Utah – Page 2 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Book Review: The Klondike Cafe – A Bud Shumway Mystery #11 by Chinle Miller

6-30-20 – Hey, Loopster, come here! Get a load of this!

What is it, SPHP?

Now that we’re temporarily back from your first Summer of 2020 Dingo Vacation, I’m checking on some of the cool comments that came in for you on T(M)TAOL while we were gone. You’re never going to believe this one!

Really? Don’t keep me in suspenders, SPHP! What does it say?

Suspense, not suspenders, Loop. Anyway, here goes:

“I hope you don’t mind that I dedicated my book to you, Lupe. If you contact me, I’ll send you a free copy. Even though I’ve been in Tombstone, your adventures helped inspire it, as well as you being who you are.”

A book dedicated to me! Mind? Why would I mind? That’s a great honor, isn’t it? Who wrote that comment?

A great honor? You better believe it is, Loop! Not every day that someone dedicates a book to you. In fact, until now, not any day was. Considering that most people never ever write a book in the first place, and then that the author doesn’t even know you except through T(M)TAOL, this is like getting struck by lightning!

Actually, this is a lot better than getting struck by lightning, SPHP!

Well, of course. I didn’t mean it literally, just that this is an extraordinarily rare event.

So, you still haven’t told me who wrote that comment. And what’s the book called?

The comment is from Chinle, Chinle Miller.

Oh, Chinle! I like Chinle. Chinle has written quite a few nice comments on T(M)TAOL. You never told me she was an author, though.

There’s a reason for that. I didn’t know it, either, until now. Chinle must really like you, too, Looper. One of your biggest fans! Dedicating a book she spent who knows how long writing to you is absolute proof, as if any was needed. Why, Chinle must have been planning this for ages!

Lupe beamed from big soft Dingo ear to big soft Dingo ear.

OK! So back to the name of this book, SPHP. What’s it called? What’s it about? Can you send for my free copy right now?

Sure, we’ll send Chinle a reply. I don’t know what the book is called, but there’s a link that Chinle sent along with the comment. Let’s check it out.

The link went to an Amazon page.

Hey, hey! Here it is, Loop! Wow, totally legit! The Klondike Cafe (Bud Shumway Mystery Series Book 11) by Chinle Miller. Rated 4.7 out of 5.0 stars on Amazon! That’s mighty good. People must really like it!

The Klondike Cafe? Must be about Canada! We’ve been to the Klondike Highway and the Klondike River, right? Don’t remember ever being at the cafe, though. What else does it say, SPHP?

The cafe might be fictional, Loop. Not sure. The Klondike Cafe is a novel. There’s a synopsis. Listen to this:

“When a Mountie shows up in Sheriff Bud Shumway’s Utah office and accuses him of aiding and abetting a possible murderer in Canada’s Yukon Territory, Bud is mystified, especially since he doesn’t even know the guy. And when he receives a gold-mining claim transferred to his name and a cryptic message telling him to come to the Klondike Cafe, Bud is soon on his way, even though he has no idea where the cafe is or why his help is needed.

Join Bud on the adventure of a lifetime, as he discovers the beauty and sometimes deadly lure of the North Country, the land once charted on maps as the “Great Northern Mystery.”

A murder mystery! I didn’t expect that, SPHP, but I was right about Canada, wasn’t I? The sheriff goes to the Yukon to solve the case, and get rich mining gold! Sounds like The Klondike Cafe must have a lot more of a plot than our adventures do. We’re always like, “Here’s a cool mountain, let’s see if we can get to the top?” Usually different mountains, but sort of the same thing every time. No one gets killed on our adventures.

No, they don’t. Planning on keeping it that way, too! If people want more drama than we provide, they’d be better off reading The Klondike Cafe. Anyway, there’s more here, another link. Apparently to a bio about Chinle.

So, read it to me!

Intend to, Looper:

About Chinle Miller

Chinle Miller wanders the outback of Colorado and Utah, eyeing civilization from a safe distance. She’s accompanied by her dogs and occasional ravens.

She has a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.A. in Linguistics and an A.S. in Geology.

Short and sweet, but does sort of explain why Chinle likes you, Loop. She has dogs, and enjoys spending time with them out in remote places, just like you and me. In fact, sounds like she’s more of a real nomad than we are. Most of the time, we’re at home. Civilization does have its perks!

Oh, and she’s a geologist, too, SPHP. Which means she must like rocks. Mountains have a lot of rocks, so maybe she likes that I climb mountains? She might not be such a complete nomad like you’re saying, though. Most nomads don’t spend that much time in school. An M.A. in Linguistics! Wonder if Chinle and her dogs talk like we do?

