed off in the woods.  The highlight of the trek was waking up 20 minutes later to find the American Dingo still there!  Frogs, squirrels, and deer were what kept Lupe entertained.

The last frog pond.

Expedition No. 86 – Crow’s Nest Peak (5-3-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 87 – Copper, Odakota & Green Mountains (5-10-14)  A fabulous day in the high country!  Lupe visited 3 peaks along the E edge of the limestone plateau.  Copper Mountain (6,920 ft.) was the lowest, but had the best viewpoint, a platform of rock along the SE edge.

Harney Peak (7,242 ft.) (Center) from Copper Mountain.

Odakota Mountain (7,200 ft.), South Dakota’s 2nd highest, was next!  Along the way, Lupe stopped by the Copper Mountain Quarry.

Copper Mountain Quarry.
At the quarry.

Odakota Mountain turned out to be a disappointment in some respects.  The summit area was a dreadful mess of deadfall timber.  Views were limited to what could be seen through the shattered forest killed a few years ago by pine bark beetles.  Even so, Lupe was glad to be here!

Odakota Mountain’s summit.
Hey, Odakota is the 2nd highest mountain in South Dakota! Don’t knock it!

Green Mountain (7,164 ft.) was the last mountain Lupe visited.  The views were better here, nearly up to Copper Mountain standards.

At Green Mountain, along the E edge of the limestone plateau country.

Lupe had plenty of time to do more exploring, too!  She wandered N to the end of Green Mountain, then W as far as USFS Road No. 291 in the Ditch Creek valley.  The Carolina Dog made it all the way S past Six Mile Road to the Four Corners Well before turning E again.  Lupe saw lots of deer, and even 3 giant deers, on the way back to the G6.

Expedition No. 88 – Little Devils Tower & Harney Peak (5-17-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 89 – Sylvan Hill, the Custer County High Point (5-17-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 90 – South Castle Rock, Castle Rock, Nipple Butte, Flag Mountain & Peak 6962 (5-24-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 91 – Peak 6888, Bald Hills, the Weston County, Wyoming High Point, Peak 6645 & Laird Peak (6-1-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 92 – Peak 6735 (6-9-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 93 – Mount Warner (9-1-14)  Labor Day!  Uncle Joe and Cousin Dusty were visiting from Colorado, hoping for a nice romp in the Black Hills.  Lupe treated them to a stroll on Centennial Trail No. 89 from the Samelius trailhead to the summit of Mount Warner (5,889 ft.).

With Uncle Joe & Cousin Dusty on Mount Warner.

Expedition No. 94 – Harney Peak (9-2-14)  Uncle Joe had 2 extra days off work after Labor Day, so Joe and Dusty were still here!  They were up for something a little more strenuous than Mount Warner, so Lupe took them to Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), the highest mountain in South Dakota.  Trail No. 9 from Sylvan Lake was busy, but everyone had a grand time!

On Harney Peak, out on the granite W of the lookout tower.
Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe.
Cathedral Spires (6,840 ft.) (L of Center) and Little Devils Tower (6,960 ft.) (R).

Expedition No. 95 – Peak 6720 & Medicine Mountain (9-13-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 96 – Bear Mountain & Peak 6680  No photos.  (Brought the camera, but minus both the battery and memory card.  Doh!)  Lupe climbed Bear Mountain (7,166 ft.) coming up from the E on USFS Road No. 299.1C.  After visiting the lookout tower, she headed N along the edge of the limestone plateau, eventually reaching the Boy Scout overlook.

The American Dingo explored Grand Vista Draw before taking the Spring Creek valley E to where she could cross USFS Road No. 299 to climb Peak 6680.

Expedition No. 97 – Harney Peak & Little Devil’s Tower (9-25-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 98 – The Northern Hills Day of Deterioration (10-2-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 99 – Peak 6820 & Crooks Tower (10-8-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 100 – Round Mountain, Peak 6740, Limestone Hill & Elliot Ridge (10-16-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 101 – Zimmer Ridge & Peak 6600 (10-23-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 102 – St. Elmo Peak & the Search for Peak 6733 (10-29-14)  Full post!

Expedition No.103 – Peak 6733 (11-6-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 104 – Inyan Kara Mountain (11-9-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 105 – Silver Mountain (11-22-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 106 – Smith & Flag Mountains (11-28-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 107 – Lowden Mountain & Union Hill (12-6-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 108 – Calumet Ridge & Silver Mountain (12-11-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 109 – Cicero, Northeast Cicero, Daisy & Kruger Peaks (12-13-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 110 – Samelius & Hardesty Peaks, Mount Warner (12-20-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 111 – Centennial Trail No. 89 – The Ponderosa Hike from Alkali Creek (12-24-14)  Christmas Eve!  Uncle Joe & Cousin Dusty had arrived a few days ago, and were eager to go on another romp in the Black Hills.  Unfortunately, Joe’s left knee had been bothering him, so he didn’t want to be gone too long, or go anywhere too steep or rough.

For its combination of forested ridges, rolling prairie, and views of Bear Butte (4,422 ft.), a hike Joe had always referred to as “The Ponderosa” was decided upon.  Starting at the Alkali Creek trailhead near Sturgis, the whole gang headed N on Centennial Trail No. 89.

Going down a ridge, Uncle Joe suddenly plunged 1.5 feet into a hidden snow-filled rut.  His accident at the “Sturgis glacier” became the joke of the day.  Fortunately, his left knee wasn’t bothered at all by the mishap, in fact, it was feeling better.

Joe & Dusty on the Ponderosa hike with Bear Butte in the background.

The Sturgis glacier incident wasn’t the only memorable event of the day.  Christmas Eve dinner was served at Grandma’s house.  Lupe dined on Christmas ham, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, Beggin’ Strips, Milk Bones and chocolates.  After dinner, one of Lupe’s presents was a huge pork femur from Lanis.  The Carolina Dog’s eyes grew big as it was unwrapped!  She couldn’t believe the size of the prize!

Cousin Dusty didn’t get a giant pork femur.  She was jealous, and later in the evening got too close to it.  Defending her pork femur, Lupe attacked Cousin Dusty and a fight ensued.  Happily, the issue was quickly settled by making the pork femur disappear for a while.

Late that night, SPHP woke up.  The sound SPHP heard wasn’t Santa coming down the chimney.  A very happy Carolina Dog was up on the bed busily chomping away at the magnificent pork femur.

Expedition No. 112 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-31-14)  Full post!

Expedition No. 113 – The Search for Thrall Mountain (1-1-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 114 – Thrall Mountain (1-10-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 115 – Campaign Hill, Peak 6048 & Flag Mountain (1-18-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 116 – Green Mountain, Northern Rainbows & High Point 5219 (1-24-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 117 – The Search for Hat Mountain & Return of Big Sid (1-31-15)  No photos.  Way back on 10-26-13, Lupe’s friend and neighbor Big Sid had joined the pack, accompanying her and SPHP for the first time ever on Expedition No. 67.  Although initially worried that he was being dog-napped, Sidney soon realized his fears were unfounded, and enjoyed the biggest, best romp of his life!  It was all so wonderful, he could hardly move a muscle for a week afterwards.

During the next few months, Sidney enthusiastically joined Lupe on 7 more Black Hills Expeditions.  Big Sid’s participation had come to an abrupt end, though, after Expedition No. 79 on 3-16-14.  An exceptionally long day and a very late return had Sidney’s owners none too pleased with SPHP.  They’d been worried sick about their boy, and it was way past his curfew when SPHP finally returned Sidney to their care.

Time heals, not all, but some wounds.  For the first time in 10.5 months, Big Sid joined Lupe again on Expedition No. 117, a happy circumstance actually suggested by his owner when SPHP happened to mention that Lupe was going out for a relatively short trek this time around.  Sidney was thrilled and leapt into the G6 with a big smile.  He remembered what this was all about!

Lupe’s objective was to find and climb Hat Mountain (4,883 ft.), at least that was SPHP’s intention.  On this cold and foggy day, Sidney and Lupe were having too much fun roaming the forest looking for squirrels to worry about Hat Mountain.  Exploring a maze of USFS Roads and ATV trails S of Bogus Jim Road, Hat Mountain remained elusive for a second expedition in a row, but Lupe again managed to reach HP5219.

Having found HP5219, SPHP had a hard time losing it again, returning to it unintentionally more than once in the fog.  Eh, no big deal!  Being lost ended well, with everyone safe and happy despite a trip home on black ice once the G6 was reached.  Expedition No. 117 was Big Sid’s 9th with Lupe.  He’d had a grand time during his reappearance, but sadly it was the last expedition he ever went on.

Expedition No. 118 – Redfern Mountain & Signal Knob (2-7-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 119 – Meade County High Point & Custer Peak (2-13-15)  Full post!

Expedition No. 120 – Pillar Peak (2-20-15)  Full post!

Conclusion:

On February 22, 2015, The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe launched online!  It was the start of a new era.  From then on, SPHP consistently carried a camera and took more photos to help tell the American Dingo’s story.  Every subsequent expedition and adventure has been the subject of a post of it’s own.

The full tale will never be told, but all these years later, in these few posts about The Early Years, at least a synopsis of what there is to say about Lupe’s 120 Black Hills expeditions over the course of more than 3 years prior to the launch of T(M)TAOL is finally complete.  These Early Years posts partially fill in the void, sharing a brief description of each adventure for which SPHP was unable to create a full post, and the best of whatever few photos might exist.

