Day 36 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!
9:00 AM, 54°F, at a pullout near Kilometer 20 of the Dempster Highway – Ugh! So late! Lupe was wide awake, staring out of the G6. She probably had been for a long time. 54°F! No wonder SPHP had slept so well. Comfortably warm for once, instead of the usual Yukon chill. Lupe eagerly dashed out of the G6 as soon as she got the chance, disappearing into the woods nearby.
Cheese and English muffins for breakfast. Loop returned for that. Her right rear paw seemed OK now. Yesterday evening she had been hopping around on 3 legs shortly after getting here. A raw spot in between her pads seemed to be the problem. She must have gotten cut stepping on something sharp. Maybe the antibiotic ointment SPHP applied had actually helped?
As soon as breakfast was over, Lupe and SPHP hit the road traveling N on the Dempster Highway. Loop spotted the Tombstone Territorial Park sign near kilometer 50. A quick photo stop was clearly in order.
Lupe reaches Tombstone Territorial Park near kilometer 50 of the Dempster Highway.
The Dempster Highway goes right through Tombstone Territorial Park. Lupe had never been here before. As she continued N into the park, the scenery was rapidly becoming more and more stunning. Wow, this looked promising! Only September 4th, but fall colors were already evident. Even though the sky was overcast, everything was so beautiful!
Lupe stands on the Dempster Highway in Tombstone Territorial Park close to where the big mountains start. Fall colors were already here.Even on an overcast day, the Oligvie Mountains were serving up some spectacular scenery. Photo looks NE.
The Dempster Highway wound along the W side of the North Klondike River valley. Around each bend were more magnificent sights.
The Dempster Highway winds up the North Klondike River valley. Photo looks NNE.
The highway was gaining elevation. Tree line isn’t very high in Tombstone Territorial Park. Forests were soon confined only to valleys and lower mountain slopes. Higher up, bright yellows, oranges, and reds of the tundra were splashed across the dark gray exposed rock of the steep mountain slopes. The overall effect gave the Oligvie Mountains a most striking and distinctive appearance.
The higher mountains of the Oligvie Range were almost entirely above tree line. Bright colors of the tundra vegetation clinging to the dark rocky slopes gave the mountains a strikingly beautiful and distinctive appearance. Photo looks NE.
As Lupe passed the Tombstone Interpretive Centre at kilometer 71.5, the Dempster Highway began climbing much more aggressively. The sense that the Carolina Dog was approaching something truly fabulous just ahead was strong.
The highway angled NW along a steep slope. The North Klondike River, which was now W of the highway, could be seen curving away toward a side valley. Such a glorious view! Had to stop for this!
Several km N of the interpretive centre, Lupe stopped along the Dempster Highway for this grand view of the North Klondike River. Photo looks SW.The Tombstone Interpretive Centre is way down in the valley almost straight up from Lupe. Photo looks SSE down the North Klondike River valley.Another look at the North Klondike River from the same spot. The colors turned out more vivid in this photo, and give a much better idea how brilliantly colored everything appeared. Unfortunately, the overcast sky had a tendency to make photos look washed out. Photo looks SW.
SPHP had stopped a little too soon to get the best view of the long valley the North Klondike River originates from. Lupe and SPHP hopped back in the G6, went a bit farther and higher, and stopped again. Incredible! Lupe could now see much more. The Carolina Dog could even see the iconic symbol of Tombstone Provincial Park. At the far end of the long valley stood Tombstone Mountain(7,192 ft.)!
(Note: To see topo maps after clicking on any mountain link in this post, switch from CalTopo to MyTopo at upper L on the Google dynamic map.)
From a slightly higher vantage point, Lupe could see much farther up the long North Klondike River valley. Tombstone Mountain(7,192 ft.) (Center) juts up at the far end. Photo looks SW.Tombstone Mountain (R) with help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks SW.A broader, but sadly washed out look at Tombstone Mountain. Photo looks SW.
Though distant Tombstone Mountain grabbed and held the attention, other beautiful mountains were much closer by.
Looking S at some of the gorgeous nearby peaks.A river of gold pours down North Fork Mountain(6,000 ft.) (L). Photo looks NW.
As beautiful as these scenes were, Lupe had farther to go. When SPHP was finally able to turn away from the glorious sights right here, it was back into the G6. The Dempster Highway turned NE continuing higher, then quickly began to level out. The highway curved gradually back to the NNW, and went over a broad level saddle.
Loopster had reached North Fork Pass, the high point of the Dempster Highway in Tombstone Territorial Park. N of the pass, Lupe entered a wide valley which was part of the East Blackstone River drainage. The highway descended slowly along the E side of this valley.
