Day 1 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming & Beyond!
6-9-18 – Early afternoon found Lupe streaking across the border into Wyoming riding high in air-conditioned comfort upon her pile of gear, pillows and blankets. The G6, all shined up for the occasion, raced W on I-90. Oh, yeah! It was on! The glorious Summer of 2018 was officially underway!
Lupe was thrilled! After nearly 9 long months spent close to home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, it seemed like forever since she’d headed off to new adventures in faraway places. Yet the American Dingo clearly remembered exactly what Dingo Vacations are all about.
Furious barking, mostly – at least en route! Loopster eagerly scanned the fields along I-90 for the next herd of cows or horses she was rapidly bearing down upon. Barking at cows, horses, sheep, antelope, barns, outbuildings and suspicious haystacks is a joyous game that never gets old! The decibel level in the G6 seldom meets safety standards while in cattle country.
The first respite from the din came at the Moorcroft, WY rest area. Loop and SPHP both got out to stretch. Lupe sniffed about the grounds, which featured big, shady cottonwood trees. Sadly, no cows or horses were right here today, but SPHP read an interesting true story to Lupe about some mighty fine days long ago in the Old West when there had been plenty of cows in Moorcroft.
Oh, what a wonderful day! I can hardly believe it’s really summer again and we’re setting off on another Dingo Vacation!Lupe liked this true story about thousands of cows and sheep! SPHP said the cowboys must have had a bunch of horses, too. Those were the days!
The Bighorn Mountains of N central Wyoming were Lupe’s destination for most of this first Dingo Vacation of 2018. The Bighorns are only a few hours from the Black Hills. Despite an afternoon start, Lupe would easily arrive by evening.
Even before getting to the Bighorns, though, Loopster had one quick peakbagging possibility SPHP wanted her to check out along the way. At Gillette, SPHP turned S on Hwy 59. Antelope Butte(5,073 ft.), a hill with 30 miles of isolation (minimum distance to a higher point) was only 6 or 7 miles S of I-90. Curiously, it was seldom climbed according to statistics on Peakbagger.com.
The map showed Antelope Butte was situated only a mile W of Hwy 59. A side road went to towers on top of it. If hardly anyone was getting to the summit of a hill so close to town with a road to it, access issues were likely. A long shot, perhaps, but maybe it was worth a short side trip to check it out? Lupe liked the notion that there might be antelopes.
Antelope Butte was easily spotted before Loop was even out of Gillette. It wasn’t anything too impressive, just a grassy hill with towers on it. Disappointingly, not a single antelope was in sight, either. The Carolina Dog would still climb it, though, if she could. Why not?
Antelope Butte from Hwy 59. Photo looks WSW with help from the telephoto lens.
SPHP turned W on a promisingly located side road SE of Antelope Butte. A 0.5 mile drive past a couple of businesses brought Lupe to a locked gate. Looked like this was the right place, alright. It wouldn’t have taken Looper long to get to Antelope Butte and back from here. However, in addition to the locked gate there were other subtle hints that maybe it was best not to.
Hmm. This was the road to Antelope Butte. Photo looks WSW.Frustrating! Antelope Butte was right over there! Photo looks NW.Zoomed in on Antelope Butte. Photo looks NW.
A lot of equipment was stacked around, apparently related to the energy industry. Lupe had passed some sort of Halliburton shop on the way in from Hwy 59. SPHP drove back to see if Lupe might be able to obtain permission to climb Antelope Butte.
Saturday afternoon. The Halliburton shop was closed. No one at all around. Posted signs weren’t the least bit encouraging. The gist of them was that if you weren’t an employee or officially invited, just go away. OK. Whatever. Antelope Butte wasn’t happening. Not today. Lupe and SPHP returned to I-90 and headed W.
3 hours later, Lupe was at the Sand Turn overlook along Hwy 14 on her way up into the Bighorn Mountains. Lupe could see the town of Dayton in the distance and a long way out onto the prairie.
Looking NNE from the Sand Turn overlook.
At Burgess Junction SPHP veered S staying on Hwy 14. Another 9 or 10 miles brought Lupe to road construction at Prospect Creek. Here SPHP turned W on USFS Road No. 10.
No. 10 climbed steadily and wound around quite a bit. After a couple of miles, Lupe had her first look at Prospect Benchmark (9,774 ft.).
Even though Antelope Butte hadn’t worked out, Lupe was still going to get to log a peakbagging success on her first day of this Dingo Vacation. Prospect Benchmark looked like a snap!
So far, most of USFS Road No. 10 had been fairly rough. It deteriorated further as SPHP drove on. The last stretch of road leading to a cattle guard was deeply rutted, and would have been impassible if wet. Nevertheless, the G6 managed to make it up to a broad, gentle saddle 4 miles from Hwy 14.
