Tag: Lupe

Tunnel Mountain, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (8-1-17)

Days 1 & 2 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

Even though the air was hazy and clouds hung over the Bighorns, approaching Buffalo, Wyoming SPHP stopped at a pullout along I-90 so Lupe could get out and stretch her legs.  With the haze, the view wasn’t nearly so good as it might have been, but Lupe was in great spirits!  It was the last day of July, and the first day of what was going to be her most stupendous Dingo Vacation of the entire summer of 2017.

Lupe was in great spirits even though the air was hazy as she passed by Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. This last day of July was the very 1st day of her most stupendous Dingo Vacation of 2017! More than 6 weeks of non-stop fun and adventures was just beginning! Photo looks W.

Lupe’s day had started early, before 6:00 AM.  She’d had to take a bath, not her favorite thing.  Then she’d had to wait hours while SPHP packed the G6 and scurried around taking care of a seemingly endless list of last minute details.

Events started improving rapidly after that.  Getting Beggin’ Strips and breakfast on the deck overlooking the canyon at Grandma’s house had been fun.  A last minute check on things at home and Lupe was on her way!  (10:29 AM, 84°F)

Nearly this whole day would be spent on the road, but Loop didn’t mind that in the least.  Perched up even with the dash on her traditional pile of pillows and blankets, she was having a riot barking at cows, horses and anything else that struck her fancy as the G6 sped on by.

After a short stroll and as good a look at the Bighorn Range as conditions allowed, Lupe and SPHP were ready to hit the road again.  Before Lupe reached Billings, Montana, the temperature hit a high of 102°F.  Beastly!  Of course, Loopster rode in air-conditioned comfort, so it hardly mattered, except when SPHP stopped in Billings.  SPHP had to race into Albertson’s to buy fried chicken for dinner, then dash back out before the G6 became a Dingo oven.

NW of Billings, SPHP turned W on Hwy 12.  The long drive up the Musselshell River valley heading for the Little Belt Mountains was relaxing and delightful.  Near Harlowton, Lupe could see Crazy Peak (11,209 ft.), and it’s long SE ridge which she had been on with her mountaineering friend Jobe Wymore only 9 days ago at the tail end of her last Dingo Vacation.  The mountain was barely visible in a smoky haze, but SPHP was certain that was it.

Lupe reached King’s Hill Pass (7,393 ft.) on Hwy 89 in the Little Belt Mountains shortly before sunset (8:17 PM).  No time to lose!  Lupe and SPHP set out immediately, following the gravel road W up to the fire lookout tower and Showdown ski area on Porphyry Peak (8,192 ft.).

The sun had already sunk into a bank of clouds on the W horizon by the time Lupe and SPHP reached the summit.  It was pretty clear the sun wasn’t going to make a reappearance, and light was fading fast.  Conditions weren’t all that great for seeing anything anyway.  A smoky haze hung in the air here, too.  At least climbing the mountain had been good exercise after a long day in the G6.

While twilight lingered, Lupe and SPHP strolled around Porphyry Peak’s summit.

The sun had already sunk behind a bank of clouds on the W horizon by the time Lupe made it up to the Porphyry Peak fire lookout tower. Photo looks E.
An information plaque at the base of the lookout tower.
Lupe near the Showdown ski area facilities on Porphyry Peak. Photo looks NE.
Big Baldy Mountain (9,177 ft.) (R) is the highest point in the Little Belt Range in W central Montana. Porphyry Peak was the first mountain Lupe climbed on this Dingo Vacation. Big Baldy Mountain would eventually prove to be the last. Photo looks NE.

Before the light was completely gone, SPHP wanted to go at least partway up the fire lookout tower.  The tower wasn’t staffed at present.  In fact, not another soul was around anywhere on the mountain.  The access door to the observation deck was locked shut.

That was fine with the American Dingo.  While Loopster doesn’t mind clambering around on high mountains, she doesn’t care much for lookout towers.  From her perspective, there’s too much air between those big steps.  It’s not natural and just plain scary!  Lupe refused to go any farther up than the first flight of stairs.

Light of day fades away in the Little Belt Mountains. Photo looks WNW from partway up the Porphyry Peak fire lookout tower.
Nope, not coming any farther up than this, SPHP!

The last light of day faded away.  A half moon hung in the evening sky as Lupe and SPHP made the trek back down to King’s Hill Pass.

The next morning, Lupe was underway again as the sun peeped above the horizon.  This was another travel day, and at 11:00 AM the Carolina Dog crossed uneventfully into Canada at Sweet Grass.  Southern Canada looked drier than Lupe had ever seen it before.  The smoke of forest fires farther W filled the air even here.

By 3:00 PM Looper was in the huge metropolis of Calgary.  It was sunny when she arrived, though the sky was clouding up.  An hour later, as Lupe headed W on Trans-Canada Hwy 1 toward the Canadian Rockies, dark clouds dropped light rain showers.