Although not as well documented as Lupe’s later exploits, the period from her first Black Hills Expedition in January, 2012 to the launch of T(M)TAOL in February, 2015 was an exciting and incredibly important time.  For a young Carolina Dog these were years of fun, adventure, and discovery in her beloved Black Hills of South Dakota and beyond.

Looking back on it all, although partially shrouded in the mists of time, Lupe’s Early Years were rich in some of the fondest memories of all!

Odakota Mountain, Expedition No. 87, 5-10-14

Links:

Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions – The Early Years: 2013

Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions – The Early Years: 2012

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 3 – Lupe’s Search for Old Bald Peak (1-29-12)

11:30 AM, start of USFS Road No. 257 off Horse Creek Road (No. 243) – Lupe’s first 2 Black Hills Expeditions had both been to the same place, an easy scenic trip up Rapid Creek on Deerfield Trail No. 40 from Silver City to Canyon City.  Today, the plan was for something new.  The Carolina Dog was going to climb a mountain!  Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.) in the central Black Hills was the chosen destination, one neither Lupe nor SPHP had ever been to before.

Sunny and not too cold, but very windy as Lupe set out heading NNW on USFS Road No. 257.  Low pine-covered hills were to the L, and a big open field was to the R.  Lupe had only gone 0.33 mile when an exposed rocky high point appeared ahead on the L.

The high point was out in the open beyond the pines.  Lupe did not care for how strong the chilly wind was when she reached the top.  However, this high point did provide some good preliminary views.  Old Bald Peak was somewhere 3 or 4 miles NW of here, and Lupe could see some of the terrain she would be exploring on the way there.

To the NE, Lupe could also see a line of scenic barren hills, most of which had burned in a forest fire years ago.  Those hills looked like they would be fun to explore someday, too!

Lupe among the rocks of her first high point.
Looking WNW toward the region Lupe was about to explore.
The barren hills to the NE.

Eager to get out of the wind, the American Dingo quickly abandoned this first high point.  USFS Road No. 257.1A split off to the L from No. 257 just ahead.  Taking No. 257.1A, Lupe was glad to enter the forest as the road headed NW up a sheltered valley.

USFS Road No. 257.1A. Photo looks NW.

After 0.50 mile, the road curved W, and in another 0.25 mile, turned N.  Lupe left No. 257.1A here, continuing W through the forest.  Climbing to the top of a ridge, she saw the snowy NE face of a much higher ridge to the SW.  The higher ridge looked like a good place to get a better feel for the lay of the land.  The Carolina Dog might even be able to spot Old Bald Peak from up there!

However, to get over to that next ridge, Lupe would first have to cross the Horse Creek valley.  SPHP paused for a sandwich while thinking it over.  Lupe must not have been hungry yet, because she immediately buried the piece of sandwich SPHP shared with her, no doubt intending to save it for a rainy day.

Taking a break in the forest.
The next ridge (Center) beyond the Horse Creek valley. Photo looks SW.

The sandwich disposed of, Lupe continued W, beginning a descent into the Horse Creek valley.  Arriving at the edge of the forest, the valley floor was visible from here.  A dachshund was barking and chasing several horses around a field, a sight that Lupe found fascinating.

Horses down in the Horse Creek valley. Photo looks W.

Hmm.  Must be some private property down there.  Checking an old Black Hills National Forest map confirmed that a long, narrow strip of private property ran up the E side of the Horse Creek valley.  Lupe needed to get across it to continue W to the next ridge.

Although Lupe was reluctant to leave her view of the dachshund and horses, SPHP led her NW down to the fence line, then N along it to where a cross fence marked the boundary between properties.  Figuring Lupe could be across the private property in only a few minutes with no harm done, SPHP hopped the fence and headed W.

As Lupe crossed the skinny N end of their field, the horses were still in sight well to the S.  No worries on their account, they scarcely seemed aware of the Carolina Dog’s presence.  However, as soon as Lupe entered the field, several big dogs came running this way from the neighbor’s house N of the fence.

This promptly summoned their owner, who hopped in a truck and was waiting for SPHP a couple of minutes later as Lupe reached Horse Creek Road after crossing the field.  Questioning SPHP, he finally left with a warning not to approach his place.  His dogs were not friendly.

A disposition evidently shared by their owner!  Don’t worry, Lupe!  We’ll return by some other route.

Unfazed, Lupe crossed Horse Creek Road and began climbing.

View on the way up the ridge W of Horse Creek Road. Photo looks SE.

A trek up the forested slope just N of the snowy steep face eventually got Lupe up to the top of the next ridge.  Surprisingly open terrain provided excellent views in most directions.  While it was still somewhat windy, the breeze was no longer as powerful as it had been earlier.

Back in the direction Lupe had come from, Peak 5800 was visible about as high as where the Carolina Dog was now along the line of barren hills.

Peak 5800 (R of Center) beyond the Horse Creek valley (lower R). Photo looks NE.

The highest ground on this ridge was some clear terrain toward the SE.  Even though Lupe didn’t need to go that way, she went over there to check out the view.  A patchwork of brown trees among the dark pines indicated the presence of a pine bark beetle infestation between here and False North Point (6,130 ft.) and Five Points (6,221 ft.).

Five Points (L) and False North Point (Center). Photo looks S.

Other than the pine bark beetle damage, the view of False North Point and Five Points with higher hills in the distance was quite impressive.  Despite the wind, another rest break was taken here before heading NW back to where Lupe had originally come up.

A fairly deep valley filled with snow and aspens was immediately to the W.  On the other side of this valley was another ridge about as high as the ridge Lupe was on.  Looking NW, a mountain was visible not too far away, with slightly higher peaks beyond it.

The next ridge beyond the snow and aspen-filled valley. Photo looks W.

SPHP had only an old Black Hills USFS map along, which contained no topographical information at all.  One of those peaks to the NW had to be Old Bald Peak, but which one?  On the other paw, maybe not.  Was Old Bald Peak even in view yet?  SPHP wasn’t sure.  None of the hills Lupe could see from here looked like a “bald” peak at all.

The ridge Lupe was on was connected to the ridge beyond the snowy valley by a saddle at the upper S end of the valley.  Might as well head over to the far ridge to see what the situation looked like from there.

The snowy valley from the saddle leading to the next ridge. Photo looks N.

After getting around the S end of the snowy valley, Lupe turned NNW upon reaching the far ridge.  Without a topo map, SPHP still couldn’t tell which of the hills in sight might actually be Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.).  Undaunted, the Carolina Dog followed the ridgeline, determined to at least make it to the closest significant peak.

At the S end of the ridge W of the snowy valley. From here, Lupe headed for the peak slightly L of Center. Photo looks NNW.

Reaching the far N end of the ridge, Lupe tried to stay on the highest ground possible as she continued NNW.  Most of the time she traveled through pine forests, sometimes orange forests where the pine needles were all dead, the trees having recently been devastated by pine bark beetles.  At other times, she worked her way through dense stands of young aspens.

Although the Carolina Dog visited a series of minor high points along the way, nothing was visible from any of them that made SPHP think Lupe was on, or necessarily even close to, Old Bald Peak.

Exploring a snowy clearing on the way to the mountain to the NNW.
Among the young aspens.

The American Dingo eventually did make it to the top of the mountain to the NNW.  The views from here were much the same.  Had Lupe reached the summit of Old Bald Peak?  Had she even seen it today?  Maybe.  Who knew?  SPHP wasn’t sure, but suspected that Old Bald Peak might still lie farther NW.

Another deep valley separated the Carolina Dog from a couple of slightly higher peaks in that direction.  Unfortunately, Lupe had gotten a late start this morning.  The formerly annoying wind was now just a breeze, but the sky had clouded up, darkening as the day wore on.  Completely overcast now.

Starting to feel like what it was, chilly and late on a quietly dying winter afternoon.  The light would soon fade.  Lupe couldn’t go any farther.

Back to the SSE, 13.5 month old Lupe saw the snowy valley.  Far beyond were peaks she would eventually climb on expeditions yet to come – Mount Warner (5,889 ft.), Samelias Peak (5,856 ft.), Five Points (6,221 ft.), False North Point (6,130 ft.), Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), South Dakota’s highest mountain, and others.

Today, though, they were all mysterious places, part of an unsuspected and unknowable future.

Mount Warner (L) and Harney Peak (R). Photo looks SSE.

Lupe left the first mountain she had ever climbed wandering the forest on a long NNE slope.  Losing more than 500 feet of elevation, she finally came to a USFS road.  Turning SE, she followed it down a valley SPHP suspected would take her back to Horse Creek Road.

A surprise was in store!  Lupe hadn’t gone too far, when she came to an elk carcass laying in a field near a junction with a side road.  That called for some serious sniffing!  Lupe was enthralled!

By the fascinating giant deer carcass.

Once Lupe was able to pry herself away from the unfortunate elk, the road trek continued.

In short order, this road did lead back into Horse Creek Road.  The first sign of civilization, a generous description to be sure, was a collection of ancient battered vehicles and large quantities of other metallic junk rusting away in a field.  Nearby was a small, dilapidated wood-sided home, surrounded by more trash.  Amazingly, someone still lived there.  Smoke was coming out of the chimney.

Still more than 2 miles back to the G6.  All an easy road hike, though!  When she got close to the joint where the unfriendly dogs lived, Lupe gave it a wide berth, slinking through the forest on the opposite W side of Horse Creek Road.  A little farther on, she got to sniff and play for a minute with a nice dog named Mollie at another property.

