After successfully climbing Wyoming Peak(11,378 ft.) the prior day, Day 21 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation was destined to be a bumpy one. SPHP was determined NOT to take the same La Barge Creek Road (No. 315) out of the Wyoming Range that Lupe had taken into it. There was no sense putting the G6 through that again. SPHP checked the maps. Heading for Big Piney looked like the shortest way out of the Wyoming Range. Big Piney was also the closest to Lupe’s next destination – the fabulous Wind River Range.
Before 7:00 AM, Lupe and SPHP left the Wyoming Peak area driving S on Greys River road. Lupe was very interested in a herd of 8 pronghorn antelope grazing in a valley. More antelope could be seen up at the edge of the forest. It was a gorgeous morning in the Wyoming Range. A bit farther S, at a sign about the history of La Barge Meadow, SPHP stopped the G6 for a few minutes to let Lupe out to take a sniff of the morning air.
Lupe visits La Barge Meadow in the Wyoming Range for a quick sniff of the cool morning air. Photo looks N.
Lupe and SPHP continued S from La Barge Meadow. SPHP turned E on USFS Road No. 10128 where there was a sign indicating this road went to Big Piney. No. 10128 was a good gravel road for a long way. It went through some beautiful territory as it took Lupe down out of the Wyoming Range. Part of the route was not so pretty, there were 5 miles of burnt forest along the way, too.
SPHP had hoped the experience with very rough dirt roads coming up La Barge Creek would not have to be repeated. However, as Lupe continued E out of the Wyoming Range, as soon as the road left the Bridger National Forest to cross private land, it deteriorated significantly. It wasn’t as bad as the 3 miles of crummy road coming up La Barge Creek, but made up for it by being twice as long – 6 miles of rocks, potholes, and big dips.
The road finally improved. Lupe reached pavement on Hwy 350 about 10 miles W of Big Piney. Two hours of bumping along on gravel and dirt roads finally came to an end, but there would be plenty more later in the day. At Big Piney, SPHP turned N on Hwy 189. N of Big Piney there was a sign commemorating the Green River Rendezvous held annually from 1824 to 1840. SPHP stopped to take a look.
This sign about the Green River Rendezvous held annually by trappers and fur traders from 1824 to 1840 was Just E of Hwy 189 N of Big Piney.
The Green River was not in sight where the sign was, but there was a wooded area beyond the sign with a couple of dirt roads going back into it. SPHP thought the dirt roads might lead to the river, so Lupe and SPHP took a walk back into the woods. Pretty soon SPHP realized there were homes ahead. Without ever finding the Green River, Lupe and SPHP went back to the G6.
At Pinedale, WY, Lupe and SPHP had a picnic at a city park on Pine Creek. After the picnic, Lupe went wading in Pine Creek. SPHP sat on a rock with feet dangling in the cool, clear water. It felt really good. Lupe curled up for a little nap in the tall grass along the shore.
The town of Pinedale lies just S of the heart of the Wind River range, which stretches over 100 miles in a NW/SE direction. Gannet Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming at 13,804 feet is in the Winds. Of the 20 highest peaks in Wyoming, 19 are located in the Wind River range. The single exception is the famous Grand Teton in the Teton range.
Lupe and SPHP left the city park to go see a few of the sights near Pinedale. Lupe stopped by Half Moon Lake, one of a number of large lakes on the S side of the Wind River range left after the retreat of glaciers. After wading in Pine Creek, Lupe didn’t seem inclined to go wading in Half Moon Lake, so Lupe and SPHP left to go check out the Fremont Lake campground.
Half Moon Lake near Pinedale, WY
The Fremont Lake campground was closed “until further notice”. The gate was padlocked shut. SPHP decided to take Lupe up Skyline Drive to Elkhart Park. Lupe had been there once before near the end of her very first big Dingo Vacation in 2012. Along Skyline Drive there are great views of Fremont Lake from high above. Near the end of the road is a panoramic view of the highest and most rugged peaks of the central Wind River range. At Elkhart Park are trails leading into the wilderness.
