Black Hills – Page 53 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

2020 – The Year of Perfect Vision!

12-31-19, 11:00 PM at home –

Looks like we’re going to make it to the Year of Perfect Vision, Loop. 2020 in another hour.

Oddly, that actually did sound like some sort of accomplishment.

Lupe snuggled closer, staring at SPHP with worried, mournful eyes. SPHP petted her. For 2 hours, she had been able to hear fireworks now and then. Ever since a terrifying experience with fireworks when Loop was a puppy, even distant gunfire, or any sort of bang or explosion made her want to hide.

The early New Year’s fireworks were making the Carolina Dog nervous, but they weren’t why she was mournful. Life had become dreadfully dull. SPHP didn’t do anything with her anymore. Maybe it was time for a new SPHP? Apparently the old one was about shot.

It had all started a few days before Lupe’s birthday. Nothing much, just a tickle in SPHP’s throat. By the time Lupe turned 9 on December 14th, the tickle was a “chest cold”. Some days SPHP seemed to get better, but the overall trend was worse. More and more coughing, choking up more and more ghastly phlegm.

Even so, until recently SPHP had been up and about almost like normal. The only real difference was that Lupe hadn’t been on a single Black Hills Expedition since November. On Christmas Day there had been a short trip to visit Felix and Asher, but the next day SPHP felt chilled and had taken to bed.

Could barely eat or drink anything at all. Everything sounded terrible, or made more phlegm. For days now, SPHP had just slept or laid there coughing. Meanwhile, Lupe suffered almost completely ignored, waiting endlessly for SPHP to get better.

Surely SPHP would get better! SPHP was hardly ever sick. Confidence had been at least slightly shaken, though. Ever since the 26th, SPHP had been coughing up more and more blood.

Made it to 2020, but the Year of Perfect Vision was about to get off to a rough start.

1-2-20, Urgent Care – Everyone had been wrong. Doctor said both lungs clear. SPHP didn’t have pneumonia. Merely “acute bronchitis”. No big deal. Zithromax was going to do the trick. 6 pills over 5 days. Easy!

1-7-20 – Lo and behold, the Zithromax actually did work! Nowhere near 100% yet, but definitely much improved. Not coughing so much. Far less blood. Still some pretty dull days for the American Dingo, but SPHP was up and about at least part of the time now. Everyone had been wrong about the pneumonia thing, but they’d been right about going to see the doctor.

Lesson learned! Eh, maybe.

1-25-20 – Still no new adventures in the Black Hills, even though SPHP was almost completely well now. The Carolina Dog never did get to visit New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) this year. At least today was going to be better. SPHP said she was going to get to go to Grandma’s house. Lupe hadn’t been there in more than a month. She was all excited!

Mush and David were at Grandma’s house when Lupe arrived. Christy, a friend of theirs was, too! The more, the merrier! Except it wasn’t. Strange things had been happening out at Grandma’s house ever since 2018. Now that 2020 was here, something was definitely wrong.

Mush and David’s pickup and big horse trailer were in the driveway. Hours of commotion. Lots of Grandma’s things were being loaded into the trailer. Even SPHP was in on it. Two trips. By the end of the day, Grandma wasn’t at home anymore. She had moved to a big building where Dingoes weren’t allowed in, a “senior living center”. No fun at all!

The only good things today were riding in the truck, and a trip with SPHP to the cul-de-sac.

1-27-20 – Guess we better get at it, Looper. Pretty much up to us now.

What did that mean? Turned out it meant a trip to Grandma’s old house every single day. Suddenly Lupe was getting to go out there 7 days a week, unless there was a big snow. Sadly, Grandma was never there. No one was. It was adventures in getting Grandma’s house ready for sale! Cleaning, painting, various projects and repairs, new carpets, disposing of everything still in the house or garage – all of Grandma’s treasures that she no longer had room for and couldn’t keep any more.

Dullsville! Most of the time literally adventures in watching paint dry.

Oh, there were some good things about it. Better than acute bronchitis, that was for sure. Riding in the G6 was fun! Every day Lupe got to bark at the gas pipeline, cows, and deer on the way out there and back. Sometimes there were trips to stores for supplies.

Every morning Loop got to go around the house to sniff the air and see the canyon out back. Usually at least a couple more times during the day, too, just as a break from the paint drying drudgery. Sometimes SPHP threw the squeaker ball for her.