6:00 PM, start of USFS Road No. 257 – Pitch dark when Lupe reached the G6 again.  What a day!  Lupe had climbed her very first mountain, and wandered not only off-road, but off-trail, for the first time ever.  Except for the strong wind at the start, it had all been grand.  A real adventure, even if Lupe never did find or climb Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.)!

Lupe, 13.5 months old, during her search for Old Bald Peak, Black Hills of South Dakota 1-29-12

Note: More than 9 years later, while writing this post in February, 2021, SPHP carefully evaluated written notes, topo maps, and these photos, and determined that Lupe had actually climbed Peak 6043, 0.75 mile ESE of Old Bald Peak, on Expedition No. 3.  She had definitely seen Old Bald Peak, though, and at the time of this writing, has climbed it on 3 occasions since then, the first being during Expedition No. 33 on 11-4-12.  No photos exist of that first ascent.

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                  Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 147 – Silver Peak & Old Bald Peak (11-24-15)

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 242 – New Year’s Eve Peak, Peak 6070 & Peak 6043 (12-17-18)

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 41 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-31-12)

1:00 PM, start of USFS Road No. 257 just off Horse Creek Road (No. 243) – Been a while since Lupe had been here, more than 11 months, in fact.  Way back on 1-29-12 on Expedition No. 3, the Carolina Dog had started from this same spot.  She’d gone mountain climbing for the first time ever, intending to reach the top of Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.), but had ended up on Peak 6043, instead.

Back then, Lupe had seen a line of barren hills NE of here that looked like it might be fun to explore.  For her final Black Hills, SD Expedition of 2012, the American Dingo was going to do just that!  Exactly as she’d done on Expedition No. 3, Lupe headed N on USFS Road No. 257.

0.5 mile brought her to the junction where No. 257.1A split off to the W.  That was the way she’d gone on Expedition No. 3, but Lupe continued N this time.  The road curled around the E side of the first high point ahead, before turning W for a short distance.  No. 257 then began a steady climb NNW up a long valley.

The road was gradually taking Lupe farther W than SPHP had intended.  The Carolina Dog was skirting the W end of the barren hills region she was supposed to be exploring, but it seemed simpler to gain elevation following the road than to take off into much steeper terrain.

Nearly 2 miles from the start, No. 257 went over a forested pass between two hills.  The peak to the E was now less than 250 feet higher.  This was Lupe’s chance to get up there without much trouble.  Leaving the road, she scrambled up a steep, slippery slope with ease, while SPHP clung from tree to tree trying to maintain traction on 0.5″ of snow covering loose pine needles.

Lupe came up near a 2 foot high wall of rock basking in the brilliant, weak warmth of 2012’s last afternoon.  This line of rocks was along the W edge of a spacious summit region.  Little could be seen to the N or E due to all the trees.

Part of the wall of rock along the W edge of the summit region. Photo looks N.

The high point was visible a little way off to the S.  2012 was still alive and well up here, the sun 2 hours from the horizon.  An inch of pristine white snow hid a layer of pine needles, further brightening a mountaintop already illuminated by sunlight filtering through the pines.

Something in the slanting rays whispered of enchantment.  Quiet, alone, undisturbed, this mountain had been waiting.  Waiting countless days and starry nights, not long forgotten, but never even known, and those times having passed, were now as if they had never been.  No one comes here – ever.

Yet on this final fading afternoon, magic had conjured an unanticipated wonder.  A visitor!  Lupe!  The American Dingo had appeared as though foretold, or perhaps pre-destined, barely in time to beat some ancient deadline established in ages past for reasons beyond memory.

New Year’s Eve Peak. Photo looks S.

Turning S, Lupe prowled toward the high point.

Heading for the true summit. Photo looks N.

A big rock was the absolute high point.  Nothing happened when Lupe got up on it.  A breeze sighed amid the pines, otherwise stillness, silence.  Although summoned, perhaps even the mountain had forgotten why?

Yet the spell remained unbroken.  Gone was the desire to explore the barren hills.  Maybe Lupe was supposed to stay here, simply watching, experiencing, appreciating the light and glory of 2012 before it vanished never to be seen again?

By the true summit, pondering the demise of 2012. Photo looks NW.

So Lupe and SPHP stayed, lingering while earth’s beautiful sun settled wearily in the SW.  A whole year gone!  2012, the year Lupe had started her Black Hills expeditions, and climbed her first mountains.  For some reason this lonely mountain, by now dubbed New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.), was destined to be the last of the bunch.

As 2012 slipped away, Lupe and SPHP shuffled back and forth between viewpoints.  To the W was a narrow look at snowy hills similar to this one, to the S, a panoramic view of forested hills stretching away toward Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), South Dakota’s highest mountain.

Looking W.
Harney Peak (L), Five Points (6,221 ft.) (R of Center), and False North Point (6,130 ft.) (R). Photo looks S.

A profound brooding serenity at last gave way.  Enough!  While 2012 still lived and breathed, the barren hills were calling.  Insufficient time for a thorough exploration, but Lupe could still experience the essence of what lurked there.

The American Dingo bid farewell to the true summit of New Year’s Eve Peak heading ESE through the forest.  A steep descent into a deep valley appeared.  Lupe started down, but SPHP was soon thinking that maybe this wasn’t the best way to go?  Turning sharply back toward the WSW, Lupe climbed just enough to get up to a ridge S of the true summit.

Following this ridge S, Lupe traipsed along an intermittently rocky spine through pine forest, gradually losing elevation.  The forest thinned after 0.33 mile as the ridge turned SE and broadened out.  Lupe roamed in sunshine among rock outcroppings and clearings.

Lichens on a big rock S of New Year’s Eve Peak’s summit.
Roaming the S ridge. Harney Peak (R). Photo looks SSE.

The sky was clear as Lupe reached the barren hills.  The Carolina Dog was high on the NW edge of the region, enjoying a commanding view to the S and E similar to the one from the top of New Year’s Eve Peak.

Frozen Sheridan Lake was in sight miles to the SE.  Heading toward it, Lupe came to an open lower ridge with a series of big rock formations strung out along its crest.

Sheridan Lake (L of Center) with Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.) beyond it. Photo looks SE.
Frozen Sheridan Lake (Center). Photo looks SE.

Late afternoon.  End of December.  The barren hills glowed serenely, as if happy that Lupe had finally come to bask with them in the final silent sunlit moments of 2012.

Not much time left for exploring!  Sunset imminent!  Joyful in the fresh mountain air, Lupe sniffed all that she could as she wandered SE amid the rock formations.

Exploring the rocks. Photo looks SE.
Peak 5800 (Center). Photo looks ESE.

Lupe soon left the rocky ridgeline, entering a valley to the E.  Here, she turned S on a grassy slope in the shadow of the ridge she’d just left.

Peak 5800 (L) from the spot where Lupe left the ridge. Photo looks ESE.
E side of the rock formation. Photo looks S.
Starting down the valley. Harney Peak (R). Photo looks S.

For a few fleeting minutes, Lupe made it back into the beautiful sunlight, but this was the end.  By the time the Carolina Dog turned SW going over a low pass, 2012 glittered only from high points still able to glimpse the gleaming orb fleeing W.

In sunshine again. Photo looks SSE.

Down, down to the black pines ahead!  This next valley would take Lupe back to No. 257.  Five Points (6,221 ft.) and False North Point (6,130 ft.) were the culprits looming to the SW, casting an early shadow over all.

Five Points (L of Center) and False North Point (R of Center). Photo looks SW.

4:48 PM, 14ºF, at the start of USFS Road No. 257 off Horse Creek Road – Twilight.  A few stars already.  Snow crunching underpaw, the dim trek back along No. 257 had been a time to reflect on all that Lupe had done in 2012.  41 Black Hills expeditions!  The Carolina Dog’s first ever Dingo Vacation with Lanis clear to the W coast!  So many adventures!

Sadly, 2012 was gone, or nearly so, about to steal away in the night.  At the start of 2012, none of these adventures had even been dreamed of, but Lupe had high hopes now.

Tomorrow the golden sun would return, bringing 2013 in all its blazing glory!  Another year of new mountains, new adventures, near and far!  And maybe at the end of it all, an American Dingo would stand again atop the silent, magical summit of New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.).

In the barren hills SE of New Year’s Eve Peak, Black Hills of South Dakota 12-31-12

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                      Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 80 – New Year’s Eve Peak (3-23-14)

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 61 – Roughlock Falls & Old Baldy Mountain (6-2-13)

10:47 AM, 66ºF, Latchstring Inn trailhead for Roughlock Falls at Savoy – So much for getting all the way to Cement Ridge (6,674 ft.) today!  SPHP turned L on USFS Road No. 222 at Savoy in Spearfish Canyon, only to find the road blocked.  Suddenly looking like Lupe would have to settle for Old Baldy Mountain (6,096 ft.) as an ultimate destination, instead of merely a preliminary goal.

The intention had been to drive past Roughlock Falls to a trailhead 5 miles away off USFS Road No. 134.  From there, Lupe could have started out much closer to Old Baldy Mountain where Cement Ridge would have been within range, too.  Oh, well!  SPHP parked the G6 at the trailhead just beyond the Latchstring Inn instead.

Although Cement Ridge was not to be, the American Dingo didn’t care.  Lupe was thrilled just to be out and about.  Bounding out of the G6, she was soon on the pleasant one mile trail paralleling Little Spearfish Creek that went to Roughlock Falls.  Good thing the trail was well above creek level!  A week of cold, rainy weather had normally clear-running Little Spearfish Creek muddy and way out of its banks.

Little Spearfish Creek with USFS Road No. 222 beyond it on the way to Roughlock Falls. Photo looks NW.