Lupe on USFS Road No. 10. The last stretch of road to get to this cattle guard had been the worst, and would have been impassible for the G6 if wet. Photo looks SE.
After crossing the cattle guard, SPHP parked the G6 by a barbed wire fence. Prospect Benchmark was now only a ridiculously easy 0.33 mile away to the S. This was going to be cake!
This is it? Looks like you’re starting us out mighty easy on this Dingo Vacation, SPHP! Loop standing by USFS Road No. 217 ready to start for Prospect Benchmark, the ridge in sight beyond the snowbank. Photo looks SSW.
Although the temperature had hit 95°F while traveling across the Wyoming plains on I-90, the evening was pleasantly cool way up here in the Bighorns as Lupe set off for Prospect Benchmark. (7:19 PM, 62°F) Loop started out following USFS Road No. 217, a simple dirt road which headed SW up a long, gentle incline.
Once beyond a large snowdrift, Lupe abandoned No. 217 near the road’s high point just N of the summit area. She scampered S up the remaining grassy slope to a partially broken down escarpment. A mere 5 or 10 foot scramble among the rocks brought Loop up onto the N edge of Prospect Benchmark’s vast, flat, barren summit area.
That had been easy! All Lupe had to do now was find the actual survey benchmark. A cairn of white rocks not too far away along the edge of the escarpment seemed like a logical place to begin. The Carolina Dog found nothing near the cairn, however, except a nice view back toward the saddle where the G6 was parked.
Lupe reaches a cairn near the N edge of Prospect Benchmark‘s summit area. The G6 is parked down at the intersection seen in the saddle. USFS Road No. 10 crosses the saddle, while USFS Road No. 217 is seen heading this general direction, and No. 220 winds away up the distant hill. Photo looks NE.
A check of the topo map showed that the survey benchmark ought to be located toward the SE end of Prospect Benchmark’s huge summit area. Loop and SPHP traveled SE along the escarpment forming the NE edge of the summit keeping a lookout for the benchmark.
Looking SE along the minor escarpment forming the NE edge of Prospect Benchmark’s summit area.
Lupe found nothing of interest until she got close to the end. A 2nd cairn of white rocks sat perched upon a high spot right along the escarpment’s edge, but the survey benchmark wasn’t here, either.
Loop reaches a 2nd cairn near the SE end of the escarpment. Photo looks NE.
However, Loop could see a metal rod sticking up from a smaller 3rd cairn 20 feet to the SW. That seemed promising! Lupe went to check it out.
Nothing here, either, SPHP! Lupe checks out the 3rd cairn with the metal rod sticking out of it. Still no luck. Photo looks SW.
Still nothing! Hmm.
The far SE end of the summit area was now quite close, so Lupe went to it. Again nice views, including a distant view of Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.), the highest mountain in the Bighorn Range, but no survey benchmark.
A distant view of Cloud Peak from the SE end of the Prospect Benchmark summit. Photo looks SE.Looper at the SE end of the Prospect Benchmark summit area. Photo looks NE.Cedar Mountain(9,813 ft.) (L) from Prospect Benchmark. Photo looks SW.
Lupe and SPHP wandered back toward the NW still looking for the benchmark. Even though the terrain was flat and exposed, if the survey benchmark really wasn’t somewhere close to this SE end, it was going to be hard to find. The summit area was just that big.
Could you be a little more specific, SPHP? “It’s gotta be up here somewhere!” isn’t much of a clue! Photo looks WNW.
Maybe Lupe wasn’t going to be able to find the benchmark? Maybe it wasn’t even up here anymore? Even if it was, finding the benchmark might be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then suddenly, there it was, right in the general vicinity shown on the topo map.
Prospect survey benchmark.
The benchmark was on exposed rock, which made it easy to spot. The marker was only 20 feet NW of the 3rd cairn Lupe had come to, the one with the metal rod sticking up out of it. A fair number of loose white rocks were nearby. SPHP used them to build a cairn. The largest rock had a stiff wire wrapped around it.
The survey benchmark is seen right in front of the big cairn SPHP built. The smaller 3rd cairn with the metal rod is beyond it. Cloud Peak (Center) is on the distant horizon. Photo looks SE.
Well, that was that! SPHP congratulated Lupe on her now completely successful ascent of Prospect Benchmark(9,774 ft.). It was an easy start to her Dingo Vacation, but this was just the beginning.
At any rate, the sun wouldn’t be down for a little while yet. Lupe could spend this extra time exploring the area. Just for fun, the Carolina Dog and SPHP wandered 0.33 mile off to the W and SW. The temperature was dropping, but it was a pleasant trek on a beautiful evening with mostly clear skies and only a light SW breeze.
Lupe at the endpoint of her wanderings W of the Prospect Benchmark summit. Photo looks WSW.Looking NE back toward Prospect Benchmark.Sweet Lupe on a beautiful evening in the Bighorns.