The road to Elkhart Park was blocked due to road construction. A semi-truck carrying huge metal drainage pipes was being unloaded. It looked like a long wait. Another adventure got crossed off Lupe’s to do list. She wasn’t going to wait around.
So Lupe and SPHP went back to Pinedale. After a few errands there, Lupe headed W out of town on Hwy 191. At Hwy 352, SPHP turned N. Lupe was going to get a tour of the scenic Green River valley all the way to Green River Lakes at the NW end of the Wind River Range. The paved road turned to gravel when it entered the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Lupe near the Green River shortly after it flows out of the Wind River range.
The Green River starts high in the Wind River range. It flows out the NW end of the range and turns S to start its long journey to join the Colorado River.Lupe had already seen the Green River much farther from its source on her 2015 Dingo Vacation. She crossed it near Dinosaur National Monument soon after entering Utah. She saw it again along the Little Hole Trail in Flaming Gorge.
The gravel road following the Green River into the Wind River range was long and very washboardy. SPHP drove very slowly so the poor G6 wouldn’t end up just a bucket of bolts. Huge pickup trucks, vans and SUV’s raced on by stirring up big clouds of dust. The drive was gorgeous. Slowly the Green River and road both curved around to the NE and then E. When the river turned SE, SPHP knew Lupe was nearing her destination.
Finally, the mighty watchtower of the NW Wind River range, Squaretop Mountain(11,695 ft.), came into view.
Squaretop Mountain at the NW end of the Wind River range in Wyoming. Photo looks SSE.
The washboardy road ended at Lower Green River Lake, the largest of two big lakes the Green River flows through as it leaves the Winds. Lupe and SPHP left the G6 to go down to the beach. The views of Squaretop Mountain looming beyond the Green River Lakes are among SPHP’s favorite mountain scenes anywhere.
Lower Green River Lake and Squaretop Mountain.Lupe hits the beach at Lower Green River Lake.
Lost Eagle Peak(11,838 ft.) (L), White Rock(11,284 ft.) (Center), and Squaretop Mountain (R) from Lower Green River Lake.
SPHP waded in the lake near the N shore. The sand was coarse and loose. Lupe didn’t want to get wet. She played on the beach and explored the nearby vegetation. SPHP threw a few sticks for her to chase, and played tug-of-war with her when she brought them back. The American Dingo won every time in the end, but SPHP didn’t let it be too easy.
Lupe playing on the beach.
It was evening. The sun was about to go down behind the mountains. The long day bumping along so many gravel and dirt roads was ending. Even the feisty Carolina Dog was getting a bit tired. To the gentle sound of little waves lapping up against the lakeshore, Lupe laid down and went to sleep.
A forecast high near 50°F in the Black Hills was only supposed to last one day before colder temperatures returned. Lupe and SPHP were going to make good use of the opportunity. Lupe realized what was up. She followed SPHP around impatiently, urging action at the soonest possible moment. Lupe couldn’t wait for her next Black Hills, SD Expedition to begin!
At 8:47 AM (35°F), SPHP parked the G6 just off Hwy 44W about 1/8 mile SE of USFS Road No. 167 (the road to Placerville Camp). Lupe and SPHP marched along a fence line outside of a big open field to get to No. 167. When Lupe reached the road, she made a sad discovery.
A small deer was laying dead and frozen on the ice over Deer Creek. Its hind quarters were badly damaged. Perhaps the poor deer had been hit by a car on Hwy 44, and had managed to drag itself only this far before succumbing to the traumatic injury.
Lupe ready to start Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 152. She would climb the hill in the background on the way to Perrin Mountain. This hill was the first of two high points she reached along the way. Photo looks SW.Lupe found this poor frozen dead deer laying on iced-over Deer Creek.
Lupe’s first peakbagging goal of the day was Perrin Mountain(5,212 ft.). Although SPHP originally had another route in mind, it looked pretty easy and enticing to just start up the N ridge.
