Part 1 of Day 5 of Lupe’s 1st 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming!
3:30 AM – Hey, Loop, wake up! Are you OK? What’s wrong? Stretched out on her pink blanket, Lupe was breathing fast, as if she was having an exciting dream. Alarmingly, though, she’d been going on and on like that, and hadn’t been responding even when jostled or spoken to. Nothing roused her! Was she having altitude or lung problems, or maybe some kind of an attack?
Motionless, still breathing shallow and fast, Lupe finally opened a dull eye. The zombie eye slowly shifted to stare at SPHP, but the Carolina Dog didn’t even raise her head.
At last, SPHP offered Lupe a couple of Zuke’s treats that Dave Covill had sent her. That did the trick! Suddenly, Loopster came to. Lifting her head, she proceeded to gobble the Zukes up. She then polished off the rest of a can of Alpo she had started last night, inhaled some Taste of the Wild, and lapped up multiple bowls of water. Satisfied, the American Dingo zonked out again, returning to a deep, almost comatose sleep.
Guess 4 days of peakbagging in a row can do that to ya!
6:03 AM – When Lupe had gone out to sniff the air a little after midnight, a jillion stars of the Milky Way had been blazing overhead. Not now. Clouds and rain! Maybe nothing much was going to happen today? Having taken a Benadryl during the night, SPHP was in sort of an anti-histamine haze, anyway. After breakfast and catching up the journal, SPHP conked out again. Lupe seemed content with snoozing, too.
11:30 AM – Conscious again. Patches of blue sky. The rain was over! Plenty of time left in the day for Lupe to go check out a couple of easy peaks. First up was Peak 9300. 1.5 miles SE of Meadowlark Lake, SPHP turned S off Hwy 16 onto USFS Road No. 429. 0.33 mile up the hill was a turn W (R) onto USFS Road No. 433, which went nearly 2 miles clear to the top of the mountain.
Except for a stretch of forest where the G6 scraped bottom a couple of times in a deeply rutted section, most of No. 433 was fine. However, at the base of the short switchbacks to the summit, the road deteriorated to practically a 4WD route. The first sharp turn was so bad that SPHP nearly decided to back down.
That was the worst of it, though. The G6 persevered, the road improved, and up on top SPHP parked near a small tower next to a pale green shed. (11:56 AM, 61ºF)
Peak 9300’s summit region was acres in size. No. 433 actually continued on a little beyond this point. Following the road a bit farther, Lupe came to another small tower at a slightly higher spot.
From the second tower, the road sloped gradually N down to a green gate which bore a sign reading “Meadowlark Ski Lodge Boundary”. No one was around, and nothing said Lupe couldn’t go take a quick look at the ski facilities and views, so she ducked under the fence to go check things out.
Straight ahead, a little beyond the gate, was a sign for the “Hole In The Wall” double diamond ski run. Peering down this gap in the limestone N edge of the mountain, Lupe could see part of Meadowlark Lake more than 800 feet below.
Immediately off to the NW (L), a couple rows of log benches sat perched on a big limestone platform. Cliffs along the N edge provided terrific views of the high peaks of the Bighorn Mountains, plus a commanding view of Meadowlark Lake.
The views were wonderful, but it wasn’t clear yet if the American Dingo had been to the true summit of Peak 9300, or not. Exploring farther E, Lupe came to a chair lift on a little rise that might have been it. The true summit was either here, or back at the second small tower.
Another ski run was a little E of the chair lift. This was a less demanding route than Hole In The Wall. A broad open area sloped SE toward USFS Road No. 433. Presumably the run then curved N back down to the ski lodge by Meadowlark Lake. From the top of this run High Park Lookout (9,477 ft.) was in view.
High Park Lookout was where the Carolina Dog was going next. She had been there only yesterday, but on a rushed ascent trying to get to the top before sunset. No reason she couldn’t take the short trail to the summit again today when she could relax and mosey along exploring.
Before leaving Peak 9300, Loop returned to the limestone platform with the log benches for a last look at Meadowlark Lake. (12:26 PM)
On the way to High Park Lookout, SPHP parked briefly near the junction of USFS Roads No. 433 & 429, so Lupe could get out and see the old fire lookout tower from down here.
The High Park trailhead was up at the end of No. 429 at the base of the forest crowning the mountain. The parking area was tiny; 4 vehicles was about all it could accommodate. Fortunately, there was space for the G6. (1:47 PM, 61ºF)
The trail started out as a level path through a beautiful forest of tall pines. Soon, however, Lupe was gaining elevation in spurts of varying steepness interspersed with only short level stretches. The trail wound among boulders adorned with green moss and orange lichens.
The terrain became rockier as Lupe went higher.
Near the end, 64 concrete steps were quickly followed by 21 dirt steps held back by wooden supports.
The dirt steps ended close to a platform of rock just S of the lookout tower. The stairway leading to the tower’s balcony was open. Looper went up for a look around. The balcony’s wooden planks were soft and badly weathered. Many of the nails holding them in place were loose or missing. Despite this questionable state of affairs, a cautious tour didn’t seem too risky.
The views were great! The rugged spine of the Bighorn Range was off to the N. Most of Meadowlark Lake could be seen to the NW. 8 to 10 miles E was a line of half a dozen peaks Lupe had climbed, all but one in just the past few days.
A couple of people appeared. Lupe and SPHP left the lookout tower, moving down to the rocks to the N.
And that was about it. Everything was so beautiful, but it was time to move on. Lupe had completed the peaks she had come to climb in the S Bighorn Mountains on this Dingo Vacation. Bidding High Park Lookout farewell, she returned to the G6. (2:29 PM, 61ºF)
The American Dingo wasn’t done yet, though! Down at Hwy 16, SPHP turned W. Before long Lupe was in Tensleep Canyon on the way to her next adventure.
Links:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
High Park Lookout & Sheep Mountain, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming (8-5-14)
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Nothing better on these long cold nights than reading about Lupe!