Pleading eyes.
You promised, SPHP!
I know it, Loop, but it’s really not all that nice out for the middle of April. Can’t you wait another day or two?
You P-R-O-M-I-S-E-D we would go today, SPHP! Not even raining or snowy or windy! Why can’t we go?
Tell ya what, Looper. I’ll check the forecast, see what it says.
9:22 AM, 30ºF, Hisega Road – Past the last green house on the R, a little yellow and black National Forest boundary sign sat along a fence line. SPHP pulled just off a side road beyond it, parking in the tall grass. Not very warm out, below freezing, in fact, but even if the day was cold and blah beneath a gray sky, the luck of the Dingo was running hot! Snow in the forecast the next 2 days had finally stirred SPHP to action, and as it now turned out, there actually was access to Mount Wheaton (4,600 ft.).
Mount Wheaton was going to be cake. Over 300 feet of prominence, 340 feet to be precise, according to Lists of John, was the mountain’s claim to fame. An easy trek, the summit wasn’t even a mile away.
In any case, Lupe was happy as she set out, following the road W. Past a row of pines, the road curved S heading for a gate at the E end of a low ridge. Simply bypassing the gate, since no fence was on either side, Loop soon reached a meadow on top of the rise beyond it. The terrain rose to the W, but Mount Wheaton didn’t look like much from here.
Abandoning the road, Loopster crossed the meadow. Upon entering the forest she came across a path going W, and was excited to see several deer fleeing through the trees.
A hill soon appeared ahead. An easy climb got Lupe to a rounded ridge running E/W. An old log at the E end was oriented the same direction. Only marginally higher, the highest ground proved to be between the log and a line of rocks 200 feet farther W.
Looking ahead, the terrain sloped away.
Is this all there is to Mount Wheaton, SPHP? I was hoping for more!
Seems rather skimpy to me, too, Loop, and I wasn’t expecting all that much to begin with. Let me check the topo map.
The map insisted that there actually was more to Mount Wheaton. Lupe had only reached the E high point. The summit was a little farther and 100 feet higher at the W end of the next ridge. SPHP encouraged the American Dingo to keep going.
A minor dip quickly led to the next rise. Climbing from the E, Lupe saw red “W’s” on several trees. “W” for Wheaton? Seemed entirely possible.
100 feet isn’t much. The terrain soon began to level out. Beyond a few rocks, Loop made an interesting discovery. Part of a deer leg was laying on a bed of pine needles. No sign of the rest of the deer.
Stay alert, SPHP! Maybe it’s “W” for were-wolves?
Mount Wheaton’s true summit wasn’t much farther, some high ground at the W end of the ridge. A big cairn sat near the SW edge.
Mount Wheaton (4,600 ft.) wasn’t all that heavily forested, but enough trees were present to obscure the views in almost every direction. By moving around a bit, it was possible to at least catch a few glimpses of what was out there. Nearby Tomaha Point (4,700 ft.) and more distant Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.) and Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.) were visible to the S. A better look at Commissary Point (4,598 ft.) was to the SE.
Disappointingly, there was no view of Thrall Mountain (5,091 ft.) at all.
And that seemed to be about it for Mount Wheaton. Loopster left the summit retracing her route along the ridge.
The American Dingo was already back down to the E high point when a man and a dog appeared, approaching from the E. Lupe and SPHP met Duane and Rusty, a 6 year old Irish Setter who liked to carry big sticks and didn’t speak at all. Duane did, though, and he had some interesting things to say.
Duane and Rusty live near Mount Wheaton, and enjoy a circular romp along some of the faint trails twice a day. Rattlesnakes were in the area, and cougars, too! That deer leg up on Mount Wheaton? Yup, part of one of several recent cougar kills. A year ago, Duane had seen a 4 foot rattler on this very same E high point. Happily, too cold to have to worry about rattlers today.
The red “W’s on the trees did stand for Wheaton, and marked the course of the Mount Wheaton trail from the Wheaton College Summer Camp just N of the mountain. If Lupe was interested in views, the best one was from the RazorBack Ridge trail, which led to a viewpoint overlooking Rapid Creek and ended at a sharp ridge SW of Mount Wheaton.
