Willow Creek Horse Camp, Norbeck Wildlife Preserve (10:28 AM, 49°F)
At last! Grandma was doing lots better, and it was an amazingly warm day for January. For the first time in a month and a day, Lupe was heading out on one of her Black Hills expeditions – her first of 2014. A few inches of snow only served to make the Carolina Dog even more joyous and revved up! Not a soul was around as she charged ahead on Willow Creek Trail No. 8, sniffing madly.
The trail went S through a forest of tall pines and spruce trees. It wound around going up and down before crossing small, frozen Willow Creek. Across the creek, the trail divided. One branch went S up the creek valley, the other turned NW and quickly brought Lupe to a cul-de-sac at the end of a gravel road.
Lupe’s ultimate objective for the day was to reach Sylvan Lake, which she had never been to before. Somewhere around here, Loop was supposed to take Lost Cabin Trail No. 2, but there were no signs indicating which way to go. A rather primitive trail headed SW from the cul-de-sac. Since that was the right general direction, Lupe and SPHP tried it.
The primitive trail gained elevation steadily. At first, a few footprints in the snow helped show where the trail went, but they ended at a large clearing where the snow became deeper. Lupe and SPHP had to guess which way to go. Continuing SW across the open ground toward the next part of the forest seemed to be the thing to do.
Near the trees, Lupe found the trail again. As expected, it did head into the forest. There was less snow here, but quite a few dead trees had fallen across the trail. The situation only became worse as Lupe proceeded. The deadfall timber slowed SPHP down significantly.
After a little while winding through the forest, Lupe reached another intersection where the trail divided. The trail heading S started climbing more steeply up the mountain. The trail going N was less steep. It went toward a less heavily forested hillside where it curved W. SPHP wasn’t sure which way to go, but tried the trail to the N.
As the trail turned W, it became apparent why this hillside wasn’t as heavily forested. Pine bark beetles had decimated the trees. Lots of tree trunks were still standing, but the upper portions of the trees had snapped entirely off the trunks. The trail was covered with deadfall timber. The snow was deeper here, too. It was slow going fighting both the deadfall and the snow. Lupe and SPHP spent far more time off the trail trying to get around all the obstacles than on it.
Fortunately, this bad stretch of trail didn’t last long. After 0.25 mile, Lupe came to a footbridge crossing Palmer Creek. A long field paralleled the creek on the other side of the bridge. Across the field, the trail ended at the Palmer Creek trailhead. A map posted at the trailhead showed that Lupe had been on Lost Cabin Trail No. 2 at least since leaving the cul-de-sac. However, the last 0.25 mile of difficult trail leading to this trailhead was only a spur. Lupe would have to retrace it to continue S on up the mountain.
So Lupe followed the spur trail back across the field, over the bridge, and all the way back to the trail junction. This time she took Lost Cabin Trail No. 2 going S up the mountain. The trail entered a more heavily forested area again as it started climbing rapidly. The snow deepened. Deadfall timber continued to block the trail at regular intervals, but wasn’t as bad as on the spur trail.
Lupe climbed for what seemed like a long time. On the way, she entered the Black Elk Wilderness. The views were steadily improving. Finally the trail leveled out. Lupe had reached a high, rocky area, part of a massive ridge of granite. Lupe left the trail temporarily to explore the rock formations and take in some of the views from here.
Although Lupe had gained hundreds of feet of elevation, she could still see other peaks and ridges that were just as high or higher than where she was now. She returned to Lost Cabin Trail No. 2 to resume her climb.
The trail continued steadily up for a while, but eventually crested at a broad saddle near 6,350 ft. elevation. Due to pine bark beetles, the forest here was a mess. However, the devastation had opened up a view of a rocky high point just to the E.
This seemed like a good place to take a break. SPHP sat on one of the many fallen tree trunks near the trail. Lupe enjoyed Taste of the Wild, SPHP had the usual apple, and both had water.
After 15 minutes, SPHP’s feet started getting cold. Time to press on and get the circulation going again! Lupe continued S on the trail. It wound around through the forest, but was no longer gaining elevation. Farther along, the forest was in much better condition. The pine bark beetles hadn’t hit it nearly so hard here.
About 1.5 miles from the break point at the saddle, Lost Cabin Trail No. 2 left the Black Elk Wilderness and ended at a junction with Harney Peak Trail No. 9. At 6,405 feet, this was the highest elevation Lupe would reach all day.
Lupe wasn’t going all the way to Harney Peak (7,242 ft.). Instead, she turned SW on Harney Peak Trail No. 9 in the direction of Sylvan Lake. The trail would take her 0.75 mile down a valley to the Sylvan Lake trailhead, Custer State Park’s most popular starting point for the 3+ mile hike (one way) to Harney Peak.
