12:32 PM, 39ºF, junction of USFS Road No. 710 & Hwy 385 – Lupe stood next to the RAV4 with a big smile on her face. The American Dingo was all fired up for the last big adventure of 2022, her traditional year end visit to New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.)!
What luck, SPHP! This year we actually get to go right on December 31st! That’s not always the case.
True enough, Looper! This will be your 10th visit to New Year’s Eve Peak, but only the 4th time right on New Year’s Eve. Flexibility is required, since the weather is unreliable this time of year. I’m like you, though, always hoping December 31st will work out.
Are we going to visit Peak 5800 first, SPHP?
Yes, let’s do it! Should have time enough for that. Onward! Puppy, ho!
Beneath an overcast sky, Lupe headed SW into the forest. The cool air and patches of old snow on the ground did make the day feel a little on the wintry side, but conditions really weren’t bad at all.
A gentle slope soon became a steeper climb. Nothing too difficult. After gaining 400 feet of elevation, Lupe reached a clearing where a platform of rock provided the first real view of the day. Rolling grasslands of the Bald Hills were in sight only a mile or two NE. Far beyond them, the sky was lighter on the horizon. Apparently, the gray cloud hanging over the Black Hills didn’t extend way out onto the western South Dakota prairie.
As Lupe continued higher, she came to a series of rock outcroppings in the forest that were kind of fun.
Peak 5800’s long NW/SE oriented summit ridge wasn’t much farther. The forest ended as Lupe approached it. A little snow and deadfall on this last slope presented no difficulty.
Lupe reached the summit ridge a bit NW of the SE high point. This was not the true summit, which was located at the NW end. Lupe turned SE going past the high point down to some rocks providing excellent views. Tiny snowflakes filled the air, a gloom descending on Peak 5800 as snow showers swept in.
Storm Hill (5,192 ft.), Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.), Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.), and Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.) were all still in sight to the SE, along with Sheridan Lake. Meanwhile, off to the SW, Five Points (6,221 ft.) and False North Point (6,130 ft.) were threatening to disappear among the gray clouds.
Gosh, I wasn’t expecting snow, Loopster. Maybe the situation is going to get more interesting than the forecast indicated?
Well, we better not dilly-dally then, SPHP. We don’t want to miss out on New Year’s Eve Peak!
Heading NW to Peak 5800’s true summit, Lupe paused briefly on the SE high point before continuing on. New Year’s Eve Peak was already in sight 2 miles NW. Although the sky was completely overcast, it didn’t look as stormy over there.
Strewn with rocks and scattered pines, Peak 5800’s broad summit ridge was a pleasant, easy trek. Soon the Carolina Dog was standing atop the 10 foot high rock formation at the true summit.
1:42 PM, 35ºF, Peak 5800 – The view of New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) was even better here. Lupe could see the Seth Bullock lookout tower on Scruton Mountain (5,922 ft.), too.
Conditions don’t seem to be getting any worse, Loop. Think we can stay here a little while. How about a chocolate coconut bar?
Oh, SPHP! You know I’m never in such a rush that I’d be unwilling to hang around for a chocolate coconut bar!
Shortly after the chocolate coconut bar vanished, a snow shower swept over the mountain, reviving at least some sense of urgency about getting to New Year’s Eve Peak. After a brief stay on Peak 5800’s summit, Lupe was on her way again.
Peak 5800’s W face was by far the most rugged terrain the Carolina Dog would encounter today. Past experience had shown that by going SW, getting off the mountain wasn’t actually hard at all.
Skies were clearing to the N. Patches of blue appeared! Continuing NW, beautiful, rolling territory was ahead. This region of rock outcroppings, scattered pines, and big views was one of the features that always made Lupe’s New Year’s Eve Peak tradition such an attractive proposition.
Without much snow to deal with this year, even SPHP made great progress as the American Dingo sniffed and explored her way toward Peak 5917, which now hid most of New Year’s Eve Peak.
An unexpected transformation had taken place by the time Lupe was closing in on Peak 5917. With only an hour or two of daylight left in 2022, suddenly the Carolina Dog was in sunshine. To the N, skies were almost completely blue, although plenty of clouds remained elsewhere.
Keep your claws crossed, Looper! Maybe we’ll get to see a glorious sunset from New Year’s Eve Peak?
Oh, I hope so, SPHP! That would be a fabulous finish for 2022!
An hour earlier, and Lupe would have had time to climb Peak 5917, too, but the position of the sun indicated that she’d better not delay in getting to New Year’s Eve Peak. Traversing the S slope, Loop went over a ridge then down to the saddle leading to Pistol Point.
Turning first W, then SW, 2 steep climbs on a snowy old road next to a fence got Lupe up to the Pistol Point region. Abandoning the road, she headed S looking for the pistol handle, which was super easy to find.