Turned out, flood damage was the reason USFS Road No. 222 was closed in the first place.  Roughlock Falls had tremendous flow when Lupe got there.  Little Spearfish Creek was still flooding the picnic area above the falls, and the road damage was apparent up here.

Roughlock Falls with several times normal flow.
A popular Black Hills destination, Roughlock Falls seldom appears this robust.

Lupe took advantage of this opportunity to cavort in Little Spearfish Creek on what is normally dry ground.

Cooling off in Little Spearfish Creek. Not as “little” as it used to be!
Little Spearfish Creek was in the process of returning to its banks, but still flowing around this picnic table.

Continuing W beyond the Roughlock Falls picnic ground, Lupe and SPHP trudged along right on USFS Road No. 222.

Without a cloud in the sky, it was soon getting hot.  After about a mile, SPHP noticed a trail N of the road.  Turned out there were 2 trails.  One went steeply uphill toward the canyon wall.  Lupe took the other trail, which followed Little Spearfish Creek upstream, enjoying shady relief from the sun provided by trees growing along the trail.

After 0.5 mile, Lupe reached the Rod & Gun campground.  Beyond the campground, the trail soon forked.  Lupe took the Rimrock Trail, which climbed steadily up a side canyon leaving Little Spearfish Creek behind.

The upper rim of the canyon wasn’t much farther when a deer was seen fleeing through the forest.  Upon reaching the place the deer had taken off from, a spotted fawn was seen laying quietly right beside the trail, its slender legs folded beneath it.

The fawn was alive, but remained completely motionless as Lupe and SPHP approached.  Whether it was injured or not, was hard to say.  The fawn was distressingly thin, with practically no meat on its bones.  Its ribs stuck out a great deal.  Was it starving?  Without moving at all, the fawn regarded Lupe and SPHP with with sad brown eyes.

While it was tempting to examine the fawn more closely to determine its true condition, SPHP felt its chances were almost certainly best with its mother.  The faster Lupe and SPHP left the area, the more quickly and likely she would return.  Hard to abandon the defenseless, spotted fawn, but Lupe and SPHP paused only a moment before moving on.

10 minutes past the fawn, the terrain leveled out.  A junction appeared with another trail shown as No. 76 on SPHP’s old Black Hills USFS map.  A short break was taken here in the shade of a large pine tree.  Lupe had Taste of the Wild, while SPHP consumed an orange.

After the break, Lupe headed W on Trail No. 76.  It wound through the forest S of an area where there seemed to be a quarry or old mine, but Lupe didn’t stop to investigate.

On Trail No. 76.

A meadow surrounded by aspens appeared.  Lupe came to USFS Road No. 134 just beyond it.  A sign indicated that after crossing the road, the trail continued on to the Old Baldy Mountain trailhead, precisely where the American Dingo needed to go.

Happy Lupe in the meadow near USFS Road No. 134.

15 minutes after crossing No. 134, Lupe reached the Old Baldy Mountain trailhead.  No vehicles.  Not a soul here.  SPHP paused long enough to take a look at a posted map.

The map showed 2 trails going to Old Baldy Mountain (6,096 ft.), still nearly 1.5 miles NW.  An E route and a W route linked up again not too far from the mountain near a small lake named Baldy Lake.  SPHP’s USFS map also showed a Trail No. 66 with two routes, and an unlabeled tiny blue speck close to where they rejoined.

At first, it wasn’t clear where to go.  The only trail that left the trailhead went W, so Lupe followed it.  The E route to Old Baldy Mountain soon split off to the R.  Deciding to go that way, SPHP led the Carolina Dog N.

Trail No. 66 went uphill a bit before leveling out.  Turning NE, it then started downhill.  With all the recent wet weather, Lupe began coming to marshy areas feeding numerous little streams.  Despite brief uphill sections, she lost elevation most of the time.

Aspens sprouting new leaves along the E route of the Trail No. 66 loop.

More and more water seeped from the hillsides.  The trail became a small creek.  Every drainage Lupe passed had its own stream running down it.  These were all seasonal streams which wouldn’t ordinarily have had more than a trickle, if that.  Lupe enjoyed splashing along through all the water, free to get a drink whenever she felt like it.

Trail No. 66 finally turned NW and went down a steepish, soggy slope.  Upon reaching a low point, the trail bounced up and down, still winding along in the same general direction.  SPHP concluded that the trail was destined for a particular mountain to the W that didn’t look very high.

No. 66 eventually started down a slope where the forest gave way to a lush, green field.  Two streams, one from the SW and one from the SE, merged immediately upstream of a small earthen dam.  The combined stream had succeeded in eroding a gap right through the dam, which no longer backed up any water.

So much for Baldy Lake!

Overlooking the broken earthen dam that used to back up Baldy Lake. Photo looks W.

As if to remove any doubt, a sign saying “Baldy Lake” still stood along the edge of the meadow.  Even while in good repair, the earthen dam couldn’t have ever held back much water.  In the best of times, Baldy Lake must not have been any bigger than a typical stock pond.

Due to the circuitous route the E half of Trail No. 66 had taken, a check of SPHP’s USFS map showed that Old Baldy Mountain was still more than 0.5 mile away.  Crossing a small bridge below the broken dam, Lupe went W up the hillside beyond it, as the trail took her up into a stand of aspens.  After going over a ridge, the Carolina Dog reached the junction where the W branch of the Trail No. 66 loop joined in again.

Taking the spur to Old Baldy Mountain, Lupe followed a long stretch of trail serving double duty as a mucky stream bed.  Once beyond this area, the trail began climbing.  Near the end, Lupe gained more elevation than SPHP thought she would, as the trail switchbacked higher.

By the spur trail to the summit.
Wildflowers along the way.
Beaver Creek (L) from a switchback near the top. Photo looks SSW.

The top of Old Baldy Mountain (6,096 ft.) was forested and plenty roomy enough to move around quite comfortably.  A sign stood at the end of the trail.  From here, the summit area extended somewhat farther SW.  Exploring out that way, Lupe could see Beaver Creek down in a big meadow to the S, a scene she had caught glimpses of on the way up.

On Old Baldy Mountain. Photo looks W.

From along the summit’s W edge, Lupe saw the deep forested canyon that Beaver Creek drains into sinking N toward a spot where tall cliffs of dark rock were visible along the upper rim of the gorge.  Several ridges significantly higher than Old Baldy Mountain were in sight off to the W.  SPHP spotted the Cement Ridge fire lookout tower on the ridge farthest N.  It looked dauntingly high and far away.  Clearly, Lupe wasn’t going to get that far today.

Relaxing in the shade, Lupe snapped at flies while having more Taste of the Wild.  SPHP ate some fruit.  Too bad Lupe didn’t have enough time to continue on to Cement Ridge (6,674 ft.), but the distant start due USFS Road No. 222 being closed had pretty much put it out of reach.

On the return trip, Lupe explored the W portion of the Trail No. 66 loop.  Shortly after splitting off from the E route, the trail entered the huge meadow Lupe had seen S of Old Baldy Mountain.  The Carolina Dog was nearly across the meadow when she came to a little stream that drained W into Beaver Creek.  Leaving the trail, Lupe went down to have a look at the much larger stream.

By Beaver Creek. Photo looks NW.

Much of the ground near Beaver Creek was marshy, or just plain under water.  Side streams with good volume were pouring in from every little valley and low spot.

Looking upstream. Photo looks W.

After enjoying the view of Beaver Creek, Lupe turned SW toward a side valley where yet another tributary could be heard, but not seen.  Upon reaching the valley, she turned SE climbing into the forest.  This hillside was also full of springs, but Lupe quickly found the trail again.

No. 66 proceeded S steadily gaining elevation, before eventually turning E and winding its way back to the Old Baldy Mountain trailhead.  From the trailhead, Lupe proceeded E to USFS Road No. 134, crossing it at the same place as she had earlier in the day.

Flowers along the trail E of the Old Baldy Mountain trailhead.

Instead of getting on Trail No. 76 again, Lupe took a logging trail farther N that SPHP thought might be a shortcut.  Heading E, the logging trail climbed over a modest hill past a series of little ponds where frogs sang cheerfully until the entire choir would suddenly go silent when the American Dingo got too close.

The shortcut worked.  Lupe made it back to Trail No. 76 again not too far from the junction with the Rimrock Trail.  Another short rest break was taken here beneath the same big pine tree as before.

Although curious, SPHP didn’t think it was a good idea to take Lupe past the spotted fawn again.  Instead of going down that way, Lupe continued E on Trail No. 76, staying on high ground for another 0.75 mile.  At that point, the trail suddenly turned sharply NW, whereupon it immediately turned E again, descending a big gulch.

Partway down, the American Dingo came to an unexpected divide.  The clearest trail headed uphill over a ridge to the ENE, while a more faded path continued down the gulch.  When SPHP started on the higher trail, Lupe raced ahead, but SPHP was soon having second thoughts.  Probably should have gone down the gulch in search of USFS Road No. 222.

Returning to the lower path, it curved SE into a narrow gorge.  Lupe came to a very secluded and private place where water dripped down tall rock walls covered with moss.  Only a short stretch was flanked on both sides with scenic rock walls like that, but it was very cool.

Going around a bend, the roar of Little Spearfish Creek was suddenly heard down in the much larger canyon.  Descending a forested slope, Lupe found herself at the same point where she had left USFS Road No. 222 to take the shady trail to the Rod & Gun campground much earlier in the day.