Trail No. 9 was snow-packed, icy and very slippery. Even though it’s a wide, heavily traveled trail and not particularly steep, the going was treacherous for SPHP. The day was warm enough to melt some snow, allowing water to run over the ice. The ice, however, had hardly softened up at all. The wet ice was super slick. Even an American Dingo slipped and slid in some places.
Lupe had never been here before, but SPHP had. The valley along the trail had been transformed since the last time SPHP had seen it. Apparently pine bark beetles had hit hard. Consequently, bulldozers had been all over the NW side of the valley completing the destruction. The forest had been severely thinned. A once shady hike beneath tall pines and spruce was now far more open and exposed.
The damaged hillsides looked bad. On the plus side, it was much easier than it used to be to see some of the large rock formations on the SE side of the valley.
A surprising number of people were around when Lupe reached Sylvan Lake. A dozen cars were parked near the lake close to the picnic ground. Lupe and SPHP went over to the small sandy beach on the NE side of the lake. Nearly all the large beautiful pines that used to provide shade around the perimeter were gone. It was a sad sight.
Close to the beach, Lupe climbed up on a big granite formation that juts out into Sylvan Lake. The beautiful scenes looking across the lake from here were unchanged.
Lupe had made it to Sylvan Lake, but winter days are short. The sun was already getting low. Going back the way Lupe had come was not a good idea. Too many parts of the trail had been hidden under deadfall timber. Losing the trail on a winter night was not an option. Although it was 6 miles back to the G6 taking Hwy 87 and Palmer Creek Road, that was the only smart choice.
Lupe and SPHP left the rock formation and went down to the beach, intending to go around the S end of the lake to get to Hwy 87. However, the ice on Sylvan Lake looked thick. Lupe could just walk across to the W side of the lake! Why not?
The ice was full of cracks and fissures as Lupe started out, but felt solid. Lupe went W staying close to the granite formation she had been up on moments ago. She could see people out on the ice near the opposite shore.
Coming around a corner near the rocks, SPHP was surprised to see open water at the edge of the rock formation 30 feet ahead! The sight of open water was unexpected and worrisome, but the ice was still very thick and firm where Lupe was. The Carolina Dog continued across the lake, but swung wide to the S around the small patch of open water.
Lupe reached the W shore of Sylvan Lake without incident.
With the sun sinking fast, people were heading for their cars to go home. Lupe went N on the trail along the W shore of the lake.
At the NW end of Sylvan Lake near the dam, the trail passes through a narrow gap between huge vertical rock formations. The gap is almost like a tunnel. Large boulders can be seen wedged into the top of the gap above. Lupe went through the gap.
On the other side, Lupe could have gone down beneath the dam that forms Sylvan Lake, but she needed to get to the highway. She took a trail W, passing below more large granite formations.
SPHP thought Lupe might take the Sunday Gulch trail part of the way back, but missed the turn for it. Lupe arrived at Hwy 87 close Sylvan Lake Lodge.
The sun was still up as the American Dingo trotted N on Hwy 87, but she was in the shade of Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.) all the way. The highway wound its way steadily down the mountain. Lupe passed through a short granite tunnel. Now and then cars or pickup trucks went by. The temperature was dropping, but Lupe and SPHP enjoyed the trek in the cool mountain air.
While still high up, Lupe saw deer. A few miles later, down in the valley, she saw horses. They kept the journey interesting. When the Carolina Dog reached the turn onto gravel Palmer Creek Road, she took it. Now there was no traffic. The final glow of sunset faded. Lupe passed the access road to the Palmer Creek trailhead.
Stars glittered above in the black night sky by the time Lupe reached Hwy 244. The turn for the Willow Creek Horse Camp wasn’t far now. Before long, a tired, but happy Carolina Dog arrived at the G6 (5:57 PM, 34°F).
Expedition No. 74 was over. Lupe’d had a wonderful time sniffing and exploring new places she’d never been to before. She’d made it all the way to Sylvan Lake, and even walked across the frozen lake. It felt great to be back in action, especially knowing that this was only a start to the many fantastic adventures she would have in 2014!
Willow Creek Horse Camp where Willow Creek Trail No. 8 originates is located off Hwy 224 about 5 miles W of Mount Rushmore, and 3 miles W of Horsethief Lake. The turn is on the S side of the highway a little E of the Palmer Gulch KOA.
The Palmer Creek trailhead where the spur to Lost Cabin Trail No. 2 originates is located off Palmer Creek Road, which can be approached from Hwy 244 a little W of the Palmer Gulch KOA, or Hwy 87 about 3 or 4 miles N of Sylvan Lake.
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