Start – 10:44 AM, 57°F at the Gold Run trailhead near Deerfield Reservoir
Sunny skies, a light S breeze, and pleasant early October temperatures – a great day for a romp in the Black Hills! Lupe would likely get to see some fall colors, too. First things first, though. Loop hadn’t been to Deerfield Reservoir in a while. She may as well take a quick look at the lake before dashing off on her peakbagging adventures.
Only a small portion of the lake was visible from here, but the deep blue waters were a pretty sight surrounded by low pine-covered hills.
Lupe started the day with a look at Deerfield Reservoir. The blue lake was a pretty sight. Photo looks N.
After admiring the lake, Lupe set off for her first peakbagging destination of the day. She left Deerfield Reservoir heading SW up a forested embankment. It wasn’t far to Deerfield Road, which she followed W to USFS Road No. 691 (Williams Draw Road). Traveling S along No. 691, Loop came to a small field where she could see Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.) up ahead.
From this small field near USFS Road No. 691, Lupe gets a fairly good view of Hat Mountain up ahead. Photo looks SSW.
Hat Mountain was only a mile away, so it wouldn’t take Lupe long to get there. That is, if cows blocking the road could be convinced to get out of the way. Not to worry! The cattle were mightily and speedily impressed by the Carolina Dog’s enthusiastic persuasive abilities. They complied immediately with her wishes.
These cattle on USFS Road No. 691 were quickly convinced to move and let Lupe and SPHP pass. Photo looks SW.
A little farther on, Lupe left the road herself. She started her trek up the lower NE slope of Hat Mountain passing through a beautiful stand of yellow aspens.
Starting up among the yellow aspens. Photo looks SSW.
Above the aspens, Lupe climbed through a pine forest. Above the pines, the upper N slope of Hat Mountain was grassy and treeless.
Looper on the upper N slope of Hat Mountain. Photo looks S.
When Lupe reached the summit, the first thing she did was to go over to the survey benchmark. It was easy to find toward the E side of the flat, barren summit area.
Lupe stands next to the survey benchmark. Part of Deerfield Reservoir, where she had started from, is in view. Custer Peak(6,804) (Center) can be seen on the horizon. The huge grassy area in between is Reynolds Prairie. Photo looks NNE.The survey benchmark is so scratched up it’s getting a little hard to read “Hat”.
Next Lupe went to see the sights. She had unobstructed views in every direction. Simply fabulous!
Looking NNW. The grassy area seen straight up from Lupe is part of the Castle Creek valley. The most distant peak seen on the R is Terry Peak(7,064 ft.).Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.) is the distant high point on the L. Green Mountain(7,164 ft.) is the high ridge on the R. Photo looks SE.Green Mountain, the long high ridge on the R, would be Lupe’s next peakbagging goal. The summit is near the edge seen almost straight up from Lupe. Photo looks SE.Most of Hat Mountain’s flat, oval-shaped summit area is in view here. Photo looks S from near the N edge.Near the S end of Hat Mountain’s otherwise flat summit is this small depression. Photo looks SW.Loopster stands next to the small depression. The grassy ground seen in the distance straight up from her back is the upper S slope of South Castle Rock(6,840 ft.). Photo looks N.Loop stands on a ledge at the S edge of the summit area. A little of the Heely Creek valley is seen below. Photo looks SW.Kind of windy up here, SPHP! Think I’m going to go hide in the depression as soon as you’ve taken this shot. Photo looks NE.
Carolina Dogs aren’t fans of wind, and it was rather breezy up on Hat Mountain. The steady 15 mph SW breeze was enough to make Lupe want to look for a sheltered spot. She found that the small depression near the S end of the summit area worked fine. She curled up there and took a little break.
Lupe retreats to the small depression to relax out of the wind. Photo looks SW.Take as much time looking at the views as you like, SPHP. Think I’ll take a nap. Wake me when it’s time to go to the next mountain.
SPHP joined Lupe in the depression for a short break, then left to stroll around the summit again for another look at the views. Meanwhile, Loop dozed off for a few minutes in her sunny, sheltered spot before SPHP announced it was time to move on.
Lupe left Hat Mountain heading S. Green Mountain(7,164 ft.), her next peakbagging goal was still close to 4 miles away even as the crow flies.
Looper stands at the S end of Hat Mountain’s summit ready to head down to the grassy slope below. Photo looks S.On the way down Hat Mountain. Photo looks SW.Looking back at the Hat Mountain summit from the upper S slope. Photo looks N.Lupe leaves Hat Mountain heading for Green Mountain, the high ridge on the L. On the way, she would cross the Heely Creek valley, seen below on the R. Photo looks SSE.
The first part of the way to Green Mountain was easy. Lupe descended mostly open ground into the Heely Creek valley where fall colors were on display.
On the way down Hat Mountain to cross Heely Creek. Photo looks SW.Fall colors on display in the Heely Creek valley. Photo looks SW.
Heely Creek was very small this time of year, only a foot wide and a few inches deep. As soon as Lupe crossed it, her long gradual climb to the top of Green Mountain began.
Once she entered the forest S of Heely Creek, Lupe followed old logging trails and minor USFS roads. Sometimes she was on faint roads abandoned so long ago that pine trees were growing on them. Other times she simply went through the forest not on any road or trail at all.
On the way to Green Mountain, still W of USFS Road No. 691. Photo looks SSE.
About 2 miles from Hat Mountain, Lupe reached USFS Road No. 691 again. She followed it S for a mile. When it began angling SW, she left No. 691 going SE up a forested slope with enough deadfall on it to slow progress down for a while. Eventually she came to a minor USFS road, which she was able to follow E the rest of the way to Green Mountain.
Green Mountain(7,164 ft.) is one of the highest points in the entire Black Hills. However, the only distant views available are obtained along the E rim of the mountain. The best views are toward the SE from limestone outcroppings right along the edge.