The rest of the return was identical to the route Lupe had taken this morning.  SPHP collected Lupe treasures along No. 222, coming up with quite a few of them in short order.  At the Roughlock Falls picnic ground, the water had receded from where it had been this morning, leaving mud drying in the evening sun.

Heading back on USFS Road No. 222.

7:32 PM, 62ºF, Latchstring Inn trailhead at Savoy – Expedition No. 61 was over and done with except for the drive home.  Old Baldy Mountain had been a fun day, but the skinny spotted fawn’s fate would forever remain a mystery.  At home, Lupe was happy to see Guille’s car, and rushed into the house to greet her.

Evening in Little Spearfish Creek canyon.

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                      Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD & WY Expedition No. 141 – Old Baldy Mountain & Cement Ridge (10-11-15)

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

Black Hills, SD & WY Expedition No. 62 – Cement Ridge (6-8-13)

8:15 AM, 58ºF, Old Baldy Mountain trailhead off USFS Road No. 134 – The skies were clouding up.  Looking like rain again, although any rain was supposed to end later this morning, chased away by 20 to 30 mph winds expected to kick up this afternoon.

The American Dingo was here for the 2nd time in 6 days.  Since Lupe had already visited Old Baldy Mountain (6,096 ft.) last time around, that wasn’t her destination today.  Cement Ridge (6,674 ft.), 4 miles WNW, was the goal, and perhaps some wandering after that.

The air was humid and still at the moment, but it would be good to get to Cement Ridge before the wind.  Lupe left the vacant trailhead heading W on Trail No. 66, this time ignoring the turn for the E route of the No. 66 loop she had taken to Old Baldy Mountain 6 days ago.

The weather had been super wet for weeks.  Must have had yet another substantial rain here again last night.  Verging on mucky, the level trail wound W through a mixed forest of dark pines and white-barked aspens sporting newly sprouted light green leaves.

A cool, humid start on Trail No. 66.

Lupe soon reached the place where the W half of the Trail No. 66 loop turns N toward Beaver Creek.  Instead of making this turn, Lupe took an old abandoned side road that went SW down into Schoolhouse Gulch.  Picking up USFS Road No. 222 here, the Carolina Dog headed N.

Where Lupe reached No. 222, a lush green meadow was visible beyond a thin line of trees W of the road.  A large stock pond brimming with water was seen only a little farther N.  As Lupe drew even with the pond, a man driving an ATV stopped to chat.

Introducing himself as “Hank”, the man said he was on his way to mend fences on property he owned nearby.  Noting SPHP’s interest in the stock pond, Hank said he knew the owner, and had even requested permission to fish there.  The owner readily granted that permission, but told Hank there weren’t any fish to catch.  Although he had once stocked the pond with 2,000 trout, the pond froze solid, winter-killing all of them.

Hank commented that he didn’t see many hikers in this area, and was curious about where Lupe was going and where she’d started from.  When SPHP relayed that information, Hank said he needed to be more active in the hills himself.  Wishing Lupe success, he drove off.

The stock pond in Schoolhouse Gulch W of USFS Road No. 222. Photo looks WSW.

Soon another vehicle came along.  This time it was the driver of a pickup truck that stopped to chat.  He said he was on his way to fix fences with a friend, and was surprised when SPHP told him that Hank was already there waiting for him.

The pickup truck driver also owned property in this region, 270 acres in all, in 2 separate parcels.  160 acres were back in the forest W of USFS Road No. 222, land that had been in his family since the early 1900’s.  He had grown up there, although the old cabin was now in such a state of disrepair that it was unusable.

This driver also commented on how seldom they saw hikers here, and wondered where Lupe was going?  When SPHP said Cement Ridge, he replied that she had a long walk ahead of her.  A neighbor had told him they’d gotten 17 inches of rain in the last 2 storms up that way, the most water received in such a short period of time since the floods of 1965.

Before he drove off, SPHP assured the pickup driver that Lupe had all day, and would have no problem at all getting to Cement Ridge.

For 0.5 mile, No. 222 proceeded NNW, sloping gradually downhill to the confluence of 2 major tributaries of Beaver Creek.  Joining forces at a low point just W of the road, the combined stream turned E flowing through a culvert.

Once past Beaver Creek, Lupe started gaining elevation.  Hank was soon spotted doing something near a spring in a field W of the road.  The pickup driver, who had supposedly been on the way to help him mend fences, was nowhere in sight, but Hank waved and shouted a friendly greeting to Lupe and SPHP.

Climbing steadily, USFS Road No. 222 curved W.  Scattered patches of blue sky appeared amid lots of puffy white, and sometimes gray, clouds.  A light and airy breeze sprang up.  SPHP collected Lupe treasures from the ditches, while Lupe ran sniffing through the woods investigating whatever seemed interesting.

A moment of relaxation on the way to Cement Ridge.

After winding W for more than a mile, USFS Road No. 222 turned N again upon reaching its high point.  No. 103, little more than a jeep trail, took off to the L here.  Leaving No. 222, Lupe took No. 103, which quickly turned S.  For 0.5 mile, the road was fairly straight and level.

Although this region was forested, the trees were young.  Lupe was high enough to get some decent glimpses of views to the E.  She trotted along, drinking from little streams and mud puddles, while SPHP continued to gather Lupe treasures.  No. 103 started to wind SW.  Lupe passed a sign saying a permit was required for off-road vehicles in Wyoming.  She had left South Dakota.

After a mile or so on No. 103, a long switchback turned first SE, then sharply NW, going more steeply uphill.  At the upper end, Lupe reached a saddle where No. 103 linked up with USFS Road No. 850, which had come up past Guidinger Spring from Rattlesnake Canyon.

No. 850 was a much better road, and went NW a little over a mile to the fire lookout tower on Cement Ridge.  Rather than follow the road, Lupe stayed up on higher ground NE of it, traveling the crest of the ridgeline through open forest and fields of wildflowers.

Wildflowers on the way to the Cement Ridge fire lookout tower.
So beautiful! The wildflowers were nice, too!
A healthy specimen of the “yellow wildflower” category.

Wildflowers were beautiful and abundant!  The air – breezy, light, and fresh.  Big clouds sailed overhead, and the views improved with each passing moment.  A bicyclist soon appeared on No. 850, pedaling for the summit.  Before long, another one was spotted, and more kept appearing after that.  At first, the bicyclists were all on their way up to the lookout, but soon some were seen coasting down No. 850, too.  Something must be going on!

The Cement Ridge lookout tower came into view.  People were gathered near a canopy set up along the road SW of the tower, but Lupe headed straight to the top.

Approaching the Cement Ridge fire lookout tower. Photo looks NW.
By the SE corner.
The canopy (L) along access road No. 850 from close to the tower. Photo looks SW.

After giving Lupe some Taste of the Wild, SPHP relaxed at a picnic table near the NW corner of the lookout tower and began eating an orange.  Tremendous views by Black Hills standards in nearly all directions!

Sundance Mountain (5,824 ft.) and Warren Peaks (6,650 ft.) were in sight to the WNW.  Inyan Kara (6,360 ft.) was off to the SW.  Looking back into South Dakota, both Crow Peak (5,787 ft.) to the NNE, and Terry Peak (7,064 ft.) to the E, were easy to spot.

Inyan Kara Mountain (Center) on the horizon. Photo looks SW.
Terry Peak (R of Center). Photo looks E.

Low overhead, an endless procession of big clouds raced by from out of the W.  Although Lupe was sometimes in sunshine, most of the time she was in shadow.  The darker clouds spit a little rain as they passed.  SPHP had only been at the picnic table for 10 minutes when suddenly a NW wind kicked up, coming in 20 to 30 mph gusts, as forecast.

Moving to the more sheltered SE side of the lookout tower, SPHP worked on an apple.  Accepting pieces of a Pop Tart, Lupe promptly decided to bury them for future use, but found it tough to do so in the hard-packed gravel surrounding the tower.

Although the wind was a bit annoying, once the snack break was over, Lupe and SPHP headed down to the canopy to find out what was going on.  A young man and woman, both smartly dressed in genuine western outfits, were busy grilling burgers and hot dogs to go along with water or beer for 140 contestants in a 110 mile long bicycle race that started and ended in Spearfish.  Cement Ridge, 40 miles along the course, was one of the main support stops along the way.  A photographer with a fancy camera was taking pictures of contestants that made it this far.

Curiosity satisfied, Lupe head over to another picnic table for a final look around before returning briefly to the lookout tower.  She would have stayed longer, but Carolina Dogs aren’t fond of wind.  Lupe was soon heading SE back down the ridgeline overlooking USFS Road No. 850, where bicyclists continued to stream by.

A windy and impressively cloudy day at Cement Ridge. Photo looks E.
Despite the wind, Lupe would have gone up to the top of the tower, if it had been open.

Lupe was nearly back to the saddle where USFS Road No. 103 joined No. 850, when she suddenly became very interested in something hidden in deep grass amid a tight group of young trees.  Taking a look, SPHP saw a dead chipmunk.

Picking the chipmunk up to prevent Lupe from eating it, SPHP was in the process of examining the chipmunk, when it suddenly sprang up, leapt back into the grass, and began scurrying away.  The American Dingo was on it in a flash!  SPHP made Lupe release the chipmunk more than once in a span of only seconds, but the episode ended in tragedy with the poor, innocent chipmunk laying motionless in the grass.

Terrible!  Fearing Lupe had killed the harmless chipmunk, SPHP again picked it up, checking for injuries.  Promptly awakening and biting SPHP, the chipmunk made another mad dash for freedom.  This time SPHP managed to prevent Lupe from going after it.  So much for handling “dead” wild animals!

