Yeah, that had to be it. That was the same semi-barren big hill that SPHP had suspected was Point Crawford (8,840 ft.) at lunch time down at the defunct Wallis picnic ground.
Lupe and SPHP were in the G6 a mile E of I-80 on USFS Road No. 705 (Blair-Wallis Road) on the way back from Lupe’s almost successful ascent of Poland Hill (8,480 ft.). From up on this treeless ridge, there was a good view to the NE. The big semi-barren hill was clearly the last real high spot at the S end of a long, high, otherwise more heavily forested ridge. That had to be Point Crawford.
Point Crawford was Lupe’s next peakbagging goal. She would also visit nearby, but much lower, Bennett Hill (8,440 ft.), provided SPHP could figure out exactly where it was.
Lupe and SPHP abandoned the G6 at the Wallis picnic ground (4:20 PM, 61°F). Lupe went N on No. 705 a short distance, then left the road heading up the first big grassy slope going NE. The slope grew steeper as Lupe entered the forest.
From below, it had looked like Point Crawford would be easiest to climb along a ridgeline approaching the mountain from the WNW. Lupe and SPHP tried to trend N to get there. Lupe successfully crossed several ravines without losing much elevation.
The terrain grew more challenging. Getting to the WNW ridge wasn’t going to be worth the effort. It was easier to simply keep climbing NE. SPHP should have continued 0.5 mile farther N on the road, if Lupe meant to attack Point Crawford from the WNW.
The climb became progressively steeper. Finally, Lupe managed to get up on the SW ridgeline. A dangerous downed barbed wire fence followed the spine of the ridge. SPHP lifted Lupe over the fence, then paused to admire the beautiful view to the SSE. Lupe had already gained more than half the elevation required to reach the top of Point Crawford.
Lupe and SPHP resumed the climb, staying a little E of the spine of the ridge. The barbed wire fence on the ridgeline soon disappeared. It was replaced for a short distance by a log rail fence, but it ended before long, too.
Lupe reached a knoll along the ridge. Ahead was a rocky high point. SPHP suspected it might be the summit of Point Crawford. At the very least, it couldn’t be far from the summit.
Beyond the knoll, Lupe found a trail. The trail led up to the base of the rocky high point, and then curved around the E side of it. The trail continued climbing toward the NNE until it was even higher than the rocky high point. To the N, a line of rock 5-10 feet high formed the summit ridge of Point Crawford.
The summit ridge ran E/W for about 300 or 400 feet. The trail faded away before reaching the E end. Lupe continued up for a look around. The ridge was strewn with good-sized rocks, but there wasn’t any clear highest point. Lupe and SPHP explored out to the W end of the summit ridge looking for the true summit, but finally concluded the highest points toward each end of the ridge were really about the same elevation.
Lupe and SPHP returned to the E end of the summit ridge. The best views were here. Lupe had a grand panoramic view of a huge amount of territory from the NE around to the S.
Point Crawford was one of the more spectacular mountains Lupe had climbed while in the Laramie Mountains SE of Laramie, WY. Only the Leg Benchmark and Pole Mountain had been better. Naturally, Lupe and SPHP hung around for a while, taking a break and gazing at the terrific views.
Before leaving the summit area, Lupe climbed the false summit to the SW.
On the way down, Lupe and SPHP followed the trail that Lupe had found on the way up. SPHP stopped occasionally to take photos of the views, but mostly concentrated on trying to figure out exactly where Lupe’s next peakbagging goal, Bennett Hill, was.
A series of solid rock high points could be seen below to the S. None of them looked like anything Lupe could climb. Despite consulting the topo map repeatedly, SPHP wasn’t certain which, if any of them, might be Bennett Hill.
At first, the trail coming down from Point Crawford was easy to follow. However, when Lupe reached a field N of the biggest of the rock formation to the S, it simply faded away. Lupe and SPHP went around to the W, where Lupe found the trail again. The trail went clear around to the SE end of the rocks, before turning S again.
SPHP kept losing the trail. Lupe kept finding it again. The trail headed S for a while, eventually angling over to a N/S running fence to the E. For a short distance, the trail followed the fence line before turning SW to go up over a little rise in the forest. To SPHP’s surprise, beyond the rise the trail angled more and more to the W.