Loop in Calgary, Canada enjoying the drive so far.

Lupe reached Banff at 5:00 PM.  It was August 1st, 3 years to the day since she’d last been in beloved Banff.  SPHP drove slowly down Banff Avenue, crossed the bridge over the beautiful Bow River, and parked near the tennis courts and picnic ground.

After spending most of the day in the G6, Looper was more than ready to get out.  Loop and SPHP went for a stroll down by the Bow River.

Lupe at the beautiful Bow River in Banff, Canada. It was 3 years to the day since Lupe had left Banff toward the end of her 2014 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies & Beartooths. The S end of Tunnel Mountain is on the L. Mount Rundle on the R. Photo looks ESE.

Being back in Banff was great!  Montana’s blistering summer heat and smoky air were a thing of the past.  Low clouds and cool mist hung over the mountains.  Lupe and SPHP strolled E along the S side of the Bow River.  When Loop got to the pedestrian footbridge over the river, she took it.

Crossing the Bow River. Photo looks WNW.

On the N side of the river, Lupe came to a posted map of Banff.  The map showed a trail leading up Tunnel Mountain E of town.  That was a great idea!  There was time enough to do that right now!  Lupe and SPHP kept going.  Soon the Carolina Dog was on the Tunnel Mountain trail.

This map of Banff posted on the N side of the Bow River shows the trail leading up to Tunnel Mountain E of town. That was a great idea! The trail wasn’t far away, and Loop still had plenty of time to climb the mountain this evening.
On the popular Tunnel Mountain trail in Banff. Even though it was cloudy and cool out, Lupe met plenty of people and dogs along the way.

The Tunnel Mountain trail is an easy climb and hugely popular.  Even though it was cloudy and cool out, Lupe met plenty of people and dogs.  Since it was getting to be dinnertime, most were on their way back down to Banff.

The views weren’t nearly as spectacular as they would have been on a clearer day, but Lupe did see the famous Banff Springs Hotel at the base of Sulphur Mountain (8,005 ft.), and the Banff Springs golf course at the base of Mount Rundle (9,675 ft.).

The famous Banff Springs Hotel from the Tunnel Mountain trail. Photo looks SSW with lots of help from the telephoto lens.
Mount Rundle (R) towers above the golf course and Bow River. Photo looks SE.

The absolute summit of Tunnel Mountain (5,551 ft.) was a rock formation surrounded by thick forest.  However, not far away was a sloping rock ledge with a great view of the town of Banff.  Lupe visited the summit first.  A large crowd of people, who turned out to be in town for an ergonomics convention, were occupying the ledge with the view.

Lupe reaches the summit of Tunnel Mountain. This was about it for views at the very top, even on a clear day.

While waiting for the ergonomics people to finish their sight-seeing, Lupe proved to be quite popular with them.  Many wanted to pet her, and SPHP heard quite a few tales of how much others were missing their dogs.  Lupe didn’t even know what ergonomics was, but she was getting a good impression of it.  She willingly submitted to being adored for however long the ergonomics people wanted to keep it up.

When the ergonomics people finally moved on, Loop was a little sad to see them go.  However, she could now get a good look at the beautiful town of Banff from Tunnel Mountain.  It was sort of a shame that it was so cloudy out.  The view would have been totally gorgeous on a sunny day.

After the ergonomics people left, Lupe got her chance to take a look at the town of Banff from the rock ledge near the top of Tunnel Mountain. Photo looks W up the Bow River valley.
Looking down on Banff with help from the telephoto lens.
Sulphur Mountain (8,005 ft.) is the ridge across the valley. Both a trail and a gondola go to the top of Sulphur Mountain, but Lupe has never been there. The Banff Springs Hotel is seen below near the center of this photo. Photo looks SSW.

August 1st, yet it was almost chilly up on Tunnel Mountain when the breeze came up!  Temperatures were only in the upper 50’s °F.  Lupe started back down the trail.  She was back in Banff before 8:00 PM.

Loop ready to set off back down to Banff on the well-worn Tunnel Mountain trail.
On the bank of the beautiful Bow River again after climbing Tunnel Mountain (Center). Photo looks E.

Lupe and SPHP enjoyed a late dinner.  It was dark out by the time SPHP asked Lupe if she wanted to go on the Pretty Puppy Parade.  The Pretty Puppy Parade?  Loop hadn’t done that in 3 years now.  Oh, yes, she did want to go on the Pretty Puppy Parade!  She had forgotten all about it until SPHP mentioned it.