Well, why not? Might as well take a look! When Duane and Rusty went on their way, Lupe headed WNW down the Wheaton trail.
Near a fence marking the Wheaton College Summer Camp’s S property line stood a tree with an “R” for RazorBack. A sign with arrows pointed toward both Mount Wheaton and RazorBack Ridge. The RazorBack Ridge trail followed a faint road SW. “R’s” led over to cliffs overlooking Rapid Creek, just as Duane had said. Thrall Mountain (5,091 ft.) was visible, too!
Duane was right! The view was worth the side trip. However, what could be seen of RazorBack Ridge farther SW looked heavily forested. Probably not much point in going all the way over there.
Lupe headed back up the RazorBack trail and part of the Wheaton trail. Staying low, she explored another route Duane and Rusty had taken E. It eventually led back to the meadow above the gate. From there, it was a simple matter to follow the road back to the G6. (11:10 AM, 32ºF)
Mount Wheaton turned out to be fun, SPHP! Except for one thing.
And what might that be Loop?
Not even 2 hours, and we’re back already! Is that it? Are we done?
Hah! Not by a long shot! Got 3 more Lists of John peaks for you today, but they are strung out so far from each other that we’ve got to drive to each one. Almost like a mini Dingo Vacation! A little early yet, but we’ve got to go through Rapid City on the way to the next one, so we’ll stop for lunch, then continue on to Peak 4516.
12:26 PM, 35ºF, Victoria Lake Road – A circular pullout on the R provided ample space to park the G6 shortly after leaving Sheridan Lake Road. Still cloudy and cool, but a few little patches of blue sky were beginning to appear. A trail the Carolina Dog had explored more than once what now seemed like ages ago, went NW up a short, gentle rise to a meadow.
Another super easy one, Looper! Peak 4516 is only 0.5 mile away as the crow flies, a bit longer the way we’ll go. Head for that slope!
Much to SPHP’s surprise, Lupe almost immediately discovered a trail that wound up the slope to the NE. This trail took her around the W end of a little ridge, passing a limestone formation on the way, then headed NE up the ravine S of Peak 4516. The bottom of the ravine was kind of a mess, but the trail was clear. A squirrel provided a few shrill moments of entertainment.
After crossing the bottom of the ravine, the trail merged with another one. Lupe continued NE only a little way before turning N up a shallow, forested drainage. A steeper climb led to yet another trail on the S side of a rounded hill.
That must be Peak 4516, SPHP! We’re almost there!
Sure enough! Looper was soon posing on the small chunk of limestone constituting the true summit.
On the way back, Lupe took an even shorter route, exploring Peak 4516’s SW ridge before heading S right on back down to the trail in the ravine.
Fun, but not even an hour for that one. You’re going soft on me, SPHP!
Not entirely, Looper. The next peak is going to be tougher.
1:32 PM, 38ºF, Spring Creek Picnic Area along Sheridan Lake Road – Sunny skies now! The morning’s dreariness had departed, but still cool for the middle of April. Before setting off for Peak 5171, Lupe helped herself to a drink, then sniffed along the edge of Spring Creek.
What’cha think, Loop? Long, scenic way up, or the short route?
Can we take the short route up, and the long way back, SPHP? That way we’ll get to see it all.
Sounds like a plan. Onward! Puppy, ho!
Lupe headed W on Sheridan Lake Road. No traffic, since it was closed not far from here due to construction. Upon reaching the mouth of the valley SW of Peak 5171, Loop left the pavement. A brown wand for Trail No. 6710 stood next to a dirt road.
A road! Guess this is going to be easier than I thought, Looper!
Luck of the Dingo, SPHP!
The road soon vanished, but a single track trail did go up the valley. Eh, just as good! No. 6710 quickly became quite steep, but eventually got easier. Not much to see except trees. After a 0.67 mile climb NW, the trail entered a more open region and curved NE. Having already gained 500 feet of elevation, Lupe reached a broad saddle on Peak 5171’s NW ridge. SPHP paused, taking a breather near a rock formation.
A little more to Peak 5171 than Mount Wheaton or Peak 4516, isn’t there, Looper?
