After 3 weeks of very cold weather, suddenly the forecast was for 70°F! Lupe couldn’t have been happier. An expedition was in the works! Lupe ran over to Dog Heaven and got permission for her buddy, Sidney, to come along, too. Big Sid was equally thrilled with this turn of events. It had been nearly 3 months since the last time he’d joined Lupe on Expedition No. 72 back on her 3rd birthday in December. This would be his 7th Black Hills expedition with her.
Before long, SPHP was parking the G6 along USFS Road No. 616 (9:36 AM, 48°F), a little N of its junction with Rochford Road. This was in the SE part of a roughly 5 square mile area shown on the old USFS map as the “Black Hills Experimental Forest”. What was experimental about it was never clear. The whole area was ponderosa pine forest with a few aspens mixed in, indistinguishable from the rest of the Black Hills.
Snow was melting in the forest, as Lupe and Sidney set out on No. 616 going N. The road was still hard snow-packed and icy. Loop and Big Sid spent most of the time roaming the forest nearby having a blast, while SPHP trudged along the slick surface. After 0.25 mile, a junction with USFS Road No. 660 was reached. No 660 was clearly less traveled and looked more interesting, so Lupe and company took it.
At first, No. 660 lost elevation gradually. It wound around near the S and then the W border of the Experimental Forest. By the time it turned N, the road was gaining elevation steadily. After a little while, Lupe was starting to get glimpses of views off to the SW. However, along a fairly level section of road, she and Sidney saw something of much greater interest. Off to the NE, something was moving in the trees!
Giant deer! Lupe and Sidney were enthralled. SPHP counted 17 elk for certain, and there were probably more. It was the biggest herd of giant deers Lupe had ever seen. The elk ran off as soon as they realized they had company, quickly disappearing from view. So cool!
Continuing N, the road started gaining elevation again. Lupe came to an opening in the forest with an unobstructed view to the SW. The views were getting better. Beyond the viewpoint, No. 660 angled NE re-entering the forest. Lupe passed by a couple of big puddles on the NW side of the road. The first one was an interesting yellow-orange color.
By the time Lupe passed the second puddle, she was approaching a ridge to the N. No. 660 would soon turn E to rejoin No. 616 again, but the plan was to go NW toward Minnesota Ridge. Shortly after passing the second puddle, Lupe, Big Sid and SPHP all left the road heading NW. The dogs discovered a small meadow with the best view yet.
After enjoying the view from the meadow, Lupe and Big Sid continued NW, leaving the Experimental Forest. The top of the ridge to the N was now only a little higher than where they were, so they climbed up on it. The ridgeline was rather rocky and narrower than SPHP expected. Lupe and Sidney followed it WSW a short distance before SPHP called a halt to check the map.
During the break, both dogs were extraordinarily helpful at reducing SPHP’s chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie burden.
The map had shown that the S end of Minnesota Ridge was still more than a mile W. When the cookie break was over, Lupe and Big Sid continued WSW along the rocky ridgeline. The high rocky part soon ended, and everyone started down a slope going SW. Lupe emerged from the forest at a big sunny open area where the forest appeared to have been clear cut. From here, a logging trail led down to USFS Road No. 204.
Lupe and Sidney reached No. 204 at its high point at a minor pass. They didn’t follow the road. Instead, they crossed it heading W into forest and started climbing Minnesota Ridge. As they gained elevation, the amount of snow and deadfall timber around increased rapidly. Lupe expended a tremendous amount of energy leaping over deadfall and 2 foot high snowdrifts.
Eventually, a tall rock ledge appeared ahead. Lupe, Big Sid and SPHP climbed up on it for a look around. The former views to the S and SW were blocked by trees, but now snowy Custer Peak (6804 ft.) could be seen off to the NNW. After admiring the view, SPHP led Lupe and Sidney NW picking a way along the ledge.
SPHP expected the ledge to slowly sink back into the easier surrounding terrain. Instead, the ledge became even higher. 20 foot cliffs were on both sides. Deep fissures in the rocks, combined with snow and small trees growing up in the cracks made traversing the ledge slow and tricky. At a particularly wide crack in the rocks, Lupe and Sidney finally found a way down through a 40 foot long passage.