2-5-20 – Out by the propane tank while going around Grandma’s big old house.

*Sometimes there are squirrels or deers or wild turkeys out here!*

SPHP worked on the rooms one at a time. The first one done was the big family room in the basement.

*Does look a lot better, SPHP, but 2 weeks to finish one room? You’re gonna have to pick up the pace, or this is going to take forever and a day!*

*Why don’t we go out, and go around the house again to celebrate finally getting one room done?*

2-11-20. Up on the deck during the big “one room done” celebration!

The red rock walls of **Spring Creek Canyon** with help from the telephoto lens.

Some of Grandma’s things had to be sold. SPHP washed her car. Lanis helped by placing the ad for it. Lupe got to star as Adventure Used Cars sales representative. On Valentine’s Day, two men came to look at it. They bought it the next day.

*Hi, I’m Lupe with Adventure Used Cars! Today we’ve got a great deal on a clean, low-mileage **1996 Buick Park Avenue**! Been in it many times myself. Runs great!*

Sometimes it snowed. The canyon looked especially beautiful then.

Whenever the weather turned nice, SPHP switched to outdoor projects. Those were more fun! Loopster could roam around.

3-4-20. Taking down part of an old fence. 2020 was so messed up! March came in like a lamb.

Gradually rooms were getting done. In early March, men came to install new carpets in the 2 N bedrooms. Most other rooms had already gotten new floor coverings in 2019. Grandma had known all along that sooner or later she would be moving. She just hadn’t known exactly when.

The house still wasn’t done, though. 2 more weeks went by. The living and dining rooms were the last ones SPHP painted.

3-19-20. In the dining room with a rawhide stick and a squeaker ball for entertainment. “Before” color still on the walls.

3-19-20. “After” color on the living room walls.

For nearly 2 months now, the grand highlight of every day had been at least one walk up to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road. Lupe had been up to the cul-de-sac almost every time she’d visited Grandma ever since she’d been a tiny puppy.

Naturally, when the last of the painting was done on 3-19-20, she went up to the cul-de-sac yet again.

On the way to the cul-de-sac. Not too far now from where the Most Beautiful Christmas tree is every year.

A romp at the beloved cul-de-sac, 3-19-20.

The house still wasn’t done. A few more days, though, and it would be.

The next to the last day was dark and snowy. As Lupe headed up to the cul-de-sac again near the end of the day, the frozen scene fit in with the general mood. Nearly 2 months spent on this house project. Perhaps it had all been for naught?

In those 2 months, the world had changed. The coronavirus had come to America. People were getting sick and dying. Millions more were losing their jobs as states deliberately started shutting down their economies. The stock market was plunging. Talk of not only a recession, but maybe a depression. Grandma might have been better off sticking a for sale sign in the yard the day after she moved while the market was still strong.

Or maybe never moving away at all. A month after she’d made the move, the senior living center clamped down. Precautions against the virus. No outside visitors allowed. Only staff and residents. Lately the residents had been confined to their apartments. No more socializing in the big dining room, which had been one of the reasons to move in the first place. Once a day, someone brought Grandma a big meal. Other than that, she was a virtual prisoner of the coronavirus.

Of course, Looper didn’t know any of this. This dark trip to the cul-de-sac was just a fun walk at the end of another otherwise dull day!

3-22-20. Loop ready to return to the cul-de-sac.

The next day was sunny and bright. The snow was melting fast. Beneath the pines, it felt like it was raining. By noon, Grandma’s house was all done. That afternoon, SPHP obtained permission from the senior living center to take Grandma back to see the house she’d lived in for more than a third of a century for the last time.

*It’s done? Really? Seemed like this would never end! What’s Grandma going to think?*

3-23-20. Grandma’s inspection tour begins.

Grandma thought the house had never been so beautiful! At least that was something good.

The preparation was done. Now to sell the home! A Realtor had been in touch with SPHP. She said she had clients who were very interested in Grandma’s house. Over the course of several days, a market analysis was prepared. A fair price was set. Permission was granted to show the property. The Realtor got her buyer clients out there the very next day.

A day later, the Realtor emailed SPHP. Her clients loved the view, but the house was dated. They didn’t want to remodel it. No offer.

Well, it was true. It was an old lady’s house. It did need remodeling. Grandma was too old to want to do it.

