Centennial Trail No. 89 – Page 11 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 110 – Samelius & Hardesty Peaks, Mount Warner (12-20-14)

At 9:38 AM (38°F), SPHP parked the G6 at the Samelius Trailhead of Centennial Trail No. 89 near Hwy 16, about 3 miles W of the Keystone “Y”. The skies were overcast, but no precipitation and a forecast high of 50°F on nearly the shortest day of the year had brought Lupe and SPHP out to do a little peakbagging.

Lupe’s first two peakbagging goals, Samelius Peak (5,856 ft.) and Hardesty Peak (5,562 ft.) were both less than a mile from the trailhead, although Lupe’s proposed route might take her a little farther than that to reach Hardesty Peak. Lupe set out heading N on Centennial Trail No. 89 up a mostly forested little valley.

The trail gained elevation at an easy pace at first, but became a little steeper as it went on. About 0.5 mile from the trailhead, Lupe reached a saddle area NNW of Samelius Peak. It was time to leave the trail, and start up the mountain.

Lupe and SPHP had been up on Mount Warner (5,889 ft.), less than a mile to the N, before on several occasions. Having seen Samelius Peak from Mount Warner, SPHP was expecting Lupe might encounter some pretty steep climbs up boulder fields near the top of Samelius Peak, since the mountain had looked pretty rocky. The climb really wasn’t bad at all, though. Lupe encountered some deadfall timber, some rock outcroppings, and snow that made it slick in some places, but even SPHP was able to maneuver around most of the obstacles without much difficulty.

On the way up, Lupe came to two high points. The first one was just a rocky spot in the forest. Lupe only had to lose a little elevation to resume her climb up the NNW slope of the mountain. At the second high point, an exposed rocky ledge jutted out toward the W. The ledge seemed quite high, and offered some pretty good views. Lupe and SPHP went out on the ledge for a look around.

Lupe out on the rocky ledge at the 2nd high point on the way up Samelius Peak. Photo looks W.

This ledge provided the most open panoramic views from anywhere Lupe went on Samelius Peak, and wasn’t too far below the summit. When Lupe arrived at the summit, there were enough trees around to partially obstruct the views in most directions. The summit area wasn’t terribly large, but Lupe found several spots to pose for photos.

Lupe sits on top of the highest rock on Samelius Peak to claim her first peakbagging success of Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 110!

Looking SW toward Harney Peak (7,242 ft.) from Samelius Peak. — Looking SW toward **Harney Peak (7,242 ft.)** from Samelius Peak.

Lupe’s next peakbagging goal was Hardesty Peak, but where was it? It was supposed to be just 0.5 mile to the SE, but SPHP didn’t see it. Time to check the maps again. Of course, Hardesty Peak was there all along. SPHP had assumed the two mountains were about the same elevation, but Hardesty Peak at only 5,562 ft. was actually almost 300 ft. lower than Samelius Peak. That puny hill to the SE that could only be seen from the E end of the Samelius Peak summit area was it!

Lupe and SPHP left Samelius Peak heading down on the NE side of a ridge that led SE toward Hardesty Peak. At first the going was rather steep, then it became rather rocky. After Lupe had lost a fair amount of elevation, a long line of large boulders appeared ahead. The area to the NE of the boulders dropped off very steeply. However, there was a little saddle area at the start of the line of boulders where Lupe could cross over to the SW side of the ridge.

Lupe and SPHP headed for the little saddle. It took SPHP a little while to get there due to the rockiness of the area. Once there, Lupe and SPHP went to investigate a nearby high point just to the E of the little saddle. There was a nice view of Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.) and Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.) off to the NE.

Lupe on the high point E of the little saddle on the way from Samelius Peak to Hardesty Peak.

Looking NE toward Boulder Hill (L) and Silver Mountain (R).