The Oligvie Mountains weren’t quite as rugged here as back near the viewpoint where Lupe had just seen Tombstone Mountain. Even so, this area had an impressively stark aspect to it. Scarcely a tree was in sight. The Dempster Highway passed a kilometer E of a small lake. Loop and SPHP left the G6 here, walking a bit back up the highway experiencing an incredible sense of remoteness.
Lupe in the North Fork Pass region. The small lake is part of the East Blackstone River drainage. Photo looks W.A closer look with help from the telephoto lens.N of North Fork Pass bushes grew in profusion, but scarcely a tree was in sight. The East Blackstone River valley and the surrounding Oligvie Mountains exuded a stark, remote feel. Photo looks NW.Loop on the Dempster Highway on her way back to the G6 (R). SPHP didn’t realize it yet, but her peakbagging objective, Surfbird Mountain (the high point of the distant ridge on the R) was already in sight. Photo looks NW.
Lupe and SPHP continued N from North Fork Pass. Somewhere, still 15 or 20 km ahead, was Lupe’s peakbagging objective for the day, Surfbird Mountain(5,300 ft.). The highway crossed over to the W side of the East Blackstone River. SPHP started watching for a microwave tower to the W, which doubles as the trailhead for Surfbird Mountain.
The highway again passed E of a small lake. The road was much closer to this second lake. Although the microwave tower hadn’t appeared yet, SPHP stopped so Lupe could sniff around.
Lupe near another small lake in the East Blackstone River valley. Photo looks W.SPHP still didn’t realize it, but at this second small lake Lupe was getting very close to Surfbird Mountain. In fact, Surfbird Mountain is the ridge seen beyond the lake. The summit Looper would be heading to is on the L. Photo looks NW.
The turn W (L) on the side road leading to the microwave tower was supposed to be near kilometer 98.5, but SPHP had written down the wrong number. A microwave tower did come into view shortly after Lupe left the second small lake, however. That had to be it, so SPHP made the turn and drove a couple km up the side road to the tower.
Not a soul was around, which was a good thing, since there wasn’t a lot of extra space to park here where the G6 wouldn’t block access to the tower in the event a service vehicle happened along. There was plenty of room for just the G6, though.
Parked at the microwave tower a couple kilometers W of the Dempster Highway. The turn is near km 98.5. Photo looks ESE.
12:58 PM, 50°F at the microwave tower near km 98.5 of the Dempster Highway – The overcast sky was a bit discouraging, but the weather didn’t seem threatening at the moment. Having just had a bite to eat, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was ready to set off for Surfbird Mountain(5,300 ft.). Surfbird was supposed to be a really easy climb, so if the weather would hold out, Looper should get there.
Lines of tall bushes coming down the ridge W of the microwave tower marked drainages where there might be really wet ground, or even streams. No sense getting wet feet right off, if it could be avoided. To avoid these drainages, Lupe and SPHP set off going W straight up the slope.
Looper ready to set off for Surfbird Mountain. The E end of Surfbird Mountain is seen beyond her. Instead of heading directly for the mountain, Loop would go W (R) from here to gain the top of a ridge in order to avoid the wet drainage areas where tall bushes flourished. Photo looks S.Partway up the first slope, still climbing toward the ridge out of sight on the R (W). Photo looks S.
The tundra was spongy and damp everywhere. For SPHP’s sake, Lupe did manage to avoid the wettest areas. She went all the way up to the top of the ridge W of the microwave tower. The ridge was very broad. Lupe now had a clear view of Surfbird Mountain’s summit. So easy! This climb was going to be nothing more than a stroll up a big hill. Avoiding drainages and boggy areas was all there was to it.
Instead of going directly toward the summit, Looper headed S toward a closer high point.
Up on the first ridge W of the microwave tower, Loopster has a clear view of Surfbird Mountain’s summit (R) ahead. Instead of going directly to it, she proceeded toward the high point seen beyond her (L) first. Photo looks S.The remote, natural beauty of the Oligvie Mountains surrounded Lupe on an enormous scale. Beauty was present on a tiny scale, too, in the form of countless exquisite little tundra plants beneath her paws.
A steady climb up the long slope brought Lupe to a big flat area on top of the next ridge. Total elevation gain to the summit of Surfbird Mountain is about 1,500 feet from the microwave tower. Lupe had already gained close to 1,300 feet, so most of the work was done. The ground was nice and dry up here. Looper was perfectly happy curling up and relaxing, while SPHP admired the already magnificent views.
Loop stands along the N edge of the long slope she had just climbed. The Dempster Highway is in view below. Two Moose Lake is in the distance on the L. Photo looks NE.Loopster takes a Dingo nap up on the big flat area. The summit of Surfbird Mountain is the hill seen beyond her. The high peak on the R is Blackstone Mountain (6,900 ft.). Mount Auston (6,500 ft.) is at Center. Photo looks SW.Looking NW toward light gray mountains of the Patrol Range.View to the N. The microwave tower where the G6 is parked is seen below at Center.