Of course, they do. I’m sure of it! Here, let’s send Chinle a response right now. Thank her for the grand honor she’s bestowed upon you, and get that free copy of The Klondike Cafe on the way.

Chinle responded the very next day. It was going to take a little while, but she would get The Klondike Cafe sent to Lupe as soon as she could, personally autographed, no less! Amazingly, it got even better than that, as Chinle went on to say “Thanks, but you’re the real star, Lupe, and beautiful to boot! But I think you’ll like Lindie, the dingo in the book, as she’s based on you, though I make her look a little more coyote like.”

A murder mystery in the Yukon with a Dingo named Lindie playing a role! Lupe and SPHP were both excited. The Klondike Cafe was really something to look forward to!

July. Adventure season! The Klondike Cafe arrived while Lupe was out climbing mountains in Wyoming and Utah during her second Summer of 2020 Dingo Vacation. There it was, though, brand spanking new when she returned home on July 26th.

200 pages long, quick-paced, and mostly light-hearted (despite being a murder mystery!) And, oh boy, was The Klondike Cafe ever good! As the synopsis and title of the series indicated, Sheriff Bud Shumway is the star. Early on he is astonished to find himself inexplicably entangled in a murder he doesn’t know anything about, yet suspected by the Canadian Mounties of somehow having a hand in it.

Sheriff Shumway is soon reluctantly leaving his semi-capable deputy, Howie, in charge of things back in his hometown of Green River, Utah, and is on his way to the far north to figure out not only who done it, but exactly what, how, and why they’d done it. Bud’s very capable wife, Wilma Jean, a pilot and business owner, is also left behind trying to stay in touch with her husband while taking care of the watermelon farm they own, plus their two dogs Hoppie and Pierre.

Realizing this trip will be a rare chance for adventure in places he’s only dreamed of before regardless of how the murder mystery he’s wrapped up in turns out, Bud brings along his harmonica, which he is learning to play, and a camera to take photos of the Northern Lights.

In addition to all the fixes Bud finds himself in as the plot unfolds, The Klondike Cafe is sprinkled not only with brief geology lessons, but bits of information on Canadian First Nations, too. Everywhere he goes, Sheriff Shumway meets an interesting cast of characters all with problems, likes and dislikes, motivations, and dreams of their own. Meanwhile, Chinle is busy slipping in snippets of her sneaky sense of humor, as well. “Palatial Estates Trailer Park”! SPHP had to laugh, yet you just know such a contradiction in terms might actually exist.

Bud makes it to Skagway, Alaska, a major cruise ship port and start of the White Pass Railroad that goes through Fraser up to Carcross in the Yukon, passing Lindeman and Bennett Lakes along the way. The action takes him to Whitehorse, capitol city of the Yukon, where paddle wheel steamships once provided transportation and brought in supplies in the days before roads; Dawson City, heart of the Klondike Gold Rush, with its free ferry across the Yukon River to the Top of the World Highway; and up the Dempster Highway to the spectacular trail to Grizzly Lake in Tombstone Territorial Park.

Since Lupe and SPHP have been to so many of the incredible places Bud visits in The Klondike Cafe, that really helped to make it all come alive. Despite Chinle’s considerable descriptive powers, readers who’ve never been to these parts of Canada or Alaska might have a harder time fully appreciating the amazing wilderness stage upon which Sheriff Shumway’s sleuthing plays out.

For Lupe, The Klondike Cafe was more than just an exciting tale of Bud’s adventures and travails while trying to solve the mystery at paw, it was a constant reminder of all the great adventures she’d been on with SPHP in the same areas Bud was getting to know.

**Taiya Inlet** and **Skagway** (L) as seen on the way up **AB Mountain** to join the Arctic Sisterhood, Alaska 8-7-17

Cruise ship in **Skagway**, Alaska 8-7-17

**White Pass & Yukon Route train** in **Skagway**, Alaska 8-7-17

The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood at the **Arctic Brotherhood hall** in **Skagway**, Alaska 8-8-17

Exploring past the end of the **International Falls trail**, which crosses the US/Canada border between Skagway & Carcross, 8-8-17

On **Fraser Peak**, British Columbia near the US/Canada border, 8-9-17

**Carcross** and **Bennett Lake** as seen on the way up **Nares Mountain**, Yukon Territory, 9-10-18

In **Whitehorse**, by the **S.S. Klondike**, which used to ply the upper Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon Territory 8-10-17