USFS Road No. 103 was just ahead.  Not even noon yet.  The Carolina Dog had the rest of the day to wander now, if she wanted to.  6 days ago on Expedition No. 61, a line of almost equally high ridges had been visible S of the Cement Ridge fire lookout tower.  This was a great opportunity to explore them!

Instead of heading back on No. 103, Lupe left the saddle climbing S up a forested slope.

Approaching the saddle where USFS Roads No. 850 (R) and No. 103 meet. The true summit of Cement Ridge is visible (R of Center). Photo looks S.

Upon reaching level terrain on top of the first ridge S of the roads, Lupe went WNW a little way exploring toward the highest point, ultimately reaching a spot where she had a view of the fire lookout tower more than a mile NW.  SPHP didn’t realize it until nearly a year later, but Lupe was now at the true summit of Cement Ridge (6,674 ft.).

Without any real plan other than to explore whatever high ground she might come to, Lupe headed S through the forest.  Didn’t seem to be any pine bark beetle infestation up here, so there wasn’t much deadfall to contend with.  Juniper bushes growing on the forest floor were about the only impediment, and these were usually easily avoided.

The terrain sloped gradually lower.  SPHP eventually encouraged Lupe to turn SE, losing a bit more elevation as she went down to a meadow in a small valley.  Lupe found a logging road and followed it S.  Before long, she came to a spring bubbling up from a 4″ hole in the road.  The day was getting sunnier and warmer, so she helped herself to a big drink.

On the old logging road. Photo looks S.

Going over a series of hills, Lupe worked her way S, generally heading SE while up on top, then turning SW when the hill or ridge played out to head over to the next one.  She crossed a road, which might have been USFS Road No. 804, where 2 bicyclists from the race appeared, but they were the last ones Lupe saw.  SPHP kept hoping for some distant views, but the hills were all forested, and little could be glimpsed except the next rise ahead.

Exactly where Lupe went, is now impossible to say.  The American Dingo followed various old logging roads up on the ridges, and occasionally crossed USFS roads in the valleys.  None of these roads were marked.  Lupe saw many deer, and once, when the sky darkened for a little while, she saw 2 giant deers (elk) near a dense pine forest.

The sky brightened again.  After crossing a road that went E/W, Lupe came to a small vigorous stream that flowed W.  She laid right down in it to cool off, emerging greatly refreshed.  Pausing to check the old Black Hills NF map, SPHP figured this might be the stream S of USFS Road No. 805 that drains into Wagon Canyon.  A beautiful cloud appeared over the next hill.  It never developed into anything threatening.

The stream that Lupe cooled off in. Photo looks W.
The beautiful cloud.

The magnificent cloud sailed off to the E.  Lupe continued S.  A logging road took her up to a high point where the forest had been thinned enough to permit a view of the top of Inyan Kara Mountain (6,360 ft.), still many miles to the SW.

Going S along a ridge from the high point, the sky darkened again.  Tiny hailstones fell for several minutes before morphing into a 10 minute rain shower. A shallow green valley appeared ahead with a faint road going through it.  Upon reaching the road, a minor pass could be seen 200 yards to the NW.

Lupe ventured up to the pass, where SPHP was surprised to see a brown wand identifying this road as USFS Road No. 393.1.  Nearby to the S was a little hill with lots of pine trees.  Climbing up to see what could be seen from here, the answer was, not much.  SPHP sat down next to a pine tree for another look at the map, while Lupe rested on a bed of pine needles looking like she was truly enjoying this aimlessly wandering adventure.

Happy Lupe in the middle of nowhere.

No. 393 was shown on the map, but No. 393.1 wasn’t.  Lupe must have drifted far enough E to be back in South Dakota, but how far S she was wasn’t clear.  Taking a short break, Lupe and SPHP stayed on the little hill for a while.  Couldn’t stay long.  A few hours of daylight remained, but the sun was starting to sink toward the horizon.

Returning to No. 393.1, Lupe followed it SE.  The shallow green valley led to a larger valley with a better road that turned NE, the direction Lupe needed to go to get to the G6.  At this turn, another marker showed that Lupe had just come down USFS Road No. 106.1A.  Confusing!  SPHP still wasn’t certain where the American Dingo was.

The shallow green valley Lupe had just come down from the No. 106.1A wand. Photo looks WNW.

The evening stroll down the larger valley was gorgeous!  Fabulous clouds drifted by on a cool, light breeze.  Birds sang the happy songs of late spring.  Lupe trotted along, pausing for drinks from each puddle she came to, while SPHP began finding and gathering Lupe treasures again.  Another wand appeared saying that this was USFS Road No. 134.3B, which was on the map.  For the first time in hours, SPHP knew exactly where Lupe was.

On USFS Road No. 134.3B. Photo looks NNE.

After a mile or two, the valley came to an abrupt end.  For the next 0.25 mile, No. 134.3B passed through a narrow gap flanked by limestone walls.  The road was badly eroded in here.  Rocks, silt, and gravel had been washed away and deposited farther down the mini-gorge.

When Lupe emerged from the gap, the junction with USFS Road No. 134 was just ahead.  Another check of the map.  Still 5 splendid miles to go!

8:26 PM, 52ºF, Old Baldy Mountain trailhead – Lupe’s journey to Cement Ridge, and her long wanderings S along both sides of the seldom visited South Dakota – Wyoming border had been a success, a fabulous 12 hour excursion!  76 Lupe treasures gathered, too!  A new record.

A terrific day, but the sort of one that works up an appetite.  About time for some cheeseburgers!  SPHP stopped at McDonald’s in Spearfish and bought 4.  The famished American Dingo made sure she got 2 of them before curling up to snooze the rest of the way home.

Miles S of Cement Ridge, Black Hills National Forest 6-8-13

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                     Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD & WY Expedition No. 141 – Old Baldy Mountain & Cement Ridge (10-11-15)

Black Hills, SD & WY Expedition No. 205 – Balm of Gilead Gulch & Cement Ridge (5-20-17)

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 278 – Deerfield Trail No. 40: Silver City to Daugherty Gulch & Peak 5800 (4-28-21)

8:34 AM, 41ºF, Silver City trailhead –

Deerfield Trail No. 40 again, SPHP?  We were just here with Cousin Dusty!

I know it, and it was a fun time, too!  Pure inspiration!  Hope you’re ready for a big adventure today, Loopster.

Aren’t I always?  What’cha got in mind?

Silver City to Daugherty Gulch.  Roughly 11.25 miles one way, I figure.  Then if we still have any moxie left, we’ll tack on another couple of miles to climb Peak 5800 before circling back to Deerfield Trail No. 40 via USFS Road No. 530 and the Slate Creek Dam.

Oh, that is a big day!  We better get crackin’!

Leaving the Silver City trailhead.

Five days ago it had been snowing when Lupe had been here with Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe.  What a difference those 5 days had made!  Suddenly it was springtime – blue skies, tweeting birds, the whole bit!  Progress was rapid on the broad, flat trail.  Silver Peak (5,810 ft.) was soon coming into view.

Off to an easy start.
In scenic Rapid Creek canyon. Photo looks W.
Silver Peak (L of Center). Photo looks SW.

Just beyond the Silver Peak view, Lupe crossed the 4th bridge already over Rapid Creek.  The first 3 had been concrete and as wide as a road, but this one was an all wooden pawbridge complete with railings.  All the rest of the bridges across Rapid Creek would be like this.

Downstream view of Rapid Creek from the first wooden bridge. Photo looks N.

Deerfield Trail No. 40 narrowed after crossing the wooden pawbridge, but was still well-beaten and super easy to follow, remaining flat and rock-free.  The trail passed mostly through the forest, but was never far from Rapid Creek.

Rapid Creek from Deerfield Trail No. 40. Photo looks SW.

Five minutes from the first pawbridge, Lupe came to her Dingo Cave, a great spot to hang out during a hail storm.

Loopster from the Dingo Cave.

No hail expected today, so the American Dingo went right on by, enjoying the sunshine as the day warmed up.  Rapid Creek is the largest stream in the Black Hills, and this beautiful stretch of Deerfield Trail No. 40 along it certainly had to rank among the most scenic hikes in the entire region.

Every now and then, another pawbridge appeared.  After the 5th one, Loop reached a big bend in the river not far from where Spurgeon Gulch comes in from the N.  W of Spurgeon Gulch, the trail passed through a region of tall, slender bushes.  Beyond the bushes was another super scenic trail segment along Rapid Creek.

Ordinarily quite a clear-running stream, Rapid Creek’s color resembled the muddy Mississippi today with all the spring run-off.

Getting close to the Spurgeon Gulch area after crossing the 5th wooden pawbridge. Photo looks N.
At the big bend a little E of Spurgeon Gulch and Canyon City. Photo looks E.
Past the bushes W of Spurgeon Gulch. Photo looks SW.

Nearly 0.4 mile W of Spurgeon Gulch and Canyon City, Lupe came to a 6th and final pawbridge over Rapid Creek.  Crossing it, she followed a long straight stretch of Deerfield Tail No. 40 going WSW on the S side of the creek.  In the shade of a mountain, much of this part of the trail was still icy.  After 0.33 mile, Lupe came to a big bank of ice at the confluence of Slate Creek and Rapid Creek.

Looper was now 3.33 miles from the Silver City trailhead.  Slate Creek, a mere tributary of Rapid Creek, was running as high as SPHP could ever remember seeing it.  Something was missing, wasn’t it?

