Lupe – Page 192 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Big Baldy Mountain, the Judith Basin County High Point, Montana (9-12-17)

Days 42, 43 & 44 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

9-10-17, 7:09 AM, 45°F, E of Vanderhoof, British Columbia – Time to scoot! Lupe was on her way home. With her successful ascent of Harvey Mountain in Babine Mountains Provincial Park near Smithers yesterday, her adventures in Canada were concluded. Only one big adventure left to go on this Dingo Vacation, and that would be in Montana, more than 1,000 miles away.

SPHP drove E on Hwy 16. A fuel stop in Prince George, then Lupe was seeing new territory heading S along Hwy 97. Pretty country, but a far more populated region than staying on Hwy 16 would have been. Lupe liked this route well enough; she had cows and horses to bark at. SPHP preferred the more secluded, remote feel of Hwy 16. Still it was fun to see something new.

The drive went on all day. Lupe escaped the G6 at a few scenic breaks along the way. She saw the Thompson River a little N of Spences Bridge.

After a long drive S on Hwy 97 from Prince George, Lupe escaped the G6 for this view of the **Thompson River**. Photo looks S.

Looking upstream along the **Thompson River**. Southern British Columbia was much drier than the Yukon and Alaska where Lupe had spent the vast majority of this Dingo Vacation.

At Spences Bridge, SPHP turned E. Hwy 8 was winding, narrow, and far less traveled. Lupe visited the Nicola River. The river was running low.

The quiet, slow pace ended at Merritt. Traffic zoomed S along Hwy 5A, then E on Hwy 97C over highlands before dropping down to a junction with Hwy 97 again. SPHP drove S along the W shore of Okanagan Lake. The huge, long lake was beautiful, but this area was all citified. Traffic was bumper to bumper all the way to Penticton.

S of Penticton, Lupe needed relief from the G6 again. She found it at a park at the S end of Skaha Lake in Okanagan Falls.

At the S end of **Skaha Lake**, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia. Photo looks N.

Oh, yeah! This is better! Say are we going to climb any of the mountains around here, SPHP? …. Fraid not, Looper, you’re on the way home. You have only one more adventure, and that’s still far away in Montana.

Lupe left Canada near Osoyoos. While the Okanagan Lake area had been thriving and overrun with people, N Washington State looked dry, deserted, desolate. Night fell along Hwy 20 E of Tonasket putting an end to Looper’s travels for the day.

9-11-17 – Last night there had been stars in the wee hours. Even the moon was out. For a month and a half, Lupe had scarcely seen them in the far N. The night sky made a good impression, but Lupe woke to find herself in Mordor.

Across Washington, Idaho, and into Montana, the farther E the Carolina Dog went, the browner and yellower the world became. Only the tinder dry forests somehow remained green. Had even a drop of rain fallen on this parched land since Lupe left home at the end of July? Didn’t look like it. The day was hot. Smoke filled the air.

Are you scared, SPHP?

Not at all, why would I be scared?

You never told me we’d be going to Mordor!

Oh, yeah. Looks that way, doesn’t it, Loop? Guess you’ve figured it out. Peakbagging Mount Doom ought to be a spectacular end for your 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska, don’t you think?

Mount Doom! Are you crazy? I thought you might have something special planned for my last adventure, but Mount Doom? I don’t mind telling you, I am a bit scared. Do you have it?

Have what?

Don’t be so coy. You know what I mean.

Actually, I don’t.

Do I have to drag it out of you, SPHP? The ring! Do you have the ring?

What ring?

The ring of power!

Oh, that. Why yes, I think so. Should be in the glove box, unless I left it on the nightstand at home, or maybe it was in that box of odds and ends I took to the Salvation Army before we left.

You took the ring of power to the Salvation Army? You can’t be serious!

Maybe. I don’t remember for sure, Loop. Anyway, what’s the difference? What good is having a ring of power? They haven’t been perfected yet. Nearly all of them have serious manufacturer’s defects. You can never use them, and they just cause endless trouble. Why, even recycling them is a major pain. Look at all the inconvenience Frodo had to go through.

Well, if you didn’t want the ring of power, SPHP, you could have given it to your dearest Dingo, or at least put it up on eBay, and have gotten something for it. Maybe you don’t care to have a ring of power, but they are in high demand from what I hear. They’re all the rage! A ring of power would have brought a pretty penny on eBay, I bet. Besides, here we are, well into Mordor now, and you don’t even know what you did with it. Everyone else that’s got a ring of power is obsessed with keeping track of it. But not you, SPHP. Oh no! You can’t be bothered with such trifles can you? How can you be so absent-minded? We are going to need that ring of power when we get to Mount Doom!

Oh, I suppose you’re right, Loopster. Remind me to look for it when we get to the Mount Doom trailhead. Don’t worry. It’s probably in the glove box, like I said before.

By nightfall, Lupe was back at King’s Hill Pass in the Little Belt Range, the same place she’d spent the first night of her long journeys.