Lupe reaches the E edge of Green Mountain. On the horizon are Five Points(6,221 ft.) (L) and Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.) (R). The large grassy area is the S end of Gillette Prairie. Photo looks E.Looking N along the E edge of Green Mountain.A cairn can be seen on the limestone pillar beyond and behind Lupe. The pillar has a commanding view to the E, but is not the actual summit of Green Mountain. Photo looks NE.Looking SW along the rim.Black Elk Peak (Center) is in view on the horizon. Copper Mountain(6,290 ft.) is the much closer forested hill toward the R. Photo looks SE.
While Lupe was enjoying the big views, SPHP noticed a chipmunk. Lupe hadn’t spotted it yet. The chipmunk was scrambling around the limestone, appearing and disappearing right along the brink of the cliffs.
Lupe didn’t notice this chipmunk scrambling around the limestone right along the brink of the cliffs. Sometimes it disappeared over the edge before reappearing again a few feet away.
SPHP kept a watchful eye on the Carolina Dog. These limestone cliffs were no place to go chasing around after chipmunks or anything else! The chipmunk was sure-footed and could cling to the vertical face of the limestone. Lupe could not. Fortunately, she never saw the crafty, quiet “tiny squirrel”.
Lupe perches near the edge of the cliffs where the chipmunk had been scrambling around a few minutes earlier. She never did see it. The big ridge on the R is High Point 7159, an unnamed mountain only 5 feet lower than Green Mountain. Photo looks SE.
After taking in the views, and enjoying a Taste of the Wild and water break, Lupe agreed to let SPHP give her a boost up onto the limestone pillar where the cairn was. The pillar was an excellent American Dingo display platform with a tremendous view.
On the limestone pillar. Five Points is in view on the horizon on the L. Part of Gillette Prairie is seen below. Photo looks E.The cairn can be seen better here.PeakbaggingCarolina Dog (L) in the foreground, Black Elk Peak (R) in the distance, and Copper Mountain (R) between them. Photo looks ESE.
Ordinarily, Green Mountain offers complete solitude. That wasn’t the case today, however. Upon arrival at the E edge of the mountain, Lupe and SPHP had both seen a hunter perched on the limestone. He had a tremendous view, and was using binoculars to scan a wide swath of territory below. The hunter and SPHP had waved at one another, but did not speak.
Surprisingly, Lupe and SPHP weren’t alone on Green Mountain. From his limestone perch, this hunter quietly scanned a broad swath of territory below. Gillette Prairie is seen in the distance. Photo looks NE.
Lupe hates gunfire. If that hunter took a shot at anything from so close by, poor Loopster would have been terrified. Having seen the views and had a little break, it was probably best not to tarry here any longer. It was a long way back to Deerfield Reservoir, anyway.
Of course, before leaving Green Mountain, Lupe still needed to visit the true summit to claim her peakbagging success. Lupe and SPHP headed N from the limestone pillar. The highest ground on Green Mountain was somewhere back in the forest only a little W of the E rim.
A fairly large area was nearly level. It wasn’t really possible to identify an exact high point. A variety of potential highest spots existed, none convincingly higher than the others. Most of them featured small mounds of broken limestone. After searching around for a few minutes, it was time to pick one. Close enough for Dingo work!
At Green Mountain’s true summit, or as close to it as Lupe and SPHP could find. Photo looks N.This was Lupe’s 4th visit to Green Mountain.
Although Lupe had been to Green Mountain 3 times before, it was a big place. She’d never explored some of the territory toward the N end. Enough daylight remained today so she could go sniff about over there on her way back to Deerfield Reservoir. Looper headed NW through the forest looking for a couple of sub-peaks shown on the topo map. Both were still over 7,000 feet elevation.
The first hill she would come to was High Point 7062. Plentiful deadfall timber slowed SPHP’s progress, but High Point 7062 eventually did come into view.
High Point 7062 (L), located 0.625 mile NW of Green Mountain’s summit, comes into view. Photo looks NNW.
As it turned out, High Point 7062 was worth visiting. The small summit was capped with a limestone outcropping from which there were 180° views to the N. Lupe climbed up for a look around. She could see the top of Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.) from here.
Up on High Point 7062. Photo looks N.High Point 7062 was worth visiting! Lupe could see a long way N from here. Photo looks N.Hat Mountain, where Lupe had been earlier in the day, is the grassy, flat-topped hill on the L. Photo looks NW from High Point 7062 with help from the telephoto lens.
From High Point 7062, Loop could also see her next objective, High Point 7025, more than 0.5 mile to the W. High Point 7025 had a much larger summit area in the form of a 400 to 500 foot long ridge. The fairly narrow ridge was all about the same elevation, but heavily forested. Lupe wouldn’t have much in the way of views over there.
High Point 7025, Lupe’s next objective, is the heavily forested ridge seen on the L. Photo looks W.
Even so, when Lupe left High Point 7062, she headed W for High Point 7025. She enjoyed a beautiful early evening trek, while exploring new territory.
Lupe enjoys the evening on her way to High Point 7025. Photo looks WNW.
Lupe made it to High Point 7025. She traversed the entire summit ridge from N to S, then back again. As anticipated, there wasn’t much to be seen in the way of views due to the forest.
On the High Point 7025 ridge. Photo looks SE back toward Green Mountain.
The sun was getting low. Deerfield Reservoir was still 4 miles N as the crow flies. Better keep going! Lupe left High Point 7025 heading N. She explored more beautiful territory, saw lots of deer, and eventually found minor roads that led her back to USFS Road No. 691.
Darkness fell on the long road hike back to the G6. Stars glittered above in a moonless sky. The wind had died down hours ago. SPHP tramped along, Lupe trotting nearby. No lights, no traffic, no noise. Everything as it should be when adventure’s done. Quiet time together, then the long drive home. (End – 8:09 PM, 44°F)
Heading down the N slope of High Point 7025 on the way back to Deerfield Reservoir. Hat Mountain on the L.
