Day 3 of Lupe’s 4th Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorns!
9:02 AM, 50ºF, base camp 1.75 miles SE of Mather Peaks –
Why take down the tiny house, SPHP? We aren’t giving up, are we?
Nope. Feeling better now, Loop. Decided we might want to gamble after all, and won’t be able to do that if we don’t bring everything with us.
Gamble on what, SPHP?
A loop route, Loopster! After Mathers today, Peak 12328 tomorrow, then down to Florence Pass, and back past Gunboat and Mistymoon Lakes.
Oh, the long route! That would be wonderful! I’d love to see Florence Pass and all the lakes again.
Me too, Loop, but I don’t know if it will work. Think it will be OK, but we’ll be in a bit of a pickle, if we can’t make it down to Florence Pass. Anyway, none of that matters until we tag Mathers. So, onward! Puppy ho!
Conditions were perfect last night, yet it had been a restless one. SPHP’s turn had come to wake up queasy in the wee hours, prompting questions about this entire operation. Fortunately, the 3 hour bug had faded away uneventfully. No ill effects, other than causing SPHP to sleep in a bit.
Finally ready, SPHP now hoisted the pack and strapped in. Lupe set off heading NE. Sort of the wrong direction, Mather Peaks (12,400 ft.) was NW, but the plan was to get up to where Lupe could take a peek E down at the Frozen Lakes, then follow Mather’s nearly 1.75 mile long SE ridge over HP11904 and HP11813 to the summit.
Looked easy from afar, but it only took the Carolina Dog a few minutes to exit base camp’s grassy region and get into the rocks. Progress slowed tremendously, although she still seemed to be getting somewhere. An hour later, SPHP wasn’t so sure. The view wasn’t changing much, the ridge ahead magically remaining always about the same distance away.
Holy moly, Looper! How much farther can it be? Maybe base camp wasn’t as high as I thought it was? This was supposed to be quick and easy!
Quick and easy! Who told you that, SPHP?
No one. I just assumed it would be. Doesn’t look far or steep at all on the topo map.
Well, we’ll get there, SPHP!
Not sure this side excursion is worth it, Loop. We’ve got miles of this stuff to go through today! How badly do you want to see the Frozen Lakes?
Would be sweet, of course, SPHP, but Mather Peaks is highest priority. Want to cut and run on Frozen Lakes?
Run? If only we could! But, yeah, I think we better skip the lakes. Let’s head straight for HP11904.
HP11904? Hah! Fat chance! Even that wasn’t happening. After a long, slow trek, Lupe managed to reach the upper S slopes, but the endless scramble among the talus was dreadful work, and the situation didn’t look one bit better higher up. Was there really any benefit to be gained from the effort required to get to the top? Didn’t seem like it.
Gah! This is ridiculous, Loop! New plan!
I’m all ear’s, SPHP!
Not entirely, Looper, but you do have big ones.
Plan C, SPHP! What is it?
Plan C? This is Plan C: No preconceived ideas or routes. Forget HP11904, forget HP11813, forget the SE ridge! Just take whatever seems to be the path of least resistance in the general direction of Mather Peaks.
Pure genius, SPHP! No one else could ever conceive such a brilliant plan!
Mocked by a Dingo! Well, it ain’t the first time. Onward! Puppy ho!
Hardly was such a thing as a path of least resistance, but to the extent that there was one, it was well below Mather Peaks’ SE ridge. Gradually losing elevation, the American Dingo worked her way WNW trying to make maximum use of rare patches of vegetation where momentary bursts of speed were possible.
Plan C did help some. Definitely better than Plans A or B! The going was generally at least somewhat easier. Every now and then, Lupe reached flat spots where it was possible to get comfortable for a few minutes.
During these rest breaks, the Carolina Dog enjoyed fabulous views of Peak 12080, Darton Peak (12,275 ft.), Bighorn Peak (12,324 ft.) and Lost Twin Lakes Peak (12,015 ft.) back to the S.
Progress remained slow, but better than it had been higher up. Short bursts of speed were occasionally possible whenever Lupe came to stretches of tundra that linked, or nearly did. However, the next big batch of talus to contend with was always near.
Persistence paid off, though. It eventually became clear that Loopster was finally closing in on Mather Peaks’ E summit.
Time to start climbing again! Angling more toward the NW, Lupe got close to the SE ridgeline, but didn’t actually reach it until arriving at a flat area at the base of the E summit.
A vertical rock here was suspiciously reminiscent of the vampire Lupe had seen yesterday evening. Passing a nearby outcropping of black rock, Loop entered a talus-filled valley that ran WNW up toward the summit.
The talus valley was longer than it appeared from below. Fortunately, it wasn’t actually all talus. Partway up, relatively open lanes extended the rest of the way up to the base of a short, steep scramble toward what had to be the top of the mountain.
