Lupe’s uncle Joe and cousin Dusty from Arvada, CO arrived in town late Thursday evening prior to Memorial Day weekend. Naturally, Joe, Dusty, Lupe & SPHP wanted to start the weekend off right with an outing the very next day. A 70% chance of rain was in the forecast, so rather than go up into the higher Black Hills, Joe suggested a hike he is fond of which he refers to as “The Ponderosa”. The Ponderosa hike starts at the Alkali Creek trailhead on the Centennial Trail No. 89 just a few miles SE of Sturgis, SD, and goes N from there up a pine-covered ridge and back down again onto a more open ridge. This area is on the very NE edge of the Black Hills.
However, upon reaching the Alkali Creek trailhead, Joe changed his mind and suggested doing a part of the Centennial Trail a bit farther to the N. After driving a couple of miles farther N, the G6 was abandoned at the Fort Meade National Cemetery. Lupe and Dusty served as advanced scouts along the Centennial Trail heading N from there. Joe and Dusty had never been on this part of the Centennial Trail, although Lupe and SPHP had. From the cemetery, it was a 0.5 mile heading N generally downhill through pine and scrub oak forest to the Fort Meade trailhead. Lupe and Dusty sniffed around what remained of the foundations from some old buildings along the way, and generally had a good time roaming around.
Just N of the Fort Meade trailhead, the Centennial Trail crosses Hwy 34 less than a mile E of Sturgis. From there the trail heads N into the trees along Bear Butte Creek, across a wooden bridge, and then heads up onto a barren exposed ridge. Once up on the ridge, the Centennial Trail turns and heads ENE in the direction of Bear Butte (4,422 ft.), which is in clear view a few miles away.
Up on the ridge there was a S breeze blowing. It was unseasonably cool out, somewhere in the 50’s although it was near mid-day. The sky was all overcast, and the clouds were especially dark back to the W towards the Black Hills. The ponderosa pines growing on the hills made them look quite dark in contrast to the lighter green of the prairie. It really was very pleasant out in the cool breeze, shaded by the clouds. N of the ridge was open ranch land dotted by little stock ponds. It has been wet recently, so the stock ponds were full.
The Centennial Trail eventually leaves the ridge to go down into a lower area between the ridge and Bear Butte Lake. Joe, Dusty, Lupe and SPHP went partway down the ridge before stopping at some low rocks sticking up out of the prairie. Using rocks for stools during a short rest break, Joe and SPHP ate energy bars while admiring the scene. Lupe and Dusty had water and Taste of the Wild. Dusty doesn’t normally get Taste of the Wild and was pretty enthusiastic about it. Dusty was prepared to devour the entire supply on the spot, but SPHP rationed it out.
When the rest break was over, Joe was ready to head back. Everyone had just as good a time on the return trip to the S as before. Lupe and Dusty investigated everything along the way again, and at one point both dogs ran far off down the ridge before racing back to arrive breathless and panting hard. Despite the forecast, the rain held off. For Lupe and SPHP, it had been a pretty short trip, barely enough to qualify as one of Lupe’s expeditions, but it was a pleasant time spent with good company.
Lupe was thrilled with this expedition. After spending most of the first few weeks of May indoors due to inclement weather and waiting many days for SPHP to finish up on some work that had a deadline, Lupe finally got to spend some time sniffing, exploring, running and roaming around again.
The fun wasn’t done yet either. Lupe got to spend the evening with her Uncle Joe, Aunt Andrea, Grandma Kitty, Cousin Dusty and SPHP at her grandma’s house at the edge of the big canyon. Hamburgers and chocolate ice cream were on the menu. A very satisfied dingo spent the late evening snoozing on the plush carpet at Grandma’s house while the rain finally started outside.
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Centennial Trail No. 89 Map & Brochure
Next Trail Section South:
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 241 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Alkali Creek to Fort Meade (12-10-18)
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