Lupe on the N ridge on her way to Perrin Mountain. Here she is about to climb up to the first of two high points along the way. Photo looks S.
There were a couple of high points along the easiest route up to Perrin Mountain from the N. The topo map showed a NW/SE running ridge at the first one, with the highest point at the NW end. When Lupe got up there, it looked like just another spot in the forest. There were a few rocks about a foot high around, but that was about it.
Peering SE through the forest, though, it looked like there might be something more interesting over there. Lupe and SPHP followed the short ridge to its SE end, where there was a large blocky rock formation. In fact, the rock formation at the SE end of the ridge is almost certainly a little higher than the map’s supposed highest point to the NW. Lupe and SPHP explored around to the SE end of the rocks, by going around the N side.
Lupe reaches the interesting rock formation at the SE end of the ridge at the first high point on her way to Perrin Mountain. Photo looks E.Lupe at the SE end of the first high point ridge. Photo looks S at Perrin Mountain, her first peakbagging goal of the day.
The second high point on the way to Perrin Mountain was about 0.25 mile SW of the first one. There were some interesting rock formations on the way to the second high point, but nothing too spectacular at the top.
Lupe at the top of the second high point on the way to Perrin Mountain. The rocks here weren’t nearly as impressive as at the SE end of the ridge at the first high point.
Lupe went a little farther SW from the second high point, losing some elevation. Shortly after she started climbing up to the main Perrin Mountain ridge, she came to a snowy little road. It headed SE toward the summit, but didn’t go all the way there. At the end of the road, Lupe and SPHP were surprised to see a Subaru. Someone was inside it, too. Whoever it was, had car camped overnight.
That really was pretty extraordinary. In all of Lupe’s Black Hills, SD Expeditions, this was the first time she had come to anyone camped anywhere outside of a designated campground in the national forest. Since the person didn’t seem to be entirely up yet, Lupe and SPHP didn’t stop to chat, even though it would have been interesting to know more about the hardy soul who chose to car camp in January.
SPHP was surprised when Lupe found a trail leading from the end of the road to the top of Perrin Mountain. The faint trail looked like it didn’t get much use these days, but wasn’t hard to follow. The trail went all the way up to the summit. Actually, it went to a sign nailed to a tree just SE of the summit. The sign had the cryptic message “Hurt Locker”. If Lupe knew what the sign meant, she wasn’t saying. SPHP could divine no relevant meaning, since there was no locker of any sort in sight.
Hurt Locker? Would have made more sense if a locker had been evident somewhere, but Lupe and SPHP found none.
The summit of Perrin Mountain was maybe 25 feet NW of the odd Hurt Locker sign. There were a few rocks a couple of feet high there, but nothing more dramatic than that. The forest blocked the view in every direction.
Lupe on the summit of Perrin Mountain.
Perrin Mountain is less than a mile NE of Pactola Reservoir, the largest lake in the Black Hills. It was rather disappointing that there weren’t any clear views of the reservoir from the summit, or on the way to it. However, the trail continued SE on past the Hurt Locker sign. Although it was losing elevation along the way, maybe there would be a viewpoint from somewhere in that direction?
Lupe and SPHP followed the trail all the way down to where it ended, which wasn’t far from the summit. There were a couple of viewpoints along the trail, not wide open views, but better than anywhere else Lupe had found on Perrin Mountain. To the S, it was possible to see the large flat meadow Rapid Creek flows through E of the dam. To the SW, there was one spot with a pretty good look at part of Pactola Reservoir and the dam.
Looking S from the SE end of Perrin Mountain. The large flat meadow where Rapid Creek flows below the dam is seen below.Pactola Reservoir and dam from the SE end of Perrin Mountain. Photo looks SW.
Lupe and SPHP climbed back up the trail heading NW to return to the summit. Lupe posed for another photo there, before starting on the way back to the G6.
On Perrin Mountain. The rocks on the R are the true summit. Photo looks NW.
