2-16-23, 8:00 AM, home – The phone rang. Lupe’s Aunt Andrea! SPHP picked up. Right away, SPHP knew something terrible had happened. Andrea was trying hard not to cry.
The news was every bit as awful as unexpected.
Only 3 days ago, Uncle Joe, Aunt Andrea, and Cousin Laddie had left Hotel Lupe to return home to Colorado after a fun weekend in the Black Hills. Lupe and SPHP had enjoyed a couple of prairie adventures along Centennial Trail No. 89 between Fort Meade and Bear Butte Lake with Joe and Laddie during their brief stay.
And now, on this bright, sunny morning in mid-February, Cousin Laddie was no more.
The trip back home to Colorado and life as usual had been uneventful. Everyone was fine. However, in the middle of the night last night, Joe and Andrea woke to the odd sound of scratching on the carpet. Laddie normally slept on a fancy memory foam dog bed they’d bought for him. Laddie loved his special comfy bed, but when Joe and Andrea got up to investigate, he wasn’t on it.
Instead, Laddie was on the carpet in the midst of a horrible seizure. Joe and Andrea rushed him to the emergency vet right away, but other than a shot that put an end to the convulsions, there was nothing to be done. The brain damage was too severe.
I’ll never see Cousin Laddie again, SPHP? How can that be? I just met him less than a year and a half ago. He’s still my practically brand new cousin!
Laddie was new to us, Loop, but he wasn’t young. When Uncle Joe and Aunt Andrea adopted him in September, 2021 no one really knew how old he was. Even the vet had a hard time saying, because nearly all his teeth had been pulled at the animal shelter since they were rotten.
Oh, that’s right! You used to call him Cousin Snaggle Fang, SPHP, because he only had that one upper left canine. All his other front teeth were gone.
That’s right, Looper! Anyway, the vet thought Cousin Laddie was at least 10 years old, but couldn’t say much more than that with any certainty.
Why did Laddie have a seizure, SPHP? I always thought that he was fine. Laddie didn’t act old!
I know it, Loop! Laddie wasn’t weak or decrepit. That’s part of why this awful news comes as such a shock, but Laddie had a hard life until he found a loving home with Aunt Andrea and Uncle Joe. Exactly what all happened to him, no one knows any more. What is known is that Laddie survived testicular cancer, was nearly killed by other dogs owned by his former foster family shortly before Joe and Andrea got him, and was kind of afraid of men.
Laddie wasn’t afraid of Uncle Joe, SPHP! When we went on adventures, Laddie almost always wanted to stay close to Uncle Joe.
Oh, Laddie was a little skittish at first, even with Uncle Joe, but he got over it! Laddie quickly learned he could trust Uncle Joe completely.
Well, this news is just the worst, SPHP! Now I don’t have any cousins left at all. Remember when Cousin Dusty died last fall how you put some of our memories of being together on my blog to have something beautiful to remember her by? Would you mind doing that for Cousin Laddie, too?
Absolutely, Loopster! Even though our glory days with Cousin Laddie were short compared to the many years we knew Cousin Dusty, I’ll see what I can do.
Cousin Laddie
Cousin Laddie’s early life is a mystery lost in time, but it’s known that he’d suffered through some very hard experiences shortly before his luck changed late in life when Aunt Andrea and Uncle Joe adopted him in September, 2021.
Cousin Laddie’s name used to be Danny Boy, but Aunt Andrea liked the name Laddie, which was the name of a dog that lived long ago across the alley from her Grandmother’s house in North Dakota back when Andrea was a young girl. Even though Danny Boy was a Sheltie with beautiful luxuriant fur, and looked nothing like the original Laddie of Andrea’s youth, he began the last, and happiest, chapter of his life as the new Laddie. Uncle Joe, on the other paw, would have named him Banjo.
At the time Laddie joined the family, Lupe’s Cousin Dusty was still alive, so Laddie got to be friends with Dusty while living in the same house in Arvada, Colorado that backed up on the 100 acre field where they often took walks together along Ralston Creek.
Lupe met her new Cousin Laddie in late October, 2021. Laddie’s very first adventure with Lupe was Black Hills Expedition No. 281, going N on Centennial Trail No. 89 from Alkali Creek to a ridge S of Fort Meade. This part of the trail along the E edge of the Black Hills near Sturgis was one of Uncle Joe and Dusty’s favorite hikes. Uncle Joe always called it the Ponderosa Hike.
Laddie had a fabulous time! He climbed Peak4027, his first Black Hills peak, saw Bear Butte(4,422 ft.), and got treated to part of his very first chocolate coconut bar shared with Loopster and Dusty. It was also on Expedition No. 281 that SPHP first discovered Laddie’s talent for almost always managing to face away from the camera, a skill he never lost, at least not when SPHP was around.
On Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 282 the very next day, Laddie made it to Peak5261 after starting out from Centennial Trail No. 89’s Elk Creek trailhead. The Ponderosa Hike had been warm and sunny, with a high in the mid 70’s ºF, but this was a very different experience. Suddenly it felt like late fall, or even early winter. Arriving at the summit in a cold fog, Laddie didn’t get to see any of the views Lupe had hoped to show him. There was even some snow around!
Laddie’s second visit to Hotel Lupe didn’t take place for nearly another 6 months. Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 301 started out with a wintry jaunt around scenic Sylvan Lake.
As the day warmed up a bit, the trip around Sylvan Lake was extended with a short loop along part of Little Devils Tower Trail No. 4.