The sun sank toward the horizon. Time to head back to the G6. Lupe had fun sniffing and exploring along the way. She crossed snowbanks, and returned to Prospect Benchmark once more.
Crossing a snowbank near sunset. Photo looks ENE.Lupe back at Prospect Benchmark next to the cairn SPHP built. The actual survey benchmark is hidden behind the cairn. Photo looks NW.Here it is!Cloud Peak (Center) from Prospect Benchmark late in the day. Photo looks SE.Crossing a snowbank on the way back to the G6. Photo looks SSE.A look back at the escarpment. Photo looks S.
As Lupe’s adventures go, Prospect Benchmark had been a pretty short one – less than 2 hours, even including wandering off to the W. Loopster arrived back at the G6 still all corked up and full of Dingo energy. (End – 9:00 PM, 54°F)
As twilight faded, SPHP threw a tennis ball for Lupe to chase, then joined in the fun chasing her back and forth around the G6. As far as Lupe was concerned, this exciting game of chase was the highlight of the whole day! She got to show off how fast, agile, and tricky she is, while making a complete fool of SPHP.
Thankfully, it was getting dark. SPHP can only put up with so much abuse. Yet seeing Lupe having so much fun really was the best part of the day, a great finish to the first day of her 2018 summer adventures way up here in the beautiful Bighorn Mountains at almost 10,000 feet by Prospect Benchmark.
Sunset from Prospect Benchmark, Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, 6-9-18
Days 31 & 32 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!
Morning 9-3-18 – Clear skies! If they would last, this was Lupe’s big chance! As SPHP drove N on George Parks Highway No. 3, the Carolina Dog’s luck was holding. Near midday she arrived at the Denali South Viewpoint (MP 135.2) in Denali State Park.
Oh, this was Lupe’s lucky day! She had finally arrived at the Denali South Viewpoint in Denali State Park on a clear day – a feat that had eluded her in both 2016 & 2017.
It was Labor Day, and the parking lot was nearly full. People and dogs all over the place! They had all come to see what Lupe and SPHP had come to see, too – that glorious, monstrous, white mountain, highest in all of North America – Denali(20,310 ft.)!
Loopster had seen Denali in the clear from a great distance in 2016. Yet, although she had been to Denali State Park in both 2016 and 2017, the American Dingo had never caught more than glimpses of tiny portions of the mountain from anywhere nearly this close before. Lower peaks had sometimes been in view, but Denali and all the other white giants of the Alaska Range had always been shrouded by clouds.
The first look at Denali from the viewing area near the parking lot was beautiful, but not the best one available. A 5 minute stroll along a wide path lined by trees and tall bushes brought Loopster to an even better viewpoint. Beyond the Chulitna River valley, there stood Denali, still nearly 40 miles away, gleaming white against the blue, blue sky. Denali was a thrilling sight!
There it is, SPHP! Denali, the highest mountain in North America! We finally get to see it! Photo looks NW.Lupe at the Denali South Viewpoint in Denali State Park.Denali beyond the Chulitna River. Photo looks NW help from the telephoto lens.Denali with lots of help from the telephoto lens. Even at the Denali South Viewpoint, the massive mountain was still nearly 40 miles away!
While Denali was the star of the show, many other glorious peaks were on display, too. SPHP wasn’t certain of their names.
Zoomed in on Kahlitna Peaks? If so, West Kahlitna Peak(12,835 ft.) is on the L. East Kahlitna Peak(13,440 ft.) on the R. Photo looks NW.Mount Hunter(14,573 ft.) may be the white dome peeping out from behind these jagged peaks. Photo looks NW, again with plenty of help from the telephoto lens.Looking N farther up the Chulitna River valley.
With teeming holiday crowds present, it was probably best not to linger too long. Still, it was hard to tear oneself away from Denali! Loop and SPHP hung around for 20 minutes before reluctantly moving on. SPHP drove a little farther N on George Parks Highway No. 3, stopping next at the Ermine Hill trailhead (MP 156.5).
Still early afternoon. What to do? On the one hand, seeing Denali from Ermine Hill(2,700 ft.) would be fantastic! Would take a few hours to get up there, but Lupe had time. On the other hand, Ermine Hill wasn’t the American Dingo’s only anticipated destination up on K’esugi Ridge.
Lupe had climbed Ermine Hill once before. In 2017, she had seen a considerably higher hill from the summit more than 3 miles off to the ENE. This was Peak3700, an unnamed high point. Peak 3700 had looked easy to climb, just a rounded hill at the far end of a long, gradual ridge. So Looper and SPHP had made an attempt on Peak 3700 that day. Lupe had made great progress, but was ultimately forced to retreat by an ominous cloud threatening rain.
Now Lupe was back! She had returned to Denali State Park not only to see Denali, but also to climb Peak 3700.