Once off the rock ledge, Lupe and Sidney resumed a steady climb going NW through the forest. Snow was everywhere now, perhaps 1.5 to 2 feet deep on average, with drifts up to 3 feet deep. Lupe didn’t complain, but SPHP began to worry she was going to wear herself out and get cold. Big Sid was well insulated, and being considerably larger, had far less trouble.
SPHP wondered why Lupe hadn’t reached USFS Road No. 203 yet? If she went too far N, she would miss the road entirely. Even though it meant losing elevation, it was time to change course and head SW to find the road. It proved to be farther away than SPHP expected, but Lupe did come to it. She turned N on No. 203, resuming her climb of Minnesota Ridge.
A side road heading W with a sign saying Green Gulch Loop appeared. SPHP remembered this place. Lupe had passed by here on a prior expedition. At the time, Green Gulch Loop had looked like an interesting place to explore. SPHP expected it would take Lupe up and over the ridge to the W then down into Green Gulch.
Not true, as it turned out. The road began promisingly enough going W while gaining elevation, but before long Green Gulch Loop made a big curve back to the S. Lupe and Sid started coming to a number of hillbilly cabins and old campers up on a relatively narrow ridge. Signs at each property said “Private Property”, “Beware of Dog” or “No Trespassing”. The fanciest home featured a big tattered Confederate flag flying on a tall flagpole at an exposed part of the ridge.
Lupe reached a place where it looked like the road ended. A house and garage were practically right on Green Gulch Loop. A sign said “Smile You’re On Camera”. Another sign mentioned a dog. SPHP hesitated, unsure if this was the end or not. Although there were plenty of tire tracks in the snow, none of them were fresh. No people or dogs were evident anywhere. Deep valleys were to the E and W.
After a couple minutes, SPHP decided to see if Lupe and Big Sid could go around this property. Everyone left the road skirting around to the W, away from the house and garage. The maneuver succeeded. Surprisingly, Green Gulch Loop did continue S beyond the home. Lupe and Sid passed by a couple more decaying shacks along the way before they were completely beyond the strange hillbilly camp.
Green Gulch Loop stayed up high until the narrow ridge petered out. Near the end, Lupe and Big Sid lost considerable elevation before arriving at an intersection where several USFS roads headed off in different directions. Lupe had been here before on Expedition No. 51 nearly a year ago on 3-14-13. Since it was time to start thinking about working back toward the G6, Lupe and Sidney took USFS Road No. 204 going E. In about 0.75 mile, it would link up with No. 203.
By now the ice on the road was getting soft and slushy. Wherever there wasn’t ice and slush, there was mud. Fortunately, ice still prevailed. Lupe and Sid were losing elevation, so it was a pleasant stroll. The road turned NE and the intersection with No. 203 came into view ahead. Surprisingly, another intersection was closer. A road led S into a shallow valley with nice open ground. A sign said this was Killoern Springs Road. This road wasn’t shown on the USFS map, but the shallow valley looked appealing. Lupe and Big Sid made the turn S.
After only a short distance, Killoern Springs Road turned W and climbed up out of the shallow valley. However, SPHP recognized this place from Expedition No. 51, too. A pole fence running E/W partially blocked the way farther S down the shallow valley, but an ATV trail could be seen continuing beyond the fence. That was the way to go! Lupe, Sidney and SPHP left Killoern Springs Road, went around the pole fence, and followed the ATV trail.
Lupe and Sidney had a great time in the shallow valley. The ground was nearly level and open. Snow was still present, but far less than had been up on Minnesota Ridge. Both dogs ran around as they pleased. Lupe was excited by several large birds which flew down the valley not very far above her. A small stream appeared, a western tributary of Gimlet Creek. Several times the ATV trail forded the stream, but the creek was so small even SPHP could leap across it.
The shallow valley had been slowly turning SE. After nearly a mile, it broadened out and turned directly E. Another 0.25 mile brought Lupe to a small pond she had seen before on Expedition No. 51. A nice bridge crossed the stream again at the dam. Everyone went over the bridge. Gimlet Creek could now be seen off to the E. It flowed down another valley from the N on its way to its confluence with the tributary Lupe and Sid had been following.