Expedition No. 301 ended with a buffalo hunt in Custer State Park! No one knew if this was the first time Laddie had ever seen a buffalo, or not, but he saw a whole herd of them today! When Lupe began barking at them from the RAV4, Laddie got into the spirit of it, too.
Two days later, Laddie enjoyed an easy road hike in the central Black Hills to Gimlet Pond on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 302. Cousin Dusty would be 16 in June, and this turned out to be the last time all 3 cousins would be together.
Time marches on. By the time Laddie made his 3rd visit to the Black Hills in late September, 2022, Cousin Dusty had died suddenly only a week before. Just Lupe and Laddie, now.
During this stay at Hotel Lupe, chef SPHP learned how much Laddie liked sloppy joes, and especially SPHP’s “Sheltie delight” spaghetti. Spoiling Laddie was fun, and Lupe had no objections, since she reaped the same benefits. Every evening, dark, beady, little Sheltie eyes stared up at SPHP inquiring when the next delicacy would be served.
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 305 lumped several hikes together. Laddie received some Black Hills adventure training, starting out with rock climbing experience gained at Boulder Hill(5,331 ft.).
After Boulder Hill, Laddie explored a segment of Flume Trail No. 50. The next day, he visited Legion Lake, and returned to Centennial Trail No. 89, venturing S from the Badger Hole trailhead. This was followed by a trip to Mount Coolidge(6,023 ft.), technically Laddie’s 4th Black Hills summit, but he didn’t even get out of the RAV4 due to high winds.
It still counts, SPHP! Laddie was there, and even if you say he should have gotten out of the RAV4, I did get out as his personal representative!
Good to see you sticking up for your cousin, Loop.
This third visit to the Black Hills included free water crossing training along Iron Creek Trail No. 15 going upstream from Lakota Lake. Laddie forded Iron Creek several times before easily mastering plank bridge technology, allowing him to stay dry thereafter.
A quick stop at Iron Mountain(5,446 ft.), another drive-up, counted as the 5th Black Hills summit Laddie visited.
And, of course, Lupe and SPHP had been thrilled to welcome Laddie, Joe, and Andrea to Hotel Lupe on February 10, 2023 for their most recent long weekend stay.
Sadly, this 4th visit proved to be Cousin Laddie’s final trip to the Black Hills. Perhaps it was fitting that his last adventures here with Lupe were on Centennial Trail No. 89, where he got to spend both Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 312 and Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 313 exploring the entire segment N of the Ponderosa Hike between Fort Meade and Bear Butte Lake.
Although she’d been there before back in the days when Cousin Dusty was alive, Lupe never got to visit Laddie at his home in Arvada, Colorado where he spent most of his happy days. In Colorado, Laddie was loved and cared for by all the members of his new extended family.
Our time is limited. The precious days with Cousin Laddie were too few. Lupe will always remember exploring Centennial Trail No. 89 with him, and wish that SPHP could once again be whomping up another batch of “Sheltie delight” spaghetti, because gentle soul Laddie is on his way to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.
No, really Loop. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. You don’t object, do you?
Object? Why should I object? Every Carolina Dog dreams of a chance to revel in the splendors of Poverty Gulch! My, you sure know how to show a Dingo a good time, don’t you?
Oh, come on! It’s just a name. Keeps the riff-raff out.
With a name like that, it probably draws riff-raff like flies! Why on earth would we want to go to Poverty Gulch, anyway?
It’s just an alternate route up to Castle Peak(6,358 ft.), Looper. Since we didn’t get there last time out, I thought we might try another approach?
And Poverty Gulch was the best you could come up with? What’s wrong with Middle-Class Meadows or Luxury Lane?
Well, there’s Brown Jug Draw, which is actually closer, but I don’t think the G6 can get back in there this time of year.
Brown Jug Draw? That sure sounds highfalutin! I suppose we’re doomed then. At least the castle part sounds good!
Upon reaching Rochford in the central Black Hills, how to get across Rapid Creek to the lower end of Poverty Gulch was itself a question. Lupe wound up having a chance to visit parts of the greater Rochford metropolitan area. The stores were closed this early in the day, but Rochford seemed to be making a good impression on the American Dingo.
Maybe we should just skip Poverty Gulch, SPHP? We could hang out here in Rochford and wait for the saloon to open!
Why, Loopster what’s this change of attitude? You weren’t impressed with Brown Jug Draw. Moonshine Gulch doesn’t sound any more highfalutin than that.
It does when you put “saloon” behind it! Sounds downtownish, in an Old West sort of way. If we stay, we can check out the Rochford mall while we wait for Happy Hour. Ought to open pretty soon. No harm in looking, even if the Christmas Bazaar hasn’t started yet, is there?
Disappointingly, SPHP persisted in wanting to go up Poverty Gulch. It turned out that Lupe could get across Rapid Creek by taking a short stretch of the Mickelson Trail. The Rochford trailhead was just E of town. (9:07 AM, 30ºF)
The Mickelson Trail went past a number of private homes and cabins. After 0.25 mile or so following Rapid Creek upstream, Lupe came to a frozen pond. The ravine coming down out of the hills next to it had to be Poverty Gulch!
An old cabin sat up on a little rise at the mouth of Poverty Gulch. A small, snowy side road passed just below it heading up the valley. The topo map showed a trail going up Poverty Gulch, but there weren’t any signs for it, or fences around the old cabin. Hmm. Who knew? Maybe not completely kosher, but Lupe left the Mickelson Trail trotting past the old cabin and up the valley.
