Black Mountain, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming (7-3-19)

Day 8 of Lupe’s 1st 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming!

Squirrels, deer, elk and even a moose!  Nothing like a frenzied barking spree to start a day off right!  The dawn patrol drive along USFS Road No. 16 to the start of No. 222 was one Dingo delight after another.  The Carolina Dog’s response had been overwhelmingly enthusiastic!

100 yards on No. 222, and the road curved E (L) revealing a stream ford.  The G6 was done.  No matter.  Black Mountain (9,489 ft.) was less than a mile due E.

6:15 AM, 45ºF, USFS Road No. 222 – The stream, a minor tributary of the Little Tongue River, was an easy rock hop.  On the other side, a broad, straight, level trail went S (R).  The road went NE (L).  No signs.  Which way?  SPHP checked the topo map.

Stick with the road, Loopster!

Lupe passed by a couple of occupied dispersed camping sites as No. 222 started uphill.  Before long, the road leveled out and curved E.  The sky had been mostly cloudy on the drive over here.  Now fog in the treetops lent an air of mystery.

A mere 7 minutes after rock-hopping the first stream, Lupe came to the Little Tongue River.  It wasn’t any bigger, just another rock hop.

After crossing the Little Tongue River, USFS Road No. 222 curved SE (R) proceeding up the river valley, although not close to the stream.  Even if there hadn’t been the 2 fords, the road was too rough in spots for the G6.  High clearance vehicles wouldn’t have had any problem, though.

The fog thickened as Lupe steadily gained elevation.  Not good, but she kept going.  About 0.67 mile from the Little Tongue River ford, the road ended at a circle around a single large pine.  The American Dingo had reached the start of Trail No. 011.

Trail No. 011 was easy to follow.  Wide and well-beaten, the trail went E.  As Looper trotted along it, the sky brightened.  The fog soon dissipated.  Good news, but at least so far, the forest still hid any views.

Before too long, No. 011 began a series of long switchbacks higher.  The rate of climb increased.  Higher up, the switchbacks shortened as they brought Lupe farther N.

Loop must have been within 150 to 200 feet of the top when the terrain finally leveled out.  A level stretch on a shoulder of the mountain SE of the summit led to a much rockier region and the first views of the day.  The best was of Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.) far to the SSE.

Approaching the summit region, Lupe came to a wall of rock.  Staying S of this wall, the trail went NW to an outhouse.  A sharp bend E near the outhouse led to a rough ramp constructed of flat rocks.  At the upper end of the ramp, the trail bent sharply back to the NW again, but this time on the NE side of the wall of rock.

The last section of Trail No. 011 was quite short, but the most fun of all!  Heading generally NW, the trail skirted along the NE side of the wall of rock.  Lupe could see a huge amount of territory!  Off to the E, foothills of the Bighorn Range overlooked an ocean of clouds hiding the prairies of NE Wyoming.

At the very end, a little switchback led up onto the summit block.  The old Black Mountain fire lookout was just ahead!  A huge boulder right next to it appeared to be the true summit of Black Mountain (9,489 ft.).  Lupe leapt up onto it to claim her peakbagging success!

The Black Mountain fire lookout appeared to have been abandoned for many years.  The entrance to the balcony surrounding it was chained off.  Slipping under the chain, Lupe took a look around.  The balcony boards were weathered, but firm, except at the far corner where several boards were broken.

To the N and W, a huge expanse of the Bighorn National Forest was in sight, but Loop saw no other sharp peaks.  Twin Buttes (8,235 ft.) looked small and insignificant from here.

The ocean of clouds washing up against the foothills to the E made it seem as if the Bighorn Range guarded the edge of a continent.  Nothing could be seen of the prairies below the billowing white sea.  A much higher layer of clouds wasn’t as thick or continuous.

For a while, Lupe and SPHP sat together by the chain at the entrance to the fire lookout balcony.  The sun shone weakly through the thin layer of high clouds.  A chilly 5-10 mph NW breeze sprang up.  6 miles to the S, Lookout Mountain (10,147 ft.), where Lupe had been only yesterday, appeared slightly higher, but not very dramatic – just a big ridge.

SPHP still wondered if the 2 higher peaks beyond it had been correctly identified as Dome Peak (10,828 ft.) and the Sheridan County High Point (11,020 ft.)?

The most impressive attractions, of course, were Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.) and Black Tooth Mountain (13,005 ft.), which appeared close together much farther SSE.

Exploring the summit region, Lupe discovered a survey marker on rock formations outside of a cable serving as a handrail along Trail 011.  The marker was stamped “Black Mtn. No. 2”.  An arrow pointed toward the true summit and fire lookout.  However, only a small metal bar stuck up out of the summit boulder.  If another survey marker was still around, it must have been hidden under the fire lookout.

A happy hour raced by.  Despite the early morning fog, the luck of the Dingo had held long enough for Lupe to get to see the world from Black Mountain.  Not even 9:00 AM yet!  Still plenty of time to visit another peak or two, if she got going.  Black Mountain had been fun, and with such a good trail all the way to the top, pretty easy, too.  However, it was time to hit the trail again.

The descent was super easy.  Lupe did a little more sight-seeing while still up in rocky region.  Down in the forest, she sniffed and explored.  Near the end, she plopped down in the Little Tongue River to cool off.

And that turned out to be it for this Dingo Vacation.  Lupe’s luck ran out.  Despite plans to visit Freeze Out Point (8,305 ft.) next, it didn’t happen.  Minutes after reaching the G6 (9:49 AM) fog came sweeping up from the E.  Sea level was rising.  No point in staying.  It seemed likely to last.

The clouds were 3,000 feet thick.  A strange day for July!  Down below the murk, it was so cool that SPHP let the heater add a little warmth to the G6.  The high plains of Wyoming were the lushest SPHP had ever seen them this time of year.  Hills were yellow with blossoms.

Loop had a grand time barking ferociously at cows and horses along I-90, but arrived home looking dejected.  The excitement was over.  Her fun in the Bighorn Mountains had been cut short.  What a grand time it had all been!

The American Dingo needn’t have worried.  Lupe’s 2019 adventures in the Bighorn Mountains weren’t over yet!  Before July was out, she would return.  The best was yet to come!

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