It was too late to get to both Ermine Hill and Peak 3700 today. Besides, Loop had spent the last 3 days in a row climbing mountains. Hadn’t she earned a day of rest? While tempting, the thought of climbing Ermine Hill right now to see Denali from on high also seemed exhausting. Loop intended to climb both Ermine Hill and Peak 3700 tomorrow, anyway. Provided the weather would hold for just another 24 hours, an ascent today was simply unnecessary.
Not a cloud in sight. Tomorrow seemed a reasonably safe bet. In the meantime, Looper could rest up. This evening she could go back to the Denali South Viewpoint to see the sunset. Such a nice, easy plan!
SPHP worked on catching up the trip journal. The Carolina Dog snoozed contentedly. After an hour or more, SPHP glanced up to see a single lane of traffic ground to a complete halt on the highway. Odd. The G6 was boxed in here at the Ermine Hill trailhead! Lupe couldn’t leave if she wanted to until the traffic cleared.
It didn’t clear. Nothing budged. Something was wrong. An accident? Perhaps a serious one? No one at all was getting through. Yet everyone seemed patient. No honking, yelling, or arm waving. None of that sort of thing.
Eventually, sirens confirmed it. Emergency vehicles appeared. Low flying helicopters woke Loop up, sending her into barking frenzies. Hours went by. SPHP finally stopped writing, and got out to stretch. Something dreadful must have happened. A man came over to chat. He was from North Pole near Fairbanks, on his way home with his family.
Word was that there had been a terrible tragedy, a fatal crash. The crash had occurred out of sight, but only 100 yards NE of the Ermine Hill trailhead. A car, pickup truck, and 2 motorcycles were involved. Of 5 people, 3 were dead, 2 more in critical condition. One was a little girl. Horrendous!
Not until 8:30 PM did the traffic start moving again. Slowly, one lane at a time, alternating directions. After 10:00 PM the first gaps appeared in the lines. By 11:00 PM it was over, the deadly highway dark and quiet. The end of a sorrowful, sobering evening.
9-4-18, 8:40 AM, 48°F – Ugh! Seriously? Tired or not, should have just done it, and gone with Lupe up to Ermine Hill yesterday afternoon. She could have seen Denali in the clear from that glorious vantage point then. Now blue skies were but a memory. Nearly the entire sky was overcast. Clouds hung so low, it was practically foggy out. So much for getting to see Denali again from on high. A lost opportunity.
Sorry, Looper! Guess I was a dope. Should have known. Alaska is the world champion at clouding up, as far as anywhere I’ve ever been goes.
We’re not going to Ermine Hill? Or Peak 3700?
Oh, yes, we are! At least it’s not raining out. Doesn’t seem like it’s going to either, not yet anyway. Might as well give it a whirl. It’s more or less now or never for Peak 3700, you know.
Let’s get going then! Maybe we’ll have some luck!
Looper ready to head up the Ermine Hill trail.
Lupe set out full of energy and enthusiasm! Having taken the Ermine Hill trail up onto fabulous K’esugi Ridge only a little over a year ago, it still seemed quite familiar. The trail started out gaining elevation gradually. Lupe passed through an area of tall grasses and colorful plants in a forest meadow.
You coming, SPHP? Hurry it up! This is going to be great! You’ll see!
The terrain flattened out. Before long Loop lost 200 feet of elevation on her way down to Byers Creek. The tippy bridge was still here, same as last year.
Crossing a small side stream on the way down to Byers Creek.The tippy bridge over Byers Creek was still here, unchanged from a year ago.
Beyond the tippy bridge came a forested area crowded with ferns. The trail was full of tree roots and mucky spots. It headed downstream past a wider, shallower section of Byers Creek before finally beginning to climb out of the valley.
Down in the Byers Creek valley. Photo looks SW.Nothing like a lush undergrowth of ferns to give a forest that prehistoric feel, is there?
Before Lupe had gained much elevation, a bridge over gushing Giardia Creek marked the start of a series of long switchbacks. The switchbacks made the climb up the steep lower slopes of K’esugi Ridge a snap for SPHP. Lupe enjoyed racing back and forth on them.
Giardia Creek! Might want to leave those water bottles in the backpack for now, SPHP!Lupe had a blast on the switchbacks leading up the steep lower slopes of K’esugi Ridge.
Higher up, K’esugi Ridge wasn’t as steep. The switchbacks came to an end. The trail turned SE climbing more directly up the slope.
The forest thinned as Lupe gained elevation. Ferns disappeared. Birch or aspen mixed in with the conifers. Before long only scattered conifers remained as tall bushes took over.
Above the switchbacks the terrain wasn’t as steep. Ferns disappeared and the forest was less dense. Lupe came to stands of birch or aspen.Looking up the Giardia Creek valley from the Ermine Hill trail. Scattered conifers and tall bushes dominated this area. Photo looks ESE.
Eventually, Lupe came to a long slope covered with low bushes. The fall colors were incredible!
