The “Ponderosa Hike” along Centennial Trail No. 89 had worked out so well for new Cousin Laddie and Cousin Dusty yesterday, that SPHP had proposed another jaunt along the Centennial Trail this morning.
What a difference a day made, though! Yesterday had been sunny and warm, almost summer. On the way to the Elk Creek trailhead, Uncle Joe drove under a dark cloud hanging over the hills. Late fall, maybe even early winter, greeted Lupe as she leapt out of the RAV4. Definitely on the chilly side!
In fact, it was so chilly that the American Dingo soon leapt right back into the warm comfort of the RAV4, staying there until Uncle Joe and SPHP were ready to hit the trail.
Despite the temperature plunge, everyone was in good spirits! Soon Loop and Cousin Dusty were leading the way as Centennial Trail No. 89 started NNE up a wooded ravine. Before long the trail left the ravine, climbing to a flatter region of open pine forest toward the NW. This flat stretch didn’t last long, either. The trail began climbing again as it curved up a hillside.
Rounding a sharp bend, the trail resumed a NE course, climbing more steeply. This turn had scarcely been left behind when Uncle Joe spotted a curious rock formation 200 feet off toward the SE. Looked like there was a cave over there! The whole gang ventured over to investigate.
The rock formation proved to be a high point at the end of a small flat region overlooking a forested ravine. Sure enough, there was a dark opening into the rocks! While caves aren’t all that unusual in the Black Hills, nearly all of them are found in limestone formations. These rocks clearly weren’t limestone, so Uncle Joe’s discovery was a rare find.
Cousins Dusty and Laddie weren’t inclined to investigate any further. What if a mountain lion lived there? Lupe, however, wasn’t worried at all. Without hesitating in the least, the Carolina Dog went up to peer into the black opening.
No need to worry about any mountain lions! If there was one, it’s already escaped out the back. This isn’t a cave, it’s a tunnel!
Loopster was right!
A tunnel! That was really strange. Uncle Joe and SPHP both took a look. The tunnel was about 20 feet long, perfectly straight, uniform diameter, and slanted somewhat down toward the S. Other than a few loose rocks, the bottom was fairly smooth.
The rock formation the tunnel went through looked completely natural, but neither Joe nor SPHP could decide if this tunnel was natural, or not. If human-made, what purpose had it served? Dingo-sized, Lupe could have trotted through it with ease, but the tunnel seemed too small for most human projects. No signs of any other construction were round about. Odd, very odd.
Uncle Joe scrambled around to the back side of the tunnel, which exited the rock formation next to a drop-off. He then tried to entice Lupe to go through the tunnel to join him.
Maybe even Lupe was starting to get the willies? The American Dingo entered the tunnel, but even though she could see Joe at the far end, she refused to go all the way through.
Whether human-made or natural, the tunnel was so unusual that there seemed to be no explanation for its existence. Finding no clues, and in case a mountain lion might be on its way back home, everyone returned to Centennial Trail No. 89 leaving the mystery unsolved.
Continuing on, the trail climbed a bit steeply, but soon the slope became much more gradual. Eventually the trail began curving N. Abandoning it, everyone headed for a minor ridge to the E for a look around. Not much to be seen up here, so a shortcut was taken down a slope to the N to rejoin Centennial Trail No. 89 at a saddle where it crossed unmarked USFS Road No. 169.
After crossing the road, the trail began angling WNW along the SW slopes of HP5141. Before Centennial Trail No. 89 headed back into the forest, there was a bit of a view of hills to the NW, their tops softened and blurred by the low hanging clouds.
0.25 mile beyond USFS Road No. 169, a small clearing was reached at a second pass between HP5141 and HP5212. A sign indicated that it was a mile back to the Elk Creek trailhead. The trail continued W from here traversing a steep slope, but remained fairly level.
Once past the S end of HP5212, Centennial Trail No. 89 gradually began to curve N. The trail first lost, then regained some elevation, eventually going over another minor pass. Meanwhile, the sky was darkening as the gray clouds blanketing the region slowly crept down the hillsides.
Getting colder out! A barely detectable mist began. The trail widened as it reached an old roadbed. Patches of snow left over from a prior storm added to an increasingly wintery feel.
Winding along the mountainside, the trail continued N. Uncle Joe began to wonder if maybe it wasn’t getting to be time to turn back? However, Lupe had been here before. SPHP was convinced that it wasn’t much farther to a junction with a trail that went to the Sturgis Reservoirs, and that junction was very close to Peak 5261, today’s peakbagging objective.
The chilly march went on and on. The trail junction was farther than SPHP remembered, but it finally appeared. From here, Centennial Trail No. 89 curved E, climbing 60 feet up to a broad grassy pass.
Peak 5261 was only 0.2 mile S of this pass. The trail didn’t go up there, but the N slope was only moderately steep. Cousins Dusty and Laddie couldn’t get this close and not go to the top to claim their Peak 5261 peakbagging success, could they? That would be a shame!
Following a long snowbank, Lupe started up first, leading the way.
Peak 5261’s summit was only 120 feet higher than the pass. Soon the N slope was leveling out. The top of the mountain could be seen a short distance ahead.
Of course, everyone got there. Cousins Dusty and Laddie secured their second Black Hills peakbagging success in two days. Unfortunately, this ascent wasn’t as successful in other respects. Cold and foggy with a chill, damp breeze, conditions were none too pleasant.
Back at home this morning, the day had been sunny and bright. SPHP had chosen this destination partly because getting here wouldn’t be too hard for Cousin Dusty, who was now 15, but also in part for the views of Custer Peak (6,804 ft.) and Bear Butte (4,422 ft.). Cousin Dusty had made it, but the views were a disappointing no show.
Too miserable out to linger! Plans for a summit celebration involving chocolate coconut bars, Kinkaid bars, and apples were cancelled. A few minutes at the top, and the whole pack headed back down Peak 5261’s N slope to pick up Centennial Trail No. 89 again.
Merely a postponement! The Peak 5261 ascent celebration actually did come off due to popular demand a mile later at a more sheltered spot. Not to be denied, Lupe, Dusty and Laddie all got their chocolate coconut bar rewards.
Then it was back through the wintery fog, all the way past the Tunnel of Mystery to the Elk Creek trailhead.
Tomorrow was Halloween! Sadly, Uncle Joe, Dusty and Laddie would all be heading back home to Colorado. Meeting cousin Laddie and getting to introduce him to the Black Hills had been fun, and it had been terrific to hit the trail with Joe and Dusty again.
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 274 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Elk Creek to Alkali Creek (4-10-21)
Centennial Trail No. 89 Brochure & Map
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