4-1-20 – The Year of Perfect Vision, and everything was crazy! Should have been the perfect time of year to put a home on the market, yet this year maybe it was the worst? No one really knew what was going to happen. Most of the nation, but not South Dakota, was enduring mandatory shutdowns and stay at home orders. As the economy got worse, the Federal Reserve was spending trillions of dollars. Congress and the President, too. More people dying, millions more losing their jobs every week. The stock market, which had just collapsed, was now soaring.

Grandma wanted the house sold, not just “for sale”. Cut the price 10% and get rid of it. April 1st, but she wasn’t fooling. It was cold, windy and tiny snowflakes were flying when Lupe and SPHP met with Realtor Walt out at Grandma’s house this afternoon. First sign of the approaching blizzard. The paperwork blizzard! Walt soon left, and Lupe insisted on going to the cul-de-sac.

4-10-20 – Grandma’s house had been entered into MLS on April 6th at the new lower price. Tons of showings! Feedback all the same. Everyone loved the canyon view, big yard, size of the home, and 3 car garage. Everyone hated the old cabinets, countertops and fixtures. “Potential”, but too much work. No interest.

Until today. An offer! Even lower than Grandma’s new price, but a cash offer. Grandma said yes. 4 days on the market! That was fast!

Of course, the sale still wasn’t done. Another paperwork blizzard. Inspections, more repairs, title insurance, a deed, questions about this and that, but gradually it was all falling into place. Still trips out to Grandma’s house and the cul-de-sac, but fewer and fewer of them. SPHP started working on The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe again. The American Dingo finally had new posts coming out for the first time many weeks.

4-13-20. At home, now waiting for Grandma’s house deal to close. Supposed to happen mid-May.

A present from Realtor Walt’s wife, who loves dogs and made this special pad for Lupe.

4-29-20 – The closing date had been moved up to May 1st. Lupe and SPHP returned to mow the lawn.

4-30-20 – Almost the end! SPHP had to read a gauge on the propane tank. Of course, that meant another trip to Grandma’s house and the cul-de-sac.

*I know you always think of me climbing mountains, but I’ve been to this cul-de-sac 1,000 times, easy!*

Once back at Grandma’s house, Lupe went to see the canyon again.

*It’s all looking good! I love being at Grandma’s house! Why did she ever move?*

5-1-20 – Last chance to see it all again! In a few more hours, Grandma’s house would belong to someone else. Lupe arrived very early in the morning. No work or projects to do this time. For the last time, Loop and SPHP walked up to the cul-de-sac. Hard to believe this was it.

*5:20 AM! We’ve never been to the cul-de-sac this early before!*

Today a special adventure was waiting for Lupe back at Grandma’s house. Over the years, she had occasionally ventured down into Spring Creek Canyon all the way to Spring Creek. Not every year, maybe half a dozen times in all.

Going down to Spring Creek and back wasn’t a long adventure. An hour would be enough.

Usually Spring Creek is underground in this part of the canyon. It only flows for a few weeks in the spring in wet years. Some years it never surfaces at all. However, Lupe found it running this morning. In fact, Spring Creek was looking great!

Lupe spent 10 minutes down by the creek. Fun to be here one last time! Soon the American Dingo was on her way back to Grandma’s house.

Back at Grandma’s, it was once around the yard, before a final inside tour. Lupe went briefly to every room. Everything was clean. It all still looked as good as SPHP had been able to make it.

*The big front yard is good for chasing squeaker balls!*

*Nice and clean, but I liked it better when Grandma was here!*

Lupe had spent so many happy times here! Yet Grandma had moved on. Everything was gone. The moment had come. It was time for Lupe and SPHP to go, too.

Outside the front door for the last time.

By noon, Grandma didn’t own a house any more. SPHP stopped by the title company to pick up her check from the sale. Grandma was allowed out of the senior living center to go deposit the check at the bank, so Lupe got to see her for a little while.

Already the merry month of May! SPHP was well. Grandma’s house was sold. The world was still going nuts, and Lupe hadn’t been on a Black Hills Expedition in more than 5 months now. Yet SPHP said she probably wouldn’t get to resume her adventures until sometime in June. With all that had happened, SPHP was way too far behind on writing up her 2019 adventures!