9-12-17 – A bright morning. This was it! The last adventure! SPHP drove 2 miles NE from King’s Hill Pass to a R (E) turn off Hwy 89 onto USFS Road No. 3328. The dusty road wound N through the forest, and was fine for several miles. Looper rode with her head out the window eagerly watching for squirrels.

SPHP made a wrong turn onto USFS Road No. 3356, eventually realized the mistake, and returned to No. 3328 again. A couple miles farther N, and No. 3328 deteriorated to the point where SPHP would have turned back, if there had been a decent turnaround spot. The stony roadbed was beating the poor G6 to death.

Fortunately, No. 3328 improved going forward. At Jefferson Creek, Lupe reached an intersection. SPHP didn’t have a map of the area. A sketchy route description SPHP did have said to keep driving N on No. 3328 to a sharp bend in the road at Chamberlain Creek.

Once at Chamberlain Creek, the G6 could be abandoned. Lupe would then climb the forested slope to the E, and arrive up on a broad, open ridge a little over a mile S of Big Baldy Mountain (9,177 ft.). A short stretch of 4WD road would take the Carolina Dog to an obvious trail to the top from the SW. Seemed easy enough.

No. 3328 went W from Jefferson Creek. The road went a mile, curved N, then headed NNE. About 2 miles from Jefferson Creek, the road turned sharply W. No signs, but a quick inspection confirmed the existence of a small creek. SPHP stashed the G6 at the widest spot along the narrow road. Lupe was on her way!

*Remember to get the ring of power out of the glove box, SPHP!* Lupe on USFS Road No. 3328 ready to set out for Big Baldy Mountain. Photo looks NE.

Staying well S of the creek, Lupe left the road climbing E up a forested slope. The stream soon angled N. Lupe continued E.

An opening in the forest on the way up the slope. Photo looks NE.

The forested slope was steep, and rocky in spots. For some mysterious reason, heavy equipment had mowed down wide swathes of the forest, then left the dead trees piled up in the openings. Lupe worked through several such bands of destruction before getting above the highest one.

After gaining 700 feet of elevation or more, the terrain finally leveled out. Lupe arrived up on a wide saddle.

Nothing looked right! The saddle was completely forested. No open ground, no 4WD road, no trail, no sign anyone ever came here! Big Baldy Mountain wasn’t even in sight.

After climbing more than 700 feet up the ridge, Lupe arrives at a forested saddle not at all like what SPHP had been expecting.

Lupe and SPHP searched for a trail. Nada. Higher ground was SW or NE. To the SE, the terrain dropped away on the other side of the saddle. SPHP made an arrow on the ground out of big sticks. The arrow pointed W where Lupe had come up. Maybe the arrow would come in handy later on when trying to find the way back?

Big Baldy Mountain was almost certainly somewhere N of here. With the arrow in place, Lupe headed NE through the forest. She was soon gaining elevation steadily, though not as rapidly as before. After a little more than 0.25 mile, a meadow of dead grass and scattered dead trees could be seen ahead.

0.25 mile NE of the saddle, Looper enters a meadow of dead grass and scattered dead trees. Photo looks NNE.

Lupe headed NNE through the meadow. When she reached the shade of a live tree, she was ready to for a break. It was hot and sunny. The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was no longer used to such a climate. She eagerly lapped up water SPHP provided, then took it easy, panting in the shade.

*Whew! We aren’t in Alaska any more are we, SPHP? Mordor is like an oven!*

Close to this live tree, a road was coming up a long slope from the SE. For a 4WD road, it was in surprisingly good shape.

Lupe ready to roll again next to the road she discovered close to her shady pine tree. Photo looks SSE.

With any luck at all, this was the 4WD road that would take Lupe to the trail up Big Baldy Mountain. Before following the road, Lupe crossed it. She headed N until she was high enough to see what was beyond this broad ridge she now seemed to be on.

Oh, yeah! There was Big Baldy Mountain (9,177 ft.)! No mistaking it.

Crossing the ridge, Lupe caught this view of **Big Baldy Mountain**. Photo looks N.

Big Baldy was farther away than expected. SPHP must not have driven far enough N on USFS Road No. 3328. That little stream Lupe had started up by couldn’t have been Chamberlain Creek. No matter. Lupe had a longer trek in store, but certainly a doable one. Puppy, Ho! Onward!

Lupe and SPHP returned to the 4WD road, and began following it NW. The road climbed gradually, entered a stretch of forest, and emerged back out onto open ground. Lupe could see King’s Hill Pass from here.

**King’s Hill Pass** where Lupe had spent the night is at Center. **King’s Hill (8,008 ft.)** is the ridge on the L. **Porphyry Peak (8,192 ft.)** is the high hill on the R. Photo looks SW.

The road curved around the W side of a barren hill, then headed NE. Big Baldy Mountain was in sight ahead. Lupe passed through both forested and open territory on the way down to a saddle leading to Big Baldy.