On **Grey Mountain** (Canyon Mountain) near **Whitehorse**, Yukon Territory, 9-9-18

**Dawson City** and the **Yukon River** from **Midnight Dome**, Yukon Territory 8-23-18

Lupe reaches **Tombstone Territorial Park** near kilometer 50 of the Dempster Highway, Yukon Territory 9-3-17

Approaching **Grizzly Lake**. **Mount Monolith** (R). **Tombstone Territorial Park**, Yukon Territory, 9-6-17

At the **Dawson City General Store**, Yukon Territory 9-3-17

The **free ferry** across the **Yukon River** in **Dawson City**, Yukon Territory 9-3-17

**Top of the World Highway** from **Swede Dome**, Yukon Territory 8-24-18

“They all walked inside and on to better things.” So that’s it, Looper. The end. Wha’dya think?

The Klondike Cafe was a great story, SPHP! You ought to learn to write like that. One bad thing about it, though!

Really? I thought it was terrific! What didn’t you like?

Makes me wish we were up in the Yukon having more adventures of our own right this very minute!

Yeah, me too! Sort of a fabulous trip down memory lane for us, wasn’t it? Got any favorite parts?

Oh, I liked Sheriff Shumway’s adventures and harmonica playing, but I loved Lindie best of all. So courageous! She not only helped Bud find the Klondike Cafe, she even helped solve the murder mystery, too, you know! Good press for all of us American Dingoes! For some strange reason, Carolina Dogs don’t get much of that.

So you loved Lindie best of all, Lupe? Well, knock me over with a feather. Who’da thunk it? Guess we’ve got partners now in Lindie and Sheriff Bud Shumway helping to spread the word on Carolina Dogs and their love of adventure!

Thank you, Chinle!

We’ll always treasure The Klondike Cafe! – Lupe & SPHP

**North Klondike River** in **Tombstone Territorial Park**, Yukon Territory 9-4-17

Links:

The Klondike Cafe on Amazon

In addition to the Bud Shumway Mystery Series, Chinle is the author of Desert Rats: Adventures in the American Outback, Uranium Daughter, The Impossibility of Loneliness, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, plus several U.S. National Park guides.

Chinle Miller on Amazon

Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s Dingo Tales Index, Black Hills of South Dakota & Wyoming Expeditions Index, or Dingo Vacations Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.

Walk Up Peak & Taylor Peak, Utah (8-27-15)

A little before 7:00 AM on Day 19 of Lupe’s great Summer of 2015 Dingo Vacation, things weren’t looking too promising. The G6 was all wet. It must have rained during the night. Low gray clouds hid the sky. It looked like it might rain all day.

Within 20 minutes, though, a patch of blue sky appeared. It started spreading rapidly. By the time Lupe and SPHP reached the trailhead near Spirit Lake Lodge, half the sky was already blue. It was going to be a great day to climb Walk Up Peak (12,365 ft.), after all!

At 7:34 AM (48°F), Lupe started along the Tamarack Lake trail through the still damp forest. By the time she reached Tamarack Lake, the clouds were almost all gone. Tamarack Lake was gorgeous. Brightly lit mountains reflected on the smooth, calm surface. The NE ridge leading to Walk Up Peak was in view across the lake.

Tamarack Lake is about 1.5 miles W of Spirit Lake. Photo looks SW across the lake towards the NE ridge leading up to Walk Up Peak. — Tamarack Lake is about 1.5 miles W of Spirit Lake. Photo looks SW across the lake toward the NE ridge leading up to Walk Up Peak.

Lupe at Tamarack Lake. This photo looks SE. SPHP believes the mountain is Dagget Peak. — Lupe at Tamarack Lake. This photo looks SE.

Lupe followed the trail heading W through the forest. The trail stayed pretty close to the N shore of Tamarack Lake. By the time she reached the W end of the lake, a breeze had picked up. There were little waves on the lake now.

Lupe near the W end of N shore of Tamarack Lake.

The trail had gained only about 200 feet of elevation in the 1.5 to 2 miles from the trailhead to Tamarack Lake. Once the trail got past the W end of the lake, it quickly gained another 300 feet going up a forested ridge. Up on the higher ground, the trail continued W through the forest until it broke out into the open. The trail headed across grasslands straight for a big pond.

Lupe reaches the E shore of the big pond. Photo looks W.

