Day 1 of Lupe’s 1st Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming!
5:30 PM, Pass 8729 along USFS Road No. 24 to Battle Park, Bighorn Mountains, WY –
Oh, it’s wonderful to be back in the Bighorn Mountains, SPHP! Seems like forever since our final Dingo Vacation adventure of 2021 here last fall! Are we going to pick up where we left off?
Yeah, sort of, Looper. Still too snowy for the real high stuff, but hoping we can at least get to Giant Deer Mountain (11,321 ft.).
Giant Deer Mountain! That was the first one we did in the Bighorns last year, SPHP! We aren’t going to do it again, are we? Don’t you remember how it got so dark before we made it back to the trail that we never did find it, and had to sleep on the ground lost in the forest until sunrise?
I sure do! How could I forget that? But you’re thinking of Giant Deer Peak (11,050 ft.) in the N Bighorns, Loop. I’m talking about Giant Deer Mountain, an entirely different summit W of Mistymoon Lake. We passed a little W of it when we took the Solitude Trail from Battle Park to base camp at Gunboat Lake before climbing Bomber Mountain back in 2018. It’s been on your “to do” list all this time.
So there are two mountains or peaks in the Bighorns both named after Giant Deers, SPHP?
Exactly right, Loopster.
You have to admit, that’s sort of confusing, SPHP.
Yes, but you like Giant Deers, don’t you, Loop? You won’t begrudge them a couple of nice peaks in the Bighorns, will you?
Oh, you know I love Giant Deers, SPHP! Two peaks or mountains named for them is fine with me. Although, I would note a dearth of Dingo Peaks, which would have been a mighty fine name for one of them, too!
I see what you mean, Loopster. No justice in this world, is there?
Not much for us American Dingoes, SPHP. What are you fiddling with there, anyway?
A brand new iPhone, Loop! Just got it working yesterday! Never had a smart phone before. Once I figure out how to use it, we’ll be able to do all sorts of things we never could before!
Well, welcome to the new millennia, SPHP! About time, I’d say!
I suppose so, but I was always under the impression that millennia were supposed to last practically forever. Then, whammo! Just like that, the old millennia suddenly up and dies on me way before I was finished with it.
You’re joking, right, SPHP? No way you were alive way back then!
Oh, yes I was! In some ways, the old millennia was better than this one, except, of course, that you weren’t in it, Loop.
What!? You were alive last millennia, SPHP? Is that even possible? Guess I’ve never really thought about it before, but how ancient are you, anyway?
My, my! Look at the time, sweet Dingo!
Huh? What time is it, SPHP?
Time to change the subject, Loop. Speaking of which, I managed to do one thing with this iPhone before we left home. I downloaded the Peakbagger app. Seem to have service here, shall we try it out, and see what happens?
Sure! Go for it, SPHP! Let me know what it does.
OK, Looper. Huh. Looks like it’s giving me a list of nearby peaks. Shows their names, how far away they are, and in what direction, elevation, and even prominence.
Are any of them small enough to climb before sunset, SPHP? I could use a romp after being cooped up in the RAV4 all afternoon.
You know, that’s a good idea, Loop! We’ve got a few hours before the sun goes down. Let me scroll through this list for a minute, or two. Oh, this is cool! If I touch the peak name, it opens up another screen with even more information, and when I touch “Peakbagger” on that screen, it takes me right to that mountain’s page on Peakbagger.com. I can see all kinds of info about it there, even the topo map. This is going to be super useful!
Find any mountains we might still climb this evening yet, SPHP?
Yup! Several, but here’s just the ticket! Buck Mountain (9,560 ft.)! If we kept driving N, like we’re going to anyway, it will be only a mile off the road SW of Bellyache Flats. You know what, Loopster? If we take a little jaunt up Buck Mountain, we might be able to see Elk Mountain from up there. Kind of scout it out a bit. Might help us decide how we should go at it tomorrow.
How big a climb is Buck Mountain, SPHP?
Umm, looks like less than 600 feet of elevation gain. Appears easy on the topo map.
Sounds good! Let’s do it, SPHP!
6:00 PM, start of USFS Road No. 360 off No. 24 at Bellyache Flats – To the SW, a stand of pines could be seen in the distance at the top of an open grassy slope dotted with sagebrush as Lupe started her evening trek up Buck Mountain. Although even the steepest part wasn’t all that steep, unaccustomed to the elevation, SPHP was glad when slope began to level out after just a 200 foot gain. Meanwhile, Lupe trotted ahead, roaming and sniffing as she pleased, completely unfazed.
For a little way, the terrain flattened out completely. Already halfway up Buck Mountain, Loopster paralleled a fence that headed straight for the forested region where the summit was hidden. Approaching the forest, the ground rose again. Several big boulders were scattered along the forest’s edge.
Continuing up into the trees, the terrain quickly leveled out again. The super easy part of the ascent was now over. Directly ahead, the forest was choked with deadfall.
SPHP wasn’t as enthused about the whole Buck Mountain notion upon seeing all the deadfall, but Lupe kept going – leaping over, going around, or sneaking under it all. 400 feet into the forest, she came to an even more daunting obstacle, a vertical wall of rock 30 feet high.
Exploring W along the base of the wall, the Carolina Dog didn’t have far to go before coming to sort of a bowl that extended toward the S. This bowl was flanked by rock walls, too, but they weren’t as continuous. Lupe discovered an opening where she could scramble up.
Once on top, Lupe found herself in another flat forested region. This area was not only full of deadfall, but deep, narrow crevasses existed near the edges of the rock wall, too.