From here, the road goes to a saddle leading straight to **Big Baldy**. Photo looks NE.

Heading down to the saddle. Photo looks NE.

*You know, SPHP, we spent all our time in the Yukon & Alaska hoping for sunshine. Now that we’re in Mordor, we’re spending it all hoping for shade!*

After crossing the saddle, Loop arrived at the start of the trail to the top of Big Baldy Mountain.

At the start of the trail up Big Baldy Mountain.

The first part of the trail wound up through a pine forest. The trail was dusty, eroded, and had lots of loose rocks. Lupe enjoyed the shade of the forest as long as she could. She had already seen that, soon enough, she would be up where there wasn’t a tree or bit of shade to be found.

Where it left the forest, the trail was steep and consisted entirely of small rocks. Lupe began the long, sunny part of the climb. At first, there were still occasionally a few trees where a Carolina Dog could take a shady break. Higher up, Lupe roamed a barren slope. Near the summit, progress became easier as the rate of climb steadily decreased.

Leaving the forest, the trail was all rock. Photo looks N.

For a while there were still scattered trees where Loop could take a break in the shade. The saddle Lupe crossed on the way here is the line of bare ground on the L. The road comes this way from the distant bare spot. Photo looks SW.

Looper could forget about shade the rest of the way from here. Photo looks NNE.

Big Baldy Mountain looks like a huge dome from the W. However, when Loop was almost to the summit, she discovered that the mountain drops sharply into a big canyon to the E. From the edge, Lupe could see Rhoda Lake 900 feet below.

**Big Baldy Mountain** looks like a giant dome from the W. Approaching the summit, however, Lupe discovered that the mountain drops sharply into a big canyon to the E. Photo looks E.

Almost there! Lupe along the E edge of **Big Baldy Mountain**. The summit is beyond her and a little to the R. Photo looks NNW.

**Rhoda Lake** from the E edge of **Big Baldy Mountain**. Photo looks E.

The summit of Big Baldy Mountain (9,177 ft.) was a large barren area strewn with smallish rocks. A crudely constructed cairn was at the high point. A metal box rested on the cairn weighed down by a single rock. Nearby, an old wooden sign giving the elevation as 9,175 feet stood close to the E edge. A white structure with solar panels and an antenna completed the man-made items atop the mountain.

The wooden sign, summit cairn, and white building with the solar panels and antenna. Photo looks SSW.

Since it was only mid-day, Lupe and SPHP lingered at the summit. Lupe had plenty of time to sniff around and check out the views. She drank water, devoured Taste of the Wild, and in general lazed about.

The air was somewhat smoky from distant forest fires. The views weren’t as clear as they might have been, but the smoke wasn’t too bad. Lupe could see many of the higher peaks of the Little Belt Range.

Looking N or NW(?) from **Big Baldy Mountain**.

**Long Mountain (8,621 ft.)** (Center) with help from the telephoto lens. Long Mountain is the Cascade County, Montana high point. Photo looks SW.

The far barren hill toward the L is likely **Yogo Peak (8,801 ft.)**. Photo looks SE.

The most impressive view was actually the one of Rhoda Lake.

The most impressive view from **Big Baldy Mountain** was the one looking down on **Rhoda Lake**. **Gibson Peak (8,065 ft.)** is on the L. The bare peak at Center far beyond the lake is **Bandbox Mountain (8,100 ft.)**. Photo looks E.

**Rhoda Lake** with **Bandbox Mountain** beyond at Center. Photo looks E.

**Rhoda Lake** with lots of help from the telephoto lens.

So, where’s Mount Doom, SPHP? How far away is it? I’ve looked in every direction, and I can’t even see it from here. Why didn’t we park closer?

This is it.

What do you mean? This is what?

This is Mount Doom.

Don’t be ridiculous! This can’t be Mount Doom! Where’s the impossibly craggy summit, the thick smoke, the intense heat? It’s warm out alright, and a bit smoky, but nothing like Mount Doom will be. Where are the bubbling lava streams and dark swirling clouds overhead? Where are the constant lightning strikes and all the rumbling earthquakes? Where are the explosive eruptions flinging fire and brimstone everywhere?

Hmm. I suppose you’ve got a point, there, Loopster. Two theories. Either we’ve come when Mount Doom is dormant – mountains can’t carry on like that all the time you know – or I got the route description to the trailhead messed up. In that case, this is some other peak.

Dormant! Mount Doom isn’t dormant! We’re at the wrong mountain. This doesn’t look remotely like Mount Doom. Neither does anything else around here. Sometimes I think you only pretend to be able to read maps. Did you even bring a map? I’ll bet you didn’t. Sheesh! Well, what do we do with it then, SPHP?

Nothing. You were right. I didn’t bring a map.

Not the map! The ring of power! What do we do with the ring of power? Just fling it over the edge and hope it lands in Rhoda Lake?

