Lupe – Page 274 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Black Hills Expedition No. 182 – Mount Pisgah (WY) & Laird Peak (SD) (11-13-16)

The sign said “Lunney”. This was it! Beyond a gravel parking area, SPHP opened a wire gate, then drove the G6 down a steep little slope, parking it next to an old building (8:49 AM, 48°F). SPHP closed the gate again. Lupe could come out now. She bounded out of the G6 expecting great things!

Lupe arrives at the Lunney place, ready to start on her next Black Hills, WY adventure. Photo looks E.

The G6 parked on land owned by rancher Lauris Tysdal. The Lunney place just off US Hwy 85 is seen just beyond the fence. Photo looks W.

Lupe was in the Black Hills of Wyoming, about 5 miles S of the junction of Highways 85 & 585 at Four Corners. She had just seen Red Butte on the E side of Hwy 85 less than a half mile to the N. SPHP had been watching for the Lunney place, mentioned in a May, 2009 trip report by Edward Earl on Peakbagger.com.

The Lunney place was important as an access point to rancher Lauris Tysdal’s land and Mount Pisgah (6,380 ft.). Mount Pisgah was one of two peakbagging goals Lupe had in this vicinity. She already had Mr. Tysdal’s permission to cross his land to climb Mount Pisgah. Later in the day, Lupe and SPHP would be looking for the owner of the ranch where Sweetwater Mountain (6,440 ft.) was, hoping to get permission to climb it, too.

First things first, though. Before climbing Mount Pisgah, Lupe was going to go see Red Butte, a fin of red clay topped with a layer of limestone. Lupe and SPHP went N through a field just E of US Hwy 85. Red Butte was soon in view.

Lupe S of Red Butte. This fin of red clay capped by a layer of limestone is a somewhat unusual landmark in the Black Hills area. It is more typical of parts of Wyoming farther W. Photo looks N.

Red Butte, WY from the S. The butte is just E of US Hwy 85, about 5 miles S of Four Corners. It is seen to be much longer than it appears here when viewed from the E or W. Photo looks N.

After a good look at Red Butte, Lupe and SPHP returned to the G6 where a dirt road on the Tysdal Ranch headed SE. This road would take Lupe all the way up to the top of Mount Pisgah.

Lupe about to start for Mount Pisgah. She would follow the dirt road seen here. It went SE beyond the building, then turned NE (L) before reaching the trees. Photo looks SE.

The road took Lupe SE past an old, low building, then turned NE before reaching the trees. Lupe soon came to a fence across the road. The fence wasn’t mentioned in Edward Earl’s report. The Carolina Dog slipped under the fence. She stayed on the road, as it entered the forest and wound its way up a small canyon.

Coming out into more open ground again, Lupe could see the same rock formations Red Butte was made of evident along the NW side of the canyon.

The same rock formations Red Butte was made of were also evident on the NW side of the canyon the road to Mount Pisgah passed through. Photo looks NW.

Now and then, side roads left the road Lupe was following. She didn’t take any of the side roads, per Edward Earl’s advice. The main dirt road slowly turned ENE as it went up the canyon. For a while, the road looked like it was heading for a minor pass to the E. Instead, it made a sweeping curve to the S before reaching the pass.

The road grew steeper, and wound around quite a bit, but was generally heading S. Suddenly, Lupe dashed ahead. She was looking up into the forest to the SE. SPHP saw it, too. Not too far away, a large coyote was watching Lupe! As soon as it made eye contact with SPHP, it fled E into the forest. Lupe was disappointed that the wild dog didn’t want to be friends, but it was probably for the best.

Lupe reached an orange well pump mentioned by Edward Earl. By now, Lupe could see a tall tower up on the NW end of the huge Mount Pisgah summit plateau. Edward Earl’s trip report had mentioned that a tower shown on the topo map at the N end of Mount Pisgah was not there, but Lupe most definitely saw one. It was in plain sight.

Lupe at the orange hydrant, mentioned (as an orange well pump) by Edward Earl's trip report. Photo looks SE. — Lupe at the orange hydrant, mentioned (as an orange well pump) by Edward Earl’s trip report. Photo looks SE.