Most definitely! I like it! How much farther, SPHP?
Oh, not that much, maybe 0.4 mile and another 270 feet higher?
As soon as SPHP was ready, the Carolina Dog kept going. A gentle slope led up into a dense forest. Fortunately, the trees didn’t have many low branches to interfere with SPHP’s progress. As the slope steepened, Lupe passed several rock formations. No difficulties with them, either.
2:31 PM, 40ºF, Peak 5171 – Peak 5171’s summit wasn’t as thickly forested as the NW ridge, but enough trees, including several gigantic Ponderosa pines, were up here to block the views in most directions. High ground consisting of a rounded region covered with pine needles connected short S and E lobes. The true summit proved to be a little rock next to a broken tree near the end of the S lobe.
Time for a break! The best views were toward the E or S, so Lupe and SPHP hung out on the SE slope between the S and E lobes. Would have had a panoramic view if not for a single monstrous Ponderosa pine that towered up right smack in the center of the field of vision.
Any good news in that pack, SPHP?
As a matter of fact, there is, Loopster! Care for a chocolate coconut bar? Think we’ve earned one this time.
Ask a silly question, and a chocolate coconut bar blinks out of existence. A little warmer would have been even better, but it was pretty nice up on Peak 5171. Lupe curled up on SPHP’s lap, and for a while nothing happened. Some kind of a huge bird circled lazily on the breeze before gliding away. A turkey vulture? Hard to say, it never got that close.
Lupe ventured over to a rock formation just to the E that looked like a decent vantage point.
How’s the view from there, Loop?
Good, but that colossal tree still messes it up.
Peak 5171 is one of those summits where you have to move around some if you want to get a semi-clear look at the best the mountain has to offer. Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.) and Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.) had both been visible from Mount Wheaton, but Peak 5171 was much closer to them. The telephoto lens revealed more detail.
Part of the E end of Sheridan Lake was in sight. The top of Peak 5200, which Lupe had visited not terribly long ago during her explorations of Flume Trail No. 50, could be seen as well.
Before her Peak 5171 tour was over, Lupe returned to the true summit and took in the views from a platform of rock nearby.
3:06 PM, 39ºF, Peak 5171 – 35 minutes gone! Probably about as long as Lupe could stay up on Peak 5171, if she really intended to take the long way back and still hope to climb another mountain today. SPHP grabbed the pack, and Loopster was on her way back down the NW ridge.
Loop abandoned her route up at the saddle where SPHP had taken the breather. Here, she took a trail down the slope to the NE, but it soon shot off to the NW. Lupe didn’t make the turn. Instead she kept sniffing NE until she had wandered clear down to USFS Road No. 405.
No. 405 was scenic and gently downhill all the way, but also easily twice as long as the route Lupe had taken up Peak 5171. The road wound clear around the E side of the mountain where the Carolina Dog went by the Balser Summer Home Group, a collection of nice older cabins.
Lupe was already close to Sheridan Lake Road by the time she reached USFS Road No. 405.1A, a more secluded route back to the Spring Creek Picnic Area. No. 405.1A ended at a rocky slope, but by then the journey was nearly over. (4:28 PM)
4:53 PM, 35ºF, Centennial Trail No. 89, Samelius Peak trailhead –
Here? We’ve been here lots of times, SPHP!
Yup! But we’ve never climbed Peak 5741 before. Today is the big day!
Fine with me! Where is it?
Not too far, Looper. It’s the peak NW of Samelius Peak (5,856 ft.).
Samelius Peak! That’s where we had our interview with Michael Zimny of South Dakota Public Broadcasting last year!
Exactly! So head N, if you’d like to do this.
This was a favorite area. Didn’t have to tell the American Dingo twice. Lupe went around the gate and headed up USFS Road No. 531. Wasn’t long before the S end of Peak 5741 came into sight.
Instead of heading straight for the mountain, Looper stuck with No. 531 until she got to the saddle NNW of Samelias Peak. Here she left the road, gradually climbing NW through the forest along the S side of a ridge. It wasn’t far at all to a bit of a view down Joe Dollar Gulch.
