It seemed like a very long night. SPHP kept waking up expecting it to be dawn, but it wasn’t. Finally dawn came. The sky was about 50% clear with some haze – a promising start to the day. Lupe and SPHP were on USFS Road No. 28 at Merle Creek in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.
Disappointingly, by the time breakfast was done, the sky was completely overcast. SPHP drove Lupe over to USFS Road No. 29 off Hwy 16 near Hesse Mountain (10,385 ft.) and Hazelton Pyramid (10,534 ft.). Both peaks were socked in the fog with the darkest clouds around.
Hope sprang from a patch of blue sky to the W. SPHP decided Lupe should try Hesse even in the clouds. If the fog lifted, Lupe would go on to Hazelton Pyramid. If not, Hesse Mountain would be Lupe’s last peakbagging success of her grand summer of 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies and Beartooths. SPHP took USFS Road No. 444 to Munkres Pass and parked the G6. Lupe left for Hesse Mountain at 8:20 AM. It was 48°F and calm. Hesse Mountain was still in the fog.
There was no trail, but Hesse Mountain is only about 1.25 miles SE of Munkres Pass as the crow flies. Lupe and SPHP climbed through the forest. Eventually Lupe reached tree line. Fog was now swirling around the mountain. At times Lupe and SPHP could see the summit or in other directions. Visibility was good enough to guide Lupe to the top. The area above tree line was dominated by boulder fields interspersed with some grassy areas which became increasingly scarce as Lupe gained elevation.
Lupe reached the summit of Hesse Mountain and found a cairn there. On the other side of the mountain was a steep drop. Soon fog moved in and completely shut off all views.
Reluctantly, SPHP decided this was it. There was no sense in having Lupe try to go on to Hazelton Pyramid, which was seldom even in view with all the fog. With no trails, if the fog moved in and stayed, it would be easy to get turned around and lost. It didn’t seem that likely, but on the other hand, the Beartooths to the W where Lupe had just come from had been overcast and drippy for several days. The weather in the Bighorns usually comes from that direction.
Lupe seemed perfectly happy with her ascent of Hesse Mountain. SPHP was happy with it, too. At least Lupe had gotten to the summit of Hesse, even if Hazelton Pyramid had to be left for another day on another dingo vacation. On the way back down, the fog continued to swirl around and come and go. At times, the views were pretty good. Five or ten minutes later, the clouds would close in again. It felt kind of mystical. Views came and went in unpredictable directions.
Lupe reached the G6 again at 12:22 PM. It was a pleasant 65°F, still overcast, calm and almost foggy. Lupe and SPHP had lunch near the stone pillar at Munkres Pass before heading out.
SPHP hatched another peakbagging plan for Lupe. Even though she was about to leave the Bighorn Mountains, she might still go up to Warren Peaks (6,650 ft.) or climb Inyan Kara (6,360 ft.) in the Black Hills of Wyoming on the way home. It didn’t happen. At a gas station convenience store in Buffalo, WY there was news on the TV about severe storms and flooding in the Black Hills.
Lupe and SPHP just cruised E on I-90 back to the Black Hills of South Dakota and home. The 74th annual Black Hills Motorcycle Classic was going on in Sturgis, SD. It was kind of fun to be packed in with huge numbers of motorcyclists flocking to the area. There were still big clouds around, but the storms seemed to be over in the Black Hills by the time Lupe reached them.
Shortly before 6:00 PM, Lupe arrived home. Her great summer of 2014 Dingo Vacation all the way to the Canadian Rockies and back was over. Lupe had been gone 23 days, 22 nights and traveled 3,288 miles in the G6. Dingoes are very practical. They don’t dwell on the past or statistics much. If Lupe was sad that it was all over, she didn’t show it. As soon as she got home, Lupe happily ran next door to Dog Heaven to hit up the neighbors for a treat.
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