Lupe’s 11th Birthday (12-14-21)

8:37 AM, 47ºF, USFS Road No. 216 about 0.7 mile SE of Custer Peak – Better take the warm jacket!  Sort of a surprise.  With a high 20ºF above normal expected, SPHP had thought a light jacket would suffice.  A 25 mph wind out of the W changed everything.  Not exactly cold, but it did feel pretty cool out.

The birthday girl was unfazed!  For a mid-December birthday, conditions weren’t bad at all.  Could be a lot worse.  Thrilled at the chance to spend the day roaming the Black Hills, Lupe headed W on USFS Road No. 216.

The road went past a beautiful snowy field flanked by pine and aspen covered mountains.  Beneath an overcast sky, the contrast between the white field and the dark pines made it easy to see how well the Black Hills live up to their name.

This stretch of USFS Road No. 216 was familiar territory.  As the road gradually turned NW, Peak 6600 came into view.

Are we going to Custer Peak (6,804 ft.), SPHP?

Sort of intended to, Loop, but with it so windy right now, maybe it would be better to wait until later in the day?  Hoped it would be sunnier than this, too.  How about we hit it on the way back, if there’s still time?

Fine with me, SPHP, but on the way back from where?

Oh, remember back in February when we climbed both Custer Peak and Peak 6600, then went on to try to climb Peak 6480, but never got very far because it got so foggy and started to snow?

Of course, I do!  Is Peak 6480 where we’re going now?

Yup, if we can find it.

No. 216 began climbing more steeply.  A little shy of the saddle between Custer Peak and Peak 6600, Lupe reached the junction with No. 216.1A, the spur to Custer Peak.  No. 216 leveled out as it made a big sweeping curve around to the SSE.  Since conditions hadn’t improved, Lupe stuck with No. 216, foregoing any attempt on Custer Peak.

Beyond the big curve, No. 216 soon began angling S along the lower E slopes of Peak 6600.  The road provided a nice view of Custer Peak from along in here.  A bit farther on, No. 216 started gaining elevation again as it curved W around the S end of Peak 6600.  A decent view to the SE began to appear as Lupe got higher.

The road went past the end of Peak 6600’s S ridge.  Still windy, but the sky had brightened.  Weak sunshine cast shadows on the snow.

Loopster!  Want to go up Peak 6600 while we’re so close?  Won’t take long.  At least it’s kind of sunny now.  Might not be on the way back.

The American Dingo was all for it!  Leaving No. 216, she headed N.

At first there was quite a bit of deadfall to contend with, but Lupe had no trouble getting past it.  By the time the S ridge started getting rocky, she was already close to the top.  Peak 6600’s true summit was along a line of rocks next to a small clearing at the SE end of a long summit ridge.  The clearing provided excellent views toward the S.

Shaking the birthday girl’s paw while she stood on the highest rocks, SPHP congratulated Lupe on her first mountain ascent as an 11 year old.

Custer Peak (6,804 ft.) was visible from the true summit region, but the best, most open viewpoint was 700 or 800 feet away over at the opposite NW end of Peak 6600’s long summit ridge.  The still powerful SW wind shook the pines, as Lupe wound her way through the forest to get there.

Since the NW viewpoint was a favorite spot on Peak 6600, a short break was taken to share a chocolate coconut bar while enjoying the views.

The cool, gusty SW wind prevented a prolonged stay.  Before departing, SPHP surveyed the territory off to the NW.  A snowy ridge seen several miles away had to be Peak 6480, Lupe’s next objective.

Soon the American Dingo was on her way back to the true summit.  She briefly got up on the highest rocks again before heading back down Peak 6600’s S ridge.  Reaching USFS Road No. 216 where she’d left it, Loopster followed it SW to a cattle guard where the road topped out near HP6427.

Ahead the road dipped a little.  Lupe soon reached an intersection where a snowmobile trail system sign was posted.  This sign was as far as she’d gotten on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 265 before being forced to turn back due to snow and fog.

Continuing on past the intersection, the terrain rose a bit then flattened out.  A long march ensued along the snowy road as it gradually turned W, then NW, while staying up on fairly high ground.  Despite the balmy temperature, the SW wind still made it feel quite cool.

Do you remember any of this, Looper?  I’m sure we’ve been in this region before, but I must have it confused with somewhere else.  It’s not like what I thought I remembered.

Pleasant enough here, SPHP, but kind of non-descript.  Looks like a lot of places in the Black Hills.  Nothing stands out as familiar to me, either.  What does your topo map say?

