Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 270 – Peak 5520 & Five Points (3-20-21)

8:52 AM, 46ºF, junction of Horse Creek Road & USFS Road No. 243.2J – The snow was crunchy underpaw as Lupe set out.  Gonna warm up, though!  Supposed to be quite a nice day.  Soon enough the snow would start turning to slush.

Lupe was in fine spirits!  Deer around the first bend only brightened the mood further.  USFS Road No. 243.2J wound SE down a valley, crossing Horse Creek 3 times.  Only the second crossing had any flow.  After 0.5 mile, the road curved SW and started uphill.  Ahead was a cattle guard, and beyond it, a green gate.

Will wonders never cease?  Look at that, Looper!  The gate is open!

What do you suppose it means, SPHP?  It’s never been open before.

Who knows?  Except that we don’t to have to crawl under or over the fence for once.

Immediately beyond the gate was a tiny pond Lupe had seen many times before, and beyond it, a junction with USFS Road No. 669.  After checking out the frozen pond, Lupe headed for No. 669.

W as usual, SPHP?

Not this time, Loop.  Go S!

S!  Really?  We never go S here.

Oh, yes we do.  You went all the way down Gordon Gulch once.

Gordon Gulch?  That was forever ago!  We’re going back there?

Only to a little part of it.

Climbing gradually, USFS Road No. 669 got snowier and snowier as it wound SE up a little valley.  Before long, a hill could be seen on the L.

That must be it, Loop!

We’re going to climb that hill, SPHP?

Most definitely!  That’s Peak 5520!

Another Lists of John peak?

Yes.  Gives us something new to shoot for.

Sticking with the road, Lupe reached a spacious clearing at a pass 0.5+ mile from the frozen pond.  The clearing provided an unobstructed view.

Looks pretty easy, SPHP!

Duck soup, Looper!  Nothing wrong with that!

A short climb through the forest led to surprisingly open ground only partway up.  Lupe was excited to see several deer bound away.  A mighty nice view of Black Elk Peak (7,231) appeared before she even got close to the top.

The climb wasn’t a big one.  Approaching the summit, Loopster entered a region of scattered pines and rock formations.  The summit, at the N end of a sloping ridge, proved to be the rockiest part of the mountain.

The top of the mountain was a jumble of rocks and bushes.  One of the very highest rocks had a nice flat top.  Lupe got up onto it.

Congratulations, Loopster!  Another peak climbed!

Thank you, SPHP!  Nothing to it!  Quite the views up here!

I’ll say!  Rather surprising.  Guess it’s because there are hardly any trees.  Hey, this rock is a few inches higher than the one you’re on.  Mind moving over to it?

Maybe for a minute or two.

Success was celebrated with a chocolate coconut bar, but not right up at the true summit.  Retreating a little to the S, Lupe and SPHP found a more comfortable spot to hang out.  Even though Peak 5520 wasn’t all that high, the views really were quite impressive.  The American Dingo enjoyed a panorama of higher peaks in virtually every direction.

Highlights to the N included New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.), Peak 5917, and Peak 5800.  Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) dominated the S horizon.  Mount Warner (5,889 ft.) and Samelias Peak (5,856 ft.) were visible to the SE.

The chocolate coconut bar was gone in a flash.  Lupe and SPHP lounged about for a while.  To the SW was a view of special interest.

Peak 5520 is a fabulous spot, SPHP, but what’s next?

Look over there, Loopster!  See the big lumpy ridge?  That’s gotta be the best view we’ve ever had of Five Points (6,221 ft.).  Somewhat to the N of it you see False North Point (6,130 ft.).  There is another Lists of John peak, Peak 6040, off to the W that we can’t see from here.  False North Point is sort of on the way to it.

Oh, I get it!  So you’re thinking we’ll just tag False North Point on the way to Peak 6040.

Exactly!

Are we going to hit Five Points, too?

Nope!  Won’t have time for that.  Peak 6040 is far enough away so that we’ll be doing good if we can get False North Point, too.

Lots more adventure ahead!  Departing Peak 5520, Lupe returned to USFS Road No. 669.  The road divided at the pass into 2 unmarked branches, one continuing SSE straight down into Gordon Gulch.  The Carolina Dog took the other branch heading SW instead.

Descending into a shallow valley, one of several comprising the upper reaches of Gordon Gulch, the road going SW quickly turned S.  After 0.33 mile, it again angled SW and climbed a little.  Loop arrived at a high spot where the road divided again, one branch going L, the other continuing SW.

This time there was a marker.  A wand next to the road continuing SW indicated that this was USFS Road No. 669.1A.

Go straight, SPHP?

Yes, I think so, but hang on a minute, Loop!  Let me check the topo map!  Somewhere along in here we need to turn W or NW, and I haven’t noticed a road or valley going that way yet.  Want to make sure we haven’t missed it already.

