Day 22 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!
8:57 AM, 0.25 mile E of the Dalton Highway just past MP195 – Peak 3470 behind her, Lupe stood in the middle the abandoned construction camp blinking in the morning sun. That was a good thing!
So, Poss Mountain (6,180 ft.) is a go, SPHP?
Yup! We’re giving it a shot, Loopster! Supposed to be cloudy the next few days, but we’re past any serious rain in the forecast, and this looks plenty good enough. If the weather will just stay like this, with a little luck, you’ll be on Poss Mountain tomorrow!
Tomorrow! Are we staying out overnight in the Brooks Range, SPHP?
Maybe a couple of nights out, Loop. Bringing the tiny house! Are you all cranked up for your first ever backpacking trip in Alaska?
Sounds fabulous, SPHP!
Should be awesome, Loopster! Only thing I’m not sure about is where we ought to start.
Why? What’s wrong with right here, SPHP? This looks like a great place to start! Just head for the gap between those those 2 mountains straight for Poss Mountain. We can see it from here!
I’d love to, Loopster. This construction camp does seem like a great spot to start. Andrew Holman and Abbey Collins climbed Poss Mountain from here last September. In fact, from their GPS track, looks like they drove in about half a mile, instead of having to hike it.
Pitifully easy then, SPHP! We can, too! So, what’s the problem?
Well, Andrew wrote a short trip report. Said that they followed the S side of Nugget Creek, which is somewhere in the forest N of us here, and flows NW out of the gap we see. Holman didn’t say what they ran into, but did recommend staying on the N side of the creek instead.
So, when we get to Nugget Creek, we’ll just cross over to the N side, SPHP. Problem solved!
Except we don’t know how big Nugget Creek is, Loop. If it was that easy to cross, Andrew probably wouldn’t have even mentioned it. Thinking maybe we should go back to the Dalton Highway and drive far enough N to put us on the N side of the creek to begin with.
I’m fine with that, SPHP.
Good! Although I do sort of hate to give up this sweet S side start, Looper.
9:06 AM, Dalton Highway – Nugget Creek was only another 0.25 mile N, but SPHP missed the R (SE) turn onto a little side road immediately N of the stream. Driving another 0.5 mile N searching for a place to turn around, a familiar, yet thrilling, sight was ahead in the distance.
Loopster, look! Sukakpak Mountain (4,459 ft.)!
Sukakpak was awesome, SPHP! Will we get to climb it again on this trip?
I sure hope so, Loop! 6 years since we’ve been up there. We’re overdue!
11:12 AM, 55ºF, Dalton Highway MP 175+, at the side road immediately N of Nugget Creek – The pack was loaded; tiny house, sleeping bags, and all. Full of Ritz crackers and cheese, the Carolina Dog was ready to set out for Poss Mountain (6,180 ft.). She’d already checked out Nugget Creek. Not a huge stream, but big enough so that SPHP was glad Lupe wouldn’t have to ford it right away.
Taking Andrew Holman’s advice, Lupe started the trek to Poss Mountain following the dirt side road N of Nugget Creek into the forest. After only a few hundred feet, the road ended at a small clearing where a rusty old burn barrel stood.
Hmm. No easy 0.5 mile head start here, is there, Loopster? Too bad.
Make up your mind, SPHP! We can still go back to the S side construction camp, if you want to.
Eh, let’s see how this goes, Loop. But I’m blaming Andrew Holman for whatever happens!
Nugget Creek was rushing along just a little S of the burn barrel. Going over to it, Lupe began following the creek upstream through reasonably open forest full of soft, spongy tundra. Progress was good, and soon got even better when the American Dingo discovered a faint path marked with orange ribbons tied to trees or bushes.
Paralleling Nugget Creek quite close to it, the path eventually vanished. No big deal! Traveling through the flat forest remained fairly easy.
After a mile, or so, a steeply eroded bank was seen ahead above a bend in Nugget Creek. Some elevation had to be gained to get past this point. At first, being this high above the creek was a temporary situation. Lupe returned to the stream several times, but as the Carolina Dog kept going, a slow, steady climb began.
The ground N of the stream began to rise somewhat faster, forming a small ridge. Forced by increasingly dense vegetation, deadfall, and/or Nugget Creek, Lupe began spending more and more time up along the edge of the high ground, instead of right down by the stream. Travel was generally easier up here.
An hour from the eroded bank, Loop came to a large, flat opening well above Nugget Creek. Peak 3780 was now in sight ahead. Full of bushes and tussocks, this clearing was actually fairly difficult terrain. Following game trails along the edge of the forest was much easier than trying to go through it.
The sky clouded up quite a bit, but everything still seemed to be going fine. However, the elevation gap between the ridge Lupe was following and Nugget Creek was steadily growing. Gradually turning E, the ridge was slowly angling away from the stream, too. Attempts to return the valley floor right next to the creek repeatedly led to steeper terrain and denser forest. Staying higher always seemed to be easier.