Poverty Gulch wasn’t wide or particularly deep. A tiny stream could be heard gurgling away next to the road, which soon narrowed to no more than an ATV trail. A power line went up the valley, but there was no sign that anyone had come this way since at least the last snow.
A good foot of snow, crunchy hard from days of thawing and freezing, was on the road. Lupe could usually stand on it, but the snow didn’t hold SPHP’s weight. Although the trail was never steep, the all-uphill post-holing trudge was wearying and slow. The Moonshine Gulch Saloon was sounding better with every step.
For what seemed like a long way, but probably wasn’t much more than 0.5 mile, there were no tracks in the snow other than occasional animal tracks. Eventually, Lupe came to a more open spot where the trail widened out. This was the dead end of USFS Road No. 238.1B. Some vehicle with big knobby tires had come this far from the S. The tires had compressed the snow, but so much so that it had become ice.
Didn’t really help speed things up much.
The snowy scenery was pretty, the solitude unbroken. After deepening to 1.5 feet, the snow pack began to diminish. As Poverty Gulch gradually broadened out, the road gained elevation at a relaxed pace. The broken trunks of Ponderosa pines killed years ago by pine bark beetles dotted surrounding hills only moderately higher than the road.
On and on it went, the road winding its way S. Lupe came to no more cabins. The power line must have ended or veered off somewhere along the way. At one point Lupe and SPHP sat on a log together, taking a 10 minute breather. A gorgeous day for a workout in the hills!
Couldn’t be much farther! At last it was clear that the road was about to reach the top of a rise. When Lupe got there, sure enough, she had been here before. SPHP recognized the sign. Loop had reached USFS Road No. 238 (Divide Road). Her long trek up Poverty Gulch was over!
Castle Peak(6,358 ft.) was still 0.75 mile S of this junction. Lupe took No. 238 heading SW. The road quickly curved W, where a tree-broken view of Castle Peak was on offer from a hillside S of the road.
Returning to the road, it curved NW and started going downhill. A side road, USFS Road No. 238.1A, soon appeared on the L (SW). This was the same road Lupe had taken twice before when she’d gone to Castle Peak. It would get her nearly all the way to the summit.
Taking No. 238.1A, Lupe soon went past No. 238.1E on the R (W), which looked like it would curve down into Brown Jug Draw. Ignoring it, she stuck with No. 238.1A. Another snowy trek, steeper toward the end than anything back in Poverty Gulch, finally brought the American Dingo to the top of Castle Peak.
Castle Peak used to be the site of an old fire lookout tower, long gone years ago. Now the summit is an open area rimmed by pines. The views are disappearing as the trees keep growing. Lupe couldn’t see Peak6216 a mile to the E, which she had visited 10 days ago, but there were still some views in other directions.
Time for a break! After taking a look at both Custer Peak(6,801 ft.) and Terry Peak(7,064 ft.), the most prominent mountains to the N, Lupe and SPHP sat down on a snow-free patch of ground. The best views from the summit of Castle Peak were on display off to the S.
Lupe had some Taste of the Wild. Since she’d been eating snow, she wasn’t interested in water. SPHP munched an apple. A light S breeze blew. The late November sun was bright, but felt feeble. Not cold out, but not all that warm either. Comfortably cool.
More than 4 years gone by since the last time the Carolina Dog had been here, nearly 7 since her first time on Castle Peak. Hard to believe. The thought was faintly disturbing.
So, we just going to sit here all day, SPHP?
Nah! Beautiful spot, though, isn’t it Looper? If you’re ready, we can go check out the views to the W.
From the top of Castle Peak, pines hide the views to the W. However, past experience had shown that a few small rock formations several hundred feet SW of the summit provide great views in that direction. Miles of the E edge of the limestone plateau country can be seen, including South Castle Rock(6,840 ft.), Castle Rock(6,783 ft.), Nipple Butte(6,800 ft.), Flag Mountain(6,937 ft.), Peak6962, and White Tail Peak(6,962 ft.).
When Loopster got there, the bright white snow enhanced the already terrific panorama, making the hills seem higher and more splendid.
The view of White Tail Peak was of particular interest. Between here and White Tail Peak was a smaller mountain, Peak6244. The Carolina Dog might be going there next, so SPHP wanted to get a look at it and the surrounding territory.
Peak 6244 didn’t look like much, just a small forested hill slightly over 1.5 miles away. It took SPHP several minutes of studying the topo map and comparing it to the terrain to pick Peak 6244 out for certain from similar hills nearby.
I don’t know, Loop. Might not see much of anything except trees from over there. Want to do it?
Oh, there’s more?
Yes. I was thinking we could visit that little mountain, Peak 6244.
Sure! Why not? We’ve been on Castle Peak an hour already. I wouldn’t mind doing some more exploring.
Well, one reason not to is that there isn’t any road that I know of most of the way. Between the snow and the deadfall we’d likely encounter, getting there might prove a lot tougher than it looks.
So do you want to, or not, SPHP? We’d better get going, if you do. The sun is already sinking!
Eh, the Carolina Dog had a point. Better quit dithering and get with it!
Loop and SPHP returned briefly to the summit of Castle Peak before heading back down USFS Road No. 238.1A.
Going down was definitely easier than going up. Didn’t take long to get back past the turn for USFS Road No. 238.1E. Shortly before reaching Divide Road again, Lupe came to the top of a small rise. Time to leave the road! To the W, dead trees stood spaced out on a gentle slope thickly covered with young pines.