Loop near the upper end of the long colorful slope shortly before leaving the Ermine Hill trail. Photo looks NW.
Looper left the Ermine Hill trail at the upper end of the colorful slope, shortly before it was about to disappear into tall bushes again.
In 2017, Lupe had stayed on the trail 0.5 mile farther before abandoning it to begin her search for the true summit of Ermine Hill. However, she had learned back then that it wasn’t necessary to stay on the trail for so long. The true summit was up on the very first big hill on the R (S). In fact, it appeared easier to get to the summit from here than it had been from farther along the trail.
Loop about to set off for the true summit of Ermine Hill. Photo looks SW.
The upper slopes of Ermine Hill consist of a crumbly whitish rock. Where vegetation was lacking and the exposed rock was at all steep, it was difficult for SPHP to maintain traction. Fortunately, there weren’t too many troublesome areas. Lupe had a great time exploring on the way up. She had no traction problems at all.
The lower slopes of Ermine Hill were the steepest. Once above them, a series of ramps and benches led higher. The flatter terrain up here was mostly covered with gorgeous tundra. Brilliant reds, oranges, golds and yellows were everywhere. Blueberries were abundant some places, too. SPHP would accept no criticism for the resulting slow pace of advance.
Loop up on the flatter terrain of one of the benches. Photo looks SW.
As Lupe neared the top of Ermine Hill, she spotted an oddly shaped rock ahead atop a minor ridge. SPHP dubbed it “Shark Fin Rock”.
Oddly shaped “Shark Fin Rock” on the ridge beyond Lupe points toward the summit of Ermine Hill. Photo looks S.
Of course, the Carolina Dog went to check it out.
Lupe at Shark Fin Rock. Shark Fin Rock seemed most unusually shaped for a natural rock formation. Loop later discovered several smaller similar formations near Ermine Hill’s summit. Photo looks N.
From Shark Fin Rock an easy 5 minute trek up loose white rock brought Loop to the top of the mountain. The whole summit area was awesome with all kinds of weird rock formations. A lovely level pedestal perfect for displaying a triumphant Carolina Dog comprised the true summit.
Yes, Lupe had returned to magnificent, gorgeous Ermine Hill(2,700 ft.)!
Lupe returns to the true summit of Ermine Hill. She had been here once before just over a year ago in 2017. Photo looks SE.
A few tiny patches of blue sky had been visible when Lupe had left the trailhead. Now there were none. Rain still didn’t look imminent, but it was easy to believe it might be on the way. Low gray clouds covered the sky. Farther S, though, sunshine could be seen on distant ridges.
The whole sky was gray, but sunshine could be seen on distant ridges. Photo looks SSE.Still at the true summit. Photo looks SSE with lots of help from the telephoto lens.A look at the true summit from the other side. Note the little cave at the lower L. It was only inches high, but Lupe was fascinated by it. Apparently parts of Ermine Hill were hollow! Photo looks NW.
Lupe had set out on the Ermine Hill trail full of energy and enthusiasm. However, by the time she had reached Shark Fin Rock, she had already been showing signs fatigue. SPHP was surprised, but perhaps Loopster hadn’t slept well last night? Sometimes she stays awake staring into the darkness for hours on end.
Whatever the reason, after a short initial re-exploration of Ermine Hill’s summit area, the Carolina Dog was done. She didn’t want food or water, simply to rest. No problem. It wasn’t even noon yet. Plenty of time left in the day. SPHP looked forward to relaxing and enjoying the fantastic views from Ermine Hill for a while, anyway.
Another rock outcropping almost as high as the true summit was a short distance to the NW. SPHP found a comfy spot to sit down there. Lupe curled up on SPHP’s lap, heaved a great sigh, and closed her eyes. SPHP stroked her soft fur.
Ermine Hill is a terrific viewpoint! Sadly, but as anticipated, Denali and all the high peaks of the Alaska Range were obscured by clouds. Only the lower peaks and the Chulitna River valley were in view. Golog Benchmark(2,970 ft.) which Lupe had reached on a prior adventure on K’esugi Ridge in 2016 was in sight to the SW. And, of course, Peak 3700, which SPHP hoped and expected Loop would get to this very afternoon, was visible only a little over 3 miles to the ENE.
A serene and wonderful half hour drifted by. Finally, Lupe stirred. Good deal! A few more photos from the top of Ermine Hill and she would be on her way to Peak 3700!
The Chulitna River valley from Ermine Hill. Byers Lake is in the distance on the L. Photo looks WSW.Looking NNW across the Chulitna & Fountainrivers. Only lower slopes of mountains of the Alaska Range could be seen beyond them.Loop at the resting spot where she spent a whole half hour dozing while curled up on SPHP’s lap. Ermine Hill’s true summit is seen on the R. Photo looks ESE.Peak 3700, Lupe’s next peakbagging destination on K’esugi Ridge, is the high point on the L. Photo looks ENE.