5-24-20 – The grass was green! The air was sweet! New leaves on the trees. The world was as beautiful as ever. Summer was coming soon, but day after radiant day had drifted by. Six months now since the American Dingo’s last Black Hills Expedition. Grandma’s house and the cul-de-sac were but a memory. Lupe’s sole consolation was a daily trip to the park.

*Come on! Let’s have an early morning romp doing the “Geyser Loop”.*

*Remember to keep an eye out for squirrels!*

*Most people don’t know about this place. We’re at the “Puppy Thief Hideout”!*

*The Geyser Loop only takes about 45 minutes.*

*April snows make these grows. Well, something like that.*

*No actual geyser at the park this year, because this stream isn’t overflowing. Still looking good, though.*

*Almost back to the G6 already! Hope you enjoyed our stroll through the park. Apparently it’s all we’re going to get these days!*

Adventures in watching paint dry really hadn’t cut it. Lupe was missing her old life of adventure, yet the Carolina Dog’s problems were nothing compared to the rest of the world.

Disease! Death! Shutdowns! Poverty! Murder! Protests! Riots! Arson! Looting!

2020 – The Year of Perfect Vision, and no one had seen what was coming.

Ready for action in the Year of Perfect Vision!

Social distancing! Hah! Finally something we’re good at Loopster! Don’t you worry, if they open Canada and Alaska up again, you’ll soon be showing them some world class anti-social distancing! Even if they don’t open, there’s always Montana and Wyoming! Summer is upon us, Sweet Dingo!

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 254 – Black Fox to Crooks Tower (11-24-19)

9:02 AM, 43ºF, USFS Road No. 231 just past the turn to Buck Spring – Not gonna make it! Getting high-centered in this crusty, rutted snow wouldn’t be good. The G6 had been scraping bottom at intervals for the last 0.25 mile. Didn’t look like the situation was getting any better up ahead. SPHP gladly pulled off No. 231 at a snowy opening on the R.

Close enough! Black Fox couldn’t be too much farther. Lupe could start from here! Encouraged by conditions on Expedition No. 253, SPHP had been convinced the American Dingo could still get up into the western Black Hills high country, despite the late November date. Might be the last chance Loop would have in 2019. The G6 just wasn’t built to handle much in the way of ice and snow.

What an incredible morning! Bounding out of the G6, Looper thrashed about on the snow in ecstasy, biting off mouthfuls of the crunchy upper crust. Oh, it was going to be a great day for a romp in the hills! As soon as SPHP was ready, she set off heading SW on USFS Road No. 231.

Waiting for SPHP to get with the program! Photo looks SW.

No. 231 was snow-packed and slippery, but level and an easy trek. The cool fresh air and pine scent were exhilarating! Morning sunlight cast long blue shadows on the glittering white snow. Looked and felt like winter up here already, a winter still young and mild.

*Oh, what a fabulous morning! We’re on our way to Black Fox.*

0.5 mile brought Lupe to an intersection. Here she turned L (S) on USFS Road No. 233, almost immediately thereafter crossing a bridge over the S Fork of Rapid Creek. Somewhat surprisingly, she passed several vehicles S of the bridge. Hunters? Probably. No one was around at the moment. Black Fox campground was just around the next bend.

At **Black Fox campground**, a quiet spot in late November!

Black Fox was closed this time of year. Snow was everywhere. Lupe stopped for a look at the Rhoads Fork of Rapid Creek. The frigid, dark water plunged over a tiny waterfall before flowing deeper into the shady, green forest.

No. 233 went SW up the Rhoads Fork valley, if up is the correct word. For 0.5 mile, the road was flat, or nearly so, all the way to a junction with side road No. 233.2D. A nice, rustic cabin with a sign saying “Minnelusa Tepee” was tucked off in the pines to the L. A deer on the road ahead caught Lupe’s attention, but as soon as it disappeared into the forest, she headed NW (R) on No. 233.2D.

At the intersection of No. 233 (L) and No. 233.2D (R). Photo looks SW.

Going up Beaver Draw, No. 233.2D climbed steadily. The road was even snowier here. Thankfully, several vehicles had compressed a couple of tracks. Loopster kept a careful watch for squirrels and deer, but had no luck. The trudge up the secluded valley was pleasant and quiet.

The road eventually curved W. A mile from the junction with No. 233, Beaver Draw began to widen out. Lupe came to a snowy clearing. This wasn’t the top, but it felt like she was starting to get close.