There were other routes Lupe could have taken back to the G6, but the way Lupe had come up Perrin Mountain had been pretty cool. It was a nice, easy bit of wandering in the forest on ridges and saddles between high points. SPHP thought it might be fun to chat with the Subaru person on the way back, but by the time Lupe and SPHP got back to the little road, the Subaru was gone.
Lupe returned to both of the high points N of Perrin Mountain on her return to the G6. The only memorable event of the return trip was when she spotted a squirrel on her way from the second high point back to the first. The squirrel eluded her near an interesting rock outcropping, but Lupe didn’t give up easily. She sniffed around there for a while trying to figure out where that squirrel had disappeared to. SPHP finally made her move on before she had time to resolve the mystery.
Lupe returned to both of the high points N of Perrin Mountain. Here she is back at the 2nd one (actually the closest to Perrin Mountain).Lupe searches for the tricksy squirrel.
By 12:01 PM (50°F), Lupe was back at the G6. There were a number of Lupe treasures scattered around, so SPHP picked most of them up for disposal later. With this much time left in the day, Lupe had at least one more peakbagging goal ahead of her. First though, Lupe and SPHP went to see if it would be possible to get a photo of Perrin Mountain from Pactola Reservoir.
SPHP parked the G6 at the viewpoint at the N end of the dam near the spillway. The view of Perrin Mountain from near the spillway was none too impressive. It was a good thing Lupe went there, though. The place was kind of a mess. There were Lupe treasures all over the place. SPHP filled 5 plastic grocery bags full of them.
Lupe near Pactola Reservoir. Photo looks W.Mighty Perrin Mountain towers over the surrounding country NE of the Pactola Reservoir spillway. Well, maybe “towers” isn’t the word. At least this photo shows why it wasn’t very easy to get a clear shot of Pactola from Perrin Mountain.
When SPHP was done collecting Lupe treasures at Pactola, Lupe and SPHP drove N on Hwy 385. SPHP turned W on Broad Gulch Road (USFS Road No. 676) about 0.5 mile S of the Sugar Shack. There was a place to park the G6 on the left, right after crossing a cattle guard close to Hwy 385.
At 12:53 PM (50°F), Lupe set out on her second peakbagging quest of the day. Her new goal was Merritt Peak(5,556 ft.). The first part of the journey was just a walk up snowy Broad Gulch Road. Lupe followed the road until it reached its highest point at a saddle.
On Broad Gulch Road.
Lupe and SPHP left Broad Gulch Road at the saddle, heading E into the forest. Surprisingly, there was a trail going this way, too. The trail went to the N end of the long ridge of which Merritt Peak is a part. It then turned and followed the ridge line S. Lupe and SPHP stayed on the trail all the way to Merritt Peak. The trail didn’t go quite all the way up to the top, instead passing just to the E of the summit.
The trail appeared to continue on to the S, but Lupe and SPHP left it to climb the remaining short distance up to the top of Merritt Peak. The summit proved to be a ridge a few hundred feet long, and quite flat. There were small rock outcroppings scattered along the ridge. It was hard to tell which rock might be the highest point on the mountain. There were lots of possible candidates, none much higher than any of the others.
Merritt Peak was pretty heavily forested, but here and there it was possible to get a little bit of a view off into the distance in one direction or another. Enough could be seen between the trees so that it did seem like Lupe was up on a mountain, and not just in a thick forest. Lupe and SPHP came up near the S end of the ridge, so Lupe explored that end of the mountain first.
A glimpse to the SW from the S end of Merritt Peak.Lupe at one of the highest points near the S end of Merritt Peak. Photo looks NNW along the ridge.Buck Mountain(5,553 ft.), where Lupe had gone on Expedition No. 151 on 1-5-16, from Merritt Peak. Buck Mountain is about 4 miles E of Merritt Peak. (Taken with help from the telephoto lens.)
The N end of Merritt Peak was a bit rockier than the S end. Custer Peak(6,804 ft.) could be seen in the distance to the NNW. Minnesota Ridge was off to the NW. It was time to take a short break. Lupe was hearing gunfire off to the N, and was getting a little scared. She was hungry, too. She ate some Taste of the Wild. Whenever she heard the guns, though, she wanted to be right next to SPHP.