It’s getting to that time of year when Lupe’s expeditions into the Black Hills usually stop for the summer. The weather just gets too warm for a long day’s march in the hills to be much fun. Usually the mud puddles have dried up by now, and the little seasonal creeks and streams are starting to dry up too. SPHP has a hard time carrying enough water to satisfy a hot, thirsty American dingo.
So far this June though, temperatures have been pretty mild. Rainfall has been way above normal, so there are still lots of mud puddles. All the creeks and streams are looking good. With a still reasonably tolerable high temperature forecast in the lower hills just in the low 80’s, this day was still going to be pretty nice in the higher hills. Lupe could continue her peakbagging along the E edge of the limestone plateau country of the western hills.
SPHP parked the G6 at 7:49 AM along USFS Road No. 301.1A just off No. 301 at the exact same spot as on Expedition No. 132 two weeks earlier. It was a beautiful 59°F, with completely clear blue skies and a light N breeze. Since they were so close, Expedition No. 134 was going to start the same way as Expedition No. 132, with ascents of Copper and then Odakota Mountains.
Lupe on the SE cliffs of Copper Mountain. Harney Peak is the highest point in the distance. Medicine Mountain is at the right edge. Photo looks ESE.Lupe on the flat top of Copper Mountain.The first of many water holes, mud puddles and streams made use of by Lupe. This one is on the W side of Copper Mountain.Green Mountain is the high point on the right. Photo looks NNW from USFS Road No. 301.
The views were great from the SE end of Copper Mountain(6,920 ft.). Lupe and SPHP stopped here for a little while for SPHP to goop up with sunscreen (the first of 3 goopings on this sunny day) while appreciating the bright morning views. The stop at the summit of Odakota Mountain(7,200 ft.) was shorter, just long enough for a photo of Lupe at the summit cairn. Lupe and SPHP weren’t going to trek all the way to the SE edge of the mountain through all that deadfall timber again like Lupe did on Expedition No. 132. Instead, Lupe left Odakota Mountain to head for Green Mountain(7,164 ft.).
Odakota Mountain summit cairn.
Lupe headed W from Odakota Mountain crossing USFS Road No. 693 at its high point and continuing on following the ridge line, which had a series of small rock escarpments along it. There was a fair amount of deadfall timber around, but not so much as to seriously impede progress. More annoying was the barbed wire fence which followed along fairly close to the ridge line, too. No matter which side of the fence Lupe and SPHP got on, it seemed like the terrain soon changed to make the other side of the fence more desirable again.
Lupe and SPHP reached USFS Road No. 301 again just E of No. 301.1R, which goes N up Windmill Draw. Windmill Draw is a pretty shallow broad valley with open meadows in the middle. Pines and a few aspens line the sides of the draw. No. 301.1R stuck to the W side of the draw near the pines. Beetle-killed deadfall blocked the way fairly frequently, but it was easy to just drop down a bit into the valley to get around it where it was bad. Pines still standing provided some shade, which was welcome with the sun so high in the sky.
At the upper end of Windmill Draw, No. 301.1R meets up with No. 691.1B (both unmarked here). Lupe and SPHP took No. 691.1B NE to Green Mountain. The best views here were from the cliffs at the SE end of the mountain. There were splendid views of everything from the NE around to the SE and S. Lupe and SPHP took a break on the cliffs. Lupe was ready for some Taste of the Wild. SPHP had the usual apple and split a little granola bar with Lupe.
Looking SE towards Copper Mountain (lower rounded hill near center) from Green Mountain.
Gillette Prairie from Green Mountain. Photo looks E.Lupe on Green Mountain 6-20-15. Photo looks E.
Lupe’s next peakbagging goal of the day was Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.) over 3 miles to the NW. Although Hat Mountain is near the limestone plateau country, it is a little different from Copper, Odakota and Green Mountains in that it sits out a little distance from the limestone plateau instead of being along the E edge of the long escarpment. Lupe and SPHP left Green Mountain exploring to the N of No. 691.1B until the terrain forced a turn to the W to stay on the high ground. Although SPHP was hoping for views of Hat Mountain, there were none from here that were any good. There were too many trees.
There was also a substantial amount of deadfall timber to contend with. Somewhere not too far W of the junction of USFS Roads No. 301.1R and No. 691.1B at the upper N end of Windmill Draw, Lupe and SPHP retreated S to get back on No. 691.1B heading W. The road was open and the deadfall timber in the forest was just too much to deal with. Lupe had a long way to go yet on this expedition, and it just took too much time. When No. 691.1B reached No. 691, Lupe turned N on No. 691.
No. 691 isn’t a major gravel road, but it was in good condition and wide enough so that it didn’t get much shade. Even though No. 691 lost elevation as Lupe headed N on it, the trek was so sunny and warm that SPHP was soon sweating. Lupe and SPHP took occasional shade breaks (and a goop break) along the way in the forest just off the road. SPHP was glad to leave No. 691 to turn W on No. 691.1E (marked as ATV trail No. 6004) just before reaching Heely Creek S of Hat Mountain. No. 691.1E was a lesser road and much shadier.
Pretty girl Lupe takes a rest break on her way to Hat Mountain. What a lovely dingo!
From No. 691.1E, Hat Mountain, now just a mile to the N, was soon visible through the trees. SPHP hoped for an easy way down the short, but steep bank through the trees into the meadow near Heely Creek, but finally gave up and just plunged N into the forest full of deadfall to get down to the valley. Shortly after getting there, it was apparent that no more than a couple hundred yards farther W on No. 691.1E would have brought Lupe and SPHP to an easy side road right on down to a little ford across Heely Creek. Exploring is like that.
