Loaf Mountain, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming (7-22-19)

Days 1 & 2 of Lupe’s 2nd 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming!

7-21-19, 1:10 PM, 2 miles W of Powder River Pass on the N side of Hwy 16 at the start of a dirt road (old USFS Road No. 523413?) across from the Leigh Creek Dump Station –

You aren’t armed?

Nope.

Shot a white wolf up there 3 years ago.

Continuing to stuff the new backpack, SPHP displayed little interest in the old sheep rancher’s tale.  He finally got in his battered pickup truck and drove off.

Guess we’re about ready, Looper!

Are we going to be tangling with wolves, SPHP?

Hah!  I’d be astonished if we so much as catch a glimpse of one.  More afraid of ranchers with guns than wolves.  Who knows if he ever shot a wolf or not?  Might just be trying to scare us off, so a certain Dingo doesn’t decide to dine on his fresh mutton tonight.

Oh, I love mutton!

You’re gonna have to behave.  Remember the guns thing.

Lupe hadn’t gone far at all along No. 523413 when a sheepherder’s wagon appeared among the trees ahead.  Rousing themselves from their lethargy, a couple of big dogs barked, but several sheepherders called them back.  SPHP waved.  Staying a little E of the road, Loop was soon beyond their camp.

The road faded away.  A short trek N through the forest led to a long meadow, the first part of which was full of rocks.  Staying on the open ground between a ridge to the W and more forest to the E, Lupe headed NNE.

Crossing several minor streams along the way, Lupe followed the long meadow to the base of a ridge to the N.  HP 10405 was somewhere up there.  Angling NE, Lupe crossed a final small stream.  On open ground above the upper end of the forest, the Carolina Dog turned E following animal trails.

For 200 yards the animal trails gained hardly any elevation.  However, once far enough E, the uphill trek resumed as Looper turned NNE again toward Pass 10260.

Getting to Pass 10260 was easy, but a surprise was in store.  Low clouds hid virtually everything N of the pass!  Loaf Mountain (11,722 ft.), Lupe’s objective 3 miles to the NNE, was nowhere in sight.

Venturing N of the pass, Lupe explored E.  The American Dingo had an easy time maintaining elevation while traversing a gentle slope of open meadows, bushes, and scattered pines.  Visibility deteriorated over the course of 0.5 mile as the terrain curved N.  In fog, Lupe came to a minor saddle at 10,340 feet.

On the NW side of this saddle sat a rock formation 20 feet high.  Passing E of it, Lupe started NE down a slope that was a mix of open ground and forest.  The topo map showed a huge saddle 0.33 mile NE leading to the first of two ridges Lupe would have to cross to get to Loaf Mountain.

The huge saddle Lupe was searching for was 280 feet lower at 10,060 ft.  The Carolina Dog lost 200 to 250 feet, but the fog was thickening.  What little could be seen as the clouds sometimes swirled to permit partial views was only a steepening forested slope leading ever farther down into a deep valley.

We’re lost already, aren’t we, SPHP?

Yeah, more or less.  The big saddle we’re looking for ought to be a cinch to find, but this fog is making it impossible to keep our bearings.  I think we’re too far E.

So which way now?

Oh, I don’t know, Looper.  Maybe none.  Maybe we ought to return to that minor saddle close to the rock formation.  We can hang out there waiting for conditions to improve.  If we keep wandering, who knows where we’ll wind up?

Going back to the saddle at 10,340 feet was a great idea!  Upon arrival, a couple of marmots whistled from rocks on the ridge leading S.  While SPHP pitched Lupe’s tiny house, she had a blast searching for them.  The rest of the afternoon got spent at “Marmot Pass” dozing in the tiny house while waiting for the fog to dissipate.

Once before it got too late, the sky did clear.  However, this break lasted only a few minutes.  Fog returned.  Peak 10493, which Lupe had visited only a few weeks ago, was somewhere out of sight only 0.33 mile SSE, but there seemed to be no point in attempting to go there.

Toward sunset a change took place.  The clouds were threatening to break up!  Weak sunshine streamed over Marmot Pass.

Suddenly Lupe became intensely excited!  Before SPHP realized what was happening, she dashed out of the tiny house streaking away into fog still lingering to the SW.  Listening carefully, SPHP understood.  Sheep!  Somewhere off to the W their faint bleatings were coming this way!

SPHP called Lupe.  At first, nothing, but within a few minutes she came racing back out of the fog, looking ever so happy!

Muttons, SPHP!  Muttons!  They’re everywhere!  Hundreds of them!

You mean sheep, Loop.  Mutton is the kind of meat they are made of.  I know they’re tempting, but you can’t go after them.  If the rancher or his sheepherders catch you messing with them, you will be one dead Dingo!

Reluctantly, Lupe obeyed.  For a long time as the bleatings grew stronger, the Carolina Dog stood staring into the fog, watching and waiting for the sheep to appear.  Meanwhile the sun was sinking.  Before it disappeared, Lupe and SPHP climbed the rock formation NW of the tiny house.