2:59 PM, 60ºF, Mather Peaks (12,400 ft.) E (true) summit – Lupe came up at the ESE end of a roomy plain of talus that rose after a dip toward the true summit at the far NW end. Would only take a couple of minutes to get there, but first she turned to gaze back down Mather Peaks’ SE ridge. HP11904 was easily identifiable nearly 1.75 mile away.
The view was fantastic! To the SSE, Loaf Mountain (11,722 ft.) was in sight between Darton Peak (12,275 ft.) and Bighorn Peak (12,324 ft.). More toward the S, part of the lower Lost Twin Lake was visible nearly 1,700 feet below Lost Twin Lakes Peak (12,015 ft.).
More mountain splendors were ahead! Crossing the summit plateau, Lupe reached the cairn over by the true summit. She now had a grand view of Mather Peaks’ lower (12,348 ft.) W summit only 0.5 mile WSW. 6 miles WNW, Elk Mountain (11,321 ft.) caught the eye.
Peak 12,328, 1.25 miles NW, was of special interest. Might well be the American Dingo’s next destination, if the Florence Pass gamble was a go!
As tremendous as all these sights were, none of them were the actual, grand scenic prize from Mather Peaks. That title was held by the view to the N, where Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.), mightiest of the Bighorn Range, Bomber Mountain (12,840 ft.), and a series of intervening sheer cliffs was on display.
Mather Peaks true summit! Congratulations, Loopster! Kind of a tough slog for no farther or higher than we had to go today, wasn’t it?
Mather Peaks matter, SPHP, and here we are! Hope you’ve got a chocolate coconut bar in that pack! Think I’ve earned one.
Most definitely time for a rest break. Although smoke was visible to the W and S, it wasn’t close enough to mar the 360º views. Conditions were otherwise near perfect.
Perfect? Nothing but rock up here! Can’t even relax in comfort, SPHP!
Yeah, that was more or less true. SPHP helped Lupe get as comfortable as possible, then fished an army green box out from the rocks below the boulder where the cairn sat. As expected, a registry was inside. It was damp, but SPHP made certain Lupe’s visit was recorded.
Any other entries in the registry, SPHP?
Yes, some, but not very many. Couple miles of talus does tend to keep the riff-raff away, Loop.
For a while, Lupe curled up on SPHP’s lap, trying to snooze, or gazing out at the glorious views in all directions. Once sufficiently rested up, the Carolina Dog joined SPHP in wandering about the summit region.
4:11 PM, Mather Peaks E summit – More than an hour after arriving, Lupe stood again at the true summit with that fabulous view of Cloud Peak and Bomber Mountain beyond her.
Always sad to leave a place anywhere close to as grand as Mather Peaks, but it was time. Sadder yet that, although it wasn’t all that far away, Lupe wasn’t going to have time to visit Mather Peaks’ W summit.
A combination of SPHP’s queasiness causing a late start, the unsuccessful and unnecessary quest to see the Frozen Lakes, SPHP’s usual torpid pace, and shorter days this late in the season were all contributing factors.
Oh, the Carolina Dog could have made it to the W summit, alright, but doing so would have meant having to negotiate a long descent through a sea of talus in the dark. Nope, not worth it! Lupe had spent a delightful full hour plus up at Mather Peaks’ true summit, and that was going to have to be good enough.
Yada, yada! It’s been splendid, but we don’t have forever up here, SPHP! What’s plan D? Are we going back? Did you drag that fully loaded pack all the way up here for nothing? Or are we gambling?
Gambling on Florence Pass, Loop! That’s the good news! Looks like we ought to be able to find a decent spot to camp S of Peak 12328.
SPHP started down first, scrambling SW off the summit before angling NW. The American Dingo soon came bounding after. Another mostly talus march W ensued down to the saddle leading to Mather Peaks’ W summit. Instead of heading for that tempting, forbidden destination, Lupe turned N as soon as possible.
6:23 PM, saddle between Mather Peaks & Peak 12328 – The descent had been a mostly slow, but gorgeous evening trek. Incredible surroundings, profound solitude! Thus far, Plan D had gone just fine. The tiny house was all set up, and Lupe had what remained of the day to chow down and relax in superb isolation.
Can’t be too many Dingos that have ever been here, Loopster!
They’re missing out, SPHP!
That’s a good thing, Loop. Wouldn’t be the same if there was a crowd.
Resting by the tiny house, sunlight streaming over her, tomorrow’s next adventure was just N. Peak 12328 looked like a snap. The real question was whether getting down to Florence Pass afterwards would actually be feasible?
The Carolina Dog wasn’t worried. She stayed out until the sun was gone before entering the tiny house. Paws twitching as dusk deepened, Lupe set off on more adventures in Dingo Dreamland. Perhaps bounding over the endless talus to visit the lonely W summit of Mather Peaks?
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