Hat Mountain dead ahead! Lupe in the Heely Creek valley. Photo looks N.
There was a lot of marshy ground along Heely Creek and the easiest crossing point was at the little ford on the side road, so Lupe and SPHP crossed the creek there. Once across the creek, it was an easy matter to make the trek up Hat Mountain from the S. Unlike the other mountains Lupe had already climbed earlier in the day, Hat Mountain is not thickly forested and there was no deadfall timber to contend with.
Looking W at the Heely Creek valley S of Hat Mountain.
The top of Hat Mountain is a flat limestone escarpment. Without any trees up there, the views were excellent in every direction. Consequently, Lupe and SPHP dallied up on Hat Mountain quite a while. Lupe took a generous helping of Taste of the Wild. The last little granola bar was shared and the last apple disappeared. There were some beautiful clouds around and some big birds came swooping by for a little while. The only thing Lupe didn’t like was that the top was so rocky. It wasn’t terribly comfortable laying down to rest while viewing the scenic display.
Getting there! Lupe nears the summit of Hat Mountain from the S.The view N from Hat Mountain towards South Castle Rock, Nipple Butte and Flag Mountain (all near the center on the horizon) where Lupe had been on Expedition No. 133.Deerfield Lake from Hat Mountain. Photo looks N.The flat summit of Hat Mountain.A big bird soars over Hat Mountain.Looking S from Hat Mountain towards Green Mountain (large ridge at right) and Copper Mountain (lower shaded ridge just left of and beyond Green Mountain).Another look S from Hat Mountain. Green Mountain at very right edge. Copper Mountain beyond it and now in sunlight. Harney Peak toward left side of photo.Looking SW from Hat Mountain towards the limestone plateau country where the Dragon Caves are hidden.Deerfield Lake from Hat Mountain. Photo looks N. Custer Peak(6,804 ft.) is the highest point toward the left on the horizon. Reynolds Prairie is the open ground beyond and to the left of Deerfield Lake. Only a small portion of the lake is visible from Hat Mountain.
A 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms had been in the forecast for between 1-4 PM. There were enough clouds around by now so that rain did look like it might develop. SPHP thought maybe it was time for Lupe to head for the Dragon Caves. There was probably time to get there before any serious rain developed. So Lupe left Hat Mountain heading SW. She rounded the S end of a low ridge down near Heely Creek and then followed the creek to USFS Road No. 291 (Ditch Creek Road).
A look back at Hat Mountain from the SW before Lupe rounded the low ridge near Heely Creek.
Lupe turned S on No. 291, which is a pretty major gravel road. It is a beautiful drive, but was way busier than SPHP likes for hiking. Groups of ATV’s roared up and down the road, along with cars and pickup trucks. Nothing really all that major, but Lupe and SPHP usually go many hours and often the entire day without seeing anyone on Lupe’s expeditions. Now it was minutes, and not all that many, between traffic events. Fortunately, it was only 2/3 mile from Heely Creek to the bridge across Ditch Creek that leads to the Dragon Caves.
Lupe refreshed after a dip in Heely Creek.
Lupe crossed the bridge over Ditch Creek and instead of following USFS Road No. 385 to the right, continued straight ahead on an ATV trail up a small hill. A right turn at an open area leads directly to the Dragon Caves. The Dragon Caves have three large openings (they have to be large to accommodate dragons) facing S. Farther back into the caves all three entrances connect. Imagine a capital letter “E” with the long connecting side running E/W and the three shorter lines pointing S, and you have a good idea of the floor plan and orientation of the Dragon Caves entrances.
Lupe reaches the Dragon Caves. Two of the entrances are seen here. The third is around a corner to the right.Uh, SPHP, you did bring the flashlight didn’t you? Ever consider using it? Maybe you should now.
It was cool inside the Dragon Caves. And dark. SPHP got the flashlight with weak batteries out. The dim light showed the dusty floor well enough to continue in to the area where the entrances are connected. There is more to the Dragon Caves than just the “E”. Big side passages and some smaller ones go back into the dark recesses. Lupe went dragon hunting. Fortunately for Smaug and any other dragons, they must have had some warning that a Carolina Dog was coming for them. They had already departed.
I’ve got this exit covered SPHP, see if you can find any dragons over there.Lupe dragon hunting in the Dragon Caves.Possessed dingo prepares to face dragons in the Dragon Caves.American Dingo heroine Lupe arrives at the Dragon Caves too late! The dragons have already fled with all their treasure hoards and damsels in distress.
Unfortunately for Lupe and SPHP, the dragons had evidently had time to pack up their treasure hoards and damsels in distress and depart with the entire bounty. The only thing left other than dust was a beer can, dropped no doubt by some poor tourist during a dragon encounter with an unhappy ending. Tourists just don’t know enough to bring a Carolina Dog with them for protection. It’s not their fault really, they are from somewhere else and unfamiliar with the situation. SPHP picked up the beer can as the only souvenir of Lupe’s dragon hunting this time around.
Lupe emerged from the Dragon Caves to find that it was sprinkling outside. Now and then weak pathetic thunder could be heard. If this was the scattered thunderstorm in the forecast, there was nothing to worry about. Lupe went back to USFS Road No. 291 and turned S again. About 1.5 miles farther on Lupe passed Ditch Creek campground, which seemed to be a source of the traffic in the area. Despite its dreadful name, Ditch Creek campground is one of the nicest and most scenic campgrounds in the Black Hills. Many of the campsites are right on Ditch Creek, a small clear cold stream that always has decent flow. Plenty of people were around, but the campground wasn’t yet full.
Approaching Ditch Creek campground from the N.
Lupe wasn’t going to camp. She pressed on to the S on No. 291. An ATV trail map back at Ditch Creek campground had shown SPHP that Lupe should watch for ATV trail No. 6008 less than 0.75 mile S of the campground. It supposedly wound its way E back to USFS Road No. 691.