Checking the map, it seemed pretty clear that this junction was at the crest of a little ridge extending SE from Peak 5549.

So, what does the map say, SPHP?

Says to keep going straight like you thought, Looper.  Shouldn’t be too far to the next valley.  We’ll turn NW there.

Which is how it all turned out.  No. 669.1A did lead down into another valley, which it immediately crossed before continuing SW up the far side.  Abandoning No. 669.1A, Lupe instead turned NW following a fainter unmarked road up the valley.

The valley Lupe was going up now wasn’t as shallow as the others she’d passed through on the way here.  The sides were steeper and higher, but the road was decent and headed in the right direction.  For a while, Loop made good progress, gaining elevation at an easy pace.

However, the situation was deteriorating by the time the road began to curve W.  The faint road was getting fainter, and Lupe was coming to more and more deadfall.  No sign that anyone had been here in ages!

Forcing a way through the steadily worsening deadfall rapidly turned into tedious work.  The road became intermittent, then vanished.  The N half of the valley, where the road had been, was largely snow-free, but choked with dead pines.  The S side still had a foot of snow blanketing the ground amid a dense stand of aspens, but far less deadfall.

Giving up on the non-existent road, Lupe switched to traveling through the aspens.  Not a great route, but definitely easier than contending with all the deadfall!

The snowy trudge among the aspens went on and on.

How much farther to False North Point (6,130 ft.), SPHP?

Not entirely sure Loop.  It’s off the edge of the map that I printed out.  Don’t think it’s too much farther, though.

Off the edge of the map?

Yes.  Think we need to turn S pretty soon.  Watch for a valley we can take to the L.

A valley did eventually appear on the L.  Lupe turned up it, still traveling amid the dense aspens.  This valley climbed at a somewhat faster rate.  SPHP kept expecting the American Dingo to come to a pass, but stopped her before she did.

What’s up, SPHP?

Not sure, Loop.  We can’t be too far from False North Point, but this valley doesn’t seem quite right.  Maybe we ought to start climbing out of it?  I was going to wait until we got to a pass, but it’s taking longer than I thought it would.

So, head up the hill here?

Yeah, let’s try that.  I think this is actually all part of False North Point.  We’ll recognize it once we get to the top.

Lupe started up the pine-covered slope on the R side of the valley.  The Carolina Dog was soon leaping over deadfall again.

Looper kept climbing, but nothing seemed familiar.  She hadn’t been to False North Point in 2 years.  SPHP remembered even more deadfall and a steeper route than this, but maybe she wasn’t on quite the same part of the mountain?

Oh, here we are, SPHP!  Made it to the top!

A tall wooden pole stuck up out of a cairn, the true summit rock sitting off to the L 10 feet beyond it.

Congratulations again, Loopster!  Mighty fine job!

So, where are we, SPHP?  This isn’t False North Point (6,130 ft.)!

No, it’s not!  It’s around here somewhere, though.  Want to take a break?

Got any more chocolate coconut bars?

The chocolate coconut bar supply hadn’t run out yet, so Loop did get to split another one with SPHP.  She also had some Taste of the Wild and water, while SPHP munched an apple.  Moving around a bit, a higher peak could be glimpsed to the W between the trees.

That looks suspiciously like False North Point, doesn’t it, SPHP?

Indeed it does.  Seems we’ve climbed the wrong mountain.

So, are we going to go over there, SPHP?

Yeah, I suppose.  Climb up on the top rock here for a moment, then we’ll keep following this ridge.  It’ll probably take us down to an easier route over to False North Point.

As expected, Lupe lost a little elevation as she continued along the ridge past the high point, but the terrain then flattened for a while.

Look, SPHP!  There’s higher ground ahead!

Huh!  So there is.  Keep going, Loop!  Maybe this really is False North Point, and we just haven’t gone far enough yet?

Lupe kept going.  The terrain kept rising.  She reached a second high point.  Although Loop had netted a fair amount of elevation gain since leaving the cairn with the post, a glance back to the WNW showed she still wasn’t quite as high as the peak she’d seen before.

Directly ahead, still some distance away, there was an even higher peak.

Next time I better print out more of the topo map.  Somehow we’re way off course, Looper!  That’s got to be Five Points (6,221 ft.) ahead!

So, False North Point actually is behind us now?  We’re between them?

Afraid so, Loop.

Are we turning around then, SPHP?

No.  Since we’re this close, let’s skip False North Point and continue on to Five Points.  Been a long time since we’ve been there.

On the easy, scenic trek down to the saddle leading to the next peak, Lupe lost more than 100 feet of elevation.  Not much deadfall to contend with, and a variety of interesting rocks were scattered among the trees.

At the base of the next mountain, Loop faced a very steep climb.  At first, she had to leap over deadfall.  Higher up, she came to a boulder field.  The overall scale of the mountain wasn’t nearly as large, but rocks were so big, it almost felt like she was in the Bighorns.