Approaching the gap where Nugget Creek flowed between Peak 3780 and Peak 3286, the sides of the valley got steeper and steeper.
Hmm. Not sure what we should do, Loopster. The Nugget Creek valley is way more V-shaped than I’d anticipated. Wish Andrew had said a little more about what he and Abbey encountered down along the creek.
Wonder why he said to stay N of the creek, SPHP? Looks like there’s a lot less vegetation to deal with over on the S side.
Don’t know, Loop, but I agree. Wish we were over there.
Well, the grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it? Yet, for better or worse, the Carolina Dog was N of Nugget Creek, and dropping clear down to it again to ford the stream and try the S side against Andrew Holman’s advice seemed like a lot of work of questionable utility.
Decisions, decisions! Drop down to Nugget Creek, or keep following the ridge higher? SPHP chose neither.
Tell ya what, Loop. Let’s just try not to lose any elevation. Maybe we can find a spot where we can traverse this slope without having to gain much more?
Yeah, right! Peak 3780’s SW slope kept getting steeper. Every time Lupe tried to traverse it below the ridgeline, she ran into alders so thick SPHP could barely force a way through them. Only another mile to where Nugget Creek forked, and the topo map showed easier ground, but a mile of this nonsense would take all day.
Each foray into the alders resulted only in another forced steep climb back to ever higher, but more manageable terrain up on the ridge.
Are you sure we should be doing this, SPHP? We’re gaining an awful lot of elevation. Andrew and Abbey were right down by the creek, right?
I know it, Loop, but we’re so high now, that I don’t want to lose our hard won elevation. Let’s just keep climbing. Sooner or later we’ll get above the alders, and it won’t be so steep. We’ll cut across this slope then.
Temporarily giving up on traversing the slope, the American Dingo kept climbing. Both trees and alders finally began to thin out, but it didn’t help that much. Less substantial bushes beginning to display the reds, oranges, and golds of autumn took their place. Shoulder high on SPHP, even Lupe was having a time of it trying to thrash her way through this brilliant jungle. At first, she could rarely see the views of the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River that were starting to appear off to the W.
The Carolina Dog was 1,000 feet above Nugget Creek when things finally opened up enough to start making a level traverse of the slope feasible. However, by then a top was visible only a few hundred feet higher.
I don’t know, Loop. Actually looks easier to simply go up and over now.
Is that the top of Peak 3780 ahead, SPHP?
No, not yet. According to the map, we’re approaching HP3400, Looper.
Might as well go up there and have a look around, SPHP.
HP3400 was farther and higher than it looked. The ascent remained quite steep. The bushes were much smaller now, but the sponginess of the tundra continued to make every step harder than one might expect. Reaching the welcome firmness of an initial patch of dirt and small rocks, SPHP paused for a breather.
Essentially above tree and bush line now, the views were getting better!
This is encouraging, SPHP! Looks like we’re finally starting to get somewhere.
So it does, Loopster. Onward! Puppy, ho!
The beautiful, spongy tundra climb continued. More rockiness appeared ahead. Getting to it, this still wasn’t HP3400 yet, but Lupe had reached a much gentler, firmer slope. Couldn’t be much farther to HP3400!
Closing in on HP3400, Lupe encountered the first big rock formations of the day. Scrambling up onto them yielded a dramatic look back at the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River. A smaller ridge of thinly layered stone was higher yet, a little farther on.
The upper ridge proved to be the top of HP3400. SPHP was surprised to see an “O’s” cap pinned beneath a few rocks. Picking the cap up to see what was underneath revealed only a few small rocks. Hmm. A little anti-climactic, but whatever. SPHP restored the cap to its awesome viewpoint.
Been a long climb lugging this heavy pack, Loop. Let’s take a short break.
Quite a few clouds around, but Lupe was in sunshine while relaxing on HP3400. In addition to the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River to the W, Poss Mountain (6,180 ft.) was in sight still more than 3 miles off to the SE. Sukakpak Mountain (4,459 ft.), Dillon Mountain (4,820 ft.), and Wiehl Mountain (5,765 ft.) were quite a bit farther N.
Looking SW, Lupe was now higher than Peak 3286. Down in the valley, the area where Nugget Creek forked was also in sight more than 1,500 feet below. A sliver of Minnie Creek Lake was even visible beyond the ridge on the far side.
From HP3400, it was easy to see that Lupe could now continue E down into a big saddle, then skirt along the S side of Peak 3780 before heading down into the Victor Gulch region. Shouldn’t have much trouble at all!
What? Are you crazy, SPHP? We aren’t going to do that!
Do what, Loop?
Skip Peak 3780! We’re so close, and look at how easy it is. Just a big hill only 400 feet higher. After coming all this way, we have to climb it, SPHP!
After descending to the broad saddle leading to Peak 3780, Lupe crossed it, then started up. Most of the W slope was easy low tundra vegetation, but a line of rock formations ran partway up, too. The biggest one came first. Lupe checked it out, and sniffed around some of the smaller ones farther up, too.
Near the top of Peak 3780, SPHP got caught in a trap! A wild blueberry trap, that is. SPHP’s attempts to self-extricate from the situation seemed suspiciously feeble, but Lupe didn’t mind the wait.
6:13 PM, 50ºF – A rounded slope flattened out into a level plain several acres in size as Lupe reached Peak 3780‘s summit region. A minor rise along the N edge was clearly the true summit, but the American Dingo didn’t go there right away. Instead, she visited a more dramatic Dingo display pedestal along the S edge first.
The view of Poss Mountain’s dark upper regions towering far above red-hued lower slopes and Victor Gulch was stunning!
Arriving at the rise along the N edge only a few minutes later, Lupe found a small brass pin toward the NW end of a ridge of thin-layered rock. Set in stone, the pin was stamped with the numbers “2610” and “8”. 4 rocks were neatly arranged forming a box around it.
The true summit was 30 feet farther SE. Soft tundra vegetation provided comfortable spots to rest. After 7 hours of bushwhacking to get here, Lupe wasn’t shy about availing herself of the opportunity to lie down.
How ya doing, Looper? Andrew Holman’s N route is a killer, isn’t it?
Just a hunch, but I’m fairly certain Andrew didn’t really intend for us to climb 2,000 feet above Nugget Creek, SPHP.
Yeah, pretty sure he would have mentioned a little detail like that. Still, if I hadn’t read his trip report, we would have started S of Nugget Creek, too. So it’s clearly Andrew’s fault we’re here right now!
Like we had nothing to do with it! And what’s wrong with this, anyway? Peak 3780 is awesome! Look at these fabulous views of the Brooks Range, SPHP. Magnificent, if you ask me!
Now, now! I’m not blaming Andrew, I’m crediting him, Loop. You’re right. Peak 3780 is a spectacular viewpoint. We are the beneficiaries of the Holman N Nugget Creek route extended scenic tour! We’ll have to thank Andrew, if we ever run into him.
Long stretches of the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River, Dalton Highway, and Alaska oil pipeline were all visible to the W and N. Old friends Sukakpak, Dillon, and Wiehl Mountain were NNE. And to the SSE, a grand view of Lupe’s current main objective, Poss Mountain.
Who knew if Lupe would ever even make it to Poss? Small rain showers were slowly drifting this way from out of the W. At least Peak 3780 was a peakbagging success worth mentioning on her first ever backpacking trip in Alaska. Way up in the Brooks Range, too. Epic!
6:57 PM, Peak 3780 – 45 minutes after reaching Peak 3780, Lupe stood on the true summit for the last time.
Sad to say it, but we better get moving, Looper. Still quite a trek ahead of us, if we expect to get into position for Poss Mountain tomorrow.
Starting down Peak 3780’s SE slope, it got steep so fast that SPHP quickly decided against it. Lupe regained 100 feet of elevation going back up to and over Peak 3780’s summit plain before heading back down the same W slope she’d come up.
Lupe turned S before reaching the saddle to HP3400 again. Swinging slowly E on a long descent, a light-colored gently sloping region in view just E of Nugget Creek in Victor Gulch became the objective. Looked like that might be the best spot to put up the tiny house.
It was all pretty easy until Lupe got down to the bushes again. Trying to get far enough E to avoid having to cross Nugget Creek’s main course, the American Dingo crossed a series of deeply eroded ravines where the lower SE slopes of Peak 3780 were crumbling away. Big cracks revealed significant slumping in this region. Battling among the bushes through this upheaval was a bit of an ordeal.
Could have been much worse! Thankfully, there were few alders.
Before it was over, Lupe crossed two small streams. Neither presented much of a problem. The last one drained into Victor Gulch from the E. A short, steep climb from there, and the Carolina Dog made it to the region SPHP had been aiming for.
9:15 PM, Victor Gulch, E of Nugget Creek – Exceptionally thick, spongy tundra, and a few low bushes covered this entire area. Kind of lumpy, but soft, too. Wandering SSE on a gentle slope, SPHP selected a spot to erect the tiny house.
Lupe had lost 1,400 feet of elevation since leaving Peak 3780. Tomorrow she was going to have to regain it all, plus another 2,400 feet, to reach Poss Mountain. After a 10 hour day today, it seemed a long shot, at best. Adding to concerns, the evening was completely overcast as light faded from the sky.
Too weary to care, Loopster plunked herself down on her red sleeping bag in the tiny house as soon as SPHP unzipped the door. Dinner and a good, long snooze were all that mattered right now.
Links:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
Poss Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska – Part 2: Denied! (8-21-22) & Peak 3286 (8-22-22)
Andrew Holman’s Poss Mountain Trip Report & GPS Track (9-4-21)
Lupe’s GPS Track to Peak 3780 & Poss Mountain Base Camp
Sukakpak Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska (8-13-16)
Dillon Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska (8-15-16)
BLM Dalton Highway Visitor Guide
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