8:59 AM, 45ºF, Centennial Trail No. 89 – Already warm out, but the trailhead was still icy when Lupe leapt out of the RAV4.
The Elk Creek trailhead! We were here last fall with Uncle Joe, Dusty, and new Cousin Laddie when we took them to Peak 5261. Remember, SPHP?
Of course! Peak 5261 isn’t in the works this time, though, Looper. Going to pick off a Lists of John peak we’ve never been to before, Peak 4741!
We’ve been in this area several times in the past year or two, SPHP. Why didn’t we visit Peak 4741 then?
Oh, because we were doing things close to Centennial Trail No. 89, Loop. Peak 4741 is way off the beaten path. Kind of remote. Probably a better way to get to it, but I’m pretty sure we can get there from here.
The first part of the route to Peak 4741 was familiar territory. Lupe left the Elk Creek trailhead following Centennial Trail No. 89 NNE up a little valley. After 0.125 mile, the trail climbed out of the valley on a jaunt NW through a flat area. As the trail started climbing again, No. 89 curved back to the SE, going partway up a hillside before turning NE.
The last time Lupe was in this region with Uncle Joe and cousins Dusty and Laddie, a stone tunnel had been discovered E of the trail. A real oddity! The Carolina Dog ventured over for another look at it.
Returning to Centennial Trail No. 89, a moderately steep climb NE led to gentler terrain. 0.75 mile from the Elk Creek trailhead, Lupe left the trail continuing NE up an easy slope to a flat, open ridge. From here, Loop could see part of Forbes Gulch, a heavily forested drainage, and even caught a glimpse of the prairie beyond the Black Hills.
Can’t see it yet, Loop, but Peak 4741 is out that way.
How far, SPHP?
From here? Less than 2.5 miles as the crow flies, but the roads we’ll be on wind around a lot more than that.
USFS Road No. 169 was just N of the rise Lupe was standing on. A fun romp down a snowy slope, and the Carolina Dog was there. Although dry where Loop first reached it, most of the road was snow-covered as she followed it along a hillside. The worst spots were soft and muddy.
No. 169 wound around, going first SE, then NE, before ultimately turning S. For 0.75 mile, Loopster trotted along both gradual uphill and downhill stretches. Net elevation change was minimal by the time she reached a saddle where the road divided.
Which way, SPHP?
Stay L, Loop. Take that upper road going around the hill.
USFS Road No. 169.1B wound up onto a ridge. Lupe got her first distant view of the day along this stretch. I-90 was in sight way down along the E edge of the Black Hills.
Trending NE, No. 169.1B topped out 0.33 mile from Pass 4900. A minor high point was just N of the road.
Let’s go up there, Loop! It’s about as high as we’ll get today.
A small limestone outcropping was at the top, and not much else. Although a pleasant spot, too many trees were present to permit a clear view in any direction.
Supposed to be an even higher spot not too far off to the NW, Loop. HP5044, according to the map! Want to check it out?
Sure! How far away is it, SPHP?
Only 400 or 500 feet. Shouldn’t take long to get there.
Huh. Easier said than done. Venturing several hundred feet NNW into a dense forest, Loopster saw no sign of HP5044. In fact, the terrain had been gradually sloping down, a that trend appeared to be accelerating.
Hmm. This doesn’t look right, Loop. Starting to think the map is wrong. Maybe you’ve already been to HP5044?
You mean that last little hill by the road, SPHP?
Yeah. Let’s call it, and go back. Doesn’t really matter, anyway. Even if there really is a HP5044 somewhere out here, which seems unlikely, not going to be able to see anything from it in this thick forest.
Returning to the hill by the road, a break was taken before continuing on. No. 169.1B turned SE, going downhill before leveling out at a big clearing where there was an intersection with USFS Road No. 169.1I.
No. 169.1I was less developed, literally the road less taken.
Can we go this way, SPHP? Looks more interesting!
Go for it, Looper! Actually a shortcut compared to No. 169.1B.
No. 169.1I was destined to play out in less than 0.5 mile, but that didn’t matter. Lupe followed it NNE all the way to the end.
At the end of No. 169.1I, a short climb N through open forest got Lupe to the top of a ridge. HP4827, the next hill N, and the next objective, was less than 0.25 mile away. However, the slope going down to the saddle that led to HP4827 was densely forested and choked with deadfall.
Conditions seemed slightly better toward the E, allowing Lupe to work her way down to the saddle, where she came to a small clearing. The S slope of HP4827 was more open, so it didn’t take long to get up to a big boulder along the HP4827 ridge.
HP4827‘s forested summit ridge was hundreds of feet long. Whether this first big rock was the true summit wasn’t clear. A boulder off to the WNW that was barely visible through the trees appeared to be about the same elevation. Loopster went over to check it out. Hard to tell if it was really any higher, but this was definitely the last high point to the W.
Exploring the summit ridge E, Lupe came to a double rock formation that seemed definitely higher than either of the first two boulders she’d visited. Too many trees to see much, but this was apparently the true summit of the entire ridge.