SPHP shared a jacket with Lupe. She was trembling a little bit, probably due to the gunfire, but the light N breeze was a bit cool, too.
Lupe at the N end of Merritt Peak. This might have been the highest point on the mountain. It was hard to tell for sure.Lupe had some Taste of the Wild at the N end of the Merritt Peak summit ridge.Looking NW toward Minnesota Ridge.
Lupe had now achieved two peakbagging goals so far on Expedition No. 152. Both Perrin Mountain and Merritt Peak had turned out to be pretty fun, easy peaks. Originally, SPHP had a third possible peakbagging goal in mind for Lupe, but it was probably too late in the day to attempt that one.
However, there was another mountain pretty close by that Lupe might still have time to climb. Pilot Knob(5,440 ft.) was less than 3 miles N of Merritt Peak. SPHP knew the top of Pilot Knob was pretty rocky looking, maybe Lupe wouldn’t be able to climb it at all? In any case, there was enough daylight left to find out. Lupe would make an attempt on Pilot Knob.
After the break up on Merritt Peak, Lupe and SPHP went back down to the trail and headed N. Lupe didn’t turn W to go back to Broad Gulch Road when the trail did. Instead she continued N through the forest. Eventually she wound up down on Broad Gulch Road again, anyway. When she reached the G6, it was 2:43 PM (50°F).
On her way to the Pilot Knob trailhead of Centennial Trail No. 89, Lupe stopped by for a photo op at the Sugar Shack.
Lupe dropped by the Sugar Shack along Hwy 385. The Sugar Shack is a popular spot known for great hamburgers. Lupe would have loved to go in for a burger, but no doubt the health department wouldn’t have approved. Health departments just don’t understand that American Dingoes are way healthier than most people. The Sugar Shack business is currently for sale, so the future is a bit uncertain.
Despite having a Pilot Knob trailhead, Centennial Trail No. 89 does not actually go to Pilot Knob. The trail stays about a mile E of it. Lupe and SPHP started for Pilot Knob on Centennial Trail No. 89, but eventually had to leave it to turn W near Boodleman Spring.
Lupe and SPHP wandered through the forest in the general direction of Pilot Knob. There was a maze of little roads going this way and that. Lupe and SPHP took them when they seemed to be going the right direction. Often they weren’t. As Lupe got closer to Pilot Knob, the ground got steeper.
What Lupe found approaching the summit from the E was surprising. SPHP had expected the top of Pilot Knob to be rocky, but the E face was a vertical cliff. It looked like the rock had been sliced with a knife. There was no way Lupe and SPHP could go up the E face of the mountain! Would there be another way?
The E face of Pilot Knob was just a wall of rock. No way Lupe and SPHP could climb that!
Since Lupe reached Pilot Knob near the SE end of the mountain, Lupe and SPHP went around the S end over to the W side. The wall of rock really wasn’t terribly thick, so it wasn’t very far to get over there. Most of the W face of Pilot Knob was every bit as high and vertical as the E face had been, but at the SW corner there was an area of broken rock that didn’t look too bad.
Broken rock at the SW end of Pilot Knob.
Lupe and SPHP started climbing. There was some snow and ice in the shady spots, so it was slick in some places. Lupe and SPHP succeeded in getting up on the very S end of the ridge. SPHP abandoned the backpack at a cleft in the rock. The ridge was only 10 or 12 feet wide at the S end, with sheer drops to the E and W, but there were good hand and foot holds. Lupe seemed to have no trouble at all. SPHP climbed slowly and deliberately.
The solid rock ridge got wider and higher as Lupe climbed toward the N. The E & W cliffs got taller, too, but there was more space to stay away from them. The easiest way up proved to be along the E side of a rock wall up on the ridge. If the climb had been much more challenging, SPHP would have just given up on it. As it was, it was a pretty fun little Class 3 scramble. Lupe and SPHP made it to the summit to claim Lupe’s third peakbagging success of the day!