Lupe still needed to lose more elevation to reach the saddle between Samelius and Hardesty Peaks. She left the high point E of the little saddle heading SSE down the mountain. This area was thinly forested, quite steep, and covered with pine needles and a fair amount of loose rock. Lupe had a great time sniffing around this way and that. Rocks slid down the slopes as SPHP came down. SPHP threw many of them back up, so they were higher than before.

It was kind of slow going, but it wasn’t hard to find a way down. Near the bottom of the slope, there was a boulder field to be traversed, and beyond the boulder field was an area that was a jumble of deadfall timber. SPHP picked a way through it all, while Lupe continued exploring the forest. It turned out that Lupe and SPHP had come down a bit S of the saddle area. Lupe had to turn N and regain about 40 feet of elevation to get to the saddle.

From the saddle, the climb up Hardesty Peak was similar to Lupe’s climb up Samelius Peak, except that she didn’t have to gain nearly as much elevation. Lupe soon reached the summit of Hardesty Peak. She paused to take a look around from the rocks at the very top.

Lupe surveys the situation from up on Hardesty Peak. Samelius Peak, where she had just been, is looming large on the L. Right behind her neck is Mount Warner.

Mt. Warner from Hardesty Peak. Photo looks N.

The summit area on Hardesty Peak is a fairly long E/W trending ridge. The forested ridge is wide enough to walk along easily. It was easy to see there wasn’t any higher ground to the W of where Lupe had come up, but the forest hid the rest of the ridge to the E. Lupe and SPHP wanted to make certain she had reached the actual true summit, so Lupe went E exploring the ridge.

Lupe and SPHP went far enough E to verify that Lupe had reached the true summit back where the summit photos were taken. She had. Near the E end of the ridge, Lupe found a rather nice view looking NNW between Samelius Peak and Mount Warner. Some higher hills could be seen in the distance. There was even a faint glimpse of Custer Peak (6,804 ft.) beyond the high hills.

Looking NNW from Hardesty Peak between Samelius Peak (L) and Mount Warner (R).

Lupe and SPHP left Hardesty Peak near the E end of the summit ridge, heading back down toward the saddle over to Samelius Peak. From the saddle, SPHP tried to lead Lupe N looking for Centennial Trail No. 89. Lupe crossed a couple of small ridges, but the terrain kept forcing Lupe farther E until she reached the bottom of a gulch.

Lupe turned NW to go up the little valley on its E side. Lupe and SPHP had been in this area several times before, but going down the valley. Things just looked different going up it. SPHP kept expecting Lupe would find Centennial Trail No. 89 at any time, but she kept going without coming across it. SPHP stopped to check the maps again. They provided no further clues. It couldn’t be too much farther.

Before long, Lupe came to a road heading ESE. Lupe and SPHP followed it. SPHP thought maybe Centennial Trail No. 89 was still higher up the side of the mountain, but within just a few minutes, the road led past a rocky little hillside that SPHP remembered from Lupe’s prior expeditions. The road was Centennial Trail No. 89. That was good news!

Centennial Trail No. 89 wound around the SE end of Mount Warner, leaving the road and becoming a single track trail along the way. It turned NW going up a small valley to a saddle. Instead of going over the saddle, the trail started a climb up the mountain to the S, switchbacking a little bit on the way up. Eventually the trail turned W, and passed to the S of a rock outcropping where SPHP remembered there was a view to the N. Lupe and SPHP went to the edge of the rock formation to take a look.

Lupe on her way up Mount Warner. Here she is at a rock outcropping N of Centennial Trail No. 89. Photo looks NNE toward the Blue Wing arm of Sheridan Lake (a little piece of which is visible on the L) and Calumet Ridge.

From the rock outcropping, Lupe could see part of Sheridan Lake and Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.) off to the NNE. From here, it wasn’t too much farther along Centennial Trail No. 89 up to the top of Mount Warner. On the way, Lupe started hearing gunfire coming from way off somewhere in the direction of Calumet Ridge. By the time Lupe reached the top of Mount Warner, she was one nervous Carolina Dog.