Lupe, Sidney and SPHP headed E to Gimlet Creek, then turned N to explore part of this new valley, too. Several more creek crossings were required, but it was still fairly easy to find ways across. At the last crossing, a few boards helped SPHP get over the creek. After going 100 yards farther, SPHP suddenly realized Lupe and Sidney weren’t here! Where were they? Turning around, SPHP saw them back near the last creek crossing. Big Sid was watching Lupe.
Lupe came running toward SPHP. She was carrying something in her mouth – a piece of deer leg! Lupe had occasionally found pieces of deer legs and carcasses in the forest on prior expeditions, but none like this one. This deer leg was red with blood! Fur, a little meat, and sinewy membranes still clung to the bone.
Lupe considered this deer leg the find of a century! She couldn’t have been happier if she had come across an ancient Egyptian tomb full of golden treasures. To her the deer leg was a treasure! She growled menacing warnings at Sidney whenever he got close. Sidney had the good sense to stay away and show no interest.
Lupe was crazy for the deer leg. She tore at it, cutting pieces of fur and sinew off using her molars like scissors. She devoured what little meat and sinew there was, even though she wound up swallowing a lot of fur in the process. Lupe didn’t care. She acted like a ravenous wolf. It all came very naturally to her. She knew exactly what to do!
Lupe wasn’t about to abandon her deer leg, so SPHP watched while Loop did her best to consume every last morsel of meat or gristle she could tear off it.
Finally, after 20 or 30 minutes, hardly anything was left of the deer leg other than fur and bone. SPHP persuaded Lupe that it was time to press on. She agreed with great reluctance. Several times she ran back for her precious deer leg, picking it up and carrying it a bit farther. At last, she finally dropped the deer leg for good.
The valley split into two valleys just ahead to the N. Gimlet Creek flowed down from the valley that went straight N. The other valley was dry and came down from the NE. It was time to try to find USFS Road No. 660 in the Experimental Forest again, which couldn’t be much farther away to the E. Lupe, Sidney and SPHP left Gimlet Creek going up the dry NE valley.
Lupe hadn’t gone very far when suddenly there was gunfire! One shot, then another. It was coming from the direction Lupe was headed. The ferocious, deer-devouring Dingo vanished in an instant. Lupe begged for SPHP’s help. Hide me! Hide me! Hold me! Protect me! Sidney was completely unfazed. He paid no more attention to the gunfire than he had to the rotten deer leg.
Several more gunshots rang out. Lupe was desperate to get away. Sadly, the Carolina Dog wasn’t far from where she and Sidney had earlier seen the herd of 17 elk. SPHP was afraid the beautiful elk were being slaughtered. It was a most depressing thought.
Sidney and SPHP turned SE to flee up and out of the valley, while Lupe kept begging SPHP to stop and protect her. The valley wasn’t all that deep, but an anxious Dingo constantly leaping in the way didn’t make for a quick escape. SPHP gave in and carried the concerned Carolina Dog partway up the hillside.
Shortly after the terrain started leveling out, Big Sid found USFS road No. 660 again. By now a total of 5 or 6 gunshots had been heard. SPHP put Lupe down again. Everyone took off down No. 660 racing away to the S. To Lupe’s enormous relief, no more gunfire was heard. The rest of the way back to USFS Road No. 616 and the G6 was uneventful (5:06 PM, 50°F).
Lupe’s day with Big Sid in the Experimental Forest and on Minnesota Ridge was over, but her Expedition No. 78 adventures were not! A little after midnight, SPHP woke to the sound of a Carolina Dog puking up her spaghetti dinner. Oh, joy! SPHP got up, cleaned up the mess, and snuggled in again with the queasy companion.
Ten minutes later, Lupe gave a repeat performance. This time she threw up fur and grimy deer leg sinews. Another cleanup ensued. Lupe felt much better and slept soundly after that. Expedition No. 78 officially ended in the morning when clean sheets and bedding were restored to the bed after a thorough cleaning in the washer and dryer.
Could there be any doubt, though, that given the chance to do it all over again Lupe would relish devouring the next deer leg she finds in the forest? Of all the treasures Lupe has found on her many adventures, that spoiled rotten deer leg was the most wonderful, glittering prize of all!