When SPHP was ready to move on, Lupe led the way heading SW from the flat area. She lost elevation going down a dip in the broad ridge, but not any great amount. The summit of Surfbird Mountain(5,300 ft.) was in view beyond the dip. Lupe headed for a closer high point first.
Lupe in the dip in the broad ridge. The Dempster Highway is in the distance at Center. The first small lake Lupe had seen near North Fork Pass is on the R. Angelcomb Peak(6,300 ft.) is seen straight up from Lupe. Photo looks SE.Crossing the dip in the broad ridge. Surfbird Mountain’s summit is the hill on the R. Loop is on her way to the closer high point on the L first. Photo looks SW.Up on the last high point before the summit. The second lake Lupe had stopped by on the way here is on the R. Photo looks SE.
Most of Surfbird Mountain(5,300 ft.) is a wide ridge. Toward the W end, the absolute summit is a narrow hill superimposed upon the main ridge. That hill wasn’t far away at all now. Lupe left the high point heading W right to it. At the top of the hill, she found a short, stony ridgeline running E/W.
Lupe heads for the narrow hill where the summit of Surfbird Mountain is located. Photo looks WNW.Loop reaches the summit! Mount Auston (L) and Blackstone Mountain (Center) are beyond her. Photo looks SW.Lupe sits at the true summit of Surfbird Mountain. A chilly S breeze was blowing from behind her. Blackstone Mountain on the R. Photo looks SW.
Even though Surfbird Mountain was an easy climb, the views were tremendous!
Looking E from the summit.Same view with help from the telephoto lens.Looking WSW up the Wildhorse Creek valley (L) toward Blackstone Mountain and Mount Auston.Looking NW.The East Blackstone River and Dempster Highway are both visible down by the second lake Lupe dropped by on the way here. Angelcomb Peak(6,300 ft.) is in view beyond the lake. Photo looks SE.Both of the lakes Lupe stopped by can be seen in this photo. The first one is far away on the R. Angelcomb Peak is the pointy peak in view well beyond the closer lake. The near ridge on the R is the E end of Rake Mountain. Photo looks SE.
Off to the W, another hill even higher than Surfbird Mountain was only a mile or so away. Lupe might easily have gone over there, but didn’t for 2 reasons.
First of all, the weather was questionable. The sky had been completely overcast all day. The situation wasn’t improving, either. Toward the S horizon, it now looked like rain or fog. A chilly S wind was sweeping over Surfbird Mountain, potentially driving the precipitation this way. SPHP didn’t relish the notion of getting drenched at some point.
Secondly, Lupe’s right rear paw was bothering her. She was occasionally hopping on 3 legs again. Making Looper go any farther on a sore paw wasn’t a kind thing to ask her to do. That just wouldn’t be right.
No worries. Surfbird Mountain was a great place to be! Might as well enjoy the awesome scenes from right here. Instead of pushing on, Lupe and SPHP spent an entire hour at Surfbird’s summit. Most of this time was spent N of and below the rocky crest to avoid the wind.
The whole sky was a sullen gray. The world stretched away to the N all brown and drab. It felt, it looked, like late November back home. What an amazing place, though! Lonely and quiet, the vast emptiness of the hills, ridges, valleys, and peaks of the Yukon’s Oligvie Range extended as far as the American Dingo could see.
Lupe sat huddled partially inside SPHP’s jacket. Watching, waiting. Nothing moved. The only sound, the swirling breeze. Sublime.
Watching the world from Surfbird Mountain on a somber, gray day. Photo looks W.While the vast scene to the N looked brown and drab, nearby objects revealed intricate colors and patterns.
SPHP wanted to keep an eye on the weather. Every now and then, Lupe braved the cold wind, climbing the few feet necessary to get back on top of the mountain. The situation to the S never seemed to change much. Looper could linger a while longer.
Back up on the summit again exposed to that chilly S breeze. Photo looks NE.Lupe and SPHP spent a lot of time on the grassy spot below the rock Loop is perched on. Photo looks ENE.Stay right there, Loopster! That’s a great rock you’re on. I want to get a dramatic Dingo shot. ….. Well, hurry it up then, SPHP! This wind is annoying.How does this look? Dramatic enough for you? …. Oh, pretty good, Loop. A little bright blue sky wouldn’t hurt a thing, but seems to be in mighty short supply today.
Lupe’s incredible, wonderful hour at the top of Surfbird Mountain came and went. The Carolina Dog left her hiding spot, returning once more to the summit.