The idea was to travel almost due W through the forest staying as much as possible up on the high ground of a hilly, poorly defined ridge. By staying toward the S, Lupe ought to be able to avoid the deepest snow. Like most of the Black Hills these days, though, the forest looked heavily damaged by a pine bark beetle infestation. The going might get really tough, if the Carolina Dog came to a lot of deadfall.
Things started off pretty well. Right away, Lupe found an animal trail going W through the young pines. Beyond them she wound up on the N side of a small hill, but the snow wasn’t that deep. She did come to some deadfall timber, but not enough to be much more than a nuisance.
All seemed well when Loop reached the broad flat top of an expected hill. No snow or deadfall here. The only problem was telling exactly which way to go as the ground sloped down to the W. The forest was featureless, and the tree-broken views of surrounding hills all looked about the same.
Well W of the hill, Lupe came to a faint, unmarked road.
Ignoring the road, Lupe crossed it and went over a small rise. On the other side, the terrain resumed a steady descent. Several big rocks were here, the only ones she’d seen since leaving USFS Road No. 238.1A.
Peak 6244 was only 1.33 miles due W of where Lupe had left No. 238.1A. The American Dingo must have traveled most of that distance by now. Ahead was a valley, and beyond it were higher hills. Very difficult to tell with all these trees, but it looked like maybe there was higher ground connected to those hills off to the SW. Had Lupe wandered too far N?
Seemed like that might be the case. From the big rocks, a snowy clearing to the S could be seen down in another part of the same valley Lupe was coming to. She headed down to it. On the way, she came to another road that went by the clearing. Nearby was a junction with what must have been the lower end of the faint road Lupe had just crossed. A marker said the faint one had been USFS Road No. 238.1C.
Lupe needed to get up on the ridge beyond (SW) the clearing. Following the road S up to the ridgeline seemed like a reasonable course of action. Probably was, but SPHP became anxious to turn W again, and had Lupe leave the road before getting all the way to the top.
The snow quickly deepened on the upper N side of the ridge. Loop came to another area thick with young pines. No animal trails here! Instead, deadfall timber was everywhere. The trek became a terrible struggle trying to force a way through the young pines, deep snow, and unending tangle of deadfall.
Progress virtually ground to a halt. In deep snow, stuck down among the little pines, Lupe valiantly leapt over or snuck under hundreds of dead trees. Exhausting! The sun was sinking. This was taking forever! At last, Lupe made it over to the SW side of the ridge where there was less snow and deadfall timber. What had to be Peak 6244 was now in sight.
The easiest way to get there appeared to be to head NW to a subpeak NE of Peak 6244. The ridge Lupe was on led to minor dip at the base of the subpeak. Beyond the dip, she came to yet another unmarked road.
Unfortunately, the road didn’t go up the mountain. After crossing it, the Carolina Dog continued NW up the slope leading to the subpeak. At first, this was easy terrain. No snow, little deadfall.
The situation soon deteriorated. Loop didn’t have to go all the way to the top of the subpeak, but all the territory between it and Peak 6244 was another region of young pines, snow, and a tangled mess of deadfall. Trying to turn toward Peak 6244 before reaching the saddle leading to it from the subpeak proved futile.
Up at the saddle, things were somewhat better. Not much snow. Still plenty of deadfall, but most of it was neatly arranged perpendicular to the route Lupe had to take. She still had to go over it all, then climb Peak 6244’s snowy NE slope, but the top of the mountain wasn’t much higher than where Lupe was now. Shouldn’t take too long.
Approaching from the NE, Peak 6244 seemed to be coming to a pointy top. Rocks were up there! Maybe Lupe actually would have some views from the summit? That would be really nice after all this effort!
The summit region was surprisingly roomy. Ground covered with pine needles connected two slightly higher rocky areas, one to the E and the other to the W. The true summit was a big rock at the NE end. Looper went first to some other rocks almost as high that offered a nice view to the S. Not bad at all!
The rock at the true summit provided a view of less interesting territory off to the NE, plus a tree-broken glimpse of Castle Peak.
The rocky area to the W was worth exploring, too. Lupe went there next, stopping briefly for another look at Reynolds Prairie on the way.
Lupe’s journey to Peak 6244 had been a success! Really shouldn’t stay, though. The day was almost shot, the sun a mere glow in clouds near the horizon. Getting stuck out here in the dark surrounded by snow and deadfall would not be good! Yet the Carolina Dog did stay for a little while, hanging out by the W rocks.
More Taste of the Wild disappeared. SPHP’s last apple vanished. Such a nice spot! Peak 6244 was way better than anticipated after that first look at it from Castle Peak.
25 minutes flew by. Alright. Better get going. Lupe leapt up on the W rocks one more time.
She then started down the mountain heading S along the W edge. Oh, there was that view of Reynolds Prairie again! Worth pausing for.
Enough already. Time to skedaddle.
Onward! Puppy, ho!
Heading S, Lupe quickly circled WNW as soon as the terrain permitted. Going back E the way she had come up was out of the question. Way too late for a return to Poverty Gulch. Had to get to a road before it got pitch dark! Finding a quick route to S Rochford Road less than 0.5 mile W of Peak 6244 was the only hope.
Turned out it was easy. The W slopes of Peak 6244 weren’t that difficult. Not much snow or deadfall. Loopster lost elevation rapidly. Before long she reached another USFS Road by a tree marked “BT” in purple paint, whatever that meant.
