7:59 AM, 18ºF, Whitehorse Road 0.2 mile from Hwy 16/385 – Dang chilly out! Supposed to warm up a bunch, though. Lupe was in high spirits as she set off up shady Whitehorse Gulch. Apparently, the Carolina Dog wasn’t cold, but SPHP’s frigid fingers were glad when the gulch widened out enough to become sunny.
Whitehorse Road wound NW for a little over a mile before Lupe left it. Crossing a small field of dry grass on the R, she entered the forest. The terrain immediately began to slope higher, and soon became rocky. Not bad at all, though. Getting up Zimmer Ridge (6,600 ft.) was going to be a snap, if it stayed like this.
Heh! Not to be. The rock formations along Zimmer Ridge’s SW ridge grew in size, and the slope steepened as the American Dingo climbed. Looper eventually found herself high up on a bunch of boulders with no safe way forward, forcing a 50 foot retreat.
A minor setback. Swinging around the W side of the big boulders, Lupe came to a steepish region of moderate-sized rock. Scrambling up that, she reached a longer stretch of doghair pine right back on the ridgeline. Loopster searched for squirrels, but she wasn’t going to be sneaking up on anything with SPHP snap, crackle, and popping twigs and branches every step of the way.
More big rock formations were ahead, but they weren’t gnarly enough to put an end to progress this time. The forest began to open up along the ridgeline. Unfortunately, that was due to all the deadfall. Extremely common these days in the Black Hills, but never a welcome sight.
Zimmer Ridge’s SW and S ridges merged together somewhere along in here. Lupe was getting quite high. The summit couldn’t be an awful lot farther N, could it?
Maybe yes. Loop had climbed Zimmer Ridge once before a little over 6 years ago. Back then she had come up the W slope instead of the SW ridge, but had reached the main ridgeline well S of the summit. Both routes ought to link up, but nothing looked familiar yet.
The Carolina Dog came to several larger rock formations along the top of the ridgeline separated by stretches of often deadfall-laden forest. Reaching the N side of one of these outcroppings, aha!
Loopster! Remember this? You were here before!
I was?
Yes, yes! Remember this log sticking out toward Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.)? Looks like it has weathered some more, but this has got to be the same one you visited before!
Lovely, I’m sure, but it seems to have made more of an impression on you, SPHP, than it did on me. I’ll take your word for it. Is this particular dead log some sort of big event?
Apparently, not! I just thought it was sort of cool to see a reminder of our first visit to Zimmer Ridge. I’m certain you were here before. Took a photo of you by or on this log, which may be why I remember it. Let’s get another!
Whatever! Fine and dandy, SPHP! Perfectly glorious! But let me know when you’re certain you see a squirrel!
Having seen this fabulous reminder of the good old days, SPHP now felt that maybe it really wasn’t too much farther N to Zimmer Ridge’s true summit, although after thinking about it, it had seemed like a bit of a trek 6 years ago.
Another clearly higher point was off in that direction. Looked more like a pine-forested hill than a rock formation, though. SPHP recalled the true summit as being quite rocky, and surrounded by young aspens.
Whether that hill was or wasn’t the true summit, Lupe still had to go that way, though. She headed N across a semi-open region harboring more deadfall. Off to the SE were nice views of Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.), Little Devils Tower (6,960 ft.), Saint Elmo Peak (6,458 ft.) and others.
The next high point didn’t turn out to be the true summit, but it could be seen from here. SPHP was sure that next more heavily forested hill had to be it. A few rocks and aspens were visible at the top. Lupe had to lose a bit of elevation to continue over there, but it wasn’t long before she was scrambling on rocks just SE of the top.
Circling around to the N, Lupe climbed up to a gap between several large rocks at the very top of Zimmer Ridge (6,600 ft.). Three stones were in contention for title of true summit. Two were side by side just E of this gap, and one was immediately W of it. SPHP helped Lupe up onto the closest E rock first.
The W rock was clearly a few inches higher than the two E ones were. The crafty American Dingo managed to scramble around to the top of it all by herself.
Trees hid the views to the E, but Lupe could see a huge swath of the Black Hills in other directions. Peak 6600, her next objective, was in sight to the WNW along the ridge on the far side of Whitehorse Gulch. Big ridges of the limestone plateau country were visible miles farther W.
Perhaps the most interesting sight of all was HP6583, the N high point of Zimmer Ridge off to the NNE. Connected by a 0.5 mile section of the huge ridge, HP6583 wasn’t much lower. Having been there before, Lupe knew it was a much better place to take a break. The true summit of Zimmer Ridge was a cool airy spot, but with little room to maneuver and nowhere to relax except well below the highest rocks.
Took nearly 50 minutes to get over there. Not really much of a surprise. SPHP remembered this trek as having been a terrible deadfall mess. Now it didn’t seem much worse than a lot of other places in the Black Hills, but Looper was still getting a workout leaping over one dead tree after another along whatever snaky route looked like the path of least resistance at the moment.
Most of the time the going was easiest E of the ridgeline. The deadfall didn’t get bad until Looper was halfway to HP6583. With so many trees down, Loop enjoyed a sweeping view of Elkhorn Mountain (6,381 ft.), Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.), Peak 6920 and others off to the E and SE.
Shortly before reaching HP6583, most of the deadfall ended. Lupe passed through a short section of young pine forest which led to a small boulder field next to a big rock formation at the top. Circling around the NW side, the Carolina Dog scrambled up from the NE. A lone pine tree’s inopportunely situated branches made following Loop a little tricky, but SPHP soon joined her on top.
Not much room up here, either, but definitely more comfortable than Zimmer Ridge’s true summit had been. A U-shaped rock formation open to the SE surrounded a small area where Lupe could relax on a bed of pine needles, if she wanted to. SPHP tossed some prickly pine cones out of it for her.
The views from HP6583 were quite similar to what they’d been over at the true summit. Loopster and SPHP hung around for half an hour. A couple of little chocolate coconut bars were shared. Lupe also partook of some Taste of the Wild while SPHP munched the usual apple.
Mighty nice day for late November! Time passed quickly. Before all was over and done with, Lupe had also visited a lower rock formation off to the NE which had a view of Five Points (6,221 ft.).
Peak 6600 on the W side of Whitehorse Gulch was the American Dingo’s final peakbagging objective for the day. Abandoning Zimmer Ridge, Lupe started down HP6583‘s NW slope. This was all densely forested, fairly steep territory. For a while boulder fields were off to the L (S) as Loop worked her way W. Some deadfall, but not bad. No views except trees, a mix of aspens and pines.
Looking for a minor hill on the way to Pass 5935, Lupe finally saw it a little off to the NW. She headed over toward it, but turned W along the S slope instead of going all the way to the top. Upon reaching the Pass 5935 region, Loop came to a clearing. Nearby was a dirt road which she followed NW up to a junction with USFS Road No. 387.1B.
Taking No. 387.1B, Lupe followed it up a short rise. Once it topped out, the road then headed SW down a ravine leading into Whitehorse Gulch. At the bottom, No. 387.1B turned NW. Before making the turn, Loop left the road at the bend, heading down to a little pond only 200 feet away.
This pond had been a pretty spot the last time the Carolina Dog had been here more than 6 years ago. Today it was frozen over, and seemed sad. Everything looked motionless and dead. A moment of silent reflection, and Lupe returned to the road, now going NW farther up Whitehorse Gulch.
For about a mile, No. 387.1B wound its way steadily higher. Lupe came to a new, unmarked dirt road that angled off to the L, but didn’t take it. After a while, the air became more strongly pine-scented than usual. The reason was soon clear. Logging! The forest that had been here ever since Lupe had last been this way was now mostly gone.
The loggers had been here just recently. Lupe passed numerous stacks of fresh cut logs, and huge piles of branches still loaded with green pine needles. The change opened up the valley view, but the freshly churned up ground wasn’t pretty, the damage too new.
Lupe was undeterred, still happily exploring ahead, but SPHP trudged after her in an increasingly melancholy mood.
At the extreme N end of Whitehorse Gulch, No. 387.1B came to an end at a circular turnaround loop. A more primitive road went W from here, and soon climbed a short steep slope. Up on top, now 0.75 mile due N of Peak 6600, Lupe found she had reached a minor pass. A fence crossed the road, but the gate was open. Beyond the fence was a meadow and views of nearby hills to the NW.
Leaving the road, the Carolina Dog headed S along a broad ridge leading to Peak 6600. Loggers had been up here, too. All large trees were gone, although small ones remained, the ground churned up with caterpillar tracks and littered with little broken branches still sporting bright green pine needles. Zimmer Ridge (6,600 ft.) could be seen off to the ESE, the top of Black Elk Peak poking up behind it.
The loggers hadn’t made it all the way to Peak 6600 along this ridge, but they’d gotten fairly close. Lupe had to duck under the annoying ancient barbed-wire fence that also went this way a couple of times, but finally got past it, too.
Little patches of snow were still slowly melting on the N slopes, as Lupe made the final 200 foot ascent to the top of Peak 6600. Not particularly steep, just a forested, and in a few spots, snowy trek higher.
Peak 6600 has two summits, E and W, separated by 300 feet. Coming up the NNE slope of the mountain, Looper reached the E summit first. She scrambled up onto a narrow, vertical band of rock running N/S at the high point. This was the same spot she had reached 6 years ago, where SPHP had taken a photo of her silhouetted as the sun sank in the W.
Not that late in the day yet this time around. SPHP took a couple of new photos of Loop on the E summit, but from different angles than before.
Trees interfered with the views. The W summit was a bit higher in SPHP’s opinion, although it couldn’t be seen clearly from here for the same reason. Lots of deadfall between the two summits. Lupe stayed near the N edge, trying to avoid the mess as much as possible, as she headed over to the true summit.
3:17 PM – Lupe stood poised at the true summit of Peak 6600 enjoying a sunlit reception. 45 minutes before sunset. She would spend 25 of them right here. This was a beautiful spot, with some room to move around. The best and only open views were off to the N and W where a series of forested hills led to the high ridges of the limestone plateau country.
The last apple vanished. Lupe had more Taste of the Wild. Water for all. Conditions were awesome for late November, and the slanting rays of early evening sunlight made everything so beautiful! Wouldn’t last. Looper cooperated fully in getting a few more dazzling Dingo shots.
Would have been fun to stay and watch the sunset, but it was a long way back. The most direct route would be steep and full of deadfall. Better to leave early enough to not get stuck out among the worst of it in the dark.
Prudence was going to win out. The sun wasn’t quite low enough yet to get a true silhouette shot this time, but SPHP tried anyway, hoping to get a couple that might be close before Lupe left Peak 6600 again. This time she stood proudly atop the true (W) summit, instead of the E one.
And the race was on! The American Dingo started down Peak 6600’s steep SE slope, dodging all the deadfall as best she could. She’d barely gotten going, when the views of Zimmer Ridge and the rugged territory surrounding Black Elk Peak were worth a pause.
Dusk in Whitehorse Gulch. The night sky never did get all that dark. The white ghost of a nearly full moon rose over the shoulder of Zimmer Ridge. Skirting fences along the edge of private property, an American Dingo slunk undetected through shadowy forest.
Chilly out again, but homeward bound. (5:50 PM, 24ºF)
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 101 – Zimmer Ridge & Peak 6600 (10-23-14)
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