Following the trail W, Lupe caught a glimpse of Point Crawford back to the NNE. The trail came to a small high point, which it skirted to the N, before starting to lose serious elevation as it continued WSW. It seemed certain the trail was on its way down to USFS Road No. 705 somewhere close to, or a bit S of, the abandoned Wallis picnic ground where the G6 was parked. SPHP hadn’t noticed a trailhead anywhere along the road, and didn’t know exactly where it would come out.
Lupe wasn’t going back to the G6 yet! Leaving the trail, Lupe and SPHP got up on the small high point to the S. In the distance, Lupe could see Poland Hill, where she had discovered a hidden grotto with water in it earlier in the day. Much closer, she could also see a small, forested hill.
By now, SPHP had stared at the topo map enough times to conclude that none of the rock formations Lupe had seen from up on Point Crawford were Bennett Hill. The map showed Bennett Hill farther SW, very close to a bend in USFS Road No. 705 around its W slope.
There was no mistake. The small forested hill Lupe saw was Bennett Hill (8,840 ft.)! It wasn’t far away, and looked easy to climb. Lupe was going to have her Bennett Hill peakbagging success, after all!
Lupe and SPHP struck out into the forest for Bennett Hill. Lupe went around the E end of a small valley draining to the W to avoid losing much elevation on the way.
Soon Lupe was around the valley, and approaching Bennett Hill from the E. A clearing in the forest exposed much of the E slope. Lupe could see the highest rocks at the top of Bennett Hill ahead. Why, there might even be a bit of a view from Bennett Hill!
Lupe reached the summit. SPHP lifted her onto the highest boulder. The intrepid Carolina Dog had made it! Another peakbagging success!
The sun would still be up for more than an hour, but it had already been a long day. Lupe had 5 peakbagging successes, and 1 near-miss failure to show for it. She also had a ravenous appetite. While SPHP relaxed, Lupe chowed down on Taste of the Wild.
Lupe exhausted the Taste of the Wild supply. As she digested it, SPHP came up with a new idea. It was still more than an hour until sunset. The G6 had to be moved from the defunct Wallis picnic ground due to a goofy little “No Overnight Camping” sign. Why not go get the G6, drive around to a place SPHP had seen to the E along USFS Road No. 707, and return to make a 2nd ascent of Bennett Hill at sunset?
Lupe is always ready for almost anything. Lupe and SPHP left Bennett Hill heading down the steep, forested NW slope. The Carolina Dog reached No. 705 a little S of the Wallis picnic ground. She crossed a green field near Middle Crow Creek that turned out to be rather marshy, arriving at the G6 at 7:18 PM.
There was enough time left before sundown so SPHP could grab something to eat. SPHP served Lupe some Alpo, too. After a quick dinner, Lupe and SPHP jumped in the G6. SPHP drove S on No. 705, turned L on No. 707 (Headquarters Road) S of Bennett Hill, and drove NE going uphill.
Just past a cattle guard was a little side road leading down into a gully. It looked like the perfect place NOT to park the G6 during a flash flood, but would do for tonight. SPHP parked, and Lupe and SPHP set out for Bennett Hill for a 2nd time, this time from the E (7:53 PM, 53°F).
The G6 had gained enough elevation coming up USFS Road No. 707 so that Lupe wouldn’t have to gain much on her way to Bennett Hill. There was still some up and down along the way. Lupe headed W, skirting around the S side of a tall rock formation. Lupe loves both dawn and dusk. She was having a great time exploring paths between the sagebrush, and looking for squirrels in the trees.
Lupe reached Bennett Hill again 15 minutes before sunset. Together, Lupe and SPHP watched and waited. The sky overhead was clear and blue, but in almost every direction there were big clouds on the horizon. Slowly they turned pink or golden, but the colors were subtle, not dramatic.
Unfortunately, the one direction where there weren’t many clouds was toward the setting sun. A brilliant display wasn’t in the cards. As the sun sank below the horizon, Lupe leaped back onto the highest rock on Bennett Hill.
A flight of bats flew over zig-zagging toward the sunset. A few minutes later, a flock of small birds flew after them. Even after the sun vanished, Lupe and SPHP stayed on Bennett Hill, watching the colored clouds fade to gray (8:42 PM).
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