From this viewpoint, Lupe turned SW, crossing a minor saddle that led to a fairly steep climb among deadfall and patches of snow. Every now and then there were glimpses of Samelius Peak (5,856 ft.) off to the SE.
After gaining close to 300 feet of elevation, the Carolina Dog reached the SE end of Peak 5741’s summit ridge. A fair amount of deadfall up here, too, but it wasn’t too bad. The true summit was somewhere over near the opposite NW end of the ridge. Still climbing, but much more slowly now, Loop headed NW.
Within minutes, the ridge began to narrow, the deadfall worsened, and an unsettling sight appeared. Just ahead, a boulder jutted 8 or 10 feet skyward above a mess.
Criminitly, Loop! Don’t tell me that we can’t even get to the top! Thought this was going to be a slam dunk.
Is that the true summit, SPHP?
I don’t know, but sure looks like it!
Scrambling among the deadfall and rocks, closer inspection revealed that getting Lupe to the top of the problematic boulder might be nearly impossible without taking undue risk. Just to get a few feet higher? Not worth it! Fortunately, it turned out that this wasn’t the end of the ridge. Maybe there was still higher terrain ahead?
Lupe kept going, and sure enough, there was! However, the situation at the next high point was practically a duplicate of the first one. Another skinny, vertical boulder with no reasonable way to the top.
The ridge continued. SPHP soon became convinced that the second high point wasn’t the top, either. Lupe kept coming to marginally higher spots. Occasionally, openings permitted views, including a nice one of Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.). The terrain rose more and more slowly, and the rock formations diminished in height. Even the deadfall began to fade away.
Confidence grew. Maybe this was going to work after all?
A flat rock scarcely any higher than others nearby appeared ahead, close what appeared to be the NW end of the summit ridge. Lupe got up on it, but it soon turned out that a collection of bigger rocks that might be a bit higher existed 40 feet farther NNW. No problem! The American Dingo easily leapt onto the highest rock there, too.
Congratulations, Loopster! I think you’ve done it!
SPHP shook Lupe’s extended paw.
6:29 PM, 30ºF, Peak 5741 – In the area between the flat rock and likely true summit, a glowing green carpet of kinnikinnick covered a NW slope illuminated by the evening sun. Lupe sat looking at a tree-broken view of Five Points (6,221 ft.) while SPHP dug a celebratory chocolate coconut bar out of the pack. Smoke, or maybe steam, drifted S from the sawmill near Three Forks.
Felt cold in a light breeze way up here on Peak 5741, but long after the chocolate coconut bar vanished, Lupe and SPHP sat contemplating the beautiful scene near the end of a 4 peak day.
Looper had a look at Mount Warner (5,889 ft.), but forest hid the views in other directions.
The kinnikinnick faded, then glowed again. Evening magic! But time grew short, sunlit cheer returning more feebly after each passing cloud.
On the way back, Loop varied her route. Near the SE end of Peak 5741’s summit ridge, the American Dingo went down a S slope steeper than the one she’d come up. Reaching USFS Road No. 531 near it’s junction with Centennial Trail No. 89, Lupe prolonged the day by taking the longer Centennial Trail route back to the Samelius Peak trailhead.
See! I was right, wasn’t I, SPHP? We had a good time! Aren’t you glad we went on Expedition No. 275, instead of frittering the day away at home?
SPHP couldn’t help but agree. (7:40 PM, 31ºF)
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I just read your hiking notes and stories. Lupe seems to be a great dog. I grew up in the Balser Gulch in one of the cabins my father built starting in 1947. We stayed at the cabin each summer for a month or two. My 3 adult children and their families now own the cabin and it is used during the summer. I have walked the entire area each direction from the cabin. Many, many stories of the area. I intend to have my ashes cast off the top of the cliffs overlooking Silver Mountain and Boulder Hill to the south and Sheridan Lake to the west.
Keep up the journaling and stories.
Thanks for the kind comment, Phil! I am a great Dingo! We’re adventuring in the Yukon & Alaska right now, and will have to look up the exact location of Balser Gulch when we get back to the Black Hills.
SPHP used to be in real estate, too!