SPHP wanted to get a photo of Lupe up on the highest rocks on Mount Warner, but Lupe really just wanted to be close to SPHP. The gunfire was just too unnerving. Half a dozen times SPHP persuaded her to get up on the highest rocks, but each time SPHP backed off to take the photo, Lupe would hear more gunfire within a few seconds and jump down to follow SPHP.

Finally, it worked. A brief lull in someone’s target practice restored the American Dingo’s confidence. Lupe stayed up there for her summit photo on Mount Warner. Good doggie! After one quick photo, SPHP didn’t make her stay up there any longer. She was glad it was over with, and jumped down as soon as SPHP said it was OK.

Lupe on Mount Warner, her third peakbagging success of the day! Lupe had been here before on prior Black Hills Expeditions. This was her 4th ascent of Mount Warner.

There was still some time left in the day. Originally, SPHP had thought maybe Lupe should do some exploring toward Calumet Ridge, but with all the gunfire in that direction, that just wasn’t going to work. Instead, Lupe and SPHP left Mount Warner continuing NW on Centennial Trail No. 89.

The trail gradually lost elevation following a ridgeline, but eventually turned to start heading down the NE side of the ridge on its way down to Sheridan Lake. Instead of going that way, Lupe and SPHP left the trail and started down the SW side of the ridge. It was steep, but not as steep as going down Samelius Peak had been.

Lupe lost a lot of elevation. Finally things started leveling out. Somewhere along the way, she crossed Joe Dollar Gulch. Lupe came to a maze of little roads in the forest. She followed them S or SW. SPHP led her onto roads heading SE a time or two when the opportunity presented itself. SPHP was hoping to find a road going up a little gulch just S of Joe Dollar Gulch, but it didn’t happen.

Lupe and SPHP had a nice time just wandering the back roads. Lupe trotted ahead, leaving the road here and there to investigate interesting smells in the forest. Lupe crossed a saddle shown just to the E of High Point 5157 on the Peakbagger.com topo maps. During the last part of her journey, the sound of traffic on Hwy 16 wasn’t far off to the S. When SPHP saw the little tunnel that Centennial Trail No. 89 passes through under Hwy 16, SPHP knew Lupe was almost back to the Samelius trailhead.

The sun was down and the light was fading, when Lupe reached the trailhead again. There was a bunch of trash around. SPHP spent a little time picking it up while Lupe sniffed around. At 4:38 PM (37°F), when Lupe and SPHP finally got into the G6 to head home, it was practically dark out. Climbing Samelius and Hardesty Peaks had been fun. The big loop up to Mount Warner and beyond, and then down and around to the SW was a nice bonus.

Tomorrow would be the shortest day of the year. Christmas was almost here. Nearing home, Lupe and SPHP admired the cheerful, colorful Christmas lights. 2014 was fast drawing to a close, but Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 110 wouldn’t be Lupe’s last of 2014. SPHP was glad. When you’re lucky enough to have a Carolina Dog, you just don’t want the good times to ever end.

Note: SPHP isn’t certain of the correct spelling for Samelius Peak. The sign at the trailhead on Centennial Trail No. 89 says Samelius, as do SPHP’s old USFS maps. The Peakbagger.com maps and records show it as Samelias Peak.

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 149 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Fort Meade to Bear Butte Lake (12-19-15)

Lupe was injured on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 148 back on 12-5-15, probably due to becoming impaled on a sharp broken branch on one of the hundreds of dead trees she jumped over. By 12-18-15, she had recovered to the point where she had her stitches taken out. Although the wound itself is healing nicely, she still has some swelling. The swelling doesn’t seem to bother her at all, though, and after 2 weeks of mostly resting, Lupe was pretty dang bored.

The weather the day after Lupe’s stitches came out was forecast to get way up to 50°F, before turning significantly colder. This one warm day was clearly Lupe’s opportunity to resume her adventures, but where should she go?

SPHP wanted to be extra careful to avoid any chance of re-injury before Lupe is completely healed. The problem was, the vast majority of the Black Hills is heavily timbered with Ponderosa pines, which have suffered enormous damage from pine-bark beetles over the past 5 – 10 years. It’s hard to go very far anywhere in the Black Hills without encountering significant amounts of deadfall timber.

SPHP’s solution was to take Lupe to South Dakota’s Centennial Trail No. 89. Centennial Trail No. 89 is a 111 mile long trail developed to celebrate 100 years of South Dakota statehood. (South Dakota joined the union back in 1889, hence the trail No. 89.) Centennial Trail No. 89 starts at Bear Butte (4,422 ft.) in the N, and goes through the eastern Black Hills down to Wind Cave National Park at its S end.

Although nearly all of Centennial Trail No. 89 is up in the Black Hills, a 4.5 mile section from the Ft. Meade trailhead to the Bear Butte Lake trailhead is out on the prairie NE of Sturgis, SD. There wouldn’t be any danger of Lupe becoming impaled on broken tree branches. That made this section of the trail ideal for Lupe, while she finishes healing up.

Lupe was ecstatic, barking and jumping for joy, when she realized she was finally going to get to go on an adventure again! At 9:59 AM, SPHP parked the G6 near Ft. Meade. It was a balmy 41°F out, with some snow on the ground, when Lupe crossed over to the N side of Hwy 34 to begin her day’s trek on Centennial Trail No. 89.

Lupe hits snowy Centennial Trail No. 89 just N of Hwy 34 & Ft. Meade. Woods along Bear Butte Creek are already close at paw ahead. Bear Butte Creek used to be an important campsite for the plains Indians.

Lupe enjoyed sniffing around in the trees near Bear Butte Creek. This was the only forested area she would come to all day. She quickly reached the footbridge over Bear Butte Creek, and didn’t have much farther to go through the woods to reach the prairie.

Lupe on the footbridge over Bear Butte Creek.

A happy American Dingo lifts her head just high enough to be seen above the middle railing.

After crossing Bear Butte Creek, the woods ended just N of the creek. There are two large ridges on the way to Bear Butte Lake. The first one was now in sight dead ahead to the N. Lupe could already see the top of Bear Butte sticking up over the ridge.

Just N of Bear Butte Creek. The first big ridge is seen up ahead.

Lupe gained only about 175 feet in elevation going from Bear Butte Creek up to the high points on the top of the first big ridge. She was soon there. Once up on this first ridge, Centennial Trail No. 89 turns ENE and runs along the top of the ridge for more than a mile. Bear Butte is visible off to the NE the entire way.

Lupe up on the S edge of the 1st big ridge. Photo looks W along the ridge toward the Black Hills.

Looking E along the S edge of the 1st big ridge.

There's Bear Butte to the NE! The first big ridge is broad and flat. The Centennial Trail follows a dirt road along the top of the ridge. A few livestock watering tanks are scattered along the way, but Lupe didn't see any cows up here this day. Clearly she's not going to get impaled on any deadfall timber up here! — There’s Bear Butte to the NE! The first big ridge is broad and flat. The Centennial Trail follows a dirt road along the top of the ridge. A few livestock watering tanks are scattered along the way, but Lupe didn’t see any cows up here this day. Clearly she’s not going to get impaled again on any deadfall timber up here!

Lupe followed Centennial Trail No. 89 ENE along the first big ridge, getting closer to Bear Butte. Lupe kind of missed the forests of the Black Hills, and looking for squirrels. It was a little dull on the snowy prairie, but at least she wasn’t going to get impaled on anything. Sometimes she tromped along right behind SPHP. Sometimes she trotted along off the trail sniffing the cold ground.