Pretty soon Lupe reached No. 6008 and made the turn to the E. No. 6008 was a lovely little road that climbed steadily, but not too steeply. By the time Lupe turned on to No. 6008, the sun was low on the horizon. As she climbed on No. 6008, though, the sun just didn’t set. It always seemed like it was going to, but Lupe kept getting high enough up to keep it in view.
A look back N along USFS Road No. 291 (Ditch Creek Road) shortly before Lupe left it to head E on ATV trail No. 6008.
No. 6008 went on and on, climbing higher and higher. Lupe saw a nice herd of 10 elk (the “giant deers”, as Lupe knows them!) disappear into the forest. There started to be various intersecting ATV trails, all with different numbers. Where No. 6008 went to, SPHP couldn’t say. After a while Lupe seemed to be on No. 6010 and still later on No. 6011. Lupe was on No. 6011 when the road finally reached the high point of the ridge between No. 291 to the W and No. 691 to the E. Unfortunately, No. 6011 turned S and didn’t look like it was going to complete the trip to No. 691, which couldn’t have been much farther E at this point.
By now the sun was down, but it was still plenty light out to leave No. 6011 in search of No. 691. Lupe and SPHP headed E and then SE through the forest. Sure enough, before long Lupe reached No. 691. SPHP recognized the spot, too. Lupe was just 100 yards N of where No. 691.1B leaves No. 691 to head for Green Mountain. SPHP decided it would be fun for Lupe to go tag the summit of Green Mountain again. It would be nearly dark by the time Lupe got there, but so what? It was a beautiful evening.
The 2nd ascent of Green Mountain was Lupe’s final peakbagging accomplishment of the day. The light was fading fast, but Lupe and SPHP were both ready for a rest. Copper Mountain was visible a couple miles to the SE. The G6 was a short distance beyond Copper Mountain. However, with darkness coming on, Lupe and SPHP would have to stick to the roads. That meant the G6 was still 6 miles away. After a 10 or 15 minute rest break at the cliffs on Green Mountain, it was time to move on ready or not.
Lupe ascended Green Mountain for a 2nd time this date, reaching it as dusk was coming on.Lupe on Green Mountain at nightfall. Still 6 miles by road back to the G6!
The flashlight had to come out as the crescent moon wasn’t going to provide much light. It was going to set within 2 or 3 hours and was obscured by clouds part of the time anyway. Lupe and SPHP retraced No. 691.1B going SW to No. 301.1R at the N end of Windmill Draw. SPHP started S through Windmill Draw on No. 301.1R and somehow got on a dirt track heading down through the meadow in the middle of Windmill Draw. This was actually better than being on No. 301.1R, since there wasn’t any deadfall timber to contend with.
By the time Lupe reached the main gravel road, No. 301, there was lightning. There was a little cloud-to-cloud lightning in the thin clouds nearby, but in the distance there was intense lightning in several different directions. Lupe and SPHP took a rest break, but it didn’t last long. SPHP heard thunder, still faint, but coming from off to the NW, the likely source of approaching weather. It was time for Lupe to hurry on.
Lupe and SPHP took several more short rest breaks. It had been a very long day. The lightning display grew brighter and more dazzling, though it was still far enough away so only distant thunder could be heard and even that only now and then. The situation changed after Lupe passed the turnoff for No. 693 to Odakota Mountain and Long Draw, which Lupe did not take. There started to be clear bolts of cloud-to-ground lightning. Thunder rumbled ominously.
Lupe wanted SPHP to stop and hide. She was scared of the lightning. SPHP wouldn’t let her stop and urged her to find the G6. Lupe was almost to Copper Mountain and the G6 wasn’t far beyond it. On the final stretch of road beyond Copper Mountain, the lightning bolts directly to the ground started striking alarmingly close. The lightning was nearly continuous. Thunder exploded, echoing in the forest. When Lupe finally saw the G6, the terrified dingo bolted away from SPHP and ran for it. When SPHP caught up, she leaped into the G6 as soon as the door was open.
Through all of this, not a drop of rain had fallen. Within a minute of reaching the G6 though, it began. First one large drop, then another, then a few more, then a hailstone. Oddly enough, the terrified dingo regained enormous courage, bolstered by the comforting familiarity and armor of the G6. Lupe now wanted to stick her head out the window to sniff the air and see what was going on as SPHP drove the gravel roads towards the pavement at Deerfield Road.
The whole head out the window and sniffing bit didn’t last more than a few minutes. Rain and hail grew stronger. The wind blew. Lightning and thunder raged. The dingo decided to take full advantage of the G6 armor, brought her head back inside the vehicle and curled up on the seat. On the way home there were two significant weather events.
The first was something Lupe and SPHP had never been in before. About 5 miles NW of Hill City, SD was a “hailburst” – like a cloudburst, except with hail instead of just rain. In seconds the road went from having a few hailstones on it to being completely white. In fact, everything was white.
SPHP had to completely stop the G6 several times right on the highway. Even with high beams on and windshield wipers on the fastest setting, nothing but a wall of white hailstones streaking down could be seen beyond the hood of the G6. SPHP could not see any portion of the road or anything else around the G6. Fortunately, there was no traffic and the hail was not large enough to cause major damage.
The 2nd event occurred later on after a lull in the storm, a cloudburst with just rain and no hail. Although intense, it seemed like a piece of cake next to the hailburst.
Lupe had reached the G6 at 11:40 PM (53°F), 15 hours and 51 minutes after setting out on Expedition No. 134. At nearly 16 hours, Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 134 had been the 2nd longest expedition Lupe has ever been on. It was certainly a memorable one. Lupe didn’t reach home until after 1 AM. A very tired and dirty dingo gobbled up some Alpo and then went straight to bed. Outside the open window, the rain, wind, lightning and thunder continued in the night.
Since discovering the site Peakbagger.com in early May, 2014, SPHP has used Peakbagger.com to record many of Lupe’s climbs and explorations. Peakbagger helps keep track of which mountains Lupe has climbed along with various other statistics about Lupe’s climbing exploits. Peakbagger also maintains a data base on mountains worldwide including maps and all kinds of statistical information. Users can even add “provisional peaks” to the data base for review and possible acceptance to the permanent data base.
Even including the still provisional peaks, Lupe has already climbed nearly all of the Black Hills, SD mountains currently in the Peakbagger.com data base. Most of the remaining ones Lupe will never climb for one reason or another. Some of them, like the Cathedral Spires(6,840 ft.) and Peak 6920, are basically cliffs and require technical rock climbing equipment. Others, like Mt. Rushmore(5,725 ft.), are illegal for her to climb. A few peaks are on private property where it would be difficult to get permission from the landowner. Thunderhead Mountain(6,567 ft.) where the Crazy Horse Memorial carving is would be an example.
However, prior to Expedition No. 127 there were still a couple of Black Hills, SD mountains in the Peakbagger.com data base that Lupe had never climbed where she might be successful. Both are provisional peaks. Hat Mountain(4,883 ft.) (the one NW of Norris Peak(4,982 ft.), not the one S of Deerfield Reservoir) was one. Anchor Hill(5,720 ft.) was the other. Lupe had already made prior attempts in 2015 to climb both of these peaks. Hat Mountain was a secondary goal on Expedition No. 116 (1-24-15), and a primary goal on Expedition No. 117 (1-31-15). Lupe never even got to Hat Mountain either time, since SPHP had started both of those expeditions from too far away (rain, fog and short daylight hours also played a role).
Lupe had tried to find Anchor Hill on Expedition No. 119 after climbing to the Meade County High Point(5,460 ft.) , but the approach from Hwy 385 was confusing to SPHP and led to a dead end at the old Gilt Edge gold mine. On Expedition No. 120 Anchor Hill had been the most distant possible goal, but Lupe only reached Pillar Peak after SPHP wasted a bunch of time on another dead end down in Two Bit Creek valley. SPHP actually thought Lupe had succeeded in climbing Anchor Hill on Expedition No. 122 only to realize later that she had really climbed a slightly higher hill (now dubbed “Fake Anchor Hill”) about 0.5 mile to the NE of Anchor Hill.
SPHP resolved that Lupe was going to find and climb both Hat Mountain and Anchor Hill, or find out why she couldn’t, on Expedition No. 127. At last Lupe would have done all that she could do to climb all of the Black Hills, SD peaks currently in the Peakbagger.com data base.
At 10:18 AM, SPHP parked the G6 at the intersection of Norris Peak Road and Geary Blvd, a point just a little over 0.5 mile S of Hat Mountain. This was a much, much closer starting point to Hat Mountain than Lupe had on either Expedition No. 116 or No. 117. There were scattered little puffy clouds racing across the mostly sunny sky driven by a 25 mph NNW wind. With the wind, the 40°F temperature seemed a bit chilly. Fortunately, most of the time the forest provided considerable relief from the wind.
This time, Lupe had no problem getting to Hat Mountain. A very nice brief hike along mostly level ground through a forest crisscrossed by all kinds of little roads and trails brought Lupe to the SW slope of Hat Mountain in what seemed like no time at all. (For an even shorter hike to Hat Mountain, take USFS Road No. 721 from Norris Peak Road. No. 721 passes just S of Hat Mountain.)
The small cliffs along the S side of Hat Mountain.
Hat Mountain wasn’t really all that much of a climb. However, it still wasn’t certain in SPHP’s mind that Lupe could reach the top. SPHP had seen Hat Mountain from a distance before many times. From a distance Hat Mountain appeared round, and near the top it seemed to be surrounded by a ring of solid rock cliffs. It remained to be seen if the cliffs extended all the way around the mountain top or not. Lupe was soon at the base of the cliffs on the SW slope. The cliffs were only maybe 20-30 feet high, but there was no way up them for Lupe here.
In the cleft in the small cliffs on the SE side of Hat Mountain.
Lupe started scouting around the mountain near the base of the cliffs along the S and then SE side. On the SE side was a narrow cleft in the rocks with a steep, but easy way up. In just a few minutes, Lupe had climbed up the cleft and gone on up to the summit of Hat Mountain. Success! Already, only Anchor Hill remained to be conquered.
Norris Peak (L) and Thrall Mountain(5,091 ft.) (R) from Hat Mountain.Norris Peak to the SE from Hat Mountain.Quick & easy success! Lupe on the Hat Mountain summit.
Lupe wandered around exploring on top of Hat Mountain for 10 minutes or so while SPHP checked to see if there were other easier routes down. The cliffs went pretty much all the way around the summit, but they were highest to the S. In many places on other sides of the mountain, the cliffs were only 10-15 feet high or even less. There proved to be several places where there were ways up or down without any problem.
On the little cliffs at the NNW end of Hat Mountain, just above the easy way down.
Lupe and SPHP took a very easy route down on the NNW side of Hat Mountain. From there Lupe headed S along the W side of the mountain just below the cliffs. Once completely down from Hat Mountain, Lupe headed S through the forest. She eventually came to the edge of a small cliff perhaps 10-20 feet tall. Lupe then headed E along the rocky rim of the cliff. Before long the rocks and cliffs played out, but by then Lupe was already pretty close to the G6. She reached the G6 again at 11:28 AM.
On the rim rock ledge a short hike S of Hat Mountain. Thrall Mountain is the highest point seen just to the R of the tree.
Anchor Hill was quite some distance away, so Lupe enjoyed a ride through the hills while SPHP drove to Galena about 5 or 6 miles SE of Deadwood. Back in the late 1800’s, Galena was a thriving mining camp for a few years, but eventually became a ghost town. These days Galena is no longer a ghost town. There are quite a few homes and cabins in the area scattered along Bear Butte Creek. The homes and cabins vary tremendously in size, age and condition.
Lupe at Galena.Umm …. OK …. will we even know if we hit one? Lupe stares closely at the road trying to discern any ghosts. If she saw any, she never told SPHP.
SPHP drove through Galena and continued on Galena Road perhaps 0.25 or 0.50 mile to a big wide spot in the road and parked the G6 at 12:35 PM. This wide spot was a short distance from a sign indicating the end of county road maintenance. The puffy clouds in the sky were now bigger than before, but it was still sunny out. Surprisingly, even next to Bear Butte Creek the wind was blowing hard down through the deep canyon. The plan was to hike from Galena up through Butcher Gulch to an area just NE of Anchor Hill.
Lupe and SPHP headed back up Galena Road. SPHP had seen a sign along a side road crossing Bear Butte Creek to the N for public access through private land to Butcher Gulch. Lupe took this side road to enter Butcher Gulch. Soon the private property was left behind. Lupe came to a sign for the Vinegar Hill cemetery, where a little road in poor condition led up a steep hill to the left (W). Lupe had no bones to bury, so she skipped the cemetery.
Twin rock spires on the way up the narrow rocky road in Butcher Gulch.
The road up Butcher Gulch wasn’t that great either. It was narrow and rather rocky. Pretty soon Lupe reached a fork in the road. The best part of the road swung around the hillside switch-backing above where Lupe had just been and then disappeared from view. A very rocky and narrow road continued on straight ahead. SPHP guessed that straight ahead was probably the correct choice, which it later proved to be.
Two of the three limestone walls forming a big terrace in Butcher Gulch. Part of some old mining operation?
The road up Butcher Gulch is the type of road only a shocks, struts and tire salesperson could love. Unsurprisingly, SPHP found a couple of vehicle parts for recycling along the way. Happily, this poor excuse for a road made a great hiking trail. Butcher Gulch was full of squirrels to bark at and Lupe had a blast. There was absolutely no one else around, which was perfect. In addition to squirrels, highlights along the way up Butcher Gulch included a little creek, a couple of unusual pointy up rocks, and a terrace of three limestone walls positioned one above another (probably somehow connected with some old mining operation).
The climb up Butcher Gulch was unrelenting, but Lupe did finally reach the upper end of the gulch. Fortunately, the terrible road had gone all the way up the gulch and now intersected a better road. Lupe and SPHP went across this new road and took a break up on a small hill. Lupe had her usual water and Taste of the Wild. SPHP had the usual apple and pored over maps in between scans of the nearby terrain.
Lupe on “Fake Anchor Hill”. SPHP recognized this pipe with a block of wood on it from when Lupe was here on Expedition No. 122.
The highest ground nearby was a hill just to the NE. SPHP suspected this was the same hill, now known as Fake Anchor Hill, that Lupe had climbed back on Expedition No. 122. At the time, SPHP had believed it was Anchor Hill, but later concluded otherwise. After the break, the first thing Lupe did was to climb this hill to see if it really was Fake Anchor Hill. Sure enough, it was. That meant that the real Anchor Hill was still about 0.5 mile to the SW.
Lupe and SPHP left Fake Anchor Hill and headed SW. SPHP used topo maps and the curvature of the road encountered at the top of Butcher Gulch to navigate towards Anchor Hill. Everything was matching up. Anchor Hill was marked on the map as being just to the S of this same road about 0.25 mile SW of the intersection at the top of Butcher Gulch. All along the S side of the road, however, was a barbed wire fence with frequent signs saying “Danger” and/or “No Trespassing”. One said “EPA Superfund Site 2012”. Peering S from the road up through the forest, SPHP could see that Anchor Hill ended abruptly perhaps 40 feet in elevation above the road.
Anchors aweigh! Lupe learned that the original Anchor Hill set sail and moved! The top of Anchor Hill was removed by the Gilt Edge gold mining operation and apparently repositioned S to the big tailings pile seen here. The tailings pile appears to be a little bit higher than Anchor Hill ever was. Thus ended Lupe’s ambition to climb the original Anchor Hill.
SPHP was now certain that Lupe would never climb Anchor Hill. The top 20 or 30 feet of elevation, at least as shown on the Peakbagger.com topo map, is no longer there. The summit of Anchor Hill had weighed anchor and set sail to the S or SE where it is now part of a big tailings pile, helped along by the former Gilt Edge gold mining operation. So Lupe’s quest to climb Anchor Hill, which had been a potential goal of four expeditions, had been doomed to failure all along. There was no question of climbing the tailings pile, as it is also clearly mining property. Interestingly enough, the tailing pile looks to be slightly higher than Anchor Hill originally was.
SPHP took consolation in the fact that Lupe had now at least climbed Fake Anchor Hill to the NE twice, which was a higher hill than Anchor Hill had ever been. Anchor Hill was only a provisional peak on Peakbagger anyway. It’s hardly likely to be accepted as part of the Peakbagger.com permanent mountain data base having gone AWOL.
Anchor Hill is shown on SPHP’s old USFS maps, but why remains a mystery. There were other hills just as high or higher nearby. What was so special about Anchor Hill? One thing was special about it for sure, there must have been some gold there to encourage the Gilt Edge mine people to go to so much trouble.
On a rare decent stretch of the road in Butch Gulch.
Lupe and SPHP headed back down Butcher Gulch again on the way back to the G6. Lupe had lots of fun again. She certainly was taking the decapitation of Anchor Hill in stride. Going downhill was so easy and pleasant that even SPHP was soon in a great mood again. It was 47°F and 4:23 PM when Lupe reached the G6. Still hours of daylight left and time to do something else!
SPHP had been considering what else Lupe might do on the way down Butcher Gulch. Peakbagger.com really needed a decent photo of Custer Peak(6,804 ft.). About 0.5 mile to the WSW of Custer Peak was a 6,600 ft. high ridge from which a very nice photo of Custer Peak might be obtained. There was even time for Lupe to climb Custer Peak for the third time.
NE of Custer Peak along the road from Brownsville (Boondocks).
So Lupe and SPHP got in the G6 and headed back through Galena. After a little side trip for a photo of Custer Peak from the NE, SPHP wound up parking the G6 at a sharp turn in USFS Road No. 216 at 5:06 PM. Custer Peak was now 0.5 mile to the NW, although a much greater distance along the road. During the drive from Galena, the weather had changed. Now big clouds covered most of the sky. It was only 35°F and occasional snow squalls were sweeping over the area. The wind was still roaring up in the trees. Lupe and SPHP started hiking up USFS Road No. 216.
Approaching Custer Peak
Lupe and SPHP followed USFS Road No. 216 up to a side road that goes all the way up to the lookout tower. About 100 feet in elevation from the top, a thin sheet of ice covered about 2/3 of the ground. The wind wasn’t too bad until the last 50 feet. There it was a steady 30 mph gale out of the N. Mentally SPHP thanked the Canadians for their traditional generosity with their healthy and undeniably fresh air, but Lupe wasn’t so sure.
At the lookout tower, Lupe and SPHP took shelter from the wind at the S corner of the tower. Lupe had icicles hanging down from the fur on her belly, but that didn’t seem to bother her. She didn’t want to stay in an extra jacket SPHP had brought along to warm her up. She eagerly ate some Taste of the Wild. SPHP ate the last apple. The view was pretty awesome. To the E of the Black Hills, the prairie was all lit up in sunlight. Bear Butte(4,422 ft.) was glowing in the light. The W edge of the Black Hills had some sunlight and fewer clouds too. But all of the heart of the Black Hills was in shadow and snow showers could be seen here and there.
Lupe on the rock wall at the ranger tower on Custer Peak. Photo looks SW towards snow squalls sweeping the region. Lupe was most anxious for SPHP to get some sense and head down out of the N wind.
Lupe could only be persuaded to pose for one photo up on the N side of the lookout tower exposed to the relentless wind. She clearly wanted to leave and head down the mountain. Lupe is the brains in this operation, so when the wind showed no signs of giving any respite, SPHP conformed to her wishes. The retreat down the mountain along the road was actually pretty pleasant soon after leaving the totally exposed summit. SPHP did manage to get a couple of photos from just below the summit looking WSW toward the 6,600 foot ridge about 0.5 mile to the WSW. SPHP was hoping to get over there for a nice photo of Custer Peak.
Still very close to the summit of Custer Peak, this photo looks WSW towards the nearby 6,600 foot ridge. Lupe later posed for photos of Custer Peak from the snowiest high spot on the ridge seen here as a white patch above and just to the left of Lupe.
Lupe was happy going down the mountain. The wind at the top was her whole objection. At the saddle between Custer Peak and the 6,600 foot ridge to the WSW, she was quite happy to follow SPHP away from the road and up through the dense forest and maze of deadfall timber. Amazingly this little trek up to the 6,600 foot ridge proved to be the most satisfying part of the day.
Little intermittent snow showers pelted the area with round mini-ice balls instead of normal fluffy snowflakes. With the sun getting low, at times the forest seemed dark and forlorn. But a little layer of snow on the ground brightened the setting. Every now and then the sun made a brief brilliant appearance up on Custer Peak. The clean fresh snow and brisk air seemed wonderful after the warm dry Expedition No. 126 just 8 days earlier.
Lupe near the top of the 6,600 foot ridge, but before reaching it. SPHP snapped this quick photo of Custer Peak not knowing if the sun would still be out by the time Lupe could get to the top of the ridge. It was!
The climb got steeper and steeper. Near the top, Lupe and SPHP were at the edge of a little cliff along a spine of the mountain. The sun broke through and shone on the surrounding forest. The snow was pure white, the spruce tree needles bright green, Lupe’s fur a glowing golden brown, and the sky a clear light blue above. The wind was fresh and exhilarating, and not so strong as up on Custer Peak. SPHP hoped Lupe could make it to the top of the 6,600 foot ridge in time for a photo of Custer Peak before clouds hid the sun again.
Custer Peak from the top of the 6,600 foot ridge to the WSW.Lupe in the last rays of sunlight on the 6,600 foot ridge. This was the photo of Custer Peak that SPHP chose to add to Peakbagger.com.
She did! Lupe and SPHP were in beautiful slanting sunlight for 10 minutes or so at the top of the 6,600 foot ridge. Lupe posed for several photos of Custer Peak. And then it was over. The sun sank beneath the last big cloud to the WNW. A hoped for glorious sunset never materialized. Lupe and SPHP headed down the steep W slope off the 6,600 foot ridge. The slope was much steeper than SPHP had anticipated, but fortunately no cliffs were encountered. Heading S as much as possible, Lupe and SPHP worked their way down through the maze of deadfall timber on the W slope.
Big clue to SPHP that it might be time to head down from the 6,600 foot ridge and put an end to Expedition No. 127.
After losing maybe 200 or 250 feet, the ground began to level out. SPHP continued to lead Lupe S or SSW as much as possible. SPHP knew that USFS Road No. 216 couldn’t be too far away to the S. Lupe and SPHP had been in the area many expeditions ago. Soon No. 216 was found and could be followed all the way back to the G6. It was a great hike and over too soon. There was still some light in the sky when Lupe arrived back at the G6 at 8:04 PM. The G6 said it was 32°F. That didn’t stop Lupe from sticking her nose out the window to sniff the cold air for miles on the way home.