Loop and SPHP set out for Peak 3700 heading SE. Having barely started, the American Dingo paused at the edge of the Ermine Hill summit area.
Ermine Hill(s) is actually plural. Maps show several hills in this region designated as such. The topo map shows 4 separate 2,700 foot contours. The contour farthest NW where Lupe was now clearly contained the true summit of the entire Ermine Hills region.
Ahead, Lupe could see some of the lower Ermine Hills. They were all made of the same crumbly white rock. At this time of year, the height of autumn on K’esugi Ridge, all of them were exquisitely beautiful. How fortunate to be here today! A rich tapestry of reds, whites, golds, grays, greens and yellows cloaked the Ermine Hills. They seemed so aptly named!
Loop with a view of some of the exquisitely colored lower Ermine Hills. Photo looks SE.
Peak 3700 was calling. SPHP started down. Lupe didn’t come. Instead, she gazed longingly back at Ermine Hill’s true summit. Was something wrong? Did she want to go back?
Yes, yes she did! Lupe did want to go back. Half an hour hadn’t been enough. The Carolina Dog was still tired.
Lupe didn’t want to leave Ermine Hill. She liked it up here, and was still tired. She wanted to go back to the true summit (Center) to rest some more. Photo looks WNW.
Well, OK, why not? Lupe and SPHP returned to the true summit. For a while, Loop curled up on SPHP’s lap again. Eventually, she preferred the comfort of a hollow among the summit rocks. SPHP laid out a Columbia pullover and gray jacket for her. Oh, so cozy! Just what the Dingo had ordered! Weary Lupe closed her eyes and slept soundly.
Well, what do you expect? Climbing mountains can tire anyone out. Especially when you climb them for days on end.Lupe comfortably ensconced in her hollow among the rocks at the top of Ermine Hill. The rock on the L is the true summit. Photo looks WNW.Naps are a good thing!
SPHP had plenty of time to enjoy the views from Ermine Hill a while longer. Dead to the world, Lupe snored. She barely stirred. Good things started happening. The cloud cover was breaking up! Patches of blue sky began to appear. The sunlight made everything so much brighter and the colors more vibrant than before.
Early afternoon now. Such a fabulous day to climb Peak 3700! If only Looper would wake up!
Golog Benchmark (L) from Ermine Hill. Byers Lake is on the R. While Lupe slept, good things were happening. The cloud cover started breaking up and blue sky appeared! Photo looks SW with some help from the telephoto lens.Looper sawing wood where there was none to saw. Hopefully she’d be done pretty soon. Peak 3700 was calling her name!
More than an hour drifted by. Finally, Miss Sleepyhead stirred.
Miss Sleepyhead shows signs of recovery. Photo looks NNE.
Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty!
Did I drift off?
Umm, yeah, sort of. Twice now, actually. So, how are you feeling? Still up for Peak 3700?
Oh, much better, thanks. Yes, let’s do this!
Lupe was much better, too! This Dingo nap had been the miracle cure for what ailed her. Suddenly she was full of energy again. The Carolina Dog leapt up onto Ermine Hill’s true summit once more.
All rested up, Lupe returns to the true summit of Ermine Hill for a final look around. Photo looks SSE.Oh, these big patches of blue sky are most encouraging!
The mood of the moment was certainly brighter and cheerier than had been the case a couple of hours ago when Lupe had first reached the top of Ermine Hill. For a few glorious moments, Lupe stood bathed in sunlight at the unique and beautiful true summit.
Lupe bathed in sunlight during her last moments at the top of beautiful Ermine Hill. Photo looks SE.
It was time to get serious about making some progress toward Peak 3700! While still mostly cloudy in that direction, the skies appeared to be clearing. Looper had better get on with it while conditions were so favorable!
Skies hadn’t cleared as much over by Peak 3700 (Center) yet, but looked like they would soon. Photo looks ENE.
The first order of business was to get back down to the Ermine Hill trail. Loop didn’t go down the same way she had come up. Instead she headed ESE off Ermine Hill, bypassing part of the trail.
Starting back down to the Ermine Hill trail, which runs along the near side of the lake. Once on the Ermine Hill trail again, Lupe could follow it to the K’esugi Ridge trail, which runs across the saddle seen at the far end of the lake. Photo looks ESE.
The key to returning to the Ermine Hill trail efficiently was to avoid the dense stands of tall bushes which form a nearly impenetrable barrier in many places near the trail. Loop had great success. She found a route that wasn’t too steep and completely avoided the bushes.
Once on the Ermine Hill trail again, Lupe followed it toward the saddle beyond the E end of the lake. Here, she reached the junction with the K’esugi Ridge trail.
Lupe near the junction of the Ermine Hill & K’esugi Ridge trails. Ermine Hill is seen on the L. Lupe would follow the K’esugi Ridge trail in the direction she is facing. Photo looks NW.