By now, Lupe was fairly high up on the NW slope of Mount Pisgah. There were tree-broken views off to the N and W, but Lupe hadn’t come to any clear views.

From the orange hydrant, the road leveled out. It turned sharply E, passing below the steep N face of the mountain. Within a few minutes, Lupe came to a fetid brown pond in a depression S of the road. The pond was shrunken by drought. Hoof prints showed thirsty cattle had churned up the mud around the pond. Apparently, cattle aren’t overly concerned about water quality.

Lupe at the fetid stock pond shrunken by drought. This pond is just S of the road, and N of the steep upper N face of Mount Pisgah. The brown water looked simply horrid. Photo looks ENE.

Beyond the nasty pond, the road swung toward the NNE before rounding the end of a narrow ridge extending in that direction from the summit plateau. The road then turned S along the less steep E face of Mount Pisgah. The forest was left behind. Lupe was out in grasslands. Here, she had a clear view to the E of the Black Hills in South Dakota across a valley several miles wide.

On the E slope of Mount Pisgah, Lupe had a sweeping view to the E of the Black Hills in South Dakota across a wide valley. Photo looks NE.

Lupe on the road up Mount Pisgah. Here she is on the upper E slope of the mountain. The road eventually entered the forest again, before making a couple of switchbacks to emerge up on the summit plateau. Photo looks S.

Another tower was visible ahead on top of the mountain, as Lupe followed the road S along the upper E slope. The road re-entered the forest, made a couple of switchbacks, and emerged on open ground up on the E side of the huge summit plateau.

Most of the plateau was grassland, but the N end was pine forest. Pines also ringed the edges of the plateau, cutting off the views, which was a little disappointing. Not just one, but three large towers were visible to the S, a little W of a stand of pines where the true summit of Mount Pisgah was hidden from view.

The road led toward the three large towers. Lupe went that way, but her top priority was to find the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Edward Earl had reported that the highest ground was somewhere under a cluster of young evergreens, along with no fewer than 8 concrete slabs with anchor bolts. The concrete footings were likely part of a structure that was started, but never completed.

Two of the three large towers W of the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks SW.

W of the towers, Lupe slipped under a barbed wire fence running E/W that Edward Earl hadn’t mentioned. Not too far S of the fence, she found the concrete slabs with anchor bolts. The ground in this area was all quite level. There was no clear, exact, high point, but Lupe had reached the true summit of Mount Pisgah.

Lupe stands on one of the concrete slabs Edward Earl mentioned in the area of the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NE.

The cluster of young evergreens, wasn’t as young as it had been when Edward Earl was here nearly 7.5 years ago.

Lupe at the summit of Mount Pisgah. A couple of the concrete footings with anchor bolts are in view on the L. The young evergreens Edward Earl had seen nearly 7.5 years ago weren't so young anymore. Photo looks E. — Lupe at the summit of Mount Pisgah. A couple of the concrete footings with anchor bolts are in view on the L. The young evergreens Edward Earl had seen nearly 7.5 years ago weren’t so young anymore. Photo looks E.

The true summit of Mount Pisgah wasn’t too exciting, really. Although the highest ground was quite close to the E edge of the summit plateau, there were too many trees around to see much of anything. With Lupe’s peakbagging goal accomplished, she left the summit to take a closer look at the towers.

To the SSE of the three towers was a battered old blue and yellow school bus. Due to broken glass on the ground, SPHP wouldn’t let Lupe get too close to it. SPHP gathered up a number of Lupe treasures someone had carelessly discarded near the bus.

Lupe near the battered blue and yellow bus. Broken glass nearby meant Lupe couldn't get too close to it. Why on earth it was here was unfathomable. Photo looks NE. — Lupe near the battered blue and yellow bus. Broken glass nearby meant Lupe couldn’t get too close to it. Why on earth it was here was unfathomable. Photo looks NE.

Edward Earl had only mentioned one tower W of the summit, but now there were three. The two farthest to the N had new-looking concrete slabs for support, and new outbuildings near them. The N towers must have been installed after Mr. Earl had been to Mount Pisgah.