Lupe followed the road N. SPHP hoped it would lead to S Rochford Road. Nope. Instead the road wound along the W slopes of Peak 6244, neither gaining nor losing elevation. Fortunately, S Rochford Road soon appeared off to the L (NW) down a fairly steep slope.
Easily manageable! 5 minutes and Lupe was standing in a snowy field next to S Rochford Road. A rosy glow to the SW! Sunset, such as it was. The glow strengthened momentarily, then faded even faster.
The sky was clearing. Stars appeared. The temperature plunged. Quiet, dark. Maybe 3 miles back to Rochford? Not any more than that. Long stretches of the road were icy and slick. Where it wasn’t smooth, the ice crunched loudly underpaw.
Lights were on at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon! Through the window, the joint looked packed. Good for the saloon, but too bad for Lupe. If it hadn’t been so busy, maybe she really could have snuck in? At least, SPHP would have let her try.
Oh, well. Only a little farther to the G6. (6:09 PM, 32ºF)
Start – 8:59 AM, 31°F, 0.5 mile S of Silver City along USFS Road No. 251
The more SPHP thought about it, the more it seemed like driving a little farther S would have been better. November now, and the first day back on Standard Time. Even though the clock said Lupe had gotten off to a reasonably early start, she actually had one less hour of daylight to look forward to than she would have had only yesterday at this hour.
Consequently, maybe Loop wasn’t going to be able to get to all of her planned peakbagging objectives? Yeah, driving farther would have been more efficient. Besides, the road hike on USFS Road No. 251 was a bit dull. Luckily the valley widened out. Lupe was perfectly happy roaming some off-road flat ground next to a dry creekbed.
Before long the American Dingo reached a junction with a side road marked No. 251.1K. This far up Nugget Gulch the creek had a little water in it. Lupe crossed No. 251.1K and continued upstream.
More than 0.5 mile from the G6 was a more important intersection. USFS Road No. 251 continued S up East Nugget Gulch. Lupe made a R turn onto USFS Road No. 249 instead. As a more primitive road, No. 249 had a pleasant remote feel.
No. 249 winds its way W, then SW up the main part of Nugget Gulch. Lupe had hardly gotten started when she came to a ford. By the side of the road, right next to the creek, Lupe discovered a terribly interesting something or other.
Looks like deer guts to me, Looper! Just leave ’em alone!
On the way up Nugget Gulch, No. 249 crossed the stream bed half a dozen times. The first two fords had enough water to persuade SPHP to utilize a few stepping stones. The rest of the crossings were bone dry.
Nugget Gulch became narrower and deeper. The road hugged a hillside above the stream course. SPHP stuck with the road, since it was easier than trying to stay down close to the intermittent stream. For the most part, Loop did, too.
At one point the creek’s maximum flow was revealed where it went over exposed bedrock. Lupe left the road briefly for a closer look.
After nearly a mile on USFS Road No. 249, Lupe came to an intersection with No. 249.3B. Silver Peak(5,810 ft.) was now 0.67 mile due N. The Carolina Dog left the main road, slipped around a closed metal barrier, and began following No. 249.3B up a valley.
The road appeared to be permanently closed to vehicle traffic. Looper trotted along through tall, dry grass. No. 249.3B was the quickest, easiest way up Silver Peak. The road wound around a bit at first, but eventually straightened as it headed NNW. As Lupe got higher, small trees grew on the old roadbed.
Near the upper end of the valley Lupe reached an area where the forest had sustained tremendous damage. Years ago, pine bark beetles had killed hundreds, perhaps thousands of trees. Deadfall timber littered the whole region. Many dead trees had fallen across No. 249.3B. The pace of advance slowed as negotiating the deadfall became an issue.
The road faded, then disappeared. Lupe climbed N up a steep slope. SPHP followed, simply choosing whatever route avoided the deadfall as much as possible. So many trees had fallen that the remaining forest was comparatively open. The general layout of the terrain was easy to see. Silver Peak’s W ridge was only a little higher.
Loop made it up onto the W ridge. She turned E toward Silver Peak. The going wasn’t any easier up here. The narrow ridgeline was clogged with deadfall, too. Fortunately, the summit wasn’t much farther.
Oh, yeah? The top of the mountain wasn’t as close as SPHP thought. The first high point Lupe came to was a false summit. The true summit was now in sight, but so was another stretch of deadfall infested ridge. No matter. Puppy ho!
Took longer than it should have, but the Carolina Dog made it to the top of Silver Peak(5,810 ft.). The difficulties she had encountered really hadn’t been a surprise – this was Loop’s 3rd ascent. Deadfall had been an issue each time. The passing years hadn’t improved the situation.
After getting up on the summit cairn to claim another successful ascent of Silver Peak, Lupe laid down next to it. The cairn appeared little changed since the last time she had been here nearly 3 years ago.
In a way, it didn’t seem fair. With all the damage sustained by the forest, Loopster ought to have enjoyed some nice clear views from Silver Peak. However, the summit area hadn’t been hit quite as hard by the pine bark beetles as some of the rest of the territory she had come through. Plenty of partial views and glimpses, but in every direction at least one or two trees still stood to mar the scenes.
To the extent that there was one, the best view was toward Silver City and Peak5707.
It had been sunny earlier, but the sky had turned gray. The temperature was still in the low 40’s °F. A 10 mph SW breeze made it seem cooler than that. Lupe still had two peaks to go. 15 minutes spent relaxing on Silver Peak was about the extent of it. Lupe and SPHP left to start picking a way back down the W ridge.
The views were actually better from the W ridge. Before leaving it, Loop paused at a rocky high point. Far to the NNW Custer Peak(6,804 ft.) sported a dusting of new snow. Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.) was on the horizon to the S. Lupe’s next peakbagging objective was much closer in the same direction. She could see a long ridge that would take her to Nugget Gulch Peak(6,000 ft.).
Lupe retraced her whole route back down USFS Road No. 249.3B. Upon reaching No. 249 again, she took it S, but only for 200 yards. Off to the L was a side road that led to a small clearing where a sign indicated this was USFS Road No. 675.1. At the far side of the clearing several stones blocked the road.
Stones couldn’t stop Lupe. She went right on by, following No. 675.1 as it climbed a short distance E up onto a level spot where the road divided. Neither branch was marked, but going straight would have taken Looper into Middle Nugget Gulch. Instead, she took the fork to the R (S) that curved higher. After another short climb, this road leveled out and faded away in a forest that looked groomed.
Ahead small pines grew where the road used to be. Lupe took this route SW until she got close to the next hill. A longer and considerably steeper climb up this hill ended as Loop emerged from the forest at the N end of a level field. From here the Carolina Dog had a good view back N toward Silver Peak.
Stones had been arranged to form a fire ring here. SPHP picked Lupe treasures out of a long extinguished campfire. The field continued 100 yards S past a few young pines to another unidentified road.
By now it was clear that Lupe had succeeded in getting up onto the N end of the ridge leading S to Nugget Gulch Peak. However, the summit was still out of sight more than a mile away. Since the unidentified road was going in roughly the right direction, Lupe followed it SW. The road gained elevation slowly staying 50 to 75 feet below the ridgeline.
After 0.2 mile, Loop arrived at a junction. A marker indicated she had been following ATV Trail No. 6803. She had just reached No. 6800.
Lupe could go E or W on ATV Trail No. 6800. Without a clue as to which choice was better, SPHP led her E. No. 6800 climbed up to a minor pass, then turned S. The road now began to lose elevation. Lupe followed it a little farther. Up ahead she could see a line on a hillside indicating the presence of a higher road.
Losing elevation was the wrong thing to do. Lupe left No. 6800. She climbed toward a saddle she could see ahead on the R. Upon arrival, Lupe found the saddle was mostly grassland. Another road was right over the crest on the other (W) side.
An 80 foot high hill sat immediately NW of the saddle. This hill was in the wrong direction, but from below it looked like the top might be open enough to be able to get some views. Since it wouldn’t take long to check out, Lupe and SPHP climbed the hill. There were views, but none that were particularly helpful.
The American Dingo returned to the saddle. She went down to the road W of the crest, and followed it 150 feet to a junction with the road she had detected the presence of earlier.
The road W of the crest went downhill from here. So Lupe tried the side road going E. The side road soon curved S. Looked like it wasn’t going to gain any elevation either. Hmm.
No choice. Lupe abandoned all roads and started climbing. She worked her way S up a steep hillside. The hill was rocky near the top. Once she was up, Loop found herself on a fairly narrow ridge. This ridge would inevitably bring her to Nugget Gulch Peak, if followed far enough S. Still no sign of the summit yet, though.
Lupe and SPHP struck out along the ridge. Most of it was forested. Some parts were a slow-going jumble of rock and deadfall. Loop pressed on climbing from one slightly higher point to the next. Rinse and repeat.
Time was slipping away. Occasionally Looper caught glimpses of what was ahead. After a while, SPHP became convinced the next high point she was coming to was either the summit of Nugget Gulch Peak, or High Point 5953, if she hadn’t gone over it already.
When Lupe got there, she discovered a patch of open ground offering views to the S and SW. A higher point was to the S. Surely that must be Nugget Gulch Peak? SPHP would have bet money that Lupe was now at High Point 5953. Woulda won, too!
15 minute break. SPHP wanted to check the map. Lupe didn’t mind, she was ready for water and Taste of the Wild.
Still 0.25 mile to Nugget Gulch Peak. The sky had been cloudy for hours. Colder now. Looked like rain or snow showers to the SW, but a long way off. Looper and SPHP sat huddled together watching. Seemed like the showers were coming this way.
A shot rang out, spooking the American Dingo. A hunter! Not far away either. After waiting a few minutes to see if anyone would appear, Loop and SPHP stole away from High Point 5953.
Looking back from halfway to Nugget Gulch Peak, someone in a bright orange cap was standing on High Point 5953. SPHP waved. Whoever it was waved back. Lupe pressed on. Hunters and their guns scare her.
Lupe reached Nugget Gulch Peak(6,000 ft.) as tiny snowflakes began sailing by. They never amounted to much, but along with the brooding sky and cold breeze contributed to a sense of isolation. It felt late in the day, late in the season. Winter was coming. Not quite yet, but soon.
The absolute summit was treeless, featuring a few medium-sized rocks among thorny bushes. Lupe had been here once before, years ago, but SPHP couldn’t remember exactly when. Although trees grew N of the summit, the S slope was grass and stones.
From the summit rocks, Lupe could see a long way in most directions.
Lupe had one more peakbagging objective. Peak6043 was in view 1.5+ miles to the SSE.
It really wasn’t all that late in the day, but with this weather it would get dark mighty early. On a clear, bright day the Carolina Dog might have continued on. SPHP thought about it, but decided Silver Peak had chewed up too much time. Best to head back to the G6.
15 or 20 minutes on Nugget Gulch Peak, then it was time to call it a day. Lupe lingered another couple of minutes at the summit before joining SPHP heading down the S slope. At the first minor high point, Loopster paused briefly for a final look around before ducking under a fence and heading W down a long grassy slope.