Approaching the 6th and final pawbridge over Rapid Creek. Photo looks WSW.
Looking upstream from the 6th pawbridge. Photo looks WSW.
On the straightaway S of the creek. Photo looks WSW.
Confluence of Slate Creek (L) and Rapid Creek (Center & R). Photo looks NW.

Seems we’ve reached the Slate Creek glacier, SPHP!  Watch your step!  Might be pretty slippery for you!

So we have, Looper.  Say, didn’t there used to be a bridge over Slate Creek here?  Not a big pawbridge with railings like the ones over Rapid Creek, just 4 or 5 planks on end bolted together.

Don’t really remember, SPHP.  Been a while since we’ve been here, like years!  Maybe there was, or maybe we always rock-hopped Slate Creek?  Never had this much water in it before!

Well, hard to say.  I don’t remember, either, but I was sort of expecting a plank bridge here, since I remember lots of them across Slate Creek farther upstream.

You aren’t saying we’re done already, are you, SPHP?  Slate Creek still isn’t very deep!  Can’t you wade across it?

Yup!  In fact, I even brought water shoes, since I do remember at least one ford farther up Slate Creek.  Guess they’re about to come in handy a lot sooner than I thought.

Lupe waited while SPHP switched from boots to water shoes prior to fording Slate Creek.  The water shoes were actually SPHP’s old gray and blue Merrell running shoes bought in Haines, Alaska in 2017.  When brand new, they were the prettiest shoes SPHP had ever had, almost like dancing slippers, but now they were dingy and falling apart.  No matter!  As long as they still held together, they were light-weight and perfect for fording streams.

Waiting for SPHP prior to fording Slate Creek. Photo looks SW.

Slate Creek was frigid, but the water shoes worked perfectly.  Once across, there was another delay as SPHP sat in the sun swapping back over to boots.  As soon as that was accomplished, Loopster hit the trail again.  Deerfield Trail No. 40 abandoned Rapid Creek.  For the next 4.25 miles, it would follow Slate Creek upstream instead.

Starting up the Slate Creek valley. Photo looks SW.

Deerfield Trail No. 40 had been flat and smooth all along Rapid Creek, but going up the smaller Slate Creek valley, it soon became rockier and started gaining elevation.  Still an easy trek, but not quite the total cake walk it had been before.

Within 5 minutes, Loopster came to another stream crossing.  Just like SPHP remembered, a sturdy plank bridge went over Slate Creek.

1st Slate Creek crossing beyond the confluence with Rapid Creek. Photo looks SW.

As the Carolina Dog continued up the valley, Deerfield Trail No. 40 kept crossing Slate Creek at short intervals in a narrow gorge.  The 2nd and 3rd crossings also had plank bridges, but approaching the 4th crossing Lupe discovered that the bridge had washed out.

3rd Slate Creek crossing beyond the confluence with Rapid Creek.
The bridge at the 4th crossing was washed out.

Water shoe time!  SPHP donned them again prior to fording the stream.  Then it was back to putting on the boots once more before Lupe could keep going.

Fording Slate Creek at the 4th crossing.

Didn’t take long to became apparent that the whole process of constantly switching footwear was a ridiculous waste of time.  The bridges were out everywhere!  Sick of it, and now used to the cold water, SPHP relegated the boots to the pack, marching along in water shoes as Lupe came to one ford after another.

SPHP kept count of the number of times Deerfield Trail No. 40 crossed Slate Creek after starting up the valley.  After the 9th crossing, the trail climbed 50 feet above creek level.  On the way up the steep hillside, Loop found another glacier slowly melting away in the shade of a bend.  This second Slate Creek glacier was centered on the trail, and treacherously sloped and slippery, but SPHP managed to get over it without mishap.

Beyond the glacier, the trail flattened and stayed well above Slate Creek for a little way, but Lupe was soon fording it again.  It wasn’t until Loop got to the 12th crossing that she found another bridge intact.

Fording Slate Creek for the 8th time in a row at the 11th crossing.
On the plank pawbridge at the 12th crossing.

No bridge at the 13th crossing, but after that none were washed out for a while.  In fact, there were 2 bridges at both the 15th and 17th crossings.  By the time Lupe got past the 16th crossing, the Slate Creek valley was widening out to a considerable degree.

At the 13th crossing, the last ford for a while.
The 14th crossing, where intact bridges finally began to consistently appear again.
The Slate Creek valley opened up beyond the 16th crossing.
At the 17th crossing, where there were 2 bridges.

The journey up the narrow gorge had been scenic with a very secluded feel to it.  As the valley opened up, that sense of seclusion diminished, and the stream crossings were more spaced out.  After the 17th crossing, Lupe reached the Flannigan cabin.  Not much was left of it mouldering away beneath a stand of ancient spruce trees.

At the Flannigan Cabin.

Doesn’t take an American Dingo long to inspect a wreck like that!  A brief examination, and Lupe pressed on.  Deerfield Trail No. 40 crossed Slate Creek for the 18th time beyond the confluence with Rapid Creek just past the cabin.  A green gate in a pole fence led to a circular drive where USFS Road No. 606 dead-ended at the lower end of Spaw Gulch.

N end of USFS Road No. 606 which comes down Spaw Gulch.

Lupe went through another green gate on far side of the circle.  Beyond it was a sign about an old road that used to follow Slate Creek, crossing it 25 times in 3.5 miles!

Only 25, SPHP?  At the rate we’re going, we’re going to beat that record!

At the 2nd green gate.

Sure enough, Lupe continued to come to more stream crossings.  Since there had been perfectly good plank bridges over all of them for some time now, a short break was taken after No. 20 while SPHP abandoned the water shoes, exchanging them for boots again.  A chocolate coconut bar got shared before following the trail up over a little ridge.

On the other side of the ridge, Loop came to a place that looked sort of like a campsite.  5 sections of big logs stood arranged in an “X” pattern out in the middle of this area.  Lupe got up on the center log.

On the center log at the campsite.

She was still standing there, when SPHP noticed a hole resembling an old mining dig over in the hillside to the E.  Further inspection revealed a short tunnel through the ridge.

Peering into the tunnel.

Venturing in, the tunnel opened up at the far end at a spot overlooking Slate Creek.  Inside the tunnel, some filthy ancient plywood shelves were arranged like bunk beds along one side.  Attached to the shelves was a clear plastic sleeve containing an astonishing bright new sheet of paper.

In this rat hole out in the middle of nowhere?  You have got to be kidding me!

What’s it say, SPHP?

It’s says the world has completely lost it’s mind, Looper!

Nonsense!  It does not!  What does it really say?

It’s a warning notice about Covid-19, Loop.  Talks like this is the Holiday Inn or something.

Here?  Doesn’t look like anyone has been here in ages!

Exactly my point, except, of course, for whoever thought this joint needed a Covid-19 notice.  If Covid-19’s here, they must have brought it with them!

Whether the notice was totally Looney Tunes, or not, Loopster didn’t have a reservation at this 0 star establishment, and it was still a long way to Daugherty Gulch.  The American Dingo pressed on.

Deerfield Trail No. 40 continued to wind SW following Slate Creek.  Lupe came to several more creek crossings with plank bridges.  After No. 23, a brown wand marking the route pointed off toward the R, away from the obvious trail.  Evidently a re-route up a less traveled path in order to avoid another couple of creek crossings ahead.

The official route climbed 60 feet before topping out near a rocky point overlooking the next part of the Slate Creek valley.  Part of USFS Road No. 245.1A was in sight.  The topo map showed a short section of the road paralleling Slate Creek before leaving the valley.

At the Slate Creek valley overlook. Photo looks SSW.

Continuing back down into the valley, the trail now led to a set of stairs with rock walls.  However, the stairway was virtually unusable due to an enormous spruce tree which had collapsed along the length of it.  Even so, Loop was soon through this obstacle, and approaching an impressive natural rock wall towering next to Slate Creek.

The huge rock wall was quite a scenic spot!  Nearby was a 24th crossing of Slate Creek.  No bridge, but paving stones made for a super easy ford as SPHP employed the water shoes again.

Approaching the scenic wall of rock. Photo looks S.
Magnificent! Photo looks ESE.
As seen from the 24th Slate Creek crossing. Photo looks E.
Fording again!

Beyond the impressive rock wall, the Slate Creek valley was even more open.  A 25th stream crossing, another ford with paving stones instead of a bridge, wasn’t far from the 24th one, but that was the last ford.

Wasn’t the last stream crossing, though!  The crossings were farther apart now, but the count continued to rise as the Carolina Dog crossed one bridge over Slate Creek after another.  Meanwhile, she was seeing lots of deer and having a fabulous time!

Approaching crossing No. 26, another one with 2 bridges. Photo looks S.
Near crossing No. 29. Photo looks NNE.
A curious dilapidated structure between crossings No. 30 and 31.
Crossing No. 31.
Wading just for fun at crossing No. 32.

The trail went on and on.  Lupe finally arrived at a fork.  A brown wand along a path going SW across a big field indicated that this was the way Deerfield Trail No. 40 went.  At the far end of the field, Slate Creek ran along the base of a forested hill.  The last bridge over the steam, crossing No. 35, if SPHP hadn’t lost count somewhere along the way, was visible from the divide.

About to leave the Slate Creek valley via the bridge seen at the base of the hill. Photo looks SW.

Crossing the field and the last bridge, Lupe left the Slate Creek valley.  Deerfield Trail No. 40 started steeply up a slope, but quickly turned L and began to switchback less aggressively higher.  Near the top of a ridge, the trail ran W along the N side before crossing over to the S.