I suppose we could. Smeagol found a ring of power in a pond once, which had been a good hiding place for it for a long time, but I don’t think my arm is strong enough to throw the ring all the way to Rhoda Lake, unless it takes some mighty favorable bounces. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. The ring wasn’t in the glove box.

Wasn’t in the glove box? So you don’t actually have the ring of power with you?

No, not really.

Lupe thought for a moment.

Well, maybe that explains it, SPHP. Perhaps you were right. Maybe Mount Doom only goes nuts when the ring of power gets close? Since we haven’t actually got the ring with us, the mountain could be just disguising itself as this innocent looking big hill. There’s magic in Mordor, you know. Maybe the mountain is dormant and under a spell, just waiting for the ring to come closer?

Oh, I think you’ve hit upon it, Loop! That makes perfect sense! Or maybe it’s the power of the ring that causes the mountain to go crazy? Either way, it explains why nothing is happening here at the moment, which is for the best, anyway.

Ha ha! Mount Doom sure had me fooled, SPHP! What a disguise! I’m not used to dealing with magical places. Anyway, I’m kind of glad. This isn’t scary at all, and now we’ve peakbagged Mount Doom! There’s some bragging rights for ya! We don’t have to tell anyone the mountain was like this when we came. Let them think whatever they like.

Don’t sell yourself short, Loopster. You’ve been to plenty of magical places on this Dingo Vacation. We both have.

Since Big Baldy Mountain was the last big adventure of Lupe’s grand 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska, the American Dingo thought SPHP ought to open that metal box on the summit cairn. No doubt it contained a registry, and she wanted SPHP to enter her name. May as well leave proof that she had actually climbed Mount Doom!

Loop also wanted to check up on her friend mountaineer Jobe Wymore. Had Jobe ever been to Mount Doom? According to his ascent records on peakbagger.com, Jobe has been all over the place. Had he really done all that stuff? If so, he’d probably been to Mount Doom, too.

*So, SPHP, why don’t you open this metal box? Must have a registry in it, don’t you think? Put our names in there, and then see if you can find Jobe’s name anywhere. Pretty please?*

SPHP was happy to comply with the Carolina Dog’s wishes. The metal box contained not 1, but 3 registries. Lupe’s name got entered in the most recent one, then SPHP searched to see if Jobe had been here.

Tons of people had been on top of Mount Doom. Loopster was amazed! Who would have ever guessed? SPHP searched and searched, but wasn’t finding Jobe’s name. Then on about the last page SPHP checked in the last of the 3 registries, there it was.

*Hah! Here it is Looper, proof Jobe was here. Satisfied now?*

Lupe was happy that SPHP put her name in the registry. She was glad SPHP had found Jobe’s name. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that Jobe had been here, too. He sure does get around! Jobe was on the up and up. No doubt about it. What a modest guy, though. He’d never even mentioned that he climbed Mount Doom, but maybe Mount Doom had been dormant then, too, so it hadn’t seemed like such a big deal?

After close to an hour on Big Baldy Mountain, the inevitable end was drawing near. Lupe returned to pose on the summit cairn a final time. The last picture on the last summit of her 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska! The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood tried to look indomitable, all noble and serious like. Even though Mount Doom wasn’t anywhere near the Arctic, it was a legendary peak.

On Big Baldy Mountain, Little Belt Range, Montana 9-12-17

Lupe was satisfied. She started down Big Baldy Mountain on the way back to the G6. It was a bittersweet moment for sure – sad to think her epic adventures culminating with an ascent of Mount Doom were all over, but good to be going home, too.

Starting down **Big Baldy Mountain**. Photo looks SW.

The arrow of sticks SPHP had made back down at the forested saddle was still there. Lupe did find it. She headed down the steep slope to the W, and eventually reached USFS Road No. 3328 again. There was the G6, just down the road a little way. (3:22 PM, 80°F)

On the W slope almost back to USFS Road No. 3328 and the G6.

At Jefferson Creek, not wanting to brave the worst of USFS Road No. 3328 again, SPHP tried going W on the intersecting road. USFS Road No. 267 had a zillion annoying speed bumps built into it, but proved to be a much shorter and far superior route back to Hwy 89.

9-13-17, 1:50 AM, Black Hills of South Dakota – The long drive was over. A weary SPHP parked the G6 in the driveway. Two minutes later, Lupe was trotting into her living room. All was quiet and dark. Nothing had changed. Everything was as she’d left it. SPHP flicked on the kitchen light. The Carolina Dog was ready for a drink of water, and a bite to eat.

While SPHP was distracted dishing up her Alpo, the Carolina Dog snuck up the dark hallway to the bedroom. She leapt up on the bed, then carefully and excitedly sniffed the top of the nightstand. A few moments later, Lupe sighed.

The ring of power wasn’t there.