Mount Auston (L) and Blackstone Mountain (R). Photo looks SW.The Wildhorse Creek valley, Blackstone Mountain (Center) and Mount Auston (L) from Surfbird Mountain. Photo looks SW.Looking down into Wildhorse Creek valley. Rake Mountain (Center) is on the other side. Photo looks S.Back at the true summit. Photo looks E.Well, that’s about it. This is Lupe, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood, from atop Surfbird Mountain in Tombstone Territorial Park. I’ve never been on a mountain this far N in the Yukon Territory before. It’s a mighty fine peak and easy to climb. If you come here, bring some sunshine if you can, but you won’t be disappointed either way!
On the way back, Lupe varied her route somewhat. When she reached the big flat area on the second ridge, she went all the way out to its far E end. Here she had a great view of the East Blackstone River valley, and a prominent thumb of rock nearby to the N.
On the way back to the G6, Lupe went way out to the E end of the lower ridge on the L. Photo looks ENE from the E end of Surfbird Mountain’s little summit ridge.The beautiful, intricate tundra.Looking down on the Dempster Highway from the NE end of Surfbird Mountain. Two Moose Lake is the larger lake on the L. Lone Moose Lake is on the R. The side road leading to the microwave tower is at lower L. Photo looks NE.Looking down on the thumb of rock (L) at the NE end of Surfbird Mountain. Photo looks NE.
The return trip was a blast! So easy, with spectacular views the entire way! The weather never did deteriorate. Lupe didn’t get rained on. She had a great time roaming the gorgeous tundra. To avoid wet, tussocky areas, the Carolina Dog did have to circle back around to the W again somewhat before turning N.
The return trip was great fun! Remote Oligvie Mountain views like this one the whole way. Photo looks NW with help from the telephoto lens.So gloriously beautiful here! Makes you want to keep going forever, doesn’t it, SPHP? ….. Sure does, Loop! Afraid you’re going to have to rest that paw up, though.The tundra jungle from an ant’s viewpoint.
Lupe returned to the G6 coming down off that same first W ridge she’d climbed on the way up. (6:32 PM, 50°F) She’d had such a grand time roaming, running, and sniffing on the way back, that she’d overdone it. Loop was frequently hopping along on 3 paws now. Worrisome. SPHP slathered more antibiotic cream on the raw area between her pads.
Surfbird Mountain was as far N as Lupe was going in Tombstone Park. Her experience today was so phenomenal, and the Oligvie Mountains had made such an impression, that the Carolina Dog was going to get to stick around a while longer. Another great adventure tomorrow! That paw better heal up!
SPHP drove back to the Dempster Highway and turned S. Before long, a pullout appeared on the E side of the road. It proved to be a two-tier pullout. No one at either place. The lower area was nice and secluded – big, flat, and surrounded by tall bushes. A stream ran along the SE side, flowing into a hidden pond. The pond was only a foot deep. Air bubbles streamed up from the bottom all over the place.
Lupe loved this spot! She enthusiastically explored the forest of bushes along the stream and pond. This would do for sure!
By late evening, the sky showed hopeful signs. Pink clouds glowed off to the NW over by Surfbird Mountain. Oh, yeah! Blue skies would really bring out the spectacular fall colors. Loop and SPHP crashed for the night thinking positive thoughts for the morrow. (9:15 PM, 50°F)
Exploring the jungle of bushes by the stream in the lower parking area. Guess that paw doesn’t hurt too bad.By the foot deep bubbly pond. Photo looks E.
Day 11 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.
No matter what hour of the night Lupe woke up, there was light in the northern sky. Twilight moved slowly around the horizon, but never completely disappeared. Lupe was N, as far N as she had ever been in her life. Beyond huge, dark Kluane Lake, a line of mysterious unknown mountains marched away to the Arctic. It all seemed surreal, but Lupe really was here, in the fabled Yukon!
Two days ago, Lupe had climbed her first peak in the Yukon, King’s Throne Peak(6,529 ft.) in Kluane National Park. It had been a long, hard climb in powerful, swirling winds, but Lupe had made it to the top. She had been rewarded with spectacular views of Kathleen Lake, Louise Lake and mountains of the Saint Elias range.
From King’s Throne Peak, Lupe had seen another peak off to the NW, the mountain she would attempt to climb today – Mount Decoeli(7,650 ft.). If Lupe could reach the summit of Decoeli, it was possible she would get to see the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan(19,541 ft.), far off to the WSW!
At some point, the long twilight became a long dawn, as the sun started sneaking back up toward the horizon again. Twenty minutes after the sun finally appeared (6:30 AM, 39°F), Lupe was at the long, paved pullout on the W side of the Alaska Highway that serves as the trailhead for the trek to Decoeli. No one else was here. The G6 was alone in the huge parking area.
At 7:23 AM, all was ready. Lupe and SPHP left the pullout heading S to a cairn marking the start of the route to Decoeli. Nearby an old jeep trail headed SW into a forest of stunted trees and tall soapberry bushes. Lupe and SPHP followed the jeep trail, which soon met another similar road coming from the E. Lupe took the new road W. Mount Decoeli was in sight up ahead.