Upon reaching the junction, Lupe turned NE (L) on the K’esugi Ridge trail. The trail crossed a marsh in the broad saddle E of the lake. Lupe had to ford a small stream before the trail started uphill again.
After passing through stands of tall bushes, the trail became quite steep heading N up a ravine containing another small stream. Lupe regained much of the elevation she’d lost coming down off of Ermine Hill.
Leaving the ravine, the K’esugi Ridge trail leveled out heading NW along the base of a steep hillside. This area was also marshy. Stepping stones helped, but there weren’t enough of them. A wet, mucky trudge made SPHP vow to look for an alternative route on the return trip.
Beyond the marsh, a short side trail led W off to a viewpoint. Here Lupe enjoyed a sweeping panorama of the entire Ermine Hill region.
A short spur trail off the main K’esugi Ridge trail led to this sweeping panorama of the Ermine Hill (Center) region. Photo looks W.Looking back at the marsh, which was also a beautiful sight. The K’esugi Ridge trail came along the base of the hillside in shadow on the R. Photo looks E.
Returning to the K’esugi Ridge trail, Lupe headed NE climbing steadily. Soon she was high enough to see the long ridge leading to Peak 3700.
The long ridge leading to Peak 3700 appears ahead. Photo looks NE.
The K’esugi Ridge trail wouldn’t take Lupe to Peak 3700. No trail went that way. However, it would bring her to the W end of the ridge leading to it. Nearing this ridge, the trail dipped into a little valley where Lupe crossed a small stream. The trail then started up again, eventually leveling out as it curved around the W end of the ridge.
Before leaving the K’esugi Ridge trail to start for Peak3700, Lupe had another look back at Ermine Hill and the Chulitna River valley beyond it. She was clearly higher than Ermine Hill now.
Looking back before leaving the K’esugi Ridge trail. Ermine Hill is seen beyond Lupe. The Chulitna River valley is on the R. Golog Benchmark(2,970 ft.) is the distant high point toward the L. Photo looks SW.
Lupe was now about 1.5 miles from the junction with the Ermine Hill trail. Peak 3700 was 2 miles due E. Full of enthusiasm, Loop and SPHP left the K’esugi Ridge trail and began to climb.
Leaving the K’esugi Ridge trail to begin the 2 mile trek to Peak 3700. Photo looks E.
The ridge leading to Peak 3700 was broad and strewn with countless rocks. Many rocks were covered with the thick, crunchy black lichens common in parts of Alaska. The pristine, trackless tundra was gorgeous. So many brilliant colors! So much exquisite detail!
The tundra was brilliantly colored!And exquisitely detailed!
It was an easy climb. Just wandering really, from one modest high point to the next. No tree or bush existed to block any of the tremendous views in all directions. Natural beauties were everywhere from the tiny to the vast.
Following the huge ridge leading to Peak 3700 was easy! Lupe simply wandered at will from one high point to the next. Photo looks E.Looking back. Golog Benchmark (L), Ermine Hill (Center), Chulitna River valley (R). Photo looks SW.
Happy Lupe! So full of joy! She ran great distances, sometimes far from SPHP. She explored and sniffed. She was never gone too long, but came running back frequently. Her pink tongue dangled, her chest heaved. The Dingo’s eyes were bright and spoke of the wonders she was seeing and sensing all around.
SPHP fully shared Looper’s enthusiasm. Except for the clouds still hiding the mighty, but bashful Alaska Range, conditions were perfect. This trek was 10,000 delights, pure fun! The excitement grew as Lupe reached the area where she had been forced to turn back in 2017.
Not this time!
Happy Lupe on her joyful journey to Peak 3700.Lupe reaches the area where threatening weather had forced her to turn back in 2017. Not this time! It was all systems go! Photo looks E.
Lupe pressed on. Everything was going great! The American Dingo stayed on the high ground toward the N edge of the ridge. Gradually the tundra became more sparse. The way grew rockier. Lupe crossed one boulder field of white rocks. Nothing too steep or long or difficult.
Peak 3700 was farther than SPHP had believed in 2017, but Loop was getting there!
Lupe wasn’t turning around this time! She kept heading E exploring new territory. Photo looks E.Getting closer. The Peak 3700 summit ridge is in sight beyond Lupe. Photo looks E.Crossing the only boulder field Lupe came to on the entire route. Photo looks E.Looking back. Lupe had come up mostly along the R (N) side of this very broad ridge. Photo looks W.Almost there! Peak 3700 lies directly ahead. Photo looks E.
One more high point to go. Was this really the summit? Yes, it was!
Lupe made it up onto a rather long, rocky ridge 30 to 50 feet wide. This area wasn’t all rocks, there was tundra up here, too. The highest rocks were still a bit farther E. A quick, easy stroll and Lupe had done it! She was poised atop what appeared to be the highest rock on Peak3700.