Lupe on the summit of Pilot Knob. Photo looks N.Unlike Perrin Mountain and Merritt Peak, Pilot Knob was enough of a rocky crag to provide unobstructed 360° views!
Since Pilot Knob was so rocky, there were unobstructed 360° views from the top. The views were the best of the day! SPHP was loving it, but Lupe wasn’t. Somewhere there was construction going on not too far away, with a lot of banging going on. There was also a considerable amount of gunfire off to the W. Someone must have been doing some target practice, since it went on and on.
SPHP persuaded Lupe to get up on some of the rocks for photos, but the gunfire made her quite nervous. Mostly she just wanted to lay right on SPHP’s lap being petted. That was OK! Pilot Knob was a great place to sit and take in the views. Lupe and SPHP stayed up there at least half an hour gazing at the pretty world. Pilot Knob turned out to be a great way to end a successful day of peakbagging!
Merritt Peak is the rounded forested high point at the center. Photo looks S from Pilot Knob.Lupe on one of the highest rocks on Pilot Knob. Hwy 385 is seen toward the right. Photo looks SSE.Looking S.Looking S.
The sun was very low on the horizon. SPHP considered staying for the sunset, but there were quite a few clouds off to the W. Maybe the sun was just going to sink into the clouds without putting on a show. Since it was a bit tricky getting up here, perhaps it was best for Lupe to get down off the rocky summit while the light was still good. Still, Lupe and SPHP would have stayed up there, if the sunset had been more promising.
Getting down was slow, but really no problem. SPHP retrieved the backpack. Lupe and SPHP circled around the mountaintop to the W and N, just to see what it all looked like. The W face was even more impressive than the E face. There might be an easy way up at the N end of the mountain, but SPHP had doubts it was any easier than Lupe’s route had been.
The N face of Pilot Knob.
As Lupe and SPHP left Pilot Knob behind, heading E again through the forest, the clouds to the W developed a rosy glow. What little Lupe could see of the sunset looked pretty. It was better than most, but wasn’t particularly brilliant. In 10 or 15 minutes, it was all over. The rosy glow faded from the sky.
Expedition No. 152 ended like so many others, with another march through darkening forests and fields back to the G6. It had been a fun day. Three peaks climbed. All different, but each one a good time in its own way.
Lupe was already back on Centennial Trail No. 89 not far from the G6, when she heard them. The wild dogs, the coyotes, were howling out there somewhere to the S. Several times, Lupe stopped and stood still with her ears straight up listening. She made no sound. SPHP wondered what she was thinking.
At 5:38 PM (38°F), Lupe was back at the G6. After eating snow all day, she wanted water. When she’d had enough, she hesitated just a moment before getting in the G6. SPHP asked if she wanted to stay out and live with the coyotes? In January? At the very thought, the Carolina Dog jumped up into the G6. Maybe another time. Tonight – Alpo, a soft bed and warm blankie!
The morning of 8-28-15, Day 20 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation, dawned bright and beautiful. While Lupe started her day playing in the forest near the outlet stream from Spirit Lake in the Uinta Mountains, SPHP had decisions to make. Up until now, Lupe’s vacation had been going pretty much according to plan. The trouble was, Lupe had way more yet to do than time remaining to do it all in.
A bright morning greeted Lupe at the outlet stream from Spirit Lake in the Uinta Mountains of Utah.
Before long, SPHP had decided which adventures had to go on the chopping block for this Dingo Vacation, and which would remain. It was time to head out. SPHP called Lupe back to the G6. After just a few fun days in Utah (where she did live “Life Elevated”!), Lupe was going to head N into southwestern Wyoming. Lupe loves riding in the G6, and was ready for whatever adventure lay ahead.
The first part of the drive was a long one on gravel USFS Roads. Lupe left Spirit Lake on USFS Road No. 001. When it reached the intersection with No. 221, instead of taking it E back to the Sheep Creek Geological Loop, SPHP took it N to Wyoming. It was a very pretty drive that took Lupe out of the Uinta Mountains.