Back on her 2013 & 2014 Dingo Vacations to the Canadian Rockies, Lupe had gone on the Pretty Puppy Parade virtually every night she’d been in Banff.  All it really amounted to was an evening walk among the throngs of tourists all up and down Banff Avenue, the main drag through town.  People had often commented on Lupe’s good demeanor and wanted to pet her.  She got to sniff with lots of other dogs on their own Pretty Puppy Parades, too.

Even though it was the heart of tourist season, the crowds on the streets of Banff had thinned out quite a bit.  The evening was cool and breezy, and Lupe had gotten a late start.  Some people did notice her, though, and she did get to sniff with a few other dogs.  Lupe went up and down both sides of Banff Avenue.

What Lupe really wanted to do was go shopping.  The restaurants and stores had their doors open, and Loopster wanted desperately to go in and have a look around.  It was all so intriguing and smelled so good!  Of course, she couldn’t.  The poor American Dingo had to settle for getting her photo taken with some of the big animals guarding shop entrances.

Lupe was pretty nervous about this scary Musk Ox guarding the entrance to one of the shops in Banff. SPHP had a hard time persuading her to stay put for a photo. She was worried she was about to be attacked from behind by that strange shaggy beast.
Bear, shmear! This bear wasn’t nearly so scary as that darn Musk Ox!

While SPHP sympathized with Lupe’s frustration at not being able to go exploring the shops in Banff, it wasn’t really necessary to feel too terribly sorry for her.  After all, she was at the very beginning of a long Dingo Vacation to lots of fabulous places, and was going to get to do loads of fun stuff other Dingoes only dream of.

I wish you had put a sign like that on me, SPHP! Let me know if that shaggy monster moves!

Related Links:

Banff, Alberta, Canada (7-20-13)

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 89 – Sylvan Hill, the Custer County High Point (5-17-14)

On the S side of Hwy 87/89 a little less than 0.5 mile from where the road reaches Sylvan Lake Lodge (if heading into Custer State Park toward Sylvan Lake), there is a little dirt parking area where a small power line crosses the road.  SPHP parked the G6 here at 4:58 PM (51°F).  It was already quite late in the day to start one of Lupe’s Black Hills, SD Expeditions, but her only peakbagging objective was just 0.5 mile to the W.

Lupe and SPHP took off heading W downhill through the forest, quickly arriving at a larger parking area only a few hundred feet away.  Lupe’s ascent of Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.) (shown as Sylvan Peak on SPHP’s old USFS map) would start from here.  Very conveniently, a grassy road climbed off to the WNW from the lower parking area.  Lupe and SPHP followed it, going around a locked gate near the bottom.

The grassy road switchbacked part way up the mountain to arrive at a low sod-covered structure mostly buried into the hillside.  It would have been easy to simply step onto the sod roof from the uphill bank, but Lupe and SPHP did not get on it.

The grassy road had ultimately gone more S than W to get to this point, so although Lupe had gained some elevation, she really wasn’t much closer to Sylvan Hill, yet.  However, there were already some pretty decent views off to the SE from the sod-covered structure.   Lupe and SPHP took a few minutes to appreciate the scene.  Then it was time for Lupe to begin the real work of finding and climbing Sylvan Hill.

Lupe and SPHP started climbing WNW up a steep forested slope.  Lupe had no problems maneuvering, but as the terrain became progressively steeper, SPHP had to take some care (and a few breathers) along the way.  A big rock formation came into view up above.  Near its base, Lupe discovered a section of old roadbed laboriously made of rocks.  From the roadbed, SPHP discovered there was no practical way over or around the rock formation.

Back down Lupe and SPHP went.  Lupe really didn’t have to lose all that much elevation, but it took SPHP a while, simply because the terrain was so steep.  As soon as it was possible to go SW around the rocks, Lupe and SPHP did so.  Lupe resumed her climb heading WNW again.  The climb became less steep, and Lupe arrived at a saddle W of the big rock formation.

SPHP had originally thought the first big rock formation might actually be the summit of Sylvan Peak, but by now it was very clear that it was not.  Lupe and SPHP climbed W from the saddle toward another higher saddle.  This wasn’t nearly as steep a climb as the first one was, but it did get steeper near the top.  Lupe arrived up on the higher saddle between two smaller, but still substantial, rock formations.  They were separated by only a few hundred feet.

At the second saddle, Lupe was already higher than any of the rocks of the first big rock formation, which could be seen below to the E.  SPHP still wasn’t certain where the summit of Sylvan Hill was.  Since the rock formation at the S end of the second saddle looked like it was probably highest, Lupe went there first.

Lupe and SPHP climbed up a cleft in the rocks, arriving up on a shelf of granite very near the top of the S rock formation.  (This was likely high point 6849 on the Peakbagger.com topo map.)  From the granite shelf, Lupe could see the summit of Sylvan Hill, still 0.25 mile off to the NW.  Lupe could also see Harney Peak (7,242 ft.) to the NE.