There had been plenty of tracks in the snow in the short distance between Hwy 34 and Bear Butte Creek. However, by the time Lupe was up on the first big ridge, there were no tracks in the snow at all. No other American Dingoes or humans had been up here since the snow fell four days earlier. Lupe and SPHP saw absolutely no one on the trail all day long. The sound of traffic on Hwy 34 was mildly annoying, but Lupe and SPHP were alone.

Before starting down off the first big ridge, SPHP took a few pictures to show Lupe’s progress toward Bear Butte, and the expanse of prairie Centennial Trail No. 89 would cross to get to the second big ridge.

Lupe near the point where Centennial Trail No. 89 leaves the first big ridge. Bear Butte looms in the distance, still a few miles away.

Bear Butte from Centennial Trail No. 89. Bear Butte Lake is barely visible over the top of the second big ridge ahead. Photo looks NE.

Centennial Trail No. 89 goes down off the first big ridge at a small gap in the ridgeline. Although part of the ridge continues on to the E, the trail doesn’t go there. Instead, the trail drops down into the gap, and then turns NNE to cross more than a mile of lower ground on the way to the second big ridge.

Near the base of the first ridge, there is a patch of bushes and small scattered trees where birds take shelter. Lupe enjoyed sniffing around in the bushes for a few minutes.

On the way down the gap from the first big ridge is this small patch of bushes and scattered trees. Lupe enjoyed sniffing around here. A few birds flew away at the Dingo's approach. — On the way down the gap from the first big ridge is this small patch of bushes and scattered trees. Lupe enjoyed sniffing around here. A few birds flew away at the American Dingo’s approach.

The entire area between the ridges is open grassland. There was nothing remarkable along the way, except the solitude, which was somewhat marred by the sound of traffic on Hwys 34 & 79. At least the traffic couldn’t be heard quite as clearly along in here.

Although the beauty of the prairie isn’t as dramatic as that of the mountains; the solitude, big sky and long unbroken views are all enjoyable, too. Peaceful, if somewhat bleak scenes stretched off in every direction on this snowy December day. Lupe and SPHP trudged along, and eventually reached the top of the second big ridge.

Lupe near the top of the second ridge. Photo looks SSW back along Centennial Trail No. 89 toward the first big ridge.

The second big ridge isn't as distinct a rise as the first one was. The second ridge is narrow, and the Centennial Trail No. 89 just crosses it without following it. Here Lupe is on the high point of the second big ridge where the trail crosses it. Photo looks NE toward Bear Butte. Lupe is definitely much closer to Bear Butte Lake now, which can be seen more clearly ahead. — The second big ridge isn’t as distinct a rise as the first one was. The second ridge is narrow, and the Centennial Trail No. 89 just crosses it without following it. Here Lupe is on the high point of the second big ridge where the trail crosses it. Photo looks NE toward Bear Butte. Lupe is definitely much closer to Bear Butte Lake now, which can be seen more clearly ahead.

The Bear Butte Lake trailhead for Centennial Trail No. 89 is a short distance off Hwy 79 near the SE end of the lake. Lupe and SPHP went around the S side of Bear Butte Lake to the trailhead. The trailhead features a big gravel parking lot, a few old picnic tables, and a small grove of trees.

SPHP stopped at one of the picnic tables, and had some banana bread and an apple. Lupe wasn’t really hungry yet, she just had a little Taste of the Wild. She didn’t even want any water, since she’d been eating snow along the way. She sniffed around the parking lot, but didn’t find anything of interest. When SPHP offered her some banana bread, she took it and stashed it in a safe place, just in case she needs it later. Carolina Dogs like to plan sensibly for the future!

The N wind had blown snow across Bear Butte Lake to form drifts. Here Lupe is among the snow drifts near a little bay on the S side of the lake. Photo looks N.

Lupe on a small ridge S of Bear Butte Lake. Photo looks NE toward Bear Butte. Lupe still hasn't reached the Bear Butte Lake TH yet, but she is getting close. — Lupe on a small ridge S of Bear Butte Lake. Photo looks NE toward Bear Butte. Lupe still hasn’t reached the Bear Butte Lake TH yet, but she is getting close.