Lupe finally reached pavement again when she crossed Hwy 414 between McKinnon and Burnt Fork. N of Hwy 414, a paved road headed NE through scenic ranchlands to meet up with Hwy 530 S of Green River, WY. Heading N on Hwy 530, there was some pretty wild looking territory off to the E toward the N end of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.
After a short stop in the town of Green River, WY, Lupe went W on I-80 just 6 miles to Hwy 372. Hwy 372 headed NW paralleling the Green River, but at some distance from it, so the river was often out of sight. This territory was high, dry prairie land. It was dominated by low hills and sagebrush. In late August, it all looked hot, dusty and not terribly inviting. Hwy 372 eventually led to Hwy 189, which Lupe took N to La Barge.
This sign along the Green River told a little about its history during the fur trading days of the early 1800’s.The Green River was a huge lake N of the Fontenelle Reservoir dam.This rather striking butte was E of Hwy 189 just a few miles S of La Barge, WY.
After a quick tour of the small town of La Barge in the G6, Lupe and SPHP drove 2 miles S on Hwy 189, and turned W on La Barge Creek Road, No. 315. The first 11 miles of No. 315 were paved. After that it turned to gravel. The road headed W, before gradually turning N as it followed the beautiful La Barge Creek valley upstream. The valley grew progressively narrower as the road went on.
La Barge Creek.
About 20 miles from Hwy 189, suddenly the gravel road deteriorated sharply. For 3 miles it crossed private land where the road was so poor that SPHP considered just turning the G6 around. If the road had been at all wet, there wouldn’t have been any choice. High clearance vehicles wouldn’t have any problem with it, but the road was just about all the challenge the G6 could take on.
After 3 miles, the road entered the Bridger National Forest, where it immediately improved. There were still some pretty rough spots now and then, but nothing like what the G6 had just come through. SPHP resolved to leave the area by some other route.
Lupe was now up in the mountains of the Wyoming Range. Her destination was Wyoming Peak(11,378 ft.), the highest mountain in the entire range. Of more immediate interest to Lupe, cows were grazing in the high mountain valleys. There was plenty of hard barking going on in the G6, even though most of the cows were so far away they were unaware of the frantic Carolina Dog passing by.
Lupe was determined to bark at every cow she saw on her 2015 Dingo Vacation, no matter how far away they were. Actually, it was good enough if she could just smell them. In her excitement, she barked at plenty of cows that weren’t even there!
SPHP had some notes on how to find the trailhead for Wyoming Peak, but what little signage there was at the few intersections along the road didn’t match up real well with the notes. SPHP just kept driving slowly N looking for USFS Road No. 10126, which leads to the trailhead. Finally a high peak came into view. It had to be Wyoming Peak!
Wyoming Peak is the highest point at the center of this photo. Photo looks NE from Greys River Road.
SPHP soon found USFS Road No. 10126 at the confluence of Greys River and Shale Creek. This point was 41 miles from where La Barge Creek Road had left Hwy 189. Greys River was a pretty good sized stream, even in late August, but Shale Creek was quite small. The trailhead was supposed to be 3.5 miles in along No. 10126. As poor as the main road had been in places, SPHP didn’t want to try taking the G6 up No. 10126. Lupe would have to walk.
It seemed like it was already pretty late in the day to think about climbing Wyoming Peak, especially when it was a 3.5 mile hike just to get to the trailhead. However, SPHP thought it wouldn’t hurt to at least scout things out. The weather was clear and favorable. Maybe Lupe could still make it up Wyoming Peak today. Lupe and SPHP left the G6 at the start of USFS Road No. 10126 at 2:56 PM (70°F), and began following the road up Shale Creek.
There really wasn’t much of a trailhead. At a bend in the road was a marker, and a trail heading up a hillside, but there were no big signs and no parking area where the trail to Wyoming Peak left No. 10126. Lupe and SPHP started up the trail. At first it was pretty steep, but before too long, the trail started on a series of long switchbacks.