Lupe reached USFS Road No. 249 again near Pass 5606. She was 2 miles farther S than where she had left it hours ago. It was several degrees warmer down here than Nugget Gulch Peak had been. A light rain fell.
Close to 4 miles back to the G6 from here. The plan was to follow No. 249 all the way back to No. 251, but when Lupe came to a side road on the R and saw that it was ATV Trail No. 6800 again, she took it instead.
No. 6800 stayed higher than USFS Road No. 249. In fact, Lupe was gaining elevation. As SPHP suspected, she eventually arrived at the grassy saddle SE of the 80 foot hill. So that mystery was solved. Clearly the road was going to loop all the way around the W side of the 80 foot hill back to the junction with ATV Trail No. 6803.
Taking No. 6803 became the new plan, but shortly before Loop got that far another ATV trail split off heading N. Hmm. Lupe took this side road, but it dead-ended. In fading light Loop and SPHP descended a steep, mostly open slope to the W. At the bottom was No. 249 again.
No more adventures! Still 3 miles to go. Stick with the known road!
The light rain never quit. A black night fell. Cold and soaking wet, Lupe trudged at SPHP’s heels. Every step homeward bound. (6:09 PM, 37°F)
Windy. Not all that cold out, but not terribly warm, either. SPHP dithered. Lupe was due for another of her Black Hills expeditions, but what were conditions going to be like up in the hills? Lupe was anxious to go. SPHP checked the forecast again. Not much of a change expected all day long. It would probably be OK. Lupe won out, Expedition No. 184 was a go!
After a bit of a late start, SPHP parked the G6 at the parking lot on top of Iron Mountain (10:38 AM, 34°F). Lupe’s first peakbagging success of the day was going to be a super easy, trivial one. A short paved path curved NW toward an official viewpoint at the NW edge of the large, forested summit area.
The big view from Iron Mountain(5,446 ft.) is off to the W toward Harney Peak(7,242 ft.), the highest mountain in South Dakota. The main attraction for most people, however, is closer by to the NW. Mount Rushmore(5,725 ft.) can be seen only 3 miles away.
Lupe didn’t go to the official, safely-fenced, tourist viewpoint. She made the 20 foot climb up onto the short, scenic rock ridge where the true summit is to claim her pathetically easy Iron Mountain peakbagging success. Once on top at the edge of the mountain, she had no interest in sticking around for the views. Every blast of the N wind, gusting 30-35 mph, was hitting her full force. Not Lupe’s idea of a good time!
Of course, Iron Mountain wasn’t Lupe’s real peakbagging goal for Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 184. Simply driving practically to the top of the mountain would have been a poor excuse for an expedition.
Eight days ago, on Expedition No. 183, Lupe had made it from Lakota Lake to nearby Woodpecker Ridge(5,680 ft.). Her route traveling SW along the length of the ridge had been so difficult and taken so long, Lupe had run out of time to go on to Peak 5688. Lupe was back to find and climb Peak 5688 on Expedition No. 184.
Lupe stayed on the windy summit of Iron Mountain for only a moment or two. She wanted down out of that gale! Lupe and SPHP left the Iron Mountain summit area heading first S, then W down to the Iron Mountain Picnic Ground along Iron Mountain Road (Hwy 16A). From the picnic ground, Lupe took Centennial Bypass Trail No. 89B going SW into the Black Elk Wilderness. The wind wasn’t much of a problem down here.
Before long, Lupe came to a sign along the trail. SPHP intended for Lupe to take Iron Mountain Trail No. 16 going S to Iron Creek, but the sign didn’t mention that trail. The sign was actually at the intersection, but deadfall timber hid Trail No. 16 from view. SPHP failed to look carefully enough to find it, and missed the turn.
Lupe was a lot farther along Centennial Bypass Trail No. 89B before SPHP stopped to check the maps and realized the mistake. No matter, Trail No. 89B was one of the few trails Lupe had never been on before in the Black Elk Wilderness. She was having fun exploring it. Soon Lupe would reach the junction with the main Centennial Trail No. 89. She could turn S there.
Back in 2012, when Lupe first started her Black Hills, SD Expeditions, she explored virtually the entire length of the 111 mile long Centennial Trail No. 89 over the course of the year, one section at a time. It seemed like a long time ago. When Lupe turned S on Centennial Trail No. 89, at first SPHP didn’t recognize anything.
As Lupe headed S on Centennial Trail No. 89, she started seeing huge granite rock formations a little E of the trail. Before long, Lupe arrived at an intersection that did look familiar. SPHP remembered being confused back in 2012 as to which way to go from here. The correct choice had been to turn E, so Lupe did so again.
Very shortly after turning E, the trail started curving S again, arriving almost immediately at yet another intersection. Centennial Trail No. 89 went S staying to the W of the huge rock formations. If Lupe went that way, she would arrive at the Iron Mountain Horse Camp near Iron Creek.
There was a faster way to get to Iron Creek, though. Lupe left Centennial Trail No. 89 taking Grizzly Bear Creek Trail No. 7 (unmarked at the junction) instead. Trail No. 7 went SE between towering walls of solid granite. Lupe followed Grizzly Bear Creek Trail No. 7 all the way down to a trailhead at USFS Road No. 345 near Iron Creek.