Mount Doom

At first he could see nothing. In his great need he drew out once more the phial of Galadriel, but it was pale and cold within his trembling hand and threw no light into that stifling dark. He was come to the heart of the realm of Sauron and the forges of his current might, greatest in all Middle-earth; all other powers here subdued. Fearfully he took a few uncertain steps into the dark, and then all at once there came a flash of red that leaped upward, and smote the high black roof. Then Sam saw that he was in a long cave or tunnel that bored into the mountain’s smoking core. But only a short way ahead its floor and the walls on either side were cloven by a great fissure, out of which the red glow came, now leaping up, now dying down into darkness, and all the while far below there was a rumour and a trouble as of great engines throbbing and labouring. The light sprang up again, and there on the brink of the chasm, at the very Crack of Doom, stood Frodo, black against the glare, tense, erect, but still as if he had been turned to stone.

“Master!” cried Sam.

Then Frodo stirred and spoke with a clear voice, indeed with a voice clearer and more powerful than Sam had ever heard him use, and it rose above the throb and turmoil of Mount Doom, ringing in the roof and walls.

“I have come” he said. “But I do not choose now to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!”

– from The Lord of the Rings, Return of the King, by J. R. R. Tolkien

Big Baldy Mountain trailhead notes:

Low clearance vehicles – Take Hwy 89 about 5 miles N from King’s Hill Pass to a R (E) turn onto unmarked USFS Road No. 267 only 0.25 mile N of milepost 34. (A large pullout is along the same side of Hwy 89 just N of this turn in the event it gets missed.) USFS Road No. 267 passes over (no ford) Jefferson Creek close to the highway. Follow No. 267 4 miles E to a L (N) turn on USFS Road No. 3328. Follow No. 3328 another 4 miles to Chamberlain Creek. Park here (wherever, Lupe never got this far) and climb the ridge to the E to arrive at the saddle close to the start of the trail up Big Baldy from the SW.

High clearance vehicles – It may be possible to drive right to the start of the trail SW of Big Baldy. Take Hwy 89 about 2 miles N from King’s Hill Pass to a R (E) turn onto USFS Road No. 3328. After 2 miles, a very sharp bend to the R (S) at an intersection puts you onto USFS Road No. 3356 (unmarked). 2 miles on No. 3356 brings you to the top of a ridgeline and another intersection. Go L (N) on USFS Road No. 251, following it 3.5 miles to a “Y”. Bear L (N) onto USFS Road No. 3300. The trailhead at the base of Big Baldy is about 4 miles N on No. 3300. Lupe did not explore this whole route. All distances are approximate. Intersections may not be marked. In general, remain up on the ridge after reaching No. 251, and head N staying W wherever possible.

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 235 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Deer Creek to Pilot Knob (9-29-18)

Start – 10:40 AM, 46 °F, Deer Creek trailhead of Centennial Trail No. 89

A week had shot by since Expedition No. 234 when Lupe had arrived at the Deer Creek trailhead of Centennial Trail No. 89 on a warm, sunny afternoon. Now she was back. A cool, light S breeze rustled the newly yellow leaves of the aspen trees. The Carolina Dog was in high spirits! She was eager to continue her explorations along the Centennial Trail.

Lupe returns to the Deer Creek trailhead. The aspen trees were much yellower than they had been only a week ago. Even so, the fall colors didn’t appear to be quite at the season’s height yet.

Lupe lost no time setting off from the trailhead on the spur trail that winds W up a slope to the main trail.

Heading up the spur trail to the main trail. Photo looks W.

Five minutes on the spur trail brought Looper up to the junction with the main trail. She took the branch to the R (N) having already explored to this point from the S a week ago. Centennial Trail No. 89 started out crossing a relatively open area. Loop was still gaining elevation, though more gradually than on the spur trail.

Lupe reaches Centennial Trail No. 89 at the upper end of the spur trail. Here the main trail gains elevation more gradually as it crosses this open area. Photo looks WNW.

As Centennial Trail No. 89 entered the forest beyond the open area, Lupe passed by a small rock outcropping on the R. The trail leveled out here and turned NW roughly paralleling Highway 385. The highway was a good 0.25 mile away down in a broad valley to the E. Lupe could easily hear the traffic, and could sometimes see the busy highway.

After Looper passed by a small rock outcropping on the R (E), Centennial Trail No. 89 leveled out and headed NW.

Not much of a sense of solitude here! Even so, Lupe had a great time. She was having good luck finding squirrels! The American Dingo raced happily through the open forest, stopping frequently to check out trees hoping to spot more squirrels. Running was fun, too! Lupe encountered very little of the usual annoying slash or deadfall timber so common in much of the Black Hills.

Centennial Trail No. 89 bounced along a slope with little net elevation change as Lupe followed it NW. Often the trail was almost perfectly level. Even where it wasn’t, the route was never steep. To the SW, the terrain rose toward an unseen ridge 200 or 300 feet higher than where the trail ran. The forest always kept the ridgeline hidden from view.

Open forest and gently undulating terrain make this one of the easiest areas to explore along the entire Centennial Trail system. Loopster had a fabulous time charging around looking for squirrels.