Continuing E, Lupe came to a clearing at the E end of the ridge. Looked like a good spot to take another short break.
HP4827‘s N slope proved fairly steep when Lupe started down. Progress was slow. Patches of snow made the going slick, as SPHP picked a way through copious deadfall laying perpendicular to the descent. On the bright side, so many trees were down that Lupe enjoyed a good view of Peak 4760. Looking small from here, Bear Butte (4,422 ft.) was even in sight way out on the plains.
The rate of descent slowly diminished. After losing 400 feet of elevation, Lupe turned E toward a broad, flat saddle with considerable open space. After crossing a field, and passing through another stretch of forest, an unimpressive hill was ahead.
Hey, we’re getting there, Looper! That must be USFS Road No. 169.1D, with Peak 4741 beyond it!
That’s Peak 4741, SPHP? Are you sure? Doesn’t look like much! What’s so special about it?
According to Lists of John, 351 feet of prominence. Ranked 160th out of only 278 peaks in South Dakota with at least 300. Don’t think we’re seeing the actual summit yet. Taller than it appears from here.
Well, we’ll see. Looks like a snap to me, SPHP!
The American Dingo headed down to USFS Road No. 169.1D, intent upon following it at least a short distance toward Peak 4741. However, the day had warmed up quite a bit. Melting snow and ice made the road a soft, mucky mess. Better just tromping through the fields beside it.
Shortly after the road curved SE, Lupe left it to head E up a grassy slope dotted with young pines. The slope soon led to denser forest. At 4,600 feet, she passed a vertical rock formation prior to reaching a flat region.
The flat region led to another easy climb. Exploring E after the terrain leveled out again revealed a modestly elevated ridge. A stump next to the first limestone outcropping Lupe came to was the true summit.
1:05 PM, 57ºF, Peak 4741 – The true summit was located at the NW end of a 150 foot long ridge that was only slightly lower toward the SE. The only view was of a long ridge to the S. Still, it was something. Another small rock outcropping 20 or 30 feet farther SE that was at essentially the same elevation as the true summit was a better spot to see it, and was where Lupe and SPHP took a break.
So this is it, SPHP? Peak 4741?
Afraid so, Loopster. Pleasant enough, but admittedly not too dramatic.
Mellow indeed, but it’s still a Lists of John peak, right?
Absolutely! You’ve chalked up another one, Loop!
And we went over both HP5044 and HP4827, too, right, SPHP?
Yes, although a tiny bit of doubt remains about HP5044 since we didn’t go quite all the way to where it should have been.
That’s because you concluded that the map was nuts, SPHP.
True enough, Loop. So, what are you driving at?
Blimey! You’re a little slow on the draw, SPHP. After coming all this way over hill and dale, isn’t it about time for a chocolate coconut bar?
Oh, of course! I’ve got some Taste of the Wild for you, too!
Traffic noise from I-90 was easily heard over the crunching and munching of Taste of the Wild after the chocolate coconut bar vanished. There actually was more to see along Peak 4741’s summit ridge once Lupe was finished. Only slightly lower, the limestone formations along the SE end of the ridge were larger and more interesting than the true summit had been. Worth a look!
Inspection of the SE limestone formations complete, Lupe returned to the break spot to relax a little longer before visiting the cairn nearby.
Half an hour after arriving, the American Dingo was once again back at the true summit, departure imminent.
The forest N of the true summit wasn’t much lower, and looked dark and mysterious. Before leaving Peak 4741 for good, Lupe explored it as far N as it remained flat, but finding nothing worth noting, finally headed back down the mountain to USFS Road No. 169.1D.
Upon reaching the road, Lupe varied her return route, following 169.1D SE for more than a mile before leaving it to venture up the steep upper W end of Breakneck Gulch. This shortcut brought her straight back to the intersection of USFS Roads No. 169.1I and No. 169.1B again.
3:11 PM – Taking No. 169.1B NW to where it topped out, Lupe revisited HP5044, or perhaps its imposter, N of the road. Still a couple of pleasant miles to go retracing her morning route, but Loop and SPHP took a few minutes to relax here and reflect on the day.
Peak 4741 wasn’t all that scintillating, Loop, but we had fun didn’t we?
Of course! Always fun to explore new territory, SPHP, and we’d never been through this area before.
I’ll kind of miss doing these Lists of John peaks when we run out of them. Never know what to expect.
What? Are we really going to run out of them, SPHP?
Yup. Not yet, but pretty soon. At least the ones with public access here in the Black Hills National forest.
What are we going to do then, SPHP?
Oh, don’t worry about that, Loop. We can revisit some of our favorite named peaks, explore more trails, or even go back to following streams and valleys like we used to do way back when we first started your Black Hills expeditions. Plus there are countless hills and ridges we’ve never been to that aren’t on any lists that might still be worth seeing.
As long as there’s always another adventure waiting in the wings, I’ll be happy, SPHP, no matter where we go!
Me too, Loop! Me, too.
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