Pistol Point is the high point at the end of New Year’s Eve Peak’s S ridge where it curls to the E. With Peak 5917 only 0.5 mile NE, and a great look at Peak 5800 to the ESE, Lupe always stopped here to enjoy the sweeping views.
Pistol Point offered grand views to the S as well, but the scene to the SW was the important one at the moment. Quite a few clouds that way, but reasonable hope still remained for a marvelous winter sunset. With the sun already low, Lupe had to press on.
Hard to believe a whole year had already slipped away since Lupe’s last journey along New Year’s Eve Peak’s familiar S ridge, but it was true. 2022 had been a spectacular year! Now it was about to fade into history forever. A brooding sadness came flooding over SPHP as the American Dingo finished her ascent.
4:02 PM, 29ºF, New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) – The sun was still up, but not for much longer when Loopster leapt onto the 4 foot high rock formation that was the mountain’s true summit. A cairn was still on it, and a second cairn sat on some lower rocks a little farther S. The small pines surrounding the true summit were growing up, getting taller every year. Soon enough, there wouldn’t be a view.
The first time Lupe had ever come here, the trees had been tall and old. Hardly any views at all back then except from along the S edge. There hadn’t been any cairns, either. And then, a year or two later, Loop had arrived to find that loggers had come through, taking out quite a few of the old trees, which opened up at least some views to the S and SE.
That first time Lupe stood on these rocks had been the last day of 2012, exactly 10 years ago. Not only 2022 was dying, a whole decade was about to be lost to the annals of time with it. 10 years gone!
Amid SPHP’s morose thoughts, ever so gently requesting recognition, dear Lupe offered her sweet paw. Brightening, SPHP shook it.
Great job, Looper! So glad we’re together again on New Year’s Eve Peak!
In time for sunset, too, SPHP! And another chocolate coconut bar, I hope!
Oh, yes, I brought another one, Loop. Let’s go sit down and enjoy it.
Suddenly, from somewhere off to the N, gunshots rang out. Panicked, Lupe sprang off the summit.
Hide, SPHP! Enemies!
The gunshots were loud and kept coming, seldom pausing for more than a minute or two.
Blam, blam, blam!
Took a lot of convincing, but Lupe curled up on SPHP’s lap on the upper W slope. Lupe and SPHP had always sat here together facing the snowy hills stretching away to the W, but this time Lupe was trembling as SPHP stroked her soft ears.
Sitting there facing WSW, it was kind of cold. The chocolate coconut bar was frozen stiff as SPHP divided it up. Loopster enjoyed her share, but not the rest of the experience. That dang gunfire wouldn’t stop. More than anything else, the Carolina Dog wanted to flee.
The chocolate coconut bar was gone. SPHP chomped 2 small apples while the sun sank into a bank of clouds. Instead of a splendid show, 2022 was destined to die dull and drab. Too bad, but nothing to be done about it. SPHP tried to think of all of Lupe’s wonderful adventures in 2022, but it was impossible to celebrate the now fleeting year, brood over days gone by, or even ponder what 2023 might bring.
Blam, blam, blam!
200 rounds. For the first time ever, New Year’s Eve Peak wasn’t fun.
4:32 PM – Still light in the sky, but after sinking into the murk, the sun hadn’t been seen for a while. Clearly no point in staying in this war zone without even any hope of a colorful display. Exactly half an hour after arriving, a paranoid American Dingo stood once more on New Year’s Eve Peak’s summit.
SPHP smiled, and gave Lupe an apparently unreassuring pat.
10 years, Loopster! At least we made it back here again.
Yes, wonderful, truly amazing, SPHP! Now hurry up, take the shot, and let’s get out of here before this turns out to be not only 2022’s grand finale, but ours as well!
Lupe leapt down the instant the photo was taken, but did pause briefly a short distance from the summit on the rocks with the best views along the S edge. Beyond her, Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) was a dark blue, Five Points (6,221 ft.) a deep green and gray. Far to the SSW, a pale orange strip of sky was visible above the distant hills.
Soon the light would fade. 2022 would sneak away in the night never to return. For a moment, Lupe stood there looking wistful.
The Carolina Dog said nothing, though, before continuing down the slope leading to the S ridge. By the time she got to Pistol Point, dusk was on the verge of turning into night. Silence reigned among the shadows. A little later on, going over Peak 5917’s S ridge, the flashlight came out. Stars twinkled above, and a half moon brightened what snow remained.
In darkness, snow crunched beneath SPHP’s boots as Lupe trotted down USFS Road No. 710. 2022’s final quiet, happy time together. Tomorrow dawn would arrive with whatever adventures New Year 2023 would bring. (End 5:54 PM, 30ºF)
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 288 – New Year’s Eve Peak (1-3-22)
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