The three towers W of the summit. The towers on the L and R were new since Edward Earl was here in May, 2009. Photo looks N.

It doesn’t take a Carolina Dog long to look at a few towers! Lupe was soon ready to move on. Of course, she still had one tower left to check out, the one at the NW end of the summit plateau that she had seen from down by the orange hydrant.

Lupe and SPHP went N along the E edge of the summit plateau, hoping to catch an open view, but found none. Lupe then went NW to the road again on her way to the NW tower. A side road off the main dirt road went N into the forest. Near the N edge of the plateau, it turned W and took Lupe to the lone tower Edward Earl had somehow missed. it turned W and took Lupe to the lone tower Edward Earl had somehow missed.

Part of the Mount Pisgah summit plateau. Photo looks NW.

Looking S back at the 3 towers W of the summit.

The 3 towers W of the summit from near the start of the side road to the 4th tower at the NW end of the mountain. The intersection with the main dirt road is at the L edge of this photo near the trees. Photo looks S.

Lupe nears the NW tower. It must have been here when Edward Earl was around; the outbuilding next to it looked quite old. How he missed it is unclear. Photo looks W.

The NW tower had broken wires hanging off of it. Paint had peeled off much of the old shack next to it. However, a heater or air-conditioner on the NE side of the shack was running. How had Edward Earl missed this tower? It must have been here, as old as it appeared to be. Strange.

SPHP went over to the N edge of the summit plateau, hoping for a view. Lupe didn’t come. She was standing frozen near the shack. She looked like she does whenever she steps on a cactus. SPHP went back to her. Lupe held up a little front paw, pleading to be carried.

SPHP carried Lupe over to the edge of the plateau. Lupe rolled over on the ground, so SPHP could check her paws for cactus spines. Nothing. SPHP hadn’t seen any cactus anywhere on Mount Pisgah, either. Maybe Lupe had stepped on something else sharp? Ever since her bad experience with cactus in the Wildcat Hills of Nebraska, Lupe tends to assume cactus is everywhere any time her paws hurt.

Lupe at the NW end of the summit plateau before starting down the mountain. For a minute or two, she wanted to just sit here. Worried about cactus, she was hoping SPHP was going to carry her back to the G6. Photo looks SE.

Apparently, Lupe would have liked SPHP to carry her all the way back to the G6. She stopped several times on the way down the mountain. There really wasn’t anything wrong with her that SPHP could see. She always came running when SPHP got too far ahead.

Instead of taking the road back, Lupe and SPHP went down Mount Pisgah’s NW slope. A power line went down this way, too. Most of the time Lupe stayed within sight of it.

Surprisingly, although Lupe hadn’t found any clear views from the edge of the summit plateau on top of the mountain, coming down the NW slope, she did! Red Butte and Sweetwater Mountain (6,440 ft.), Lupe’s next peakbagging objective, were both in view from several spots on the way down.

Red Butte (L) and Sweetwater Mountain (the long forested ridge on the horizon) as seen from the NW slopes of Mount Pisgah. The canyon seen below Red Butte is the same one Lupe traveled through (from L to R) on the road leading to the top of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NW.

Looking down on Red Butte with a little help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks NW.

The NW slope was steep until Lupe reached a road after losing 200 to 300 feet of elevation. Lupe took the road SW a short distance to the edge of a small meadow where it looked like there might be a view.

The meadow turned out to be part of a much more extensive grassland. Lupe did have a great view to the SW.

Lupe finds a much more extensive grassland than she'd been expecting. She had a great view from here. Photo looks SW. — Lupe finds a much more extensive grassland than she’d been expecting. She had a great view from here. Photo looks SW.

Lupe went through the grassland, and continued on down the NW slope of Mount Pisgah. Down here, it wasn’t so steep. Most of the time Lupe was in forest, but a forest full of small openings and glens. Lupe’s route down was an easy one.

Crossing the big grassland, Lupe could see the entire length of the Sweetwater Mountain plateau off to the NW.