Checking for squirrels in **Beaver Draw**. Photo looks SE.

On No. 233.2D in **Beaver Draw**. Photo looks NW.

At the snowy clearing a mile from No. 233. Photo looks WNW.

The road kept climbing longer than expected, although at a diminishing pace. Beaver Draw widened out into a broad amphitheater. To the N, low limestone cliffs came into view. No. 233.2D turned SW, becoming muddy and icy. To facilitate logging operations, the road had recently been graded here. Lupe passed piles of dead trees.

No. 233.2D became icy as **Beaver Draw** opened up. Photo looks SW.

Passing a pile of dead trees in upper **Beaver Draw**. Photo looks NE.

No. 233.2D skirted the S side of the amphitheater, climbing faster again. Lupe finally reached some high ground where the terrain leveled out. From here she had her first glimpse of a distant view.

*Finally starting to get high enough to see something!* The distant hills are part of the N end of **White Tail Peak (6,962 ft.)**. Photo looks E.

As near as SPHP could tell, Lupe was now on a plateau about a mile S of Trebor Draw. There was an unmarked intersection near the viewpoint. One road went N along the W rim of the Beaver Draw amphitheater. However, Lupe took the road going SW. For a while she gained a little more elevation, but after that the terrain was pretty flat, undulating only slightly up or down.

This territory was all above 6,700 feet, quite high for the Black Hills. Even so, Lupe came to no more viewpoints. The snow was generally deep enough to make exploring the forest too laborious to be worth the effort. For the most part, the American Dingo stuck to the road, trotting along happily in the fresh air and sunshine. As the day warmed up, the road became increasingly soft and muddy. SPHP marched along the snowy edges whenever possible.

By one of several snowy clearings on the plateau. Photo looks SW.

The road system didn’t match up with SPHP’s old maps. An expected mile long detour to the S and back again, never happened. Thinking Loop was still on No. 233.2D, SPHP was surprised when she came to a sign saying this was actually USFS Road No. 419.

*Hey, SPHP! Look! We’re already on No. 419!* Where that had happened was a mystery. Photo looks SW.

No. 419 continued SW. After a while, Lupe began to lose elevation. A ridge came into view beyond a snowy side road. Along in here, No. 419 curved W. The Carolina Dog quickly came to two intersections very close to each other at a low pass.

The largest clearing along No. 419. The snow was deep here! Photo looks S.

Still on the high ground along No. 419. Photo looks SSW.

The ridge seen ahead came into view as No. 419 began to curve W. Photo looks SW.

These intersections were a mess with lots of ground recently torn up by bulldozers. The only marker still evident was for the road coming up from the S, which said No. 189.2. Made sense. SPHP knew where Lupe was now. This minor pass was 0.75 mile N of Bombard Draw.

Crooks Tower (7,137 ft.), Lupe’s peakbagging objective for the day, was now 1.5 miles NW as the crow flies. The road going N from this pass had to be USFS Road No. 631. Ordinarily No. 631 would be both the quickest and most direct route, however, it was a minor road. Not too likely any traffic would have gone very far that way with so much snow around! SPHP suspected the valley immediately S of Crooks Tower would be full of deep, pristine snow.

So Lupe took the road leading W, a continuation of No. 189. Leaving the pass, the road curved SW and began climbing along the side of a fairly steep slope. Soon Lupe was getting close to the ridge she had seen from No. 419. However, the road didn’t cross the little valley leading to the ridge. Instead it turned NW proceeding up the near side of the valley.

A closer look at the ridge Lupe had seen from No. 419. Photo looks SW.

Another view of the same ridge from farther up the valley next to it. Photo looks S.

Lupe stuck with No. 189 as it wound higher. Way up here, conditions were even snowier. Small rock outcroppings began to appear. For a while, Loop climbed steadily, but the pace eventually slackened. The road finally turned N and leveled out.

Following No. 189 higher. There was even more snow up here. Photo looks NNW.

Approaching small limestone formations on the R. Photo looks NW.

No. 189 leveled out at 7,100+ feet. Photo looks N.