Lupe starts her climb up Wyoming Peak. Photo looks W.
The trail Lupe was following climbs Wyoming Peak from the SW. It appeared to get only moderate use, and was often rather narrow. Even so, most of the trail was in quite good condition. It was always easy to follow. There was only one tricky spot at a sharp bend where red dirt had eroded away from the trail down into a steep gully. The tricky part was very short. Lupe and SPHP were beyond it in just a few seconds.
The entire W slope of Wyoming Peak is consistently steep, but whoever designed the trail did an excellent job. There were steep parts at the very beginning and the very end, but for the great majority of the climb, the trail consisted of long switchbacks rising at just the right pace. SPHP didn’t have to stop to rest very often. It was easy to make fast progress up the mountain.
Before reaching tree line, the trail also made good use of available shade. It passed through some of the scattered forests along the way. In between the forested areas, the trail was exposed to big views to the W. The combination of shady rest stops along with great views made for a very fun climb.
High on the mountain Lupe came to this rocky section of trail. Most of the trail was not very rocky at all for such a big mountain.
Near the end of the climb, the trail reached a saddle between Wyoming Peak to the N and Mount March Madness(11,220 ft.) to the S. Much of the rest of the way to the top, the trail consisted of very short, steep switchbacks full of loose rock. Despite the late start, Lupe made it to the summit of Wyoming Peak an hour before sunset!
Lupe takes a break at the saddle between Wyoming Peak and Mount March Madness. Photo looks S at Mount March Madness, which greatly resembled a pyramid.Lupe at the summit of Wyoming Peak. What lofty mountaintop is complete without a despicable pile of man-made rubble?
SPHP was not happy with the ugly collapsed building on top of Wyoming Peak. SPHP stuffed as many broken little boards with nails in them, and other small hazardous looking pieces of debris as possible into a sack. The sack went in the backpack to be disposed of later. Only 10,000 more trips and Wyoming Peak will be junk free again!
The views were really great from Wyoming Peak. The view that captured the imagination the most was a very high and rugged mountain far away to the N. It was so far away, the camera just wouldn’t capture its faint outline. SPHP was almost certain that distant peak had to be the famous Grand Teton(13,770 ft.). Lupe and SPHP spent more than half an hour up on Wyoming Peak, while the sun sank steadily in the W.
Looking N at the rather ominously named Mount Coffin(11,242 ft.) from Wyoming Peak.Looking NE. The Wind River range could be seen on the horizon, but there was enough haze so the camera didn’t pick it up.Using the telephoto lens to peer a bit farther N through the smoke haze. The ridge in the foreground is part of Mount Coffin.Lupe squints for another photo with the low slanting sunlight on her face. Photo looks SE.Mount March Madness from the top of Wyoming Peak. Photo looks S.Lupe ready for a break from all the photo ops. Photo looks E.Another telephoto lens shot.“You done yet, SPHP? There’s not a single squirrel up here!”
With the sun sinking into a smoky haze from distant forest fires, it wasn’t possible to get a decent picture toward the W. Lupe and SPHP saw mountain ranges off in that direction, though, too. They were lined up one after another, fainter and fainter as far off into the horizon as it was possible to see.
Lupe and SPHP sat together admiring the world from the top of Wyoming Peak. When it became clear the sun was just going to sink into the murk without any particularly wonderful sunset, it was time to go. Lupe may as well get a good start down the mountain before it got dark.
Lupe does some off trail exploring on the way down Wyoming Peak. Mt. Coffin is seen to the N.Lupe going down the trail SW of Wyoming Peak.
Lupe was about 80% of the way down the trail by the time it was so dark the flashlight had to come out. When she reached Shale Creek Road (USFS No. 10126) again, Lupe wanted to take a break. She had water and what was left of her Taste of the Wild. Then she just curled up for 15 minutes before she was ready to go again.
In the meantime, a nearly full moon had come up over the side of Mount March Madness. The flashlight was no longer needed. Together Lupe and SPHP traveled the moonlit road beneath the shining stars.Links:
