Xochitl flew in from Chicago to spend nearly a week in the Black Hills over Thanksgiving. Naturally, she wanted to spend a little time adventuring in the hills with Lupe. Steve had some time off, so he wanted to come along, too. So Lupe had quite a pack along with her when she set off on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 146(a) on 11-22-15.
Since Xochitl needed a little time to acclimate to the elevation, Lupe started her off easy. Real easy – the first stop was at Cheyenne Crossing in Spearfish Canyon for buffalo burgers and dessert. Lupe got to sit waiting patiently in the G6 while Xochi, Steve & SPHP dined acclimated in cozy warm comfort.
Lupe at Cheyenne Crossing in Spearfish Canyon. Lupe had to wait in the G6 while Xochitl, Steve and SPHP acclimated inside the restaurant.
The buffalo burgers disappeared, and there wasn’t much left of Steve’s mountain medley berry pie and ice cream when the meal was over. However, Xochi had ordered carrot cake for dessert. It arrived drizzled with caramel, which she doesn’t really care for, so about 2/3 of the carrot cake was left over. The patient American Dingo was in luck! A big piece of carrot cake went into a Dingo box for later on.
From Cheyenne Crossing, Lupe’s pack headed N for Savoy farther downstream in the heart of Spearfish Canyon. Savoy is the site of the Latchstring Inn & Restaurant. Near Savoy are two waterfalls. From opposite ends of the Latchstring Restaurant parking lot, there is a short (0.5 mile?) loop trail that goes down to Spearfish Falls. Little Spearfish Creek enters Spearfish Creek at the base of the falls.
Limestone cliffs near the Latchstring Inn at Savoy in Spearfish Canyon.Lupe near the Latchstring Inn.
Lupe wasn’t going to Spearfish Falls, though. Instead, Lupe and her pack of humans were taking the trail to Roughlock Falls. Roughlock Falls is up the side canyon Little Spearfish Creek flows through. The trailhead is near the Latchstring Inn parking lot.
The Roughlock Falls trail is no more than about a mile long, and involves very little elevation gain. It was going to be a nice stroll, with views of the creek and limestone cliffs along the way.
Lupe was just happy to be on a snowy trail again.
Little Spearfish Creek a short distance upstream of the Latchstring Inn.Continuing up Little Spearfish Creek.Lupe on her way to Roughlock Falls.Steve, Xochitl & Lupe on the Roughlock Falls trail.Sunlit cliffs on the N side of the canyon.
In the summer, the Roughlock Falls trail is popular and busy. On this cool day in late November, Lupe & company had the trail to themselves. When Lupe reached the falls, it was time for some pictures with Xochitl and Steve.
Roughlock Falls on Little Spearfish Creek.Lupe, Steve & Xochi at Roughlock Falls.Years ago, it was possible to wade up Little Spearfish Creek right into Roughlock falls. The water was always cold, even on the hottest summer days. Now safety railings and signs prevent such adventures. November wouldn’t have been such a good time for it, anyway.
The Roughlock Falls trail continued on across a bridge over Little Spearfish Creek, and up to a picnic ground just above the falls. Various little walkways with railings led to a number of viewpoints along both sides of the falls and creek. Lupe, Xochi and Steve checked them out.
The main falls. Roughlock Falls is only a mile or so from the Latchstring Inn at Savoy in Spearfish Canyon.The brink of Roughlock Falls.
A look downstream from the falls.“Lupe, look, is moose & squirrel!” We interrupt this episode of The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe to bring you this scene from The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends – starring Xochitl as Bullwinkle the Moose, and Steve as Rocky the Flying Squirrel. (Steve’s Rocky still needs a bit of work. Steve, how about a jet pack so you can zoom around in the air a bit, or if that’s too expensive, at least a pair of aviator goggles?)
At the picnic grounds upstream of Roughlock Falls, a dramatic love scene was re-enacted starring Lupeo & Xochiet.
LupeoXochiet“Lupeo, O’ Lupeo, wherefore art thou O’ Lupeo?”“Why, I’m sitting right in front of you, Xochiet, here right beside Little Spearfish Creek at the picnic grounds just above Roughlock Falls. To get here take Hwy 14A from Spearfish, SD to Savoy. Turn right at the Latchstring Inn and park at the Roughlock Falls trailhead, or just drive 1 mile up USFS Road No. 222. You can also get here by taking Hwy 85 SW of Lead, SD to Cheyenne Crossing. At Cheyenne Crossing take Hwy 14A going N to Savoy. On the other hand, if you’re coming from Cement Ridge(6,674 ft.) , take …. blah, blah, blah….” Xochiet is pretty sure Lupeo doesn’t know his lines….
Lupe and Xochitl had two different impressions of the Roughlock Falls picnic grounds. To Lupe, the place was a frozen wilderness full of exciting smells, danger and mystery. Here she conveys a feeling of being lost and alone in the 1.2 million acre Black Hills National Forest:
A lone, brave Carolina Dog sits lost in the vast Black Hills National Forest on a cold wintery day next to a wild, rushing stream.Along Little Spearfish Creek just upstream of the picnic ground.
Although Xochitl makes a good living as a computer engineer in Chicago, she is always ready to explore new opportunities. To her, the time spent in a different setting at Roughlock Falls along Little Spearfish Creek brought new possibilities to mind. She practiced auditioning for Vanna White’s job on Wheel of Fortune.
Xochitl auditions for Vanna White’s job on the TV game show Wheel of Fortune. Here she demonstrates what contestants who simultaneously buy the consonants S, T, R, M and vowels E & A will get. She does seem to be getting the hang of it. When she gets to where she can do this without Steve propping her up, Vanna White had better look out!
Down in the canyon, the sun disappears from view pretty early this time of year. Soon it was time for Lupe, Xochitl, Steve & SPHP to take the snowy trail back to the G6.
USFS Road No. 222 near Roughlock Falls.
Much later, back at home, SPHP offered Xochitl’s uneaten Cheyenne Crossing carrot cake to Lupe. Turns out Carolina Dogs love carrot cake AND caramel! A few nanoseconds later, Lupe was licking the Dingo box clean of any remaining morsels.
“Lupeo, O’ Lupeo, wherefore art my carrot cake, O’ Lupeo?”
SPHP had been thinking about taking Lupe on an expedition to the Bear Lodge Mountains in Wyoming for a couple of months. Checking the weather forecast early on 11-15-15, SPHP saw that it was going to be an extraordinarily warm day for mid-November in the Black Hills. It was probably now or never, if Lupe was going to go to the Bear Lodge Mountains in 2015.
Lupe was soon on her way, barking enthusiastically at cows and horses along I-90 who were too far away to even notice her passing by. Shortly after reaching Wyoming, Lupe and SPHP made a quick stop at a very nice information center just N of I-90. Lupe got out of the G6 for a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.
Although it hadn’t been windy at all back home, it was plenty windy here in Wyoming. A pretty stiff breeze was blowing out of the W across the high prairie. Lupe took shelter behind the Wyoming welcome sign.
Gotta love that buffalo on the Wyoming state flag!The Bear Lodge Mountains are already in view off to the W.
The Bear Lodge Mountains are a small mountain range in NE Wyoming separated from the main body of the Black Hills of South Dakota by no more than 15-20 miles of grasslands. The Bear Lodge Mountains are part of the Black Hills National Forest. Lupe was going to get to climb a couple of mountains in the range, and visit a couple more as part of Expedition No. 145.
Lupe’s first goal was to climb Sundance Mountain(5,824 ft.) located just S of I-90 and the town of Sundance, WY. It was 10:04 AM, 54°F and windy out of the W, as Lupe set off to climb Sundance Mountain from the SE. She soon reached a 4WD jeep trail that took her all the way up to the top of the mountain. There were plenty of towers and various small buildings up at the summit.
Sundance Mountain as seen from the ENE near I-90.Lupe sets out from SE of Sundance Mountain.Partway up Sundance Mountain along the jeep trail is this view of Inyan Kara Mountain on the S horizon.The biggest, most impressive tower at the top of Sundance Mountain.Looking N at I-90 and the town of Sundance, WY from Sundance Mountain.Looking NE at Green Mountain. Crow Peak W of Spearfish, SD is seen on the horizon just R of center.
Although there were some pretty nice views of Sundance, WY and Green Mountain(5,283 ft.) from the summit, the view SPHP liked best was hidden by the forest. Somewhat below the summit, a short dead-end side road covered with weeds provided an expansive view to the S toward Inyan Kara Mountain(6,360 ft.).
Inyan Kara Mountain (L) from Sundance Mountain. Photo looks S.
Lupe faced two dangers on Sundance Mountain. The first one was a patch of cactus growing on a grassy ridge just below where Lupe first reached the jeep trail. The second danger was a cliff on the N side of the mountain. The cliff was situated just below a tree Lupe ran down a very steep bank to, in order to bark at a squirrel. Fortunately, Lupe returned to the G6 unscathed by either cacti or cliffs.
Lupe on “Cactus Ridge” on the SE slopes of Sundance Mountain. Green Mountain is seen behind her to the NE. SPHP helped guide Lupe so she didn’t step on any cacti.The most rugged parts of Sundance Mountain are to the N and W. The towers at the summit are seen to the L in this photo taken from the W.
After climbing Sundance Mountain, Lupe’s next stop was Warren Peak(6,650 ft.), the highest mountain in the Bear Lodge range at 6,656 feet. Lupe had been up on Warren Peak(6,650 ft.) once before on the first day of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies and the Beartooths.
Getting to the top of Warren Peak 7 miles NNW of Sundance, WY is super easy. A short gravel road off USFS Road No. 838 (Warren Peak Road accessed off Hwy 14 a mile from I-90) winds its way up to a lookout tower at the top. It was 12:16 PM and 50°F with a gale blowing out of the W, when Lupe reached the top of Warren Peak. The views were great, but the wind was really annoying. Lupe stayed on Warren Peaks only long enough for a few quick photos.
Lupe not enjoying the wind too much on Warren Peak. Photo looks SE toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. Terry Peak(7,064 ft.) is the highest point in the center on the far horizon. Crow Peak(5,787 ft.) is the rounded mountain on the horizon on the L.Lupe at the base of the lookout tower.Looking NW from Warren Peak. There is a series of high barren hills near Warren Peak. Collectively they are sometimes called Warren Peaks. This photo looks NW from the summit of Warren Peak at other hills in this group. Lupe went over there to investigate, but found the area was fenced off as US Government property with No Trespassing signs.Lupe at the turn off USFS Road No. 838 (Warren Peak Road) to the lookout tower.
Just N of the turn to the US Government property, USFS Road No. 838, which had been paved, turned to gravel. Shortly after turning to gravel, there was a bend in the road where there was a glimpse of an intriguing view to the NW. There was a large pullout along the side of the road at this point, so Lupe and SPHP stopped to get a photo.
Devils Tower(5,112 ft.) and Missouri Buttes(5,374 ft.) from USFS Road No. 838 a short distance N of Warren Peak. Photo looks NW.A look back to the S at Warren Peak from USFS Road No. 838.
After checking out the awesome, but distant view of Devils Tower and Missouri Buttes, Lupe and SPHP continued onward. Lupe’s next peakbagging goal was a peak neither she nor SPHP had ever been even close to before. It wasn’t even in the Peakbagger.com data base. Peakbagger.com’s topo maps showed it simply as Sheep Mountain. SPHP’s old USFS maps showed it as Sheep Nose Mountain(5,829 ft.). It lies about 4 miles ENE of Warren Peak on the E edge of the Bear Lodge Mountains.
Winding USFS roads led Lupe and SPHP to a trailhead that SPHP almost missed. Driving by, SPHP just caught a glimpse of a small sign saying “Sheepnose Trail”. There was a roomy parking area, and a map posted at this remote trailhead. The map showed two Sheepnose Trails. One was trail “M” (2.3 miles long), which led to the mountain. The other was trail “L”, which was longer (5.8 miles), branched off from trail “M”, and did not actually quite reach the mountain.
There was no obvious “trail”, just an old unmarked USFS road that headed E from near the posted map at the trailhead. Lupe and SPHP set out on this road, which appeared to be seldom used. A mile from the trailhead, it turned SE where Lupe found it was still marked as USFS Road No. 831.1C. There was an odd-shaped metal gate blocking the way to motorized vehicles. Markers from here onward showed that this was indeed Sheepnose Trail “M”.
Lupe’s first look at Sheep Nose Mountain from the NW. This view was 50 feet S of old USFS Road No. 831.1C well before it reached the metal gate barring motorized traffic.
The trailhead and Sheep Nose Mountain are at about the same elevation. Most of the way to Sheep Nose Mountain, the terrain was quite level. Old USFS Road No. 831.1C did dip down almost 250 feet, though, partway to the mountain. At a saddle there was a small clearing, and an intersection with the longer Sheepnose Trail “L”. Sheepnose Trail “L” was another old USFS Road, which branched off from Trail “M” heading W.
The trail intersection. Lupe stayed on trail “M” heading for Sheep Nose Mountain. Sheepnose trail “L” headed R (W) from here to parts still unknown to Lupe and SPHP.
Of course, Lupe had to regain all of the elevation lost going down to the trail intersection. Sheep Nose Mountain trail “M” wound around on the N side of the mountain regaining elevation. It turned back to the W side of the mountain, and then headed S. There was a big canyon to the W, but it couldn’t be seen through the forest from the trail.
The rocky little ridge at the summit of Sheep Nose Mountain came into view up a sparsely treed slope to the E. Lupe and SPHP left the road to climb straight up to it. It later turned out that the road doesn’t go all the way to the summit (although it gets close). The road and Sheepnose Trail “M” end at cliffs SE of the summit.
Lupe just below the rocky ridge at the summit of Sheep Nose Mountain, WY.
The summit of Sheep Nose Mountain felt lonely and remote, just the way Lupe and SPHP like it. It looked like an area very few people (or American Dingoes) ever see. Warren Peak could be seen to the WSW. Other than forest, not much could be seen to the N, but there were wonderful views to the S and E.
Lupe posed for some pictures. Then Lupe and SPHP took an apple and Taste of the Wild break on top of the mountain. Fortunately, the strong W wind Lupe had experienced up on Warren Peak was greatly diminished by now. Only a gentle breeze remained.
Lupe on the highest rock on Sheep Nose Mountain. Photo looks N.
Lupe on the very top of Sheep Nose Mountain, WY. Lupe had very recently seen, but not climbed, another Sheep Nose(8,894 ft.) in Colorado on her excursion to Thunder Butte, the high point of Douglas County, CO.Lupe and SPHP took a break on Sheep Nose Mountain here. Lupe thought it was a poor choice for a break location. It was too rocky for a Carolina Dog to get comfortable laying down. What a view to the S though!
After the break, Lupe and SPHP left the summit of Sheep Nose Mountain going SE down a gradual slope to where old USFS Road No. 831.1C (Sheepnose trail “M”) had headed. Shortly after reaching the road again, Lupe found it ended at scenic cliffs.
The gentle slope to the SE from the Sheep Nose Mountain summit.Looking S from the cliffs. Green Mountain is the low forested hill surrounded by prairie in the distance on the L. Sundance Mountain pokes above other ridges on the R. Far in the distance is the very faint outline of Inyan Kara.Looking E along the S cliffs. Crow Peak is seen in the distance on the R.
After seeing the views from the S cliffs, SPHP was almost certain the following photo taken earlier in the day from just N of I-90 is a view of Sheep Nose Mountain from the S.
Looking N from near I-90 at Sheep Nose Mountain.
Lupe and SPHP both enjoyed the return trip along the same route from Sheep Nose Mountain back to the G6. There were squirrels and deer in the woods. There was silence and solitude. The whole trip to Sheep Nose Mountain and back took only 2 hours and 14 minutes. It was the best part of the day.
It was 3:18 PM and still 52°F when Lupe got back to the G6. There was still a little time left before sunset for more fun in the Bear Lodge Mountains. Lupe and SPHP took a drive through the mountains, exploring down toward Hulett, WY on USFS Road No. 849.
No. 849 followed Blacktail Creek out of the Bear Lodge Mountains. Once the road was out of the Black Hills National Forest, it passed through private ranch lands where the creek valley was wide and grassy. The slanting rays of the sun lit up the rocky edges of the low forested hills on the NE side of the valley. In the shadow of the hills to the SW, down in big fields near Blacktail Creek, deer were grazing.
Blacktail Creek valley.
Lupe could hardly believe her eyes. There wasn’t just a deer or two or three over there by the creek. There were herds of them. There were more deer than Lupe, or even SPHP, had ever seen before in one place. Every field had at least 50 deer grazing in it.
As SPHP drove along, Lupe must have barked at 1,000 deer or more. Some of the deer heard her, and dashed off across the fields into the trees. Others just continued grazing. By the time Lupe reached Hwy 24 S of Hulett, she was desperately thirsty and worn to a frazzle.
One of the deer Lupe and SPHP saw along the way had come to a bad end, though it wasn’t because of Lupe. A hunter was busy trying to pull a dead deer he had just shot up into the back of a pickup truck, as SPHP drove by. No doubt the hunter was happy and within his rights, but seeing the beautiful deer which had lost its life only minutes ago just felt terribly sad.
The last rays of the sun were about to fail by the time Lupe reached her last stop of the day. Devils Tower loomed in stony silence as the gloom of night approached. The big convenience store and KOA campground just E of the entrance to Devils Tower National Monument were both closed and deserted.
SPHP parked the G6 at the store. Lupe and SPHP wandered out onto the lawn for a quick photo of Lupe and Devils Tower. Before SPHP could take it, a loud shot rang out from somewhere not very far to the N. Lupe raced for safety back toward the G6. It took SPHP a few minutes to convince her she wasn’t going to wind up like the poor dead deer.
A few last faint rays of sunlight cling to Devils Tower, WY.Lupe regains her courage long enough to pose for this photo of Devils Tower, WY.