At one point, it almost looked like Lupe was stuck.  Fortunately, swinging around to the E a bit revealed an acceptable route higher.  The American Dingo was soon approaching the summit.  A bleached branch sporting several vertical limbs was perched along the W edge.

Oh, I remember that branch!  Don’t you, SPHP?  To think that it has still been sitting up here all this time!

I do remember it, Loop!  Quite distinctive!

Lupe went on to the highest rock, which was just beyond the distinctive branch.  The views were terrific!   It was easy to see that she was well above False North Point now.

Congratulations on climbing Five Points (6,221 ft.), Loopster!  That was some scramble, wasn’t it?  Well worth it, though!  This is fabulous!

Why, thank you, SPHP!  Mind if I ask a question?

Of course, not!  Fire away!

If this is Five Points, what’s that over there?

Oh, good grief!

Due S, 0.25 mile away, was a higher peak.

We climbed the wrong mountain again, SPHP?

Yes and no!  I’m a dope.  It all makes perfect sense.  That’s the true summit of Five Points over there.  We’re actually on North Point here, or what you might call True North Point.

So, this is part of the Five Points region, but not the highest point?

Correctamundo, as we can plainly see.

True North Point was a great spot, and it had been quite the little jaunt getting here.  Loop might as well take another break and enjoy the views for a while.  No chocolate coconut bar this time around, though.  Only one left.  Going to save it for either Five Points or Peak 6040.  Lupe had to settle for more Taste of the Wild.

A pleasant half hour shot by.  Decision time!  Five Points or Peak 6040?  Not enough daylight remaining for both.

Wasn’t the plan, Loop, but we’re not getting this close to Five Points and not doing it.  That OK with you?

Peak 6040 isn’t going anywhere, SPHP.  We can climb it another time.

Onward, then!  Puppy, ho!

The S slope of True North Point was steep, but the descent was easier than expected.  The S exposure meant little or no snow.  Lots of deadfall, but not until Lupe was already almost down to the saddle leading to Five Points.  Crossing the saddle in nothing flat, the Carolina Dog started up Five Points’ N slope.

Snowy, steep, and badly infested with deadfall about sums it up.  The climb was a slow trudge higher, but True North Point had actually been tougher.  Five Points became a rocky scramble, too, but not until Lupe was already fairly close to the top.

3:56 PM, 58ºF – Five Points (6,221 ft.) had 2 rocky high spots separated by 100 feet.  The American Dingo reached the one at the N end first.  Whether it was any higher or lower than the one at the S end was hard to say.  Trees prevented any direct visual comparison, partially blocking the views in other directions as well.

Finally made it, Looper!  Congratulations, again!  More to Five Points than this, but I’m pretty sure you’ve hit the true summit at one of these spots.

Glad to hear it, SPHP!  Now, about that last chocolate coconut bar!

In a sunny spot between the two high points, Lupe curled up on SPHP’s lap.  Provisions disappeared, and a while was spent contemplating the big view of snowy hills and ridges to the W.

At last, a breeze began to blow out of the SW.  Lupe stirred, too.  Getting to be that time.  Sniffing back and forth along the summit ridge, Loop took in the sights and scents of Five Points.

Before it was over, Loop returned to both high points several times.

Exactly an hour after arriving, Looper left Five Points picking her way down the very steep NW slope through heavy deadfall.

A time-consuming descent!  Even after the slope began to diminish, the deadfall remained thick for a long way before it finally came to an end.  In filtered evening sunlight, Lupe explored animal trails NW through the snowy forest.

Upon reaching USFS Road No. 249, Lupe followed it NE.  The road soon bent sharply W.  Loop left it, heading NNE across a field toward the pass between False North Point and the ridge she’d traveled earlier that led to the true one.  Up at the pass, Loop and SPHP ducked under a fence.

A need for speed now!  The sun was sinking.  Ahead was a long valley filled with aspens, another part of the same aspen-filled valley Lupe had been in earlier.  Following a snowy path, the American Dingo plunged into the thick of it.

The path disappeared.  Lots of deadfall, but most of it wasn’t big.  Lupe leapt over countless downed trees.  More than 0.33 mile from the pass, she turned NW and went over another one.  Oh, of course!  This was it!  This was the pass where Loop had begun her last ascent of False North Point more than 2 years ago.

Beyond the pass, Loopster entered another valley, one she was familiar with.  USFS Road No. 669 went through here.  This was the upper end of the route W of the frozen pond.

1.5 miles back to the frozen pond!  Another 0.5 mile back to the G6.  No worries now, on a known route.  Light fading, curly tail held high, Lupe trotted down the quiet valley leaving deep impressions in the slushy-soft snow.  (End 7:38 PM, 41ºF)

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition                        Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 144 – Five Points (10-31-15)

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