Success! After a fabulous journey here, Lupe stands atop Peak 3700. Photo looks NE.Same view with more help from the telephoto lens.
Having hoped for this moment ever since Lupe had been forced to turn back in 2017, not knowing if she would ever return, SPHP was thrilled to congratulate Lupe on her grand success. Yet coming here had been so much fun both as a dream and as reality that SPHP felt a touch of sadness that the journey was over.
Well, it certainly had been a grand time, but Lupe wasn’t feeling sad. She was pooped! The Carolina Dog had burnt herself out again with all her enthusiastic exploratory exertions.
Fortunately, right next to the highest rock was a wonderfully convenient Dingo Shelter. It had a soft tundra floor, solid rock walls on 3 sides, and the highest rock on the mountain even overhung it to provide a partial roof. Looper took an immediate liking to it. She curled up there, while SPHP sat on the highest rock gazing out at all the wonders to be seen from Peak 3700 up on K’esugi Ridge.
Lupe, worn out again by all the fun of getting here, curls up in the convenient Dingo Shelter at the top of Peak 3700. Photo looks N.Looking NE along vast K’esugi Ridge from Peak 3700.Like Ermine Hill, Peak 3700 is merely one of a number of significant high points along K’esugi Ridge. The trail system offers spectacular day hike and backpacking opportunities, but with the exception of Golog Benchmark, doesn’t visit the most prominent summits. Photo looks SW.
Some of the most fascinating sights from Peak 3700 were of wonders only hinted at today. Although the afternoon had become mostly sunny over K’esugi Ridge, clouds still hid Denali and the Alaska Range. Every now and then, though, the clouds parted enough to offer tantalizing glimpses of mighty white peaks.
Tantalizing glimpses of mighty peaks of the Alaska Range came and went, but today just wasn’t clear enough to ever see more than a hint of what was actually out there.Even with the help of the telephoto lens, it was often hard to distinguish between the mountains and clouds.
100 yards E of the highest rock, Peak 3700’s summit ridge dropped away sharply. After a short respite in the Dingo Shelter, Loopster decided to accompany SPHP toward that end of the ridge for a look at the Susitna River valley. Lupe could see a huge expanse of Alaskan wilderness.
Looper near the E end of Peak 3700’s summit ridge with a commanding view of the Susitna River valley. Photo looks E.Susitna River valley from Peak 3700. Photo looks S.Looking W toward Peak 3700‘s summit from close to the E end of the summit ridge.
Returning to the summit, SPHP realized that from a slightly different perspective, at least a couple of other rocks seemed to be in contention for the title of true summit. Lupe hopped up on a long skinny contender barely wide enough to balance upon.
OK, now. Hope you’re satisfied, SPHP! Not getting up on any more rocks. You can look around all you want, but I’m going back to the Dingo Shelter for another snooze. Photo looks SW.
Lupe had seen enough. Running all over mountains is exhausting work! Peak 3700 had a Dingo Shelter and the American Dingo fully intended to return to it! SPHP helped her get comfy. Loop eagerly accepted water and Taste of the Wild. Then, while SPHP sat only a few feet above her on the official highest rock, it was lights out for the Carolina Dog.
Too bad I haven’t seen a bear up here. I’d crunch it up just like this!Back in Dingo Dreamland.The Eldridge Glacier covered with tremendous amounts of debris, as seen from Peak 3700. Photo looks NW with lots of help from the telephoto lens.
A glorious hour at the top of Peak 3700 slipped away. Lupe awakened, batteries freshly recharged. She sat for a few minutes with SPHP on the highest rock. The inevitable moment had arrived.
Lupe on Peak 3700’s highest rock. Chulitna River valley on the R. Photo looks WSW.
It was sad to leave Peak3700, but hours of fun remained. The return trip was a total blast! Downhill nearly the entire way, the American Dingo streaked across the seemingly endless, incredibly gorgeous tundra roaming far and wide, spectacular panoramas on all sides!
Oh, and did Lupe discover a way to avoid taking the K’esugi Ridge trail through the mucky upper marsh on the way back? She did! SPHP was happy to follow her on a detour up onto and along the top of the steep little hill next to the marsh.
It was dark when the Carolina Dog made it back to the G6 at the Ermine Hill trailhead, all tuckered out once more. What a fabulous day it had been, though! Lupe really had returned to K’esugi Ridge. She’d revisited beautiful Ermine Hill, and this time had actually made it to Peak 3700.
Not that any of it had been all that difficult. Quite the contrary! All it had taken was a little cooperation from the weather, and Lupe’s love of adventure. Of course, a few Dingo naps along the way hadn’t hurt a thing, either! (End 10:12 PM, 51°F)
On the Ermine Hill trail returning from Peak 3700, Denali State Park, Alaska, 9-4-18.