Lupe came to several dirt roads on the way down Mount Pisgah. She didn't follow any of them very far, but she did travel a short stretch of this road. Photo looks NNE. — Lupe came to several dirt roads on the way down Mount Pisgah. She didn’t follow any of them very far, but she did travel a short stretch of this road. Photo looks NNE.

The American Dingo eventually reached the road she had followed to the top of Mount Pisgah down in the canyon. She followed it back to the Lunney place, which was only 10 or 15 minutes away (12:25 PM, 55°F).

The G6 was already up on the gravel parking area on the Lunney place with Lupe in it, and SPHP was just closing the gate to Lauris Tysdal’s land, when a jeep drove up. Mr. Lunney was in it, somewhat surprised, no doubt, to find Lupe and SPHP on the property.

SPHP explained how Lupe had come to be here. Mr. Lunney seemed satisfied with the explanation. He began to tell SPHP a little bit about the history of the Lunney place. His grandparents had bought the property, which includes over 8 acres of land with the house and outbuildings, back in the 1940’s. In recent years, it had belonged to his mother, but she passed away earlier this year.

Mr. Lunney has another home, so this Lunney property is eventually going to be sold, although exactly when wasn’t clear. There was no big rush to sell it. Having been in the family so many decades, Mr. Lunney has a lot of fond memories of this place.

Lupe still had another peakbagging objective today. After SPHP’s pleasant chat with Mr. Lunney, it was time to go look for the owner of the ranch that Sweetwater Mountain is on. The ranch wasn’t far away, but the owner didn’t seem to be home. Without permission from the owner, Lupe couldn’t climb Sweetwater Mountain.

SPHP was writing a note to leave on the door of the rancher’s home, when the owner drove up on an ATV. SPHP had a conversation with him. The upshot of it all was that Lupe was refused permission to climb Sweetwater Mountain. However, when hunting season is over at the end of November, she is welcome to come back to climb it in December.

Well, that was that. No Sweetwater Mountain today. Lupe still had a few hours of daylight to do something with. In the end, it was decided she might just as well climb Laird Peak (6,906 ft.) N of O’Neil Pass in South Dakota. Laird Peak wasn’t a hard climb at all, and was on the way home.

Lupe and SPHP left the G6 parked S of a corral about 0.33 mile N of Hwy 85 along USFS Road No. 106 (2:35 PM, 48°F). Lupe took a dirt road E up a shallow valley past Tom Spring. The road reached an intersection at the upper end of the valley. From there, Lupe bushwhacked E along the N side of a fence to a small forested rise. She found the Laird Peak survey benchmark on top of the rise.

The Laird Peak survey benchmark was at the top of a small forested rise.

Lupe on Laird Peak. The survey benchmark is seen below her tummy. Photo looks N.

Even though at 6,906 feet, Laird Peak is quite high for the Black Hills, it was another mountain with no views due to so many trees. The summit area is of modest size. A significant part of it is seen here. The post marking the survey benchmark location is seen on the R. Photo looks N.

Climbing Laird Peak had been quick and easy. Lupe had no more peakbagging to do. It was only around 3:00 PM, but the November sun was already quite low. It would be dark in another 2 hours.

Since it would only take half an hour to get back to the G6, Lupe had some free time to roam and sniff. She had no real purpose other than to enjoy life as a free-roaming Dingo in the woods. Lupe and SPHP wandered through the forest. The Carolina Dog made a big loop to the N, before returning to Laird Peak’s summit. She then made a big loop to the S, getting fairly close to US Hwy 85.

Lupe nearly back to the Laird Peak summit at the end of her exploratory loop to the N. Photo looks S.

Sharply slanting pine-filtered rays of sunlight announced the imminent arrival of sunset. Time to start back to the G6. Lupe’s Black Hills Expedition No. 182 was drawing to a close. Happily, she’d made it to Mount Pisgah in Wyoming, one of her two main peakbagging objectives, and Laird Peak in South Dakota, but Sweetwater Mountain had eluded her.

Hopefully, sweet Lupe will see the world from the top of Sweetwater Mountain sometime in December, but life’s uncertain, and that’s another adventure for another day.