From the trailhead along USFS Road No. 345, Peak 5688 was about 2 miles to the SSE as the crow flies. It had taken Lupe quite a while to reach Iron Creek on the route she had taken, but there was still plenty of time to search for Peak 5688. No road or trail led to it from here. Lupe would have to make her way to Peak 5688 by exploring the forest, but she loves doing that!
The first task was to cross Iron Creek, which was S of the road. Lupe crossed USFS Road No. 345, went to the creek, and quickly found a way over it.
Beyond the creek, Lupe continued S, climbing up onto a small ridge. She could see massive granite formations typical of this part of the Black Hills back to the N.
Lupe and SPHP wandered through the forest, trying to travel S in the general direction of Peak 5688. For a while, it was hard to keep one’s bearings. The rumpled terrain kept forcing Lupe in different directions. There were no clear landmarks in view. Lupe had never been here before.
After wandering around for a while, Lupe finally saw a high hill ahead. The high hill was part of Woodpecker Ridge, where Lupe had been 8 days ago on Expedition No. 183.
Lupe continued her explorations, eventually entering an area of deadfall timber and thistles that looked vaguely familiar from Expedition No. 183. She came across a primitive road that led up to some high ground. Studying the topo map, SPHP became convinced this road was part of a route shown on the map a little W of Woodpecker Ridge.
Lupe saw a long forested ridge off to the SSW. That ridge almost certainly had to be Peak 5688. Lupe was closest to it’s NNE end. She headed S toward it, crossing High Point 5428 on the topo map along the way.
Lupe crossed a dirt road in the saddle between High Point 5428 and the NNE end of Peak 5688. Instead of heading for the very end of the ridge, Lupe climbed up its NW slope to gain the ridgeline a little farther S. This part of the ridge was narrow, forested, and strewn with boulders.
Lupe was still about 0.5 mile from the summit of Peak 5688, which is near the SSW end of the ridgeline. Lupe followed the ridge toward the summit, gaining elevation gradually along the way. She started coming to places with big views again, especially toward the N and W.
Although the wind hadn’t been a problem since leaving the summit of Iron Mountain, it was still blowing just as hard now as it had been earlier. Up on the Peak 5688 ridgeline, Lupe was increasingly exposed to the wind again as she progressed toward the summit. She often stayed a little E of the ridgeline to avoid the worst of it.
Lupe came to a higher, broader, more open part of the ridge. At first, SPHP thought this might be the summit. There were great views from this area, but with only a few trees to slow it down here, the wind was exceptionally strong.
From the high open ground, a more heavily forested area was partially in view to the SSW. Uncertain whether Lupe had already reached the top of Peak 5688 or not, Lupe and SPHP continued on to check it out. In a few minutes, Lupe came across a small cairn on larger rocks.
Stuffed in a crack in the rocks right below the cairn was a small, torn, zip-lock plastic bag. It contained a few crumpled pieces of aluminum foil, some damp rotten paper, and a plastic toy of two dogs water skiing. There was also a piece of paper with the names William Wade & Charles Wade Johnson on it. It was dated 8-13-12, and signed CWJ.
After a short break near the cairn, Lupe and SPHP toured the general area to make absolutely certain Lupe had reached the true summit of Peak 5688. She had! Although the summit was mostly hidden by trees, there were nice views available close by.
The days are short near the end of November. Even though it wasn’t all that late, the sun was low. It would be down within the hour. Lupe still had a long way to go to get back to the G6. She at least needed to reach USFS Road No. 345 near Iron Creek before it got dark. It was time to leave Peak 5688. Lupe was tired of the wind, anyway.
Lupe started back to the G6 going NNE along the Peak 5688 ridgeline. She didn’t follow the ridge nearly as far back as she had originally come up along it. As soon as she could, she headed NW down off the ridge. Within 20 minutes of leaving the summit, Lupe was out of the wind in a beautiful grassy valley.
The sun sank down behind the hills. Lupe found a fairly good dirt road on the other side of the beautiful valley which led N. She followed it for a little way. When it turned toward the W, she left the road. Lupe and SPHP wandered N in the forest. Well before twilight faded, Lupe reached Iron Creek again at a small frozen pond.
Beyond Iron Creek and the frozen pond, Lupe returned to USFS Road No. 345. She followed the road NE two miles to the Iron Mountain Trail No. 16 trailhead. Along the way, she passed Camp Remington and the Grizzly Bear Creek Trail No. 7 trailhead. She went by old cabins scattered along the road. Everything was quiet and deserted. Not a soul was around.
Twilight was almost gone by the time Lupe started up Iron Mountain Trail No. 16. The flashlight had to be put to use. Wind still blew in the trees. Faint stars appeared in the sky. It was that last quiet hour of darkness Lupe often experiences at the end of her Black Hills expeditions while traveling back to the G6.
Uncharacteristically, SPHP decided to try a few night time shots using the camera’s flash. What would they show?
Lupe finally arrived at the intersection with Centennial Bypass Trail No. 89B. No wonder SPHP had missed the intersection earlier in the day! A huge amount of deadfall timber was strewn all over Iron Mountain Trail No. 16 in this area.
Lupe took Trail No. 89B back to the Iron Mountain Picnic Ground. She crossed Iron Mountain Road. Lupe returned to the summit of Iron Mountain.
The wind had died down only a little. Tiny snowflakes whipped by in the gusty breeze. SPHP fumbled around trying to get a photo of Lupe on top of Iron Mountain in the dark. Success was limited.
Oh, well. Lupe’s Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 184 to Iron Mountain & Peak 5688 was over. At least, Lupe had been successful! Time to go home. (5:52 PM, 31°F)