Bear Butte from close to the Bear Butte Lake TH of Centennial Trail No. 89. Photo looks NE.

After the brief rest break at the Bear Butte Lake trailhead, Lupe and SPHP decided to circumnavigate Bear Butte Lake. Lupe went a short distance E to Hwy 79, which she followed N to Bear Butte Lake Road. Bear Butte Lake Road is a major gravel road, and had some traffic on it. Lupe followed it W along the N shore of Bear Butte Lake to a campground.

Looking SW across Bear Butte Lake toward the Black Hills from the N shore just off Bear Butte Lake Road.

Lupe and SPHP left Bear Butte Lake Road, and went through the campground to a little road along the NW side of the lake. There Lupe saw a rare sight! A bald eagle was sitting high up in a tree some distance away near the W end of the lake. SPHP managed to get a picture of it with the telephoto lens before it flew away.

Looking ESE across Bear Butte Lake from the campground on the N side of the lake.

Looking back toward the campground and Bear Butte from the little road on the NW side of Bear Butte Lake.

Bald eagle in a tree near the W shore of Bear Butte Lake.

A little way W of Bear Butte Lake, Lupe and SPHP returned to Centennial Trail No. 89 again. Lupe had been clear around Bear Butte Lake. Now it was time to head back to the G6. On the return trip, Lupe and SPHP got to enjoy Centennial Trail No. 89 heading in the opposite direction, going SW toward the Ft. Meade trailhead.

W of Bear Butte Lake, Lupe rejoined Centennial Trail No. 89 here. The second big ridge now lies ahead. Photo looks W.

View of the ranchlands W of the 2nd big ridge. Photo looks W.

Looking SE at the 2nd big ridge from Centennial Trail No. 89. The part of the 2nd big ridge shown here is well S of where the trail crosses the ridge.

Lupe between the two big ridges. Photo looks SSW toward the first ridge.

A final look back at Bear Butte to the NE. Lupe is once again up on the first big ridge here.

Along the S edge of the first big ridge. Photo looks W.

Looking S toward Ft. Meade from the first big ridge. The trees along Bear Butte Creek are lined up ahead.

Looking W along Bear Butte Creek from the Centennial Trail No. 89 footbridge.

Despite a rather leisurely pace taken on Expedition No. 149, Lupe was back at the G6 by 3:01 PM (37°F). With winter solstice just 2 days away, the sun was already quite low in the sky, but it was still up. Lupe paid a visit to Ft. Meade, which was a cavalry outpost during the late 1800’s.

Sign at the old Ft. Meade parade grounds.

Fort Meade was established during the winter of 1878-1879. Here, the 7th Cavalry was re-formed after it’s disastrous defeat under General George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer’s Last Stand) in Montana, in June 1876.

Comanche, a 7th Cavalry horse, and sole surviving member of the cavalry found on the Little Bighorn battlefield, was retired at Ft. Meade with military honors. Ft. Meade survived as a military installation until 1944, when it became the site of the current Veteran’s Administration Hospital.

After visiting Ft. Meade, Lupe and SPHP drove over to Bear Butte. At a pullout along Hwy 79, Lupe and SPHP stopped to take a look at Bear Butte from the NW.

A closer look with help from the telephoto lens.

Lupe NW of Bear Butte. South Dakota’s 111 mile long Centennial Trail No. 89, which ends in Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills, starts at the top of Bear Butte.

Lupe didn’t get to bark at any squirrels on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 149, but she did get to spend the day outdoors wandering the prairie with SPHP. Most importantly, she didn’t get hurt again, and continues to get better. Lupe is back in action. She will return again soon with more American Dingo adventures in the Black Hills and beyond!

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Next Trail Section South:

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 241 – Centennial Trail No. 89: Alkali Creek to Fort Meade (12-10-18)

Centennial Trail No. 89 Map & Brochure

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