Doesn’t even show a road here, just a trail, but I’m almost certain we’re still going the right way.

A brief glimpse of Terry Peak (7,064 ft.) came into sight just before the road reached the end of the high ground and began to drop.  After losing more than 100 feet of elevation, music could be heard.  At an unmarked intersection, the music seemed to be coming from off in the forest to the NE.  Peering over in that direction, Lupe saw what appeared to be a set of large, rusty wind chimes.  They were just hanging there in the forest, not close to any visible structure.

That’s kind of weird, SPHP!  But the chimes do sound good!

I like them, too, Loop!  Never have known they were there without this wind.

The road curved WSW here, still heading gradually downhill.  A quick check of the map revealed that this was likely USFS Road No. 561.1C.  Lupe followed it for more than 0.33 mile to where it curved SW.

SW was the wrong way.  Peak 6480 still had to be NW.  Leaving the road, Lupe plunged N into the forest.  A short descent quickly leveled out at sort of a magical place full of Christmassy little spruce trees among tall white-barked aspens.

Just beyond the little spruce trees, Lupe came to an open lane that went a short distance E to a clearing.  Turning N again here, the terrain led up to the corner of a huge snowy field surrounded by a wooden pole fence.  Crossing a small corner of this field, Lupe returned to the forest.  A brief climb led to a big gravel road, clearly USFS Road No. 561 on the map.

Crossing No. 561, Lupe headed NW right back into the forest.  At first, the terrain sloped gently, but soon she was climbing much more steeply.  Another pole fence was encountered.  A small power line ran along it.  Ducking under the fence, Loop kept climbing.  Before long she reached flatter terrain.

Lupe was now up on the SE end of the 6,400 foot ridge SE of Peak 6480.  Glancing back, both Custer Peak and Peak 6600 were visible 2 miles E.  This broad ridge ran NW/SE, so Loop followed it 0.2 mile to its high point at the far NW end.  From here, a big power line could be seen 0.5 mile farther NW atop a small cliff.  That was the S end of Peak 6480!

A gradual, mostly open slope led down to the broad saddle connecting to Peak 6480.  This region looked like it had been logged at some point.  Once across the saddle, Loopster began climbing as she continued NW, eventually reaching a region of young pines and large bushes where the terrain began to level out.  Lupe was already quite close to the big power line above the small cliff by the time she saw it again.

Turned out there were 2 big power lines running parallel to each other.  The cliff the higher one stood on wasn’t very tall.  Finding a route up was a cinch, but Lupe scrambled to the top rather reluctantly.

The wind had been blowing all day long.  Back in the forest and down in the valleys, it hadn’t been bad at all, often more heard in the treetops than felt.  This exposed limestone platform was another matter entirely.  The wind was stronger than ever here, a 35 to 40 mph gale out of the W.  Not much fun to a Carolina Dog’s way of thinking!

Although this was a good viewpoint, Lupe stayed only long enough for a quick look around.

The power lines weren’t at the true summit.  Lupe was happy to leave the exposed platform to look for it.  Continuing NNW partially protected by the forest again, a rock outcropping appeared ahead.  Clearly higher than anything else around, that had to be it!

2:04 PM –  As Lupe approached the true summit of Peak 6480, tall pines swayed wildly with each new violent blast out of the W.  Getting worse!  40 to 50 mph!  A short climb led to two boulders perched on a small flat platform.  Despite the crazy wind, the American Dingo leapt up onto the highest one.

A couple of quick photos, and that was it.

That’s good, Loop!  Get off that rock before you get blown off!

Only a few feet below the top, the Carolina Dog tried to find a place to get comfortable.  SPHP sat so awkwardly on a rock, that SPHP’s lap was soon rejected.  Laying on a little patch of snow, Lupe stared up at SPHP somewhat accusingly.

You sure know how to show a birthday Dingo a good time, don’t you, SPHP?  What a hurricane!

Heh!  Yeah, this is going to be a birthday peak to remember isn’t it, Loop?

Or forgotten!  What do you have against palm trees, SPHP?  I’ve never even seen one!  Couldn’t we go somewhere with palm trees on my birthday for a change?

Oh, well, I didn’t know you were even interested in palm trees, Looper!

I am now!

Attempting to relax and simply enjoy being on Peak 6480 while watching the trees sway alarmingly was only partially successful.  At any moment one might snap off entirely, a sobering thought considering the millions of beetle-killed trees that were now deadfall in the Black Hills.

After 20 minutes, an exceptionally powerful gust put an end to Lupe’s stay.  Ripping SPHP’s stocking cap off, the wind flung it off into space.  Peering over the edge, there it was, caught on a short dead tree branch only a few feet away, but unfortunately 20 feet above the ground.

OK, that’s it!  A few more photos, Loop, then let’s get out of here!

Despite the disappointing lack of palm trees, the birthday girl complied, returning to the summit rock for the last time.

Circling around to the E side of the summit block before departing, Lupe took shelter from the wind, while SPHP saw to retrieving the stocking cap.  Turned out that it had already blown off the tree branch, and was now caught in a bush only a couple of feet above ground level.  Grabbing it before the cap could launch off on new adventures, SPHP restored it to its rightful place.

At least that was easy!  C’mon, Looper!  Let’s go!

On the way back to the power lines Lupe stayed a little to the W, below the line of small cliffs.

The rest of the return was virtually identical to the route taken to Peak 6480.  The journey seemed to go faster on the way back.  Lupe arrived at the lower end of Peak 6600’s S ridge again while it was still light out.

Let’s climb Peak 6600 again, SPHP!

Really?  Would you like to, Loop?

Sure!  The wind isn’t so bad now!  We can even go on to climb Custer Peak, can’t we?  You said we could this morning, remember?

Sounds like a plan, Looper!  Let’s do it!

Lupe returned to Peak 6600’s summit.  However, by the time she got to the NW viewpoint, it was too late to go on to Custer Peak.  The sky had been overcast or nearly so all day, but was now clear to the NW.  Far to the SW, the sun suddenly dipped below the remaining cloud cover.  For the first time, the American Dingo stood in brilliant sunshine.

Wouldn’t last!  The sun was already hovering barely above the horizon.

10 minutes, and the sun vanished.  Looper headed down the N ridge.  Although short, this route was snowy and very steep at first, and full of deadfall lower down.  Light was fading fast when Lupe finally reached USFS Road No. 216.1A.  Didn’t matter.  A pleasant, downhill road trek the rest of the way.

5:09 PM, 47ºF –  Dark and still breezy.  SPHP turned the key and the RAV4 sprang to life.  Time to head home, but not for long!

7:00 PM – Let the festivities begin!  Barking excitedly, decked out in her hat and birthday girl ribbon, the party animal rushed into Grandma’s apartment.  Oh, there were guests!  The more, the merrier!  Xochitl, Steve, Felix and Asher were all here, too.

SPHP wasted no time getting things underway, giving Lupe a Busy Rib Hide as an initial treat.  Felix petted Lupe while she chomped away, then helped SPHP stick 11 candles into the fabulous 11th birthday cake.  Soon Lupe was on Grandma’s white couch, surrounded by presents and an 11 alarm fire!

Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Lupe, then cake and ice cream was served.  Felix declared the cake “delicious” and almost as good as the shark cake he had on his birthday.  Lupe didn’t touch the cake or ice cream she was offered, evidently hoping and holding out for something even better.

Once everyone had their fill, it was time to open presents.  Felix and Asher helped Lupe out.  The lucky Dingo got plenty of birthday loot!

All that and more!  The Carolina Dog wasn’t disappointed.  The grand prize she’d been waiting for was included, too.  A T-bone steak!

While the steak was broiling in the oven, SPHP got everyone together for a group photo.

Organizing the group photo took so long that when SPHP opened the oven afterwards to check on Lupe’s T-bone, a thick cloud of smoke came billowing out!  Soon Grandma’s apartment was a smoky haze.  Windows had to be opened to air the joint out.

Grandma’s fire alarm didn’t go off, but every other one in the complex did.  Suddenly there were knocks on the door!  Out in the hallway, a crowd of anxious people wondered what was going on?

Apparently, when you turn 11, it’s a really big deal!  Lupe tried to look innocent.

Fortunately, the T-bone steak was perfect.  Nice and pink in the middle, and not burned a bit.  How it had produced such a vast cloud of smoke was a mystery.  A full investigation would have been conducted, but a certain American Dingo promptly devoured the evidence!

And, oh girl!  Was it ever good!

Links:

Double Digit Dingo! – Lupe’s 10th Birthday (12-14-20)

Lupe’s 12th Birthday! (12-14-22)

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 265 – Custer Peak & Peak 6600 (2-3-21)

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