Working SSE through this maze of obstacles, Loopster gradually gained elevation. After 800 feet, another 30 foot high wall of rock appeared off to the WSW (R). Despite the smooth-looking contours on the topo map, Buck Mountain had a tiered structure to it.
I suppose we have to get up there, don’t we, SPHP?
Yup. Afraid so, Looper. Hang on, though. Let me consult the iPhone again. If we have a signal here, the Peakbagger app ought to tell us how far we are from the summit, and what direction it’s in. Seems like we ought to be pretty close to it by now.
The news was good! The Peakbagger app claimed that the summit was only 78 feet W. Going just a little way S along the base of the rock wall, a potential route up appeared. Deadfall and bushes made what otherwise would have been a quick, easy climb take longer than it should have, but after a brief delay, Lupe made it up to yet another nearly flat region.
Instead of being heavily forested, full of deadfall and crevasses, this flat region was mostly open. Small stones, grass, sagebrush, and young trees dotted a plateau 100+ feet wide E/W, and 500+ feet long N/S. The entire area sloped slightly down toward the S. Sunlight filtered through larger trees all along the rim.
A short stroll NNW from where Lupe had come up, a small cairn sat at the highest point, perched at the far N end of the plateau along the brink of a 30 foot cliff, right about where the Peakbagger app said the true summit should be.
Congratulations, Loopster, on climbing Buck Mountain, the first summit of your Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacations! Appears this is it!
Why, thank you, SPHP! Got any chocolate coconut bars in that pack to help us celebrate properly?
Hmm. No. Sorry, Loop. Forgot all about chocolate coconut bars. I’ve got a banana, Taste of the Wild, and water.
Not a single chocolate coconut bar? You’re slipping, SPHP! I’ll forgive you this time. You can have the banana, and I’ll have some of that Taste of the Wild. Maybe your magical Peakbagger app can remind you to bring chocolate coconut bars next time?
Think I’ve got to manage that on my own, Loop. Or, you can help remind me.
The were-puppy can teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget, SPHP.
Hopefully, that won’t be necessary, Looper. I’ll do better.
For a while, as a banana and Taste of the Wild vanished, Lupe and SPHP sat together enjoying the secluded tranquility of Buck Mountain’s true summit.
You know, Loop, having this iPhone and Peakbagger app almost seems like cheating doesn’t it? I mean, compared to just using a paper map, like we’ve always done before. Now the app tells us almost exactly where we need to go. “W 78 feet.” Takes some of the romance and mystery out of it.
True, but we still have to climb the mountain, SPHP. You’ll get used to it. Consider this! Without that app’s suggestion on where we might go, we wouldn’t even be here now. Although, I have to admit that Buck Mountain doesn’t seem to be working out as a way to scout out routes up Giant Deer Mountain. No views at all up here, other than trees!
True, but there will be views on the way back once we leave the forest. Want to spend a few minutes exploring this summit plateau before we go?
The Carolina Dog was all for exploring! A second cairn, marking an easy way to get down off the W edge of the plateau, was discovered 65 feet SW of the summit cairn. Going all the way S to the end of the open area, a narrower lane continued deeper into the forest. Lupe found a squirrel to bark at, which made her happy, but there wasn’t much else of interest.
Content that she’d seen all that Buck Mountain’s summit region had to offer, Lupe returned to the 2nd cairn along the NW edge of the plateau. Taking the easy way down, she rejoined her deadfall-laden ascent route, retracing it through the forest, and eventually working her way back to the boulders overlooking the flat open plain.
5 miles NE, Peak 11100 was framed between much more distant Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.) and Bomber Mountain (12,840 ft.). A clear view of Giant Deer Mountain (11,321 ft.) was of more immediate interest. SPHP paused to study it.
So, what do you think, SPHP?
Kind of glad we did this little scouting jaunt up Buck Mountain, Looper! I’d been thinking that we’d go up to the pass W of Mistymoon Lake, camp there tomorrow night, then follow Giant Deer Mountain’s E ridge to the summit the next day. From that same base camp, we could even visit both Peak 11,112 and Peak 11,100, if we wanted to spend another day, but now I’m not so sure that’s what we ought to do.
What’s the other option then, SPHP?
Now that I see it, that long E ridge may not be the way to go, Loop. Might be a whole lot easier to take on Giant Deer Mountain (11,321 ft.) as just a simple day hike going up the SW slope from Lily Lake.
But we won’t get to climb Peak 11112 or Peak 11100, if we just do a day hike!
No, but we’ve got lots of other peaks on your list of possibilities that are higher priorities. Giant Deer Mountain is our main objective here. Don’t worry! No matter what we do, you’re going to be a busy Dingo climbing some splendid mountains this summer.
As long as that’s the case, whatever you decide is fine with me, SPHP. Ponder it overnight, if you like.
As the sun sank in the NW on the way back to the RAV4, the American Dingo’s attention was seized by a real live herd of Giant Deers grazing on a hillside off to the E. SPHP was left alone to ponder tomorrow’s course of action.
Bathed in alpenglow, Peak 11100 not only looked enticingly beautiful, but appeared to be a fun, easy climb. Getting to see Mistymoon Lake again would be awesome, too. On the other paw, a mere day hike up Giant Deer Mountain would free SPHP from having to lug Lupe’s tiny house and all the extra gear required for one or more overnight stays.
Either way, the American Dingo was in for a glorious day tomorrow in the beautiful Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, a fabulous start to any Dingo Vacation!
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