9:54 AM, 39ºF, Dalton Lake trailhead – As soon as Joe parked the RAV4 in the enormous otherwise empty parking lot, SPHP gave the order.
OK, get off of me, you two!
Eager to comply, Lupe and Cousin Dixie bounded out, relieving SPHP of a lap full of dogs. A bit cooler today, but still a lovely, unseasonably warm morning. Clearly destined to be a great day for a jaunt along a stretch of scenic Centennial Trail No. 89!
Neither Uncle Joe nor Dixie had ever been to Dalton Lake before. A short walk NW along Centennial Trail No. 89 through the tall grass led to a sturdy pawbridge over Little Elk Creek. Once across it, the trail turned W, leading up to a larger, slightly arched bridge over the spillway where Dalton Lake was in view.
The little lake, scarcely more than a glorified pond, had a thin sheet of ice on it this morning. Despite its small size, both Dalton Lake and the shady campground along its S shore made a favorable impression.
The N bound stretch of Centennial Trail No. 89 continued W from the spillway, climbing gradually into the forest above the N shore of Dalton Lake. Beyond the lake’s W end, the trail doubled back to the E again, eventually leveling out. By then, Dalton Lake was no longer in view.
The relatively flat stretch lasted until the trail made it around the E end of the mountain, where it started climbing NW before circling clear back around to the SE. After yesterday’s Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.) excursion, Joe’s toes were already feeling a little sore, so it wasn’t clear how far he was going to be able to go today.
The crazy way the trail was winding around, it was almost certain that he wouldn’t get very far as the crow flies. Peak 5173 might be about it.
The climb SE ended abruptly at the E end of a plateau. Centennial Trail No. 89 turned sharply back to the W here, and soon led to USFS Road No. 704.1B. This level hike was at least somewhat easier on Joe’s paws, so the adventure continued.
No. 174.1B curved N, then swung back around to the E again, where it began going downhill. However, before long, Centennial Trail No. 89 abandoned the road as a single track again near some huge boulders. It then proceeded to swing around the E end of the next big ridge to the N.
From this region there was kind of a nice, if tree-broken, view looking E down Little Elk Canyon way out onto the western South Dakota prairies beyond the Black Hills.
Beyond this viewpoint, Centennial Trail No. 89 curved WNW, and began climbing at a steady, relatively easy pace for the next 0.5 mile, now on the N side of a forested ridge. Upon reaching a saddle, the trail turned N climbing more steeply for a short distance up onto the next big ridge.
This next ridge was part of Peak 5173. Centennial Trail No. 89 ran NW here above a line of cliffs. After a slower climb, the terrain flattened out near the summit, an unremarkable level region in the forest.
The high point, to the extent that there was one, was somewhat N of the trail. Joe’s toes were saying that this was about far enough today, but it appeared there might be a more scintillating viewpoint a bit farther W.
11:47 AM, 50ºF – Sure enough, a limestone outcropping at the W end of Peak 5173 provided a halfway decent glimpse of the territory off to the W. Custer Peak (6,804 ft.) and Terry Peak (7,064 ft.) were both easily recognizable in the distance. Not a bad spot to take a break, and Joe’s toes weren’t inclined to look around for a better one.
The best view, of course, was from out at the far end of the point. As young as Dixie was, Joe wouldn’t let her go out there, but Lupe went.
Uncle Joe hadn’t brought his portable ham radio along today, so after a look at the views, everyone just sat down and relaxed. Dixie, Lupe, and SPHP shared a single measly chocolate coconut bar to celebrate Joe’s toes holding up long enough to make it to Peak 5173. Clearly inadequate, the chocolate coconut bar required supplementation with Taste of the Wild for both dogs. Joe and SPHP each had an apple and an energy bar. Water for all, of course.
Somewhere SE, a coyote howled, unusual in the middle of the day. After an otherwise peaceful half hour drifted by, Joe was ready to head back. The day’s Peak 5173 festivities weren’t entirely over yet, though. Making today’s lone claim to a peakbagging success legitimate, while passing the summit region again, Joe and Lupe both selected and stood on what they felt was the highest point.
All official now, but that still wasn’t it for Peak 5173. Starting back from the true summit in no big rush, there were still some views to be enjoyed from the line of cliffs along the S edge.
1:55 PM, Dalton Lake – Half a dozen deer provided a little excitement during the return, but Lupe and Dixie’s adventures in the Black Hills were once again over and done with now. Tomorrow, Joe, Andrea, and Dixie would all be going back home to Colorado again.
The main purpose of the trip had been so that Aunt Andrea could spend some time with Grandma, and this evening Uncle Joe joined her, visiting Grandma at her new assisted living apartment.
It was a good thing that Andrea, Joe, and Dixie had come. 4 days after going to Peak 5173 with Joe and Cousin Dixie, Lupe and SPHP enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma, who was in good spirits and doing very well. Grandma petted Lupe many times, and let the Carolina Dog eat way more than her fair share of turkey and gravy. Delicious!
Sadly, although no one knew it at the time, Grandma didn’t have much longer to live.
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Lupe & Dixie’s Scrollable GPS Track
Centennial Trail No. 89 Brochure & Map
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