Part 2 of Day 18 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!
3:15 PM – While SPHP compared the scene to the NNW to a rather fuzzy printout of the topo map, Lupe rested on a small patch of tundra near the W edge of the Peak 1402M summit region, the only soft spot amid a jumble of talus.
Figure out which one is Mount Sittichinli (5,165 ft.) yet, SPHP?
Yeah, I think so, Looper. Believe it’s the pointy one toward the W (L).
Oh, that’s bad, isn’t it? Weren’t you hoping that the one toward the E (R) was Mount Sittichinli, SPHP?
Yeah. We’ll have to go right over the E one, anyway, just to get at the W one. Furthermore, I don’t like the looks of that cliffy spot on the E side of the W one, Loopster. We might not be able to get past it. The only other option would be to come at the W peak from the SW. Appears to be an easy climb from that direction, but would involve more distance and a massive elevation loss first, every bit of which we’d have to regain and then some.
A discouraging conclusion, but certainly not an impossible situation yet. In any case, the Carolina Dog hadn’t come all this way to give up based solely on a smoky, distant, initial view. Lupe returned briefly to Peak 1402M’s summit. Then it was Onward! Puppy, ho!
The original plan had been to continue N right on over Peak 1402M, but since the N face had proven to be a cliff, that wasn’t possible. Lupe had to pick her way back down the S slope again, the same way she’d come up. Once down far enough to easily turn W, the American Dingo quickly discovered that she’d have to go farther W than expected in order to avoid an extensive field of talus.
Circling farther W into the Pass 1350M region as she gradually turned N, Lupe managed to get around not only the worst of the talus, but to a flat region of scree, dirt, and a little tundra near the top of the pass. Progress was suddenly super easy again, and there was quite a different view of Peak 1402M from here.
Looks like the Rock of Gibraltar from this angle, SPHP!
Aye! Does bear some resemblance, doesn’t it, Looper? Hence our forced side trip.
Swinging around to the NE, a tan ridge of modest height was ahead. The ridge Lupe had seen from Peak 1402M that she needed to follow NNE lay beyond it. How steep a drop might be involved getting to the NNE ridge was a matter of some concern. Another Rock of Gibraltar situation would be a disaster.
Cresting the tan ridge, a steepish slope of dirt, scree, and tundra led down to a broad saddle and the first hill along the NNE ridge beyond it. No sudden drop-offs or any other obstacles. Nothing to it! Peak 1340M, a rounded hill of talus was already visible at the far end.
This first saddle along the NNE ridge was by far the deepest. Heading down to it, Lupe suddenly stopped, staring intently toward its W edge.
Caribou, SPHP!
Sure enough! Half a dozen caribou were in sight. They were quite a long way off when Lupe first spotted them. Stand-offish, the caribou didn’t hang around to make her acquaintance.
After crossing the saddle, Lupe started up the first hill beyond it. Upon reaching the top, several smaller hills were still ahead, strung out along the NNE ridge. Although rather rocky in spots, this trek of minor ups and downs was easy and fun.
As Lupe drew near Peak 1340M at the far end of the hilly NNE ridge, the next phase of the journey was in view, another broad ridge running NW down to Pass 1190M.
4:47 PM – The steep S face of Peak 1340M rose only 60 or 70 feet above the flat plain Lupe came to at its base. Looking back to the SSE, Peak 1402M already looked far away, and the safety of the Dempster Highway was miles beyond it. So far, the Carolina Dog hadn’t seen a single sign that any human had ever come this way before, a notion SPHP found both thrilling, yet vaguely ominous.
Surely someone has been this way before, Loopster. These ridges we’ve been following lie right along the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories border.
Cool bit of trivia, SPHP. Are we going to climb Peak 1340, or keep going down the NW ridge from here?
No reason to expend the energy, Loop. Let’s head down the ridge.
Downhill all the way to Pass 1190M, the NW ridge was a fun romp along a series of mostly tundra-covered ramps and benches cutting diagonally N/S across the huge ridge. These ramps and benches were separated by steeper drops of 15 to 40 feet which were nearly all rock.
Fortunately, none of these rocky slopes presented more than momentary difficulties. A 20 mph wind sweeping up from out of the deep valley to the NE was easily minimized by staying a little SW of the crest. Progress was rapid. Soon Lupe was approaching Pass 1190M.
After crossing the Pass 1190M saddle, Lupe started up the far side, soon coming to a rocky crest a few feet high, which she followed to a barren, flat region of grit, scree, and virtually no vegetation. A crag of dark rock was ahead at the lower end of a long ridge sweeping down from the N.
Quickly crossing the barren region, tundra reappeared as Lupe drew near the dark crag. A band of steep rock visible along the upper E rim of the ridge sweeping down to the crag suggested that the terrain might be easier toward the W, which would have the added advantage of being less exposed to the NE wind.
5:30 PM, SW of the dark crag – SPHP dumped the pack, then took a seat on a patch of tundra. Still smoky, of course, but with only a light breeze here, conditions were quite pleasant.
How’s this, Loopster? Ready to take a break?
About time, SPHP! I haven’t seen a drop of water since we left the valley before reaching Peak 1402M, and we’ve still barely had anything to eat. I’m famished!
I know. Sorry about that, Loop. I’ll remedy that situation pronto!
Ravenous, the American Dingo devoured an entire can of food, then lapped up as much water as SPHP was willing to spare.
So, what’s our situation, SPHP? We’ve been making decent progress since leaving Peak 1402M, haven’t we?
Yes, we have, Looper. Near as I can tell, our situation is excellent! We’re at least 2/3 of the way to Mount Sittichinli (5,165 ft.), and still have the big majority of our supplies, including 3.5 out of 4 bottles of water.
And how is the iPhone battery holding out, SPHP?
85% charged, so we’re in good shape there, too, Loop. The point to point GPS track system is working as well as I could possibly hope.
Lupe put her head down and closed her eyes.
Hope you don’t mind, if I take a little nap, SPHP.
Go right ahead, Loopster. I want to take another look at the topo map, anyway.
While the Carolina Dog dozed, SPHP came to a most encouraging conclusion.
6:20 PM, SW of the dark crag – SPHP nudged Lupe, waking her up.
Time to keep going, already, SPHP?
Afraid so, Loopster, but I’ve got some great news for you. I was wrong earlier.
Not as stunning a news flash as you may think, SPHP. Happened before, plenty of times.
Yeah, well, this time the truth is much in our favor, Loop. The pointy peak toward the W isn’t really Mount Sittichinli. It’s Peak 1520M. I’m virtually certain now that the peak toward the E is actually Sittichinli. So that’s all the farther we need to go. Since we won’t have to climb both, our chance of success is a lot better than I’d been thinking.
That is good news, SPHP! You should fail in this fashion more often.
Continuing beyond the dark crag, due to large talus fields, Lupe again had to go farther NW than anticipated before turning N. From here, a long slope led up to a high point toward the NNE. Directly N beyond a rise, cliffs were visible along the S face of an even higher hill.
Heading N, Lupe gained a fair amount of elevation before reaching the top of the rise. To the NE, a wide pass was now visible between the NNE high point and the S facing cliffs. Directly ahead, a shallow valley sloped SW, the same direction as a long 200 foot tall ridge of rock running down from the cliffs.
Looking NW, a huge boulder was visible near the far side of the shallow valley. Beyond it, there seemed to be a cleft in the rocky ridge running down from the cliffs.
We need to get above those cliffs, Loopster. Head for that boulder! Maybe we can scramble up onto the ridge at the cleft beyond it?
Losing elevation on the way to the boulder, Lