Hoback Peak, Wyoming Range, Wyoming (7-7-21)

Days 15 & 16 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming!

7-6-21, 1:16 PM – 6 miles S of Hwy 189/191 on Upper Hoback River Road, a side road with a 30710 sign angled off to the R (W).  This must be it!

It was.  2.5 miles later, after passing a horse camp, SPHP parked the RAV4 at the Kilgore Creek trailhead.  This was a rest day.  All the action was going to happen tomorrow.  After spending much of the morning at various parks in Pinedale, Lupe could laze about right here all afternoon and evening.

A log had fallen across Kilgore Creek creating a foot high waterfall.  No one else around.  The Carolina Dog ate her fill, snapped at flies, dozed, and occasionally cooled her paws off and got a drink from the creek.  A bit warmer than she would have liked, but overall a very pleasant time.  SPHP worked on the trip journal.

7-7-21, 7:40 AM, 52ºF, Kilgore Creek trailhead – Daylight in the swamps!  In fact, the sun had been up for a while now.  A well-rested American Dingo trotted past the road closed sign, and headed SW on Kilgore Creek trail No. 136.  A ford was around the first bend.  Lupe waded across.

She was now officially on her way to Hoback Peak (10,862 ft.)!

A long sunny meadow was ahead.

Upon reaching the far end of the meadow, Lupe passed through a stretch of forest.  The trail curved R and entered a clearing.  A second ford was in sight.  Loop again splashed through the stream, while SPHP managed to log hop it this time.

Beyond the second ford, Lupe could see some of the mountains farther up the valley.  The trail soon led to an abandoned stretch of USFS Road No. 30710.  Climbing steadily at an easy pace, the old roadbed rose well above the level of Kilgore Creek, which could still be heard, but not seen.

The road leveled out well before ending at a meadow.  After crossing the meadow, Kilgore Creek trail No. 136 re-entered the forest.  Suddenly Lupe was in an area that felt much wilder.  The trail climbed in fits and starts, sometimes quite steeply, but there were also both up and down segments at minor ravine crossings, and even some flat stretches.

Loopster began to encounter some deadfall.  Fortunately, there wasn’t all that much of it.

Roughly 3 miles from the trailhead, Lupe reached a ravine different from all the others.  A tributary of Kilgore Creek flowed through a wide mucky channel of reddish-brown dirt.  The whole ravine appeared to have been recently flooded.  Lupe sauntered across completely oblivious to how muddy her paws got.  SPHP used tree trunks half sunk in the mire to get past the worst of it.

Not far beyond this muddy ravine, the valley broadened out.  Kilgore Creek was almost at the trail’s level again, and could be seen in some spots among the bushes covering much of the valley floor.  Directly ahead, the mountains were much closer than before.

SPHP was starting to wonder.  Somewhere along in here, Loopster was supposed to leave the trail after passing a waterfall.  Kilgore Creek was rushing down drops of several feet in places, yet it wasn’t clear if any of these rapids constituted the waterfall in question, or not.  The topo map showed a junction with High Line trail No. 136, which headed N, but the American Dingo hadn’t come to it.  No signage, either.

Only a little farther on, there was a steep open slope on the R.  Looked like it might be the last relatively easy place to climb out of this valley and go N.  Perhaps Lupe ought to do that?  Seemed like a good idea.

As it turned out, the trail was destined for the same slope SPHP had an eye on.  Instead of continuing up the valley, the trail switchbacked up it.  Lupe was getting close to the top, when the trail entered the forest along the W end of the slope.  A short steep climb, and she reached a narrow ridgeline of red dirt.

A roar of water came from a deep ravine W of the ridgeline.  On the far side, well above the ravine and where Lupe was now, a tall waterfall plunged down a very steep slope.

Think we’ve found that waterfall you’ve been looking for, SPHP!

I’d venture to say so, too, Loop!  No doubt about it now!

The trail, which must actually have been High Line trail No. 136 by now, even though SPHP hadn’t seen any junction, turned N following the red dirt ridge higher along the edge of the deep ravine.  Turned out there were two waterfalls, not just one!

The red dirt ridge soon broadened and leveled out.  Directly ahead was a lush green meadow.  On its way to a pass E of a huge ridge, High Line trail No. 136 continued N right through the middle of it.

Time for a break!  Lupe shared a chocolate coconut bar with SPHP, then relaxed in the shade while watching a deer graze.  Meanwhile, SPHP checked the map again.

Looks like this meadow must be where we’re supposed to leave the trail, Loopster.

We’re going to climb that big ridge, SPHP?

Yeah.  Not all the way to the highest point, but we’ve got to find a way to get up into the drainage that feeds the waterfalls.

Halfway across the meadow, Lupe left High Line trail No. 136 angling NW toward the steep slope below the massive ridge.  Off-trail, the meadow was a thick jungle of bluebells, Indian paintbrush, and other gorgeous wildflowers, but surprisingly uneven and rocky underpaw.

The terrain was steepening when the Carolina Dog made an unexpected discovery.  A use trail!  If Lupe had stayed on High Line trail No. 136 a bit farther, she would have run into it.  As it was, she’d taken a shortcut.  Angling gradually up to the SSW, the use trail appeared destined for the lowest part of the ridge a little N of the waterfalls.

The use trail made life, oh, so easy!  Gaining elevation as she traversed the slope below the ridge, Lupe enjoyed a gorgeous view to the S.

Upon reaching the top of the steep slope, the use trail entered the forest.  Lupe had made it to the region above the waterfalls.  Surprisingly, the use trail did not end here, but turned NW up an open lane.

This lane wasn’t nearly as steep as the slope Loopster had just come up.  Beyond it, the trail angled more WNW, as the terrain flattened further.  After crossing a tiny stream, the trail became so faint that it was hard to follow.  Lupe wandered through a patchwork of clearings and forest, eventually arriving at the edge of a big clearing with a view of Hoback Peak’s NE face.

Turning WSW, Lupe aimed for an open corridor where she could ford the stream in the valley to the S.  Crossing minor tributaries along the way, she avoided marshy areas where the bluebells grew thickest.

Where Loop reached it, even the main stream wasn’t very big.  On the far bank was an amazing sight – one of the most profuse and dazzling displays of Indian paintbrush the American Dingo had ever seen.

After fording the stream, a broad open corridor was visible next to a long line of trees on the slope ahead.  SPHP knew that most climbers go up Hoback Peak’s NE ridge, which was still considerably farther W, but Lupe could climb that slope!  Even the terrain above the line of trees looked perfectly feasible.

Lupe climbed and climbed.  Reaching the upper end of the line of trees, she turned W roaming a beautiful land.  Fewer trees up here, though, and the day was sunny and warm.  Too warm for a fur coat!

Loop started hanging back, resting in the shade until SPHP reached the next little stand of trees, or threatened to disappear from view entirely.  Then she came running to catch up before seeking another shady spot.

Eventually that trick no longer worked.  Hardly any trees around at all.  Sticking much closer to SPHP again, Lupe trudged higher.

Loopster was heading SW up another long slope when she discovered a game trail that angled up toward the L (ESE).  Pausing frequently to gasp for air, SPHP was in favor of any route that wasn’t quite so ambitious.  A game trail was fine.

The game trail worked out beautifully.  Only one spot where it got rather dicey.  The dirt was packed so hard that SPHP’s poles couldn’t penetrate, and boots might lose traction.  A 30 foot slide would lead to the brink of a minor cliff, a ride SPHP wasn’t anxious to experience.

Happily, the dicey spot was only 10 to 15 feet long.  All went well.  Lupe continued up the mountain, eventually leaving the trail to head straight on up the remaining 200 feet to the top of – what?

The view was a bit of a shock.

Good grief!  We’re not in Kansas anymore, Loop!

Kansas!  Hoback Peak is in Wyoming!  I should hope we’re not in Kansas, SPHP!  Have you lost your marbles?

No, I just meant that we aren’t where I thought we were.

And where was that, SPHP?

Somehow I’d gotten it in mind that we’d drifted far enough W that we were close to Hoback Peak’s NE ridge.  This isn’t it.

Are you sure, SPHP?  How do you know?

Yup, 100% certain.  That’s got to be Hoback Peak over there!

Instead of being SW, as expected, Hoback Peak (10,862 ft.) was visible off to the WNW!

No harm done.  Although Hoback Peak was still more than 0.5 mile away, what could be seen from here looked perfectly doable.  Lupe turned WNW along the ridgeline.

The ridge was easy to follow.  After going over a minor high point, Loop was far enough along to see that there were no major obstacles between here and Hoback’s SE subpeak other than stands of stunted conifers.

Turned out that the conifers weren’t any trouble, even though the ridge narrowed considerably as the Carolina Dog approached.  Enough room remained along the brink of minor cliffs to the N (R) to squeeze past the trees without having to struggle through them.

Lupe was soon heading up Hoback Peak’s SE subpeak.  SPHP considered going through a gap between it and a hill to the N to avoid unnecessary elevation gain.  However, as Loop got closer, the gap looked so rocky that it seemed better to avoid it.

The SE summit proved to be a nice, barren, flat spot with room enough to move around.  The American Dingo now had a grand view of Hoback Peak’s true summit beyond a saddle.  Yet SPHP was initially dismayed.  It looked like Lupe had cliffed out!

Closer scrutiny revealed that she shouldn’t have any trouble.  Cake!

A rest was taken on the SE subpeak before heading down to the saddle leading to the true summit.  Staying toward the NE (R) to avoid a cliff, Lupe passed through an interesting region of large sheets of flat, thin rocks.  Once down to the grassy saddle, all that remained was a final weary, but joyful, trek higher.

7-7-21, 2:29 PM, 70ºF, Hoback Peak – Hazy, but not too bad.  Lupe stood by a survey benchmark at Hoback Peak’s true summit.  Nearby was a small, disorganized pile of rocks.  A former cairn?  No registry, but 360º views!  Colorful, rumpled peaks not too far N, the highest of which must have been Claus Peak (10,612 ft.), caught the eye.

Ready to relax and enjoy her traditional summit hour, Loopster laid down.  The air was humming.  Flocks of butterflies chased each other in dizzying circles.  Bees and flies buzzed by constantly.  The tufts of grass that looked so comfortable were swarming with hundreds of ladybugs.

The American Dingo found dozing impossible.  Annoyed, she snapped at flies and bees, and devoured ladybugs.  Mountains were in all directions, except toward the SE where distant plains were visible.  Nothing nearby was any higher than Hoback Peak (10,862 ft.).

Not that there weren’t higher peaks in sight.  Lots of them, actually, but they were all far away.  The Wind River range was off to the E.  To the NE, SPHP could pick out Doubletop Peak (11,720 ft.) in the Gros Ventre Range where Lupe had been only 3 days ago.  Grand Teton (13,770 ft.) was faintly visible to the N.  Countless others that SPHP didn’t recognize from here, too, all around.

The best views, though, were of all the fabulous territory nearby.

Like the whirling, buzzing cloud of insects, time flew by.  Lupe and SPHP shared the last of the chocolate coconut bars.  Taste of the Wild for Loop, and Mott’s applesauce for SPHP.  Suddenly, sadly, summit hour was over.

Reluctantly, inevitably.  Onward!  Puppy, ho!

On the way back, Lupe varied her route down the mountain.  Rather than go over the SE subpeak again, she turned NE from the saddle that led to it.

For a long way, it was easy, a grassy slope that went relentlessly lower.

SPHP probably should have tried to steer Lupe toward the NE ridge.  She’d already lost a tremendous amount of elevation when a boulder field came into sight ahead.  If SPHP had had enough sense to go 100 feet down a steep reddish-brown dirt gully toward the L (NW), which was still possible, Loopster would have enjoyed the easiest descent ever.  Instead, SPHP led her ENE directly into the boulders.

The boulder field looked short.  It was not.  It extended much farther than initial appearances.  A huge waste of time!  Lupe was essentially cliffed out now, the much easier grassy terrain the reddish-brown dirt gully would have led to constantly in sight 100 – 200 feet lower.

Although a terribly inefficient route, progress was still possible.  Slowly descending as she continued ENE, Lupe enjoyed fabulous views as she sniffed among the rocks, SPHP trailing behind.

A way down to the soft green meadows below finally appeared.  Happily, it all worked out in the end.

A beautiful evening amid spectacular surroundings!  The Carolina Dog had no problem finding the trail that led back down to the lush meadow near the waterfalls.  Reaching High Line trail No. 136 again, the success of the rest of the return was now assured.

7-7-21, 7:35 PM, 75°F, Kilgore Creek trailhead – What a day!  Weary and famished, Lupe was eager to leap back into the RAV4 and curl up on her pink blanket.  The sun was already down behind the mountains as she devoured an enormous evening meal.

Satisfied, Looper finally put her head down and closed her eyes.  Then, while listening to the soothing music of the little waterfall on Kilgore Creek, paws still twitching, she was off again on new adventures in Dingo dreamland, perhaps roaming free once more among the lively, lofty peaks of the magnificent Wyoming Range.

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