The 3.8 miles between the Deer Creek and Pilot Knob trailheads is one of the shortest and easiest sections of the 111 mile long Centennial Trail. Lupe made rapid progress. The gently undulating terrain provided little in the way of distant views. Most of the way Lupe was traveling through pine forest. Occasional stands of yellow aspens provided at least some scenic variation.

Although this part of Centennial Trail No. 89 provided little in the way of views, Lupe didn’t care. She was having lots of fun racing around in the forest. Photo looks NW.

Stands of yellow aspens provided at least some scenic variety.

Happy Lupe at one of the prettiest spots.

Loggers had thinned the forest at some point years ago. They had done an unusually nice job of cleaning up any slash and deadfall.

The trail seemed to be slowly drifting farther away from Highway 385, which was sort of nice. After Loopster had gone more than 1.5 miles, though, it curved E. The noisy highway was soon in view again. Nearing the highway, Centennial Trail No. 89 turned N shortly before crossing it.

Approaching Highway 385. The trail crosses the highway here, then heads N near the power line. Photo looks N.

After crossing Highway 385, Centennial Trail No. 89 continued N in a strip of forested land 50 to 150 feet wide between a power line to the E and USFS Road No. 202 to the W. Here, Lupe came to a splendid thistle. It was big and prickly and extraordinarily healthy. The splendid thistle sported a huge, beautiful, purplish pink blossom.

Ordinarily Lupe and SPHP aren’t all that terribly keen on thistles, but this one was truly a splendid specimen!

Lupe was slowly gaining elevation. Before long the trail and power line both crossed USFS Road No. 202. The road subsequently turned E and disappeared into the forest. The trail took Lupe up an open strip of ground beneath the power line toward a minor pass.

Following the power line to a minor pass. Photo looks N.

Cresting the pass revealed steeper terrain ahead. Centennial Trail No. 89 went down an otherwise abandoned dirt road for much of the descent into the Jim Creek valley. Lupe was fast closing in on the Pilot Knob trailhead, now only 0.25 mile away.

Continuing N after cresting a minor pass, Centennial Trail No. 89 follows this dirt road as it begins losing elevation heading down into the Jim Creek valley. Photo looks N.

In the valley, Centennial Trail No. 89 skirted the E edge of a cattle ranch. Pilot Knob (5,440 ft.) was in view off to the WNW. Loopster was more interested in a big black bull standing out in the field beyond the fence.

Down in the Jim Creek valley, Centennial Trail No. 89 skirts the E side of this cattle ranch. **Pilot Knob** (Center) is in view off to the WNW. Lupe was more interested in the big black bull beyond the fence. Photo looks WNW.

For the most part, the trail stayed in the pines a little up the slope E of the fence line as Lupe passed by the ranch. It then led down to a bridge over Jim Creek. USFS Road No. 208 (Merritt Road) could be seen only a short distance beyond the creek.

Crossing Jim Creek. USFS Road No. 208 (Merritt Road) is in sight. Photo looks SW.

After crossing Jim Creek, it took only a few minutes to reach the Pilot Knob trailhead on the other (N) side of Merritt Road.

Loop arrives at the **Pilot Knob trailhead** along USFS Road No. 208 (Merritt Road). Photo looks NNE.

That was about it. Success! Lupe had completed the entire 3.8 mile long trek from the Deer Creek trailhead to the Pilot Knob trailhead. This easy segment of Centennial Trail No. 89 really hadn’t taken her very long. It was still early afternoon. Instead of simply heading back by the same route, the American Dingo was up for more of a challenge.

Time to get a little peakbagging in while making a loop back to the G6! Pilot Knob (5,440 ft.), was 0.75 mile due W. It would serve nicely as a first objective. Rather than start back S on Centennial Trail No. 89, Lupe continued N, as if she intended to head for the South Boxelder Creek trailhead.

Right away, Centennial Trail No. 89 swung sharply W heading up a slope. It soon curved N again, and Lupe found herself E of another cattle ranch. Pilot Knob was in view beyond a grassy field. At the far end of the field a small cabin nestled at the edge of the pines.

**Pilot Knob** (L) from Centennial Trail No. 89 N of the Pilot Knob trailhead. Photo looks W with help from the telephoto lens.

Lupe continued N. Centennial Trail No. 89 turned E before too long at Boodleman Spring. Just E of the spring, Lupe left the trail turning N yet again. She followed a dirt road up a small valley until she was N of the cattle ranch fence line. The Carolina Dog then scrambled up out of the valley heading W.

Once out of the valley, Lupe was confronted with open forest on rolling terrain. Trying to stay on high ground instead of crossing ravines meant heading more NW than due W. For a while Pilot Knob wasn’t even in view due to all the trees, but Loop eventually caught sight of it again.

In the forest N of the cattle ranch. Photo looks WNW.

At a small clearing, Lupe catches sight of **Pilot Knob** again. Photo looks SW.