The Carolina Dog was already at 7,100+ feet, nearly as high as Crooks Tower itself, but still a mile from it. Continuing N, she now lost a bit of elevation. 0.33 mile WSW of Crooks Tower, Lupe reached a junction with USFS Roads No. 631.2C and No. 189.4A. As SPHP had suspected, No. 631.2C was buried beneath a thick blanket of pristine snow. Good thing Loopster hadn’t tried to come up that way!

Continuing N on No. 189. Photo looks NNE.

At the upper end of USFS Road No. 631.2C. Never would have made it coming up this way! Photo looks S.

No. 189.4A goes almost to the top of Crooks Tower (7,137 ft.). Clearly no one had been this way since the last big snow. Lupe began the trudge E.

At the start of No. 189.4A. Photo looks E.

*So what is this, training for the Iditarod? Don’t get any big ideas, SPHP! I’m not pulling you on any Dingo sled!* Photo looks E.

At last, the final 15 foot climb to Crooks Tower’s summit appeared. As hoped, winds had swept part of the summit free of snow. Sweet! Lupe could relax in relative comfort.

Approaching **Crooks Tower’s summit** (L). Photo looks NE.

Luckily, part of the summit was snow-free. Photo looks E.

Only mid-afternoon, but November days are so short that it still seemed late. The cheerful sunshine had vanished. Most of the sky was overcast, not darkly, but gray enough to produce a subdued mood. Lupe hadn’t seen a soul all day. Despite the relatively easy road hike, Crooks Tower felt isolated and remote.

Crooks Tower is one of the highest peaks in the Black Hills, yet this area wasn’t rugged. Consequently the views weren’t all that impressive. The best was a distant look at Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) far to the SE. Miles to the NW was a high ridge that might have been Laird Peak (6,906 ft.). Forest blocked the views in other directions.

Lupe went to the highest spot, a flat area toward the N. After claiming her peakbagging success, she took a quick look at the best views before curling up on SPHP’s lap facing Black Elk Peak.

At the **true summit of Crooks Tower**. Photo looks NNE.

SPHP thought the high ridge in the distance (L) might be **Laird Peak**. Photo looks NW.

Hmm. Didn’t really look like Laird Peak with help from the telephoto lens. Might actually be **Cement Ridge (6,674 ft.)**.

At the slightly lower S end of the summit area. **Black Elk Peak** (L of Center) is in view on the horizon. Photo looks SE.

**Black Elk Peak** (L) with help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks S.

Pines sighed in a 10 mph NW breeze. Far to the E, a big patch of blue sky lingered out over the unseen plains beyond the hills. Everywhere else the mood was subdued beneath the gray smudge of wintery clouds. Cool out, but not cold. 40ºF?

The view was familiar. Crooks Tower is a favorite place. In fact, Lupe had been to Crooks Tower more times than to any other mountain. This was her 10th ascent. Yet Loop hadn’t been here in more than 2.5 years.

Snow, silence, solitude. It felt good to be back, if only for a little while.

Lupe near the spot where she took a break on SPHP’s lap. Photo looks SE.

The N end of the summit region. Photo looks N.

Looking E toward a ridge nearly as high as the top of Crooks Tower.

For nearly 40 minutes, Lupe remained up on Crooks Tower. It would be dark before the American Dingo reached the G6 again. Before departing she returned briefly to the true summit. A final glance at the familiar views to the NW and SE, and that was it.

Last moments at the S end. Photo looks SSE.

Leaving the summit, Lupe had scarcely reached USFS Road No. 189.4A, when gunfire erupted somewhere to the N. Hunters! The courageous Carolina Dog begged SPHP for protection. Not to worry. She was fine. A few shots, and that was it. Silence returned, and the snowy trek back to the main road began. It didn’t seem as far going downhill.

Starting back on USFS Road No. 189.4A. Photo looks SW.

The return trip was otherwise uneventful. Lupe went back the same way she had come. Such a beautiful, quiet time following these remote USFS roads! Up here it already felt and looked like Christmas. Of course, the light eventually began to fail. Going down Beaver Draw, twilight faded. In darkness, Lupe passed Black Fox. Expedition No. 254 was over. (5:31 PM, 41ºF)

A visit to Crooks Tower had been long overdue! SPHP was glad Lupe had done it. Six days later, on the last day of November, a blizzard struck the Black Hills dumping 2 additional feet of snow. Expedition No. 254 really had been her last chance to visit the western high country of the Black Hills in 2019. Fortunately, Lupe had made the most of it!