As twilight faded –  more fog, no sheep.  Disappointed, Lupe returned to the tiny house for the night.

7-22-19, the wee hours at Marmot Pass –  Beneath a brilliant half moon, Lupe stood motionless facing SW.  Stars glittered overhead.  No doubt she heard them – the sheep were out there somewhere, but SPHP heard nothing.  15 minutes was enough.  SPHP called.  Lupe wanted to remain beneath the stars.  Oh, to be a wild Dingo on a night like tonight!

7-22-19, sunrise at Marmot Pass – A heavy dew clung to the tiny house.  Lupe could see them now!  The sheep were way over at Pass 10260.  Keenly interested, she watched as sheep kept pouring over the ridge.  Meanwhile, SPHP packed everything up.

The news was all good!  A beautiful clear morning!  The huge saddle SPHP hadn’t been able to find yesterday afternoon was in plain sight.  Getting to it looked so easy and obvious, that it seemed impossible SPHP hadn’t found it yesterday despite the fog.  Beyond the saddle, the 2 ridges Lupe would have to cross to get to Loaf Mountain were both in view.  So was Loaf Mountain (11,722 ft.) itself!

Several miles NW of Loaf Mountain stood Lupe’s ultimate destination – mighty Bighorn Peak (12,324 ft.)!  The American Dingo wouldn’t get that far today.

Puppy, ho!  Onward!  Lupe tore herself away from the fascinating sheep, and headed down the slope leading to the huge saddle.  A fun, easy downhill sniff, and she was there.

Full of joy, Lupe raced across the huge saddle!  In practically no time she was on the far side at the base of the first ridge she needed to cross.  The ridge was rocky, but wasn’t all that high.  Still, it was a bit of a scramble for pokey SPHP.

Well before SPHP reached the ridgeline, Lupe’s ears were tingling!  The sheep were coming!   Advancing in a long thin line, hundreds of them were invading the huge saddle she had just crossed.  Behind their front line, countless circular groups of reinforcements were scattered across the plain.

Greatly excited, Lupe watched the sheep advance.  Supremely confident that a single Dingo could break through their lines and route the entire sheep army, Loop was ready to charge full tilt right back down there and take ’em all on!  The charge of the Dingo brigade would have been the best thing ever, and fun to watch, but SPHP couldn’t permit it.

Puppy, ho!  Onward!  From the top of the first ridge, Loaf Mountain was in sight again.  Beyond a broad valley consisting of a mix of forest and meadow, the second ridge Lupe had to go over looked more formidable, but still eminently doable.

Angling NE, Lupe explored the talus of the first ridge until the floor of the next valley rose to meet her.  The valley was mostly meadow here, except for a band of trees on the far side.  The trek across the meadow was fast and easy, but the forest was another matter.  Bushes hiding a network of boggy streams clogged all the open areas between the trees.

When the American Dingo finally broke through reaching drier ground, her ascent of the second ridge began.  Above all the trees and bushes, open lanes of vegetation provided easy routes higher among the rocks.  Higher up, rock was everywhere.  Lupe explored NW while SPHP picked a way through.  30 feet below the crest of the ridge, Lupe came to a large snowbank melting away in the hot sun.

The top of the second ridge was broad and partly grassy where Lupe reached it.  From here, the ridge sloped sharply up to the NE.  Following the ridgeline Lupe would eventually come to Peak 11267, but this route would have been a slow trek almost entirely on talus.

Not worth it.  Too much work!  Crossing the ridge, Lupe again angled NE into the final valley between the second ridge and Loaf Mountain.  The idea was to simply maintain elevation until the grassy valley floor rose up to meet her and provide an easy path higher.

Progress was slow.  Practically the entire slope was talus.  The rock hop went on and on.

Without warning, the Carolina Dog suddenly shot ahead.

Hurry, SPHP!  Giant deers!  A hundred or more!

She was right!  Far away out in the central green zone of the valley ahead, SPHP could make out a brownish spot.  Elk!  A huge herd of them.  Lupe wasn’t yet anywhere close to the giant deers, but they must have spotted her bounding along the talus.  The whole herd was on alert looking this way.  Nervously, they began to trot farther up the valley.

Lupe gave up the chase.  The giant deers were much too far away.  She stood panting and watching them while SPHP caught up to her.  When SPHP finally arrived, it was time for a break.  Lupe rested among a patch of wildflowers while telling SPHP all about the giant deers.  They were still out there, but a long way off.

Pressing on again, Lupe and the giant deers kept a keen eye on each other.  Heading ENE along the talus, Loop could hear the giant deers snorting alerts.  The herd became increasingly anxious as Lupe and SPHP drew closer.  Unused to company, the herd suddenly reversed course and fled down the valley.

They were a magnificent sight, but Lupe’s dreams of feasting on giant deer vanished along with them.