For the first time today, the cheerful sound of flowing water was absent and missed, but Lupe had gained enough elevation to get a distant view of some forested hills, the higher ones still sporting a little snow.  Not a spectacular scene, but a pleasant one.

On the N side of the ridge. Photo looks SW.
First distant view of the day. Photo looks SW.

How much farther to Daugherty Gulch, SPHP?

Still a ways, Loop.  About 3.67 miles from where we left Slate Creek.

Trending W or SW, the trail leveled out as it began winding along the top of the ridge.  Lupe visited a couple of high points separated by 0.33 mile, the second one a bit higher than the first.

At the first high point. Photo looks W.
Second high point. Photo looks WSW.

The high points had only a minor drop between them, but Loop came to a larger drop after passing the second one.  During the descent, the trail went by an old horizontal mining shaft.  Turned out it wasn’t very big, and the Carolina Dog didn’t find anything of interest in it.

Checking out the mining shaft.

Losing 160 feet of elevation heading S into a valley, the trail bottomed out at a junction with an abandoned road.  Deerfield Trail No. 40 turned W again here, but not for long.  The road kept going W, but within a few hundred feet, the trail veered SW up a steeper drainage.  Before long it was curving NW.  Upon regaining all the elevation she’d just lost, Lupe arrived at a minor pass.

Near the low point in the valley, starting up the abandoned road. Photo looks W.
At the pass. Photo looks NW.

Going over the pass, a smaller drop of 50 feet ensued.  Soon USFS Road No. 245 could be seen ahead.  The trail turned W, paralleling the road for a little way before merging with it just before the road came to another pass.  At about 5,500 feet, this pass was the high point of Deerfield Trail No. 40 between Silver City and Daugherty Gulch.

At the high point of USFS Road No. 245 and this segment of Deerfield Trail No. 40. Photo looks NW.

From the pass, No. 245 went NW down Lind Gulch for more than a mile.  A bit muddy at first, the road hike was super easy, although not terribly interesting.  After losing 400 feet of elevation, Lupe finally reached a gate where the Mickelson Trail crossed the road.

Heading down Lind Gulch. Photo looks NW.
More than halfway down Lind Gulch it became a little more scenic.
Junction of USFS Road No. 245 and the Mickelson Trail. Photo looks NW.

Deerfield Trail No. 40 abandoned USFS Road No. 245, turning SW along the Mickelson Trail.  Site of a former railroad line, the Mickelson Trail curved W on a gradual incline that led to a tunnel that trains used to run through many years ago.  The tunnel was pretty cool!

After reaching the Mickelson Trail, Deerfield Trail No. 40 follows it the rest of the way to the Daugherty Gulch trailhead. Photo looks SSW.
Approaching the tunnel. Photo looks W.
Inside the tunnel.

Beyond the tunnel, the trail continued W on a slight incline for nearly 0.33 mile before starting to curve S.  A trailhead sign appeared ahead.  Soon Lupe was going through a green gate, down a little slope to the W, over a tiny tributary of Castle Creek, and across Mystic Road.

Continuing W beyond the tunnel. Photo looks W.
Getting close to the end. Photo looks SW.
Leaving the Mickelson Trail. Photo looks ENE.
Success! At the Daugherty Gulch trailhead. Photo looks NW.

3:38 PM, 58ºF, Daugherty Gulch trailhead

Congratulations, Loopster!  We made it!

Thank you, SPHP!  Such a beautiful trek, especially the parts along Rapid Creek and Slate Creek.  Really wonderful!

Yes, indeed!  Best part of the entire Deerfield Trail, if you ask me, although the loop around Deerfield Reservoir is mighty nice, too.

7 hours, though, SPHP!  We sure took our sweet time getting here!  Are we still going to climb Peak 5800, too?  Do you have it in you?

Sure!  We’ll share another chocolate coconut bar up there.  Maybe that will spur me on?  Wha’dya say?

Last one there is a human!

Not much doubt about that!  Some things never change.  5 minutes after arriving at the Daugherty Creek trailhead, the Carolina Dog headed back to the Mickelson Trail.  Turning S, the trail slowly, relentlessly, continued uphill.

Heading S on the Michelson Trail. Photo looks S.

Keeping an eye on Mystic Road to the W, SPHP watched for side roads.  USFS Road No. 241 came first.  It went SW up Daugherty Gulch.  For some odd reason, the Daugherty Gulch trailhead was actually located at Whitetail Gulch.  No logical explanation seemed possible other than that someone was confused when they named it.

The next road was the critical one.  When USFS Road No. 231.1A came into sight, that was the signal to start looking SE.  Looper would start her ascent of Peak 5800 following the next ridge the Michelson Trail went by in that direction.

Worked great!  Climbing from the WNW, the Carolina Dog was soon on top of the mountain.

Heading up Peak 5800’s WNW ridge. Photo looks ESE.

4:48 PM, 55ºF, Peak 5800 – Peak 5800’s summit proved to be a large flat area of open forest with no obvious absolute high point.  SPHP dropped the pack beneath a big Ponderosa pine with many branches that seemed to be about where the highest ground was.  Nearby stood a weathered tree stump.  4 feet tall, it was almost as if it were a post deliberately set to mark the summit location.

Peak 5800 summit. Photo looks SSE.
By the weathered tree stump. Photo looks NW.

Congratulations were once again in order!  Praising Lupe, SPHP shook her paw, but wasn’t going to get off that easy.  The chocolate coconut bar had to be delivered as promised, along with a silver bowl full of Taste of the Wild.  SPHP ate the last of two apples, the first one having met its fate hours ago.

For a while Lupe and SPHP just sat there, looking WSW across a barren spot.  Never know what you might see when you climb a new peak in the Black Hills.  As it turned out, there were enough trees on Peak 5800 to mar the views in all directions.  Sometimes that’s the way it goes.  Plenty of glimpses of hills and ridges, but no clear views.

The bare spot. Photo looks WSW.

After resting for 20 minutes, it was time to get up and move around.  The summit region was big, and there weren’t that many trees!  Surely Lupe could find some decent viewpoints, if she looked for them.

The viewpoints were all toward the S, somewhat below the summit’s perimeter.  To the SW were high ridges difficult to identify from here.  Peak 6167 and Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.) were in sight to the ESE.  To the SSE, Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) made Lowden Mountain (6,055 ft.) look like a little hill.

Looking SW.
Old Bald Peak (R) and Peak 6167 (far R). Photo looks E.
Lowden Mountain in front of Black Elk Peak (Center). Photo looks SSE.

Shadows were lengthening.  A long way back.  40 minutes after reaching Peak 5800, Lupe headed down the S slope.  Here she came upon the best view yet, a lovely panorama due S.  Black Elk Peak, Lowden Mountain, Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.), and Redfern Mountain (6,075 ft.) on display!

Black Elk Peak and Lowden Mountain (far L), Sylvan Peak (R of Center), Redfern Mountain (far R). Photo looks S.

After losing some elevation, Lupe turned E down into a valley that led to USFS Road No. 530.  Loop had never been on this part of it before.  In the evening light, No. 530 was a scenic journey and downhill practically all the way.  A good thing, since there was now a need for speed!

With only few hours of daylight left, the race was on.  SPHP wasn’t keen on doing close to 40 Slate Creek crossings via narrow plank bridges or outright fords in the dark, even if the stream wasn’t all that big.

The American Dingo showed great energy, often racing ahead.  Herds of deer kept her excited.  Progress was limited only by SPHP’s pace.  Still took nearly an hour to get to the little lake at the Slate Creek Dam.

USFS Road No. 530 close to where Lupe first reached it. Photo looks E.
A beautiful evening! Photo looks N.
Approaching the Slate Creek Dam. Photo looks NE.
By the little lake at the Slate Creek Dam. Photo looks S.

After a look at the lake, Lupe turned WNW on USFS Road No. 530.1C, which followed Slate Creek.

A little over 0.25 mile, and No. 530.1C ended.  No problem!  A single track trail continued down the valley.  Over the course of a mile, Lupe crossed 4 or 5 more plank bridges, one of which didn’t extend all the way across the stream, before getting back to Deerfield Trail No. 40.

The last rays of sunlight disappeared from the hilltops about the time Lupe reached the fords back at the 25th and 24th Slate Creek crossings.  Dusk arrived and deepened as she hurried on.

Still some light in the sky, but everything was turning pitch black down in Slate Creek’s narrow gorge by the time she got there.  The flashlight had to come out before attempting to cross the slippery glacier between crossings No. 10 and No. 9.

It all went well!  Every bridge, every ford!  Better than expected.  Once Lupe got across Slate Creek at its confluence with Rapid Creek, success was assured.  Flat trail and bridges with railings the rest of the way.

Yet still miles to go in the night!  In the black as eternity canyon, Rapid Creek rushed noisily downstream as silver stars glittered in a narrow band of sky visible above.  On the deep space edge of the weak beam ahead, a curly tail waved, confidently leading the way.  (10:30 PM, 34ºF)

Deerfield Trail No. 40, Black Hills of South Dakota 4-28-21

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                    Prior Black Hills Expedition

Next Trail Section W:

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 256 – Deerfield Trail No. 40: Daugherty Trailhead to Signal Knob & Deerfield Lake (10-30-20)

Next Trail Section E:

Black Hills SD Expedition No. 236 – Deerfield Trail No. 40: Deer Creek to Silver City & Peak 5707 (10-6-18)

Deerfield Trail No. 40 – Map & Brochure

Want more Lupe adventures?  Check out Lupe’s Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!