Roaming free S of Laird Peak near day’s end. Photo looks NNE.

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Kluane Lake & Shepherd’s Knoll in the Slims River Valley, Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory, Canada (8-8-16)

Day 10 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska

The sky was overcast, but it wasn’t raining. What time was it? Good grief! Almost 9:30 AM already! SPHP came to. Lupe was looking way perkier than SPHP. Her successful climb up King’s Throne yesterday only seemed to have enlivened her. SPHP on the other hand … well, it didn’t matter, today needed to be a rest day, anyway.

Lupe and SPHP got water and pitched garbage at the campground. SPHP straightened up the G6. There were a few squirrels around, so Lupe was happy. When all was back in order again, Lupe and SPHP drove down to see Kathleen Lake. A crew was taking down big tents that had been set up for some youth group over the weekend. The tents had been flapping noisily in the wind much of the night.

King’s Throne Peak (6,529 ft.) was across the bay. SPHP had been hoping for a clear, bright shot of Lupe at shining blue Kathleen Lake with mighty King’s Throne illuminated by morning sun in the background, but it wasn’t going to happen. The top of the mountain was scraping clouds. There wasn’t a ray of sunshine anywhere. Kathleen Lake looked green, instead of the brilliant blue it had appeared only yesterday.

Lupe at Kathleen Lake with King's Throne Peak in the background. Lupe had been to the summit yesterday! Photo looks SW. — Lupe at Kathleen Lake with King’s Throne Peak in the background. Lupe had been to the summit yesterday! Photo looks SW.

There wasn’t a real plan for the day. Lupe and SPHP drove to Haines Junction. SPHP managed to get a shower at a motel. Much better! The skies were clearing. Maybe it was time to head N and see what Lupe’s options were? On the way N, Lupe went by Mount Decoeli (7,650 ft.).

Mount Decoeli (R) from the Alaska Highway NW of Haines Junction. Photo looks WNW.

SPHP had hopes that Lupe would be able to climb Decoeli, but not today. It was too much for today, right after King’s Throne. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to check out the trailhead, though? SPHP found the trailhead on a hill more than 10 miles N of Haines Junction. The trailhead was really just a big paved pullout on the W side of the Alaska Highway. There was no sign, no information, nothing except free parking.

Mount Decoeli from the Alaska Highway, not far from the long paved pullout that serves as a trailhead. Photo looks W.

It seemed like a good idea to stop by the Tachal Dhal visitor center for information. SPHP knew the visitor center was located near the S end of Kluane Lake, a huge lake E of the Saint Elias range. Lupe and SPHP continued N on the Alaska Highway. Soon the lake could be seen ahead, flanked by mountains to the W.

Lupe near the Alaska Highway. Kluane Lake is in view! Photo looks NNW.

Kluane Lake was huge and gorgeous! Before even going to the visitor center, Lupe and SPHP stopped at a large pullout along the shore at the S end of the lake.

Lupe in Kluane Lake. She reported that the water was clear, cold, and good to drink. The weather, breezy and bright. Photo looks N.

Kluane Lake made a huge impression. To the N, the cold, blue waters stretched to the horizon like a Yukon sea. E of the lake, desolate unknown peaks marched N toward the Arctic until they vanished from view. NW across the lake was scenic Sheep Mountain (6,400 ft.), a peak SPHP hoped Lupe might be able to climb. To the W was the wide, flat Slims River valley. Strange clouds of dust blew from the valley toward Kluane Lake.

Blowing dust was unexpected and puzzling. Was the Alaska Highway gravel over there? SPHP figured the dust must be coming from traffic on the Alaska Highway or road construction. Later, it became evident the dust was being blown up by winds sweeping over dried out mud flats along the Slims River.

Clouds of dust were rising up from the Slims River valley, close to where the Tachal Dhal visitor center is located. At first, SPHP thought traffic or road construction was the cause. It turned out to be dust blown from dried out mud flats along the Slims River. Photo looks W.

After Lupe had a chance to wade in Kluane Lake and have a refreshing drink of Yukon water, Lupe and SPHP went on to the Tachal Dahl visitor center. The visitor center was located in a small building in the Slims River Valley W of both Kluane Lake and the Alaska Highway. SPHP went in to inquire about trails in the area.

There was bad news for Lupe about the trail to Sheep Mountain. It was temporarily closed due to recent grizzly bear activity. SPHP chatted with a ranger about a much longer trail up the Slims River Valley to the Kaskawulsh Glacier. The best glacier viewpoint was from Observation Mountain (6,824 ft.), but getting there would involve a 3 day/2 night backpacking trip and major stream fords.

As a nice day hike, the ranger suggested the Bullion Plateau trail. The Bullion Plateau sounded interesting, but it was already afternoon and the trail was too long to consider today. How about something short and easy? Right away, the ranger suggested Shepherd’s Knoll, a hill not too far away up the Slims River valley. A very short trail goes to the top of Shepherd’s Knoll where there are views both up the valley and back toward Kluane Lake. It sounded perfect!

A little N on the Alaska Highway from the turn to the Tachal Dhal visitor center, another gravel road leaves the highway. This road goes 2.6 km up the Slims River valley to the Tachal Dahl trailhead. Lupe left for Shepherd’s Knoll from here. Lupe and SPHP started out on the main trail, which ultimately goes to the Kaskawulsh Glacier. The trail began as an old roadbed going through a forest.

It didn’t take Lupe long, maybe 15 minutes, to reach an intersection with the Sheep Creek trail. A few hundred feet farther along, on the valley side of the main trail, Lupe found the side trail to Shepherd’s Knoll.

Lupe near the start of the Shepherd's Knoll trail. Photo looks SE. — Lupe near the start of the Shepherd’s Knoll trail. Photo looks SE.

The Shepherd’s Knoll trail wasn’t long at all. It climbed partway up a small hill and vanished. Lupe continued on higher up the hill, checking out the views from different vantage points along her way.

Lupe climbing Shepherd's Knoll. The trail soon vanished, but Lupe continued up, checking out the views from various vantage points along the way. Photo looks NE. — Lupe climbing Shepherd’s Knoll. The trail soon vanished, but Lupe continued up, checking out the views from various vantage points along the way. Photo looks NE.

For as little effort as it took for Lupe to get here, the views from Shepherd’s Knoll were impressive.

Dust blows down the Slims River valley toward Kluane Lake. Photo looks E.

Looking S across the Slims River valley from Shepherd’s Knoll.

A closer look at the snow-capped mountain across the valley using the telephoto lens.

The beautiful Slims River valley. Photo looks SSW.

SPHP believes the high hill in the distance is part of the Bullion Plateau. Photo looks WNW.

The Bullion Plateau? It seemed to be in the right direction. Photo looks WNW.

A wider view of the Bullion Plateau vicinity.

Even though getting to Shepherd’s Knoll hadn’t taken Lupe very far up the Slims River valley, it was certainly a worthwhile easy trek. Lupe would have liked to do much more exploring in the Slims River area, but this was a rest day, and it was starting to get late. Lupe and SPHP returned to the Tachal Dahl trailhead.

No one had been at the trailhead before, but now there were nearly a dozen people here. They had just returned from an overnight backpacking trip to the Kaskawulsh Glacier. A campground near the glacier was about as far as most of them had made it. Only one person had succeeded in reaching the top of Observation Mountain. The trip was more strenuous than they’d anticipated.

Lupe and SPHP went back to Kluane Lake, but this time a bit farther N along the W side of the lake. A forested hill projected partway into the lake from mud flats deposited by the Slims River. Silt is gradually filling in this end of the lake.

Over time, silt and mud deposited by the Slims River will completely surround the forested hill seen here by filling in adjacent portions of Kluane Lake. Photo looks ESE.

Evening was coming. The views from the pullout along the S shore of Kluane Lake earlier in the day had been so beautiful that Lupe and SPHP returned to enjoy the evening there.

Lupe spent a few happy hours exploring the shore of Kluane Lake, while SPHP watched the ancient dust blow, and the waves roll in.