The excitement created by the giant deers was over.  Abandoning the talus in favor of the central green zone, the rest of the stroll up the valley to the saddle between Loaf Mountain and Peak 11267 was just a long, simple trek higher.

Upon arrival, the saddle region proved to be quite rocky.  At the saddle’s low point 3 big rocks jutted up close together amid a cluster of large stones.  Just for fun, Lupe perched up on one of these slanty rocks.

Lupe’s ascent of Loaf Mountain (11,722 ft.) now began in earnest.  Turning NW, she began working her way up a steep slope.  Somewhere up there, nearly 700 higher, was the top of Loaf Mountain.

The sun felt hot.  Mosquitoes, flies and bees were a constant nuisance.  Scrambling among huge boulders with cavernous holes between them, Lupe worked her way higher.  She crossed patches of snow, and came to false summits.  Occasional benches of greenery provided rest spots where the ever improving views could be admired, but these benches seldom led higher.  Clouds building to the N and SE forced SPHP to keep an eye on the weather.

The slow motion scramble went on and on.  The backpack felt heavy.  SPHP was running out of steam.  The Carolina Dog had plenty of time to gaze about.  Paradise Lake came into view.  20 minutes later, it seemed Lupe had to be nearing the summit.

More than 3 hours after leaving the cluster of rocks back down at the saddle, suddenly Lupe was there!  She reached Loaf Mountain’s main E/W ridge coming up between a giant boulder to the E, and a larger area of high ground to the W.  Bighorn Peak (12,324 ft.) was in sight 3 miles to the NW.

Which way to the true summit?  At first the huge boulder to the E seemed to be it, but as Lupe headed toward the high ground to the W, she reached a bouldery stretch of ridge that seemed equally high.  Near the highest rocks, SPHP spotted a white tube.  A red-covered registry within contained quite a few entries going back to 2006.  The pages were damp, but SPHP added Lupe to the registry, too.

SPHP congratulated Lupe on her successful ascent of Loaf Mountain!  She accepted the compliment gracefully, but seemed more interested in finding a decent spot to rest.  The bouldery ridge provided little comfort.  The American Dingo spent much of her time jammed tightly into a little crevasse among the rocks, emerging only occasionally to look around.

Well, this is depressing, Loop!

What is, SPHP?

Some of these entries in the registry talk about getting up here in only 3 or 4 hours!  Took us that long just from the saddle.  We’ve been at this for what, 1.5 days now?

So what’s new?  You’ve always been slow as molasses in January, SPHP!  Besides, we must have taken the scenic route, don’t you think?

Yeah, sounds like most of these people came up from somewhere to the E.  The map shows some old abandoned USFS roads over that way.

Well, we made it, we’re here now, so what difference does it make?

None, really, except that I’m feeling like it’s been a mighty long day.

That’s because of all the rocks.  Relax a bit.  We’ll rest up tonight.

All the annoying insects made relaxing difficult.  The weather bore watching, too.  Blue skies and sunshine prevailed to the W, but a series of dark clouds to the N streamed this way from just E of Bighorn Peak.  Thunder could sometimes be heard.  Every now and then, clouds and fog came boiling up from the SE and swept over Loaf Mountain, temporarily obscuring the views.

Loaf Mountain appeared to have 2 summits, not counting the boulder somewhat in contention 50 or 60 feet E of the registry tube.  Looper was already at the E and apparently true summit.  Another high part of the main E/W ridge was hundreds of feet farther W.  Getting there looked quite possible, but would have involved a scramble among boulders all the way.

Visiting the W summit might have been fun, but SPHP no longer had the oomph.  The W summit appeared to be a smidgen lower, so Lupe didn’t need to go over there, anyway.  She could claim her peakbagging success, and enjoy the fabulous views from right here!

A tremendous amount of territory was in sight, but the most fascinating view was of Bighorn Peak, Lupe’s next objective.

Loaf Mountain was a magnificent, lofty perch!  However, 1.5 hours after Lupe’s arrival, the weather was deteriorating.  Better move on.  Before leaving the summit region, Loop visited the giant boulder to the E.

The N slope was a slow, steep descent scrambling among huge boulders and talus.  Lupe had lost 200 feet of elevation when lightning crackled directly over Loaf Mountain!  Thunder exploded, echoing throughout the region.  A terrified American Dingo abandoned SPHP, bolting another 100 feet lower to easier terrain at 10,400 feet as a light rain began to fall.

Eventually catching up, SPHP marched rapidly N to snow banks nestled on the S side of a couple of rocky hills.  While scattered raindrops fell, Lupe ate snow, and SPHP packed empty water bottles.  5 minutes of pea-sized hail ensued.

Heading a little farther W, Lupe came to a soft spot in the upper reaches of a broad valley where SPHP could pitch the tiny house.  Loaf Mountain had been a grand success, but the Carolina Dog and SPHP were weary.  The sun wasn’t down yet, but both crawled inside the tiny house, where it was time for a bite to eat before collapsing for the night.

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