From what may well have been High Point 6829, Lupe got her first look at the summit of Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.) (Center) still 0.25 mile away to the NW.
From what may well have been High Point 6829, Lupe got her first look at the summit of Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.) (Center), still 0.25 mile away to the NW.
Lupe on a granite shelf on High Point 6829(?). Harney Peak (7,242 ft.) (L of Center) is in view on the horizon. The G6 was parked back down near the section of Hwy 87/89 seen just above Lupe's head. Photo looks ENE.
Lupe on a granite shelf on High Point 6829(?). Harney Peak (7,242 ft.) (L of Center) is in view on the horizon. The G6 was parked back down near the section of Hwy 87/89 seen just above Lupe’s ear. Photo looks ENE.

Lupe and SPHP scrambled back down off the granite shelf.  Now that SPHP was certain of the direction to the summit of Sylvan Hill, there was no need for Lupe to climb the rock formation at the N end of the second saddle.  Lupe and SPHP skirted it to the SW.  From here on, the terrain was hilly, but not difficult.  The main obstacle was the huge amount of deadfall timber.  Pine bark beetles had killed much of the pine forest, which was in terrible condition.

Picking a way through the deadfall was very time consuming, but Lupe and SPHP made slow, steady progress toward Sylvan Hill.  Lupe came to one more high point on the way, climbing most of the way up it before skirting around the SW side of the highest part.  Lupe and SPHP tried to maintain elevation as much as possible, but Lupe had to lose a little before completing her ascent of Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.).

Loop reaches the summit of Sylvan Hill. The views were fantastic, among the very best from any point in the Black Hills! Photo looks SE.

Fortunately, there was an easy way up the last little stretch to the top from the W.  When Lupe arrived at the summit, SPHP was very impressed!  Sylvan Hill offered 360° views, which had to be among the best anywhere in the Black Hills.  A great deal of the central and southern Black Hills was on display, but the most spectacular view was undoubtedly the rugged terrain leading up to Harney Peak to the NE.

Lupe on Sylvan Hill. Photo is taken from the W, the direction Lupe came up the last short climb to the top.
Lupe on Sylvan Hill. Photo is taken from the W, the direction Lupe came up the last short climb to the top.
Harney Peak from Sylvan Hill. Little Devils Tower (6,960 ft.) is seen just L of the summit cairn. Photo looks NE.
Harney Peak from Sylvan Hill. Little Devils Tower (6,960 ft.) is also seen just L of the top rock of the summit cairn. Photo looks NE.

The summit area on Sylvan Hill wasn’t very large, but there was room to sit down comfortably enough on small grassy areas.  Since the evening was so gorgeous, and the scene so magnificent in every direction, Lupe and SPHP took a very long break.  Lupe loved the views!  She spent a lot of time surveying the Black Hills from her lofty vantage point.

Lupe squints in the slanting rays of the evening sun. Photo looks NNE.
Lupe squints in the slanting rays of the evening sun. Photo looks NNE.
Harney Peak with a bit of help from the telephoto lens. The summit cairn of Sylvan Hill is seen on the L. Photo looks NE.
Harney Peak with a bit of help from the telephoto lens. The summit cairn of Sylvan Hill is seen on the L. Photo looks NE.

As it always does, the faintly sad moment when it is time to leave the mountain arrived.  Although Lupe’s return trip to the G6 followed basically the same route she had taken getting to Sylvan Hill, it went faster.  SPHP did a better job of avoiding some of the worst of the deadfall timber, and Lupe did not bother returning to the granite shelf at the S end of the second (higher) saddle.

SPHP did make one mistake that took a little extra time.  SPHP failed to lead Lupe down close enough to the first big rock formation.  Lupe and SPHP wound up going down a large drainage that headed S.  SPHP soon realized Lupe was still too far W.  The drainage was not going to take Lupe back to the sod-covered structure.  Lupe had to climb back up to the NE, before she was able to go over a ridge and head more to the ESE.

The bushwhacking was done when Lupe reached the low sod-covered structure again.  From there, it was an easy trek down the switchbacks of the grassy road.  At 7:56 PM (46°F), Lupe was back at the G6.  Despite all of SPHP’s navigation errors, the blasted deadfall timber, and the long, lingering stay on top of the mountain, the trek to Sylvan Hill had taken only 3 hours.

Lupe really wasn’t tired.  For many miles on the way home, she stared eagerly out the windows of the G6, hoping to see deer to bark at.  She wasn’t disappointed, either!  Life in the Black Hills is just great, if you’re a Carolina Dog!  SPHP thinks it’s pretty great, too.Lupe on Sylvan Hill, 5-17-14

Links:

Next Black Hills Adventure                  Prior Black Hills Adventure

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 206 – Sylvan Hill & Peak 6733 (5-27-17)

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