The **Pilot Knob** summit with help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks SW.

SPHP eventually lost patience with trying to stay on the high ground. Lupe was having to go too far NW to get to Pilot Knob’s N ridge. Simply crossing the last intervening valley was easier and faster. Looper was soon closing in on Pilot Knob’s rocky summit from the N.

Loop reaches the N end of Pilot Knob’s rocky summit ridge. Photo looks SE.

The summit ridge was a good 40 feet high or more. The N end was very steep and not a good place to attempt an ascent. Way back in January, 2016, Lupe had climbed Pilot Knob once before. SPHP remembered that about the only relatively easy way up started at the SW end of the ridge. Lupe headed that way.

Loop on her way S beside Pilot Knob’s vertical W face. Photo looks N.

The Pilot Knob summit ridge is several hundred feet long. On the W side of the ridge near the far S end, Lupe found the way up.

*Come on, SPHP! This is the way up!* About the only easy way to the top of Pilot Knob starts here at the SW corner of the very rocky summit ridge. Photo looks S.

Once up on the lower S end of the ridgeline, a bit of scrambling was required almost immediately to begin heading N toward the still unseen true summit. SPHP thought Lupe might need help at a couple of points, but she always managed to get up all by herself.

The W edge of the ridgeline became a sheer vertical drop. To keep going N, Lupe had to stay toward the E. This route was fine, except for small pines that made it unnecessarily difficult for SPHP to pass.

Lupe up on the summit ridge after the first bit of scrambling. She is just E of the highest rocks where it was possible to continue N. Loop had no trouble at all getting by these small pines, but they slowed SPHP down. Photo looks N.

Once beyond the pines, thorny bushes among lots of jumbled rock kept progress slow. A vertical drop existed to the E, too, but at least there was some room up here to maneuver a little W of the edge.

Getting close to the summit, still E of the highest rocks. Photo looks N.

After fighting through the bushes, another short scramble and Lupe was up! For the first time in more than 2.5 years, the American Dingo stood at the top of Pilot Knob (5,440 ft.).

For the first time in more than 2.5 years, Lupe stands once again on the highest rocks up on **Pilot Knob**. Photo looks N.

*Oh, I made it up here again, SPHP. And without any help from you, I might add!*

*Say, these views are surprisingly impressive aren’t they?*

Pilot Knob’s summit was so rocky there were hardly any trees around. Even though Pilot Knob (5,440 ft.) hadn’t seemed like much of a climb, the views were rather impressive.

Time for a break. A snack while enjoying the scenery was in order. Lupe had water and Taste of the Wild. SPHP munched an apple. Lupe could see and hear the traffic on nearby Highway 385, but it was all far enough below so the mood was still largely one of tranquility up here on Pilot Knob.

On the highest rock. The cattle ranch Lupe had gone past on Centennial Trail No. 89 down in the Jim Creek valley is seen on the L. Hwy 385 is on the R. Photo looks SE.

The rounded forested high point toward the L at the far end of the near ridge (close to Hwy 385) is **Merritt Peak (5,556 ft.)**. Lupe would be heading there next. Rochford Road is on the R. Photo looks S.

This big patch of orange and purple rock gives the summit of **Pilot Knob** a distinctive look. Photo looks NNW.

Looking down the ragged rocky N end of the summit ridge. Photo looks N.

View to the NW with help from the telephoto lens and a peakbagging Carolina Dog.

Rochford Road from Pilot Knob. Photo looks SW with help from the telephoto lens.

Loopster wasn’t going to get better views than this from anywhere else today, so the American Dingo wasn’t in any hurry to leave Pilot Knob. She lingered with SPHP up at the summit for more than 40 minutes. By then it seemed like time move on if Lupe still wanted to get to Merritt Peak (5,556 ft.), her second and final peakbagging objective.

*Hate to leave Pilot Knob, SPHP, but maybe we better get going, if we still want to have time to reach **Merritt Peak** (Center)*. Photo looks S.

After a slow, careful descent off of Pilot Knob’s summit ridge, Loopster headed S through the forest. Down, down! The SW side was the steepest part of the main mountain, but Lupe wanted to get down to Highway 385 as fast as possible. It wasn’t far, only about an eighth of a mile. Near the bottom, a ravine to the W that wasn’t too steep got her there.

The busy highway wasn’t a fun place to be. Lupe and SPHP headed S in the ditch as cars and trucks roared by. Near Merritt Road, Lupe crossed over to the W side of Highway 385. She passed through the parking lots of the Sugar Shack and other businesses. If they would have welcomed Dingoes, Looper would surely have begged SPHP to take her into the Sugar Shack for a burger. Sadly, that wasn’t in the cards.

Loop and SPHP hurried along. After 0.50 mile, it was a relief to reach USFS Road No. 672 and escape all the highway traffic. Peaceful No. 672 wound its way SW steadily gaining elevation.

Lupe was glad to get to USFS Road No. 672, safely away from all the Highway 385 traffic. Photo looks SW.