Mount Decoeli from along the jeep trail. Photo looks WSW using the telephoto lens.
About a kilometer from the Alaska Highway, the road ended at Summit Creek. From here, Lupe’s route followed Summit Creek upstream. The creek led Lupe toward a still unseen rock glacier S of Mount Decoeli.
Lupe reaches Summit Creek at the end of the road. From here, Lupe followed the creek upstream toward a still unseen rock glacier at the base of the snow streaked mountain on the L. Lupe’s objective, the summit of Decoeli, is seen on the R. Photo looks WSW.
Summit Creek was running low, but not low enough for SPHP to cross without getting wet feet. Lupe and SPHP stayed on the S side of the creek for as long as possible. It was generally easiest to simply travel right up the creek bed. However, Summit Creek often ran right along the S bank of the stream channel, forcing Lupe and SPHP up into the bushes above the bank.
At first, there were usually some pretty decent trails to follow through the brush, but as Lupe got farther and farther upstream, these trails deteriorated, becoming hard to find and follow. The jungle of bushes was so dense, it was almost impossible to make any headway where there wasn’t some kind of path.
Being in the tall bushes made SPHP increasingly nervous. Nothing more than a few feet away was in view. With the stream babbling along close by, it wasn’t easy to hear anything else. SPHP kept up a lively, loud conversation with Lupe, counting on Lupe to give some warning if she smelled bears in the area.
After being repeatedly forced up into the jungle, SPHP finally decided enough was enough! Lupe and SPHP forded Summit Creek, and stayed out in the open on the wide, rocky creek bed.
Of course, fording the stream meant SPHP’s feet were now soaking wet. They stayed that way. Summit Creek kept insisting upon flowing back and forth all the way from one side of the stream channel to the other, so Lupe and SPHP had to keep crossing the creek. Nevertheless, Lupe’s upstream progress was much faster out on the rocks. Furthermore, if any bears were in the area, at least out on the creek bed they could be seen well before coming right up on them.
After a long trek, Lupe could see the rock glacier S of Decoeli up ahead.
The rock glacier is now in view below the snow-streaked mountain up ahead. Photo looks WSW.
By the time Lupe reached the toe of the rock glacier, the dense jungle of bushes on the banks of Summit Creek was gone. Lupe left the creek bed to start climbing the green, mossy slope on the N bank. A trail showed others had taken this route before. Lupe liked being out on the spongy, mossy slope a lot better than being down on the rocky stream bed.
Lupe nears the toe of the rock glacier. About the time she reached it, she left the creek bed to follow a trail up the mossy slope on the R. Photo looks WSW.Lupe greatly preferred being on this spongy, mossy ground. She would eventually climb from the little knob seen on the ridgeline at (Center), up to the summit of Mount Decoeli on the R. Photo looks NW.Lupe had already gained a fair amount of elevation on the long, gentle trek up Summit Creek to the rock glacier. Now that she had left the creek bed, though, things were about to get a lot steeper! Photo looks NW.
Only a few minutes after Lupe left the creek bed, SPHP heard voices. Looking back, two people and a big brown dog were in sight not too far away. They were moving fast, coming up the creek bed, just like Lupe and SPHP had.
Lupe’s route was much steeper up on the green, spongy ground, than it had been down by Summit Creek. Rather than turn NW directly up the steep slope, it seemed best to follow the trail W for a little while making a more gradual climb. Lupe had already crossed a big ravine and gained a fair amount of elevation above the rock glacier, by the time the two hikers and their dog overtook SPHP.
Two hikers and their big brown dog overtook SPHP near this point. Photo looks SW over the rock glacier.
The two hikers were Milo and Ben, from Smithers, British Columbia, with their dog, Lucca. Lucca was bigger than Lupe, and not too sociable. Lucca growled menacingly. Lupe wisely kept her distance. Milo, Ben and SPHP had a brief, friendly conversation.
Had Lupe and SPHP seen the grizzly bear? Uh, no. What grizzly bear? Where? Milo and Ben said they had come across a huge, steaming, fresh grizzly scat at the junction of the two roads leading to Summit Creek. Shortly after that, they saw the grizzly. Fortunately, it just ambled off into the bushes where they lost sight of it.
SPHP was certain that a giant steaming bear scat hadn’t been at the road intersection when Lupe passed by. Even if SPHP hadn’t noticed it, Lupe certainly would have! The bear must have been fairly close by, though, for it to come through before Milo and Ben showed up. Yeah, avoiding the bushes, and staying out on the rocks on the wide Summit Creek channel was definitely the way to go on the way back!
All resumed the climb up Decoeli. Milo, Ben and Luca were soon well ahead of Lupe and SPHP. Everyone had turned NW going directly up the steep slope. For a little way farther, the ground was still covered with nice spongy, green plants. Pretty soon, though, Lupe reached rocky ground again. From here on, Lupe faced a long, steep climb up very loose scree mixed with occasional large rocks.
Lupe reaches the scree. She isn’t to the steepest part of the climb quite yet. Worryingly, a cloud had appeared, and now clung to the summit of Decoeli. Photo looks NW.Lupe on her way up Decoeli. She went over the orange-tan colored knob beyond her, and then climbed toward the saddle seen L of Center on the ridge. Photo looks NW.
Although most of the sky was clear, a worrisome cloud formed and grew around the summit of Decoeli. It hung around for a while, but eventually blew away to the E. In the meantime, Lupe was making steady progress up Decoeli. She was now approaching the most challenging part of the climb.
Lupe and SPHP reached a long, incredibly steep, scree slope. The climb became rather unnerving. Virtually everything was loose. With each step up, the mountain gave way. Rocks slid and careened down the mountain from under SPHP’s feet. Now and then, entire areas began to slide, taking SPHP sliding back down, too, before stabilizing. Nothing wanted to hold. It was like trying to navigate a river of rock flowing in the opposite direction.
Most of the few large rocks on the slope were loose, too. SPHP avoided coming up directly below them. Even Lupe was causing showers of rocks to tumble, sometimes bounding hundreds of feet down the mountain. It was dangerous for Lupe and SPHP to be directly above or below each other, for fear of the projectiles being released from above.
Lupe on the scary steep scree slope. The American Dingo was doing fine. She was heading for the saddle just L of Center. Photo looks NW.
Lupe headed up toward large rock formations along the ridge to the WNW. She gained elevation relentlessly. The view back down the precipitous scree slope toward the rock glacier was tremendous. Lupe was as calm as ever. SPHP, however, found it better not to look down too long upon the dizzying scene.
Lupe nears the first big rock formation. No wonder the Carolina Dog was so calm on this steep scree slope – she was keeping her eyes closed! Photo looks WNW.
Lupe reached the top of the first big rock formation. On a small area of relatively level terra firma, Lupe and SPHP took a break. At Summit Creek, the air had been calm, but up here a cool breeze was blowing. The views were already fantastic, even though Lupe still had a considerable climb ahead. Lupe and SPHP relaxed for 10 minutes, recovering from the ordeal on the treacherous scree slope.
Lupe at the first rock formation above the treacherous scree slope. Photo looks S toward the rock glacier, now many hundreds of feet below.
Lupe was now on the ridge that had been visible from below. Another, longer ridge was in view off to the W. The longer ridge looked like it might very well have been a considerably easier route up. Perhaps Lupe should have stayed down near the rock glacier longer, following it farther SW before turning N to start her climb. Maybe she should take that ridge on the way back down?
The long, low ridge seen beyond Lupe would have been a much easier route up Decoeli. To get to it, Lupe would have had to follow the rock glacier farther SW before turning N to start her climb. Photo looks W.
Off to the NW, SPHP saw another climber! He was at about Lupe’s level. Apparently, he had come up somewhere along that longer ridge, thereby avoiding the super steep, scree slope. This new climber also saw SPHP, and waved. SPHP waved back. No doubt, Lupe would get to meet him at the top of the mountain.
Lupe continued her climb up Decoeli. She was now traveling up the ridgeline, no longer on the scree slope. The ridge was still very rocky, and quite steep, but the rocks were more stable than before. Soon, Lupe came to another rock formation where there was a small patch of level ground.
Lupe reaches a 2nd rock formation along the ridgeline. There was a little level ground here, but Lupe still faced a fairly long climb to reach the top of Decoeli. Photo looks NW.
Lupe was getting closer to the top of Decoeli. She still had to gain hundreds of feet of elevation, but the nature of the climb was changing. The slope ahead, while still steep, was broader and covered with talus. The large rocks were much more stable. Projectiles were no longer being released with every step.
Lupe and SPHP toiled upward. A cold W wind was blowing. The sky overhead was a clear, brilliant blue. The slope diminished. A weather vane, spinning rapidly, came into view. Beyond it, a silver metal shack perched atop the mountain. Milo, Ben and the new climber were all there, engaged in conversation. Weary, Lucca had collapsed on the rocks. She didn’t stir at all, as Lupe went by.
After gaining nearly 4,400 ft. of elevation, Lupe had made it to the top of Decoeli(7,650 ft.)! The views were fantastic, but disappointingly, off to the WSW, there were clouds in the direction where Mount Logan should be. High, snowy peaks were partially in view, but many summits were not.
Far to the WSW, partially shrouded by clouds, were giant snowy peaks of the Saint Elias range. This photo was taken as Lupe arrived at the summit of Decoeli. Even a partial view was a stirring sight! SPHP wondered if Lupe was gazing upon Mount Logan, the highest peak in all of Canada, among the distant giants she could see? Photo taken with the telephoto lens.Lupe on top of Decoeli! Photo looks S.The view toward Haines Junction. Photo looks SE.Milo and Ben chat with Richard Baker. Poor, exhausted Lucca was passed out on the rocks. Photo looks WNW.
After a few minutes gazing at the amazing views, Lupe and SPHP went to see Ben, Milo, and Lucca and meet the other climber. He was Richard Baker, owner of a seasonal window cleaning business in Tucson, Arizona. Richard was quite animated, and busy expounding upon his philosophy of life among other topics.
Milo and Ben were telling the tale of the grizzly bear. Richard couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen the bear scat, or noticed the grizzly. He is normally very wary in bear country, and was well-equipped with bear spray and other protective devices.
Milo and Ben were both wearing shorts, and feeling a bit uncomfortable in the cold breeze. Since they intended to start back down soon, it was time for a photo op with them at the summit cairn. Milo said they had just built the cairn higher while Lupe was coming up Decoeli, which explained it’s magnificently balanced slender height.
Ben (L) and Milo (R) at the newly improved Decoeli summit cairn with their dog, Lucca, and Lupe. Ben is 16, and in school. Milo is 50, and works in the lumber industry. They were all from Smithers, British Columbia. They had been climbing mountains on 5 of the past 7 days. Like Lupe, they had also been to King’s Throne. Photo looks S.
Spurred on by the cold wind, Milo, Ben and Lucca started down Decoeli. Lupe did not see them again. Richard, Lupe and SPHP were in no hurry to leave. Richard and SPHP chatted while admiring the views. Gradually, the clouds were lifting in the W! Many towering ice-clad mountains were in sight. Richard shared his binoculars with SPHP.
Both Richard and SPHP wondered whether or not Mount Logan was in sight, and if so, which giant peak it might be. Richard thought it was one farther to the N than SPHP believed. In truth, neither Richard nor SPHP really knew, but it was fun to speculate. It remained a pretty good bet that Lupe was seeing Mount Logan somewhere over there!
Lupe scans distant giants of snow and ice from Decoeli. Somewhere over there was Mount Logan, the highest peak in all of Canada, and 2nd highest peak in North America! SPHP believes Lupe did see Mount Logan, even though neither Richard nor SPHP knew exactly which peak was it. Photo looks WSW.SPHP believes the highest mountain at Center is Mount Cairns(9,186 ft.). Photo looks WNW.Looking SE from Decoeli. Two large lakes are seen faintly on the L. Kathleen Lake is the closest. Dezadeash Lake is the more distant. The long slope rising to the R from between them is the NE ridge that Lupe climbed 2 days earlier to reach the summit of King’s Throne (6,529 ft.), which is barely in view.Kluane Lake from Decoeli. Photo looks NW.Gradually, the clouds to the W lifted, allowing a better view of the stunning, distant peaks of the Saint Elias range. Neither Richard nor SPHP knew the names of any of them, but nevertheless, they were an inspiring sight! Photo looks W.A world of snow and ice. Was that huge snowy ramp on the R, Mt. Logan? It was SPHP’s favorite candidate. It would be fun to know the truth! Photo looks WSW using the telephoto lens.Mount Logan? No one knew. It’s some grand and massive peak, for certain! Photo looks WSW using the telephoto lens.More spectacular high peaks. Photo looks W.A lofty white peak R of Center looks almost made of clouds. But what’s that slope on the L? It was hard to tell if it was a cloud or part of some colossal mountain. Photo looks W.
Richard and SPHP spent so long taking turns looking through the binoculars, that Lupe became a bit bored with it all. She was tired of standing around, and disliked the cold wind. Lupe had water, some Taste of the Wild, and curled up on as flat a spot as she could find. SPHP covered her with a jacket to help her keep warm.
Richard Baker on Decoeli. Richard was quite animated and friendly. He shared his binoculars and philosophy with SPHP. Richard’s window cleaning business in Tucson, AZ is seasonal enough to permit him time to travel and climb mountains part of the year.
After Lupe and SPHP had been at the summit for 50 minutes, Richard announced that he was ready to head down. Lupe and SPHP remained on top of Decoeli alone a little longer for a last look around. The views remained simply astounding! Climbing Decoeli had been a challenging, yet magnificently rewarding experience.
Lupe not far from the Decoeli summit cairn for the last time. Photo looks S.The best route down Decoeli passes to the R of the small prominence seen L of Center overlooking the rock glacier. Photo looks S..Richard Baker starts down Decoeli. Mount Cairnes is in view at Center. Photo looks WNW.
Sadly, it was time to move on. Lupe and SPHP set off following Richard down the mountain. This time, Lupe stayed on the longer ridge going SSW. The first part of the descent down the talus slope was still quite steep and slow, but by staying on the SSW ridge, Lupe was able to avoid having to go down the treacherous scree slope to the SE where she and SPHP had come up.
Richard was leading the way, taking the same long SSW ridge. Even this route was steep enough so SPHP had to be careful not to send rocks bounding down the mountain toward him. Several times SPHP had to shout a warning.
The SSW ridge led down toward a wide saddle. The rock glacier Lupe would eventually have to turn toward is out of sight farther down to the L. Although this route wasn’t as difficult as the scree slope Lupe and SPHP climbed going up, it was still plenty steep. Richard can be seen ahead. SPHP had to be careful not to send loose rocks bounding down the mountain at him. Photo looks SSW.Unnamed peaks beyond the saddle SSW of Decoeli. Photo looks SSW.
Partly out of fear of rocks hurtling down the mountain, Richard stopped off to the side long enough to let Lupe and SPHP catch up. While climbing Decoeli, Richard had originally come up from the SE to reach this broad, gentler slope on the long SSW ridge. He had also had to climb up a steep, scree slope on the way, but not for nearly as far as Lupe.
Ahead was a small prominence overlooking the rock glacier to the S. The question was whether to start down to the SE now, or circle around the W side of the prominence? After a little discussion and scouting around, it was decided to go the long way around the W side. There were numerous sheep trails Lupe could follow in this area.
Going down around the prominence overlooking the rock glacier. The top of the prominence is out of sight up the L slope. Richard leads the way, while Lupe wonders what’s keeping SPHP? The rock glacier is in view ahead. Photo looks SSE.Looking SSE at the mountains beyond the rock glacier. It’s possible the more distant peak on the L is Mount Archibald(8,491 ft.), but SPHP isn’t certain.Lupe on her way down Decoeli. Photo looks N.
Eventually, Lupe, Richard and SPHP all arrived down at the rock glacier. Up close, it was possible to see there really was melting snow and glacial ice under all the rock.
Lupe down by the rock glacier.
Richard, Lupe and SPHP all started the journey NE toward the rock glacier’s toe. The terrain along the NW side of the glacier was often rough and broken. After staying near the glacier’s edge for a while, SPHP tried leading Lupe up a steep bank to a green, spongy area overlooking the glacier. This maneuver did not help. Lupe quickly arrived at a ravine leading right back down to the glacier.
Richard had stayed down by the rock glacier. He forged ahead, while Lupe and SPHP navigated the ravine. By the time Lupe reached the toe of the glacier, Richard was out of sight somewhere down Summit Creek.
Lupe and SPHP made great progress going down the wide, rock-strewn Summit Creek channel. This time, SPHP didn’t hesitate to simply ford the creek whenever necessary. Every now and then, Lupe caught sight of Richard far ahead. The long trek down the creek bed was actually quite easy and fun. Lupe and SPHP enjoyed the beautiful long Yukon evening.
Near the start of the jeep trail, Lupe and SPHP caught up with Richard again. Richard and SPHP chatted as Lupe trotted along the road. Richard expounded upon grizzly bears. He was carrying bear spray and other anti-bear devices to deal with them. He talked about how all these tall bushes with small red berries growing along the road were soapberry bushes, and how bears love soapberries!
At the intersection where the road forked, there it was, just like Milo and Ben had said. A huge grizzly bear scat full of soapberries was right there at the intersection. Richard still couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it in the morning!
The sun was getting low when Lupe reached the G6. She’d had a long, long day. Without the slightest hesitation, she hopped into the G6. Lupe curled up on her blankets and pillows, looking forward to a soft, comfy snooze. For more than an hour outside, Richard and SPHP conversed about Decoeli, bears, and other things. Richard even offered SPHP a free canister of bear spray. SPHP thanked him, but declined.
When Richard said good-bye and drove off, SPHP joined Lupe in the G6. The sun was about to set. What a fantastic, memorable day it had been! Lupe had made it to the top of Decoeli. She had almost certainly seen Mount Logan, the highest mountain in all of Canada.
Lupe and SPHP drove N on the Alaska Highway on the way to Kluane Lake, as the still glowing evening faded slowly from the wild Yukon mountains and sky.
Half moon over mountains NW of Decoeli.Lupe’s long, fabulous Day of Decoeli draws to a close.Sunset, Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory, Canada 8-9-16
Note: The trailhead for Mount Decoeli is a long, paved pullout 12.5 miles N of Haines Junction on the W side of the Alaska Highway. (1.4 miles N of the Spruce Beetle trailhead.) Decoeli is near, but not actually in, Kluane National Park. The route up is not maintained or signed in any manner. There is no formal trail. Elevation gain is a bit under 4,400 feet, or 1330 meters. Distance is roughly 11 miles or 18 km round trip.
A free description of the route up Decoeli is available from visitor centers near Haines Junction and Kluane Lake.