Looking S at the ridge that leads to Walk Up Peak. SPHP named this biggest pond N of the peak Walk Up Pond. — Looking S at the ridge that leads to Walk Up Peak. SPHP named this biggest pond N of the ridge Walk Up Pond.

Lupe circled around the N and W shores of the big pond. SPHP named it Walk Up Pond, since it was the largest of several ponds to the N of the big ridge leading to Walk Up Peak. Lupe headed S towards the forest at the base of the big ridge. Along the way, she came to a much smaller pond half full of reeds. SPHP cleverly named this Reed Pond.

Lupe E of Reed Pond, a smaller pond S of Walk Up Pond. Don't expect to find this name on any map. SPHP made it up. — Lupe E of Reed Pond, a smaller pond S of Walk Up Pond. Don’t expect to find this name on any map. SPHP made it up.

Lupe reached the forest S of the ponds. Her climb up the big ridge to Walk Up Peak now began in earnest. She liked the forest, and spent her time there looking up hoping to find squirrels to bark at in the trees. The forest really didn’t go very far up the mountain, though. Soon SPHP was through the forest. Lupe entered a narrow band of small bushes. When Lupe got above the bushes, there was only heather, rocks, and a brisk N breeze.

Lupe is getting near the upper end of the forest here. Fish Lake is seen to the W. — Lupe getting near tree line. Fish Lake is seen to the W.

Lupe is in the zone of small bushes here. Above the bushes is only rocks and heather. — Lupe in the zone of small bushes. Above the bushes are only rocks and heather.

Rocks and heather on the big ridge leading to Walk Up Peak. Photo looks SW. — Rocks and heather on the big ridge leading to Walk Up Peak. Photo looks WSW.

The highest part of the big ridge Lupe was climbing from the N went for many miles in an E/W direction. The high country was all open and gently rolling. There were numerous peaks spread out along the ridge. The peaks weren’t particularly impressive. They just looked like really big round hills. Even so, the views from the high country were vast and splendid.

Lupe reaches the high country. Although the high country was gently rolling, there were some pretty steep drop-offs near the edge. Photo looks E.

The biggest lake seen here is Tamarack Lake. Photo looks NE. Spirit Lake where Lupe started her adventure is the lake farthest away on the right. — The biggest lake seen here is Tamarack Lake. Spirit Lake, where Lupe started her adventure, is the lake farthest away on the right. Photo looks NE.

Walk Up Lake S of the big ridgeline. (Not the same as Walk Up pond which is N.) Photo looks SE.

The highest hill with the shadows of clouds on it at the center of this photo is Dagget Peak. The slightly higher hill beyond it to the right is Eccentric Benchmark. Walk Up Lake is in the foreground. Photo looks ESE from the E end of Walk Up Peak. — The highest hill with the shadows of clouds on it at the center of this photo is **Dagget Peak** **(12,040 ft.)**. The slightly higher hill beyond it to the right is **Eccentric Benchmark (12,276 ft.)** (Chepeta Peak). Walk Up Lake is in the foreground. Photo looks ESE from the E end of Walk Up Peak.

Walk Up Peak was another really big hill, similar to the others along the ridgeline. Lupe had to make a long trek to the W from where she came up the ridge to get to the top of Walk Up Peak.

There was no marker at the high point on Walk Up Peak. The top of the mountain was just a barren field of rocks and heather like the rest of the ridge. Lupe did find a cairn just a little way to the NW, though, where the views were best.

Lupe reaches the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak. The cairn is a little way NW of the actual summit, which Lupe had already visited. Photo looks WSW toward Taylor Peak, the next big hill along the ridge. — Lupe reaches the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak. The cairn is a short distance NW of the actual summit, which Lupe had already visited. Photo looks WSW toward Taylor Peak, the next big hill along the ridge.

Looking WNW from the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak.

This photo looks ENE from near the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak. It shows a good deal of the ground Lupe traversed to get here. She climbed up from the left side of the photo near the far end of the ridge. Dagget Peak and Eccentric Benchmark at the 2 big hills in the distance at the right edge of the picture. — This photo looks ENE from near the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak. It shows a good deal of the high ground Lupe traversed to get here. She climbed up from the left side of the photo near the far end of the ridge. Dagget Peak and Eccentric Benchmark are the 2 big hills in the distance at the right edge of the picture.

It was windy up on Walk Up Peak. The wind had been blowing ever since Lupe reached the high country. Puffy white clouds raced across the sky heading S or SE. Lupe doesn’t really like wind, but it wasn’t too bad. She was willing to go onward and climb another peak. Taylor Peak (12,600 ft.) was next in line to the W. Lupe and SPHP headed off in that direction, leaving Walk Up Peak behind.

Down at the lowest part of the saddle between Walk Up Peak and Taylor Peak, Lupe discovered an odd looking little tower. It looked like some kind of weather station to SPHP. Lupe wasn’t sure, she was more suspicious. It just didn’t look right to her. She investigated it cautiously at first, before deciding it was nothing to worry about.

Lupe checks out the possible weather station between Walk Up and Taylor Peaks.

The summit of Taylor Peak was a huge jumble of purple-gray rocks interspersed with heather. Lupe found a summit cairn in the midst of the sea of rocks. The cairn was so far from the edge of the mountain that the only interesting view was off to the WSW. There were some high mountains in that direction. SPHP wondered if the highest one might not be Kings Peak, the highest point in all of Utah. It was in the right direction, so maybe it was Kings Peak, but SPHP was not certain.

Lupe wasn’t worried about the view. She was tired of the wind and ready for a rest. After some water and Taste of the Wild, a comfy bit of heather near the summit cairn on Taylor Peak served as a Dingo bed. She wanted SPHP to scratch her belly. It must have felt good. After a few minutes she was asleep. Lupe and SPHP stayed at the cairn for a good long while. It was a great place to be. Lupe and SPHP hadn’t seen another soul all day, and wouldn’t see anyone on the way back either.

Is that **Kings Peak (13,528 ft.)**, the highest mountain in Utah, in the distance? SPHP thought maybe it was, but didn’t really know. Photo looks WSW.

Lupe chillin' on Taylor Peak. She wished the wind would stop, but it didn't. — Lupe chillin’ on Taylor Peak. She wished the wind would stop, but it didn’t.

After a while, it was time to go. There were more peaks farther W along the ridge, but the puffy white clouds seemed to be getting more and more numerous. It was afternoon, and a long way back to the G6. The N wind wasn’t all that strong, but it was relentless. It was probably best to head back, rather than go any farther.

The way back was just a retracement of Lupe’s journey to Taylor Peak. On the way, she visited the summit of Walk Up Peak again for another look.

A view to the ESE from Taylor Peak. Elbow Lake is the closest one. A portion of Chepeta Lake is seen beyond it. — Before leaving Taylor Peak, Lupe went to check out this view to the ESE. Elbow Lake is the long skinny one. A portion of Chepeta Lake is seen beyond it.

Looking NW from near the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak. — Looking NW at the Burnt Fork Lakes from near the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak.

Looking SE from the summit cairn on Walk Up Peak toward the actual summit.

A last look at Walk Up Lake and the country S of the big ridge. Photo looks SE.

By the time Lupe started heading down the N side of the big ridge, the weather was starting to look a bit ominous. The clouds to the NW looked bigger and darker than before. Maybe it was going to rain?

As Lupe heads down the N side of the big ridge, the weather looks like rain is a possibility. Photo looks W toward Fish Lake. — As Lupe heads down the N side of the big ridge, the clouds look like rain is a possibility. Photo looks W toward Fish Lake.

The wind grew stronger. Dark clouds sailed by. It rained, but only a few drops. There was no thunder or lightning. By the time Lupe was down to the forest near the base of the big ridge, it was all over. The clouds were gone, the wind had died down, and it was a beautiful day again.

By the time Lupe reached the forest, it was a beautiful day again.

Lupe was glad to get back to the forest. There was no wind! There were squirrels! It was fun! Lupe explored the forest with enthusiasm. In hardly any time at all, she was back to Tamarack Lake.

Lupe approaching Tamarack Lake from the W.

Near the E end of Tamarack Lake, there was a side trail that went 1/3 mile S to Jessen Lake. It seemed like a fun thing to do. There was time and the weather was now lovely, so Lupe took the side trail. It went through the forest just E of Tamarack Lake.

Lupe on her way to Jessen Lake. Here she is E of Tamarack Lake.

Jessen Lake was smaller than Tamarack Lake. It was tucked more closely beneath the big ridge to the S. Forests surrounded the entire lake. Lupe followed the trail E along the N shore.

At the NE corner of Jessen Lake, a stream left the lake flowing NE. The Jessen Lake trail paralleled the stream, making a loop back to the main trail. Lupe was now less than 0.5 mile from the trailhead at Spirit Lake. The fun wasn’t over quite yet, though! The pines along the main trail were full of squirrels trying to enjoy the evening. The joyous high-pitched barking of an American Dingo echoed through the forest.

Links:

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