After 0.5 mile on USFS Road No. 672, Lupe reached an intersection at the top of a pass. From here No. 672 continued S down into Broad Gulch. Loop didn’t need to go that way. Instead, she turned E on Trail No. 6237.

Loop left USFS Road No. 672 here at the top of a minor pass. Trail No. 6237 would take her SE along the ridge leading to Merritt Peak.

Trail No. 6237 quickly brought Lupe up onto a ridgeline leading SE to Merritt Peak. The forest had been thinned in recent years, but the pines were still dense enough to mar any distant views. Even so, traveling along the ridge was fun. Lupe enjoyed looking down the forested slopes on both sides for deer or squirrels.

On the ridge leading to **Merritt Peak**. Photo looks SE.

After following the ridge for 0.25 mile, SPHP figured Lupe had to be getting close to Merritt Peak. However, Trail No. 6237 suddenly made a big curve down to the W leaving the ridgeline. That didn’t seem right at all! Back in January, 2016 when Lupe had climbed Pilot Knob for the first time, she had also come this way and climbed Merritt Peak, too. SPHP didn’t remember the trail leaving the ridge back then. Loop certainly hadn’t.

Instead of following Trail No. 6237 down off the ridge, Lupe continued SE looking for another trail. Almost right away, she found the trail SPHP remembered.

In 2016, the trail had not gone clear up to the top of Merritt Peak, but had passed only 30 or 40 feet below the summit ridge on the E side of the mountain. Sure enough, this trail gained elevation before leveling out E of higher ground. SPHP was certain this had to be it. The Carolina Dog left the trail and climbed the slope to the top. Yes, this was Merritt Peak (5,556 ft.) alright!

Lupe reaches the S end of Merritt Peak’s 200 foot long summit ridge. Photo looks NNW.

Lupe had come up near the S end of Merritt Peak’s 200 foot long summit ridge. The whole ridge was pretty close to level. A small rock outcropping seemed to be the high point at this end. The N end of the summit ridge was rockier and had seemed perhaps slightly higher back in 2016. May as well go check it out again.

Eh. Maybe the N end was a little higher. Still seemed that way, but not super convincingly so. Really not much difference one way or another. Lupe and SPHP sat down together just below the highest rocks to take another break.

The N end of Merritt Peak’s summit ridge might have been a bit higher than the S end. Still seemed that way, but not by much. It was certainly rockier. Photo looks N.

If not the true summit, this is mighty close to it. Photo looks NNE.

*So this is it, isn’t it, SPHP? I’ve bagged myself a 2nd ascent of Merritt Peak, haven’t I? …. Yeah, congratulations Looper, we’re calling this good.*

Lupe had also taken a break at this very same spot in 2016. Even though the forest had been thinned since then, there still weren’t any decent views from Merritt Peak (5,556 ft.). Seemed like there had been at least a fairly good look at Minnesota Ridge (6,240 ft.) off to the NW from here before. Even that view was now marred by a couple of trees that had grown up in the meantime.

Still, SPHP was glad Lupe had returned. More than 2.5 years gone by. Made you think. SPHP hugged Lupe close. For a while Lupe huddled there with SPHP content just sitting and watching.

Time is relentless. That precious commodity was slipping away even as it was being pondered. The sky had been totally overcast all afternoon. It wasn’t possible to tell how close the sun was to setting. No more than an hour from now, maybe less? Lupe still had close to 2 miles to go to get back to the Deer Creek trailhead. SPHP stood up.

Come on, Looper, let’s finish exploring this ridge!

Lupe was on it. She was ready.

The ridge SPHP was referring to wasn’t Merritt Peak’s summit ridge. Lupe had already seen that. However, she had never been any farther on the long ridge extending SE from Merritt Peak. This was the same ridge that had been unseen and higher up to the W during much of the early part of today’s journey along Centennial Trail No. 89.

The American Dingo returned to the nearby trail. The easiest thing to do would have been to head directly down to Centennial Trail No. 89, which couldn’t have been more than 0.5 mile away. Instead, Lupe stuck with the high ground traveling SE along the ridgeline.

A network of seldom traveled trails crisscrossed the ridge. None were marked. Up and down! From one high point to the next the Carolina Dog continued her explorations. For more than a mile whatever trail she was on was in good shape. After that it began to fade. Eventually there didn’t seem to be a trail at all.

Finally, Lupe saw Silver City Road just ahead down at Pass 5307. Time to begin her descent. Loop headed E off the ridge. It wasn’t dark yet, but certainly dim when she reached Centennial Trail No. 89 at the edge of the pines by the rock outcropping where the trail had first leveled out this morning.

Lupe’s big loop on and off Centennial Trail No. 89 today was complete. Ten more minutes of sniffing would bring her back to the Deer Creek trailhead and the G6. Another day, a fun one, gone forever. At least her precious time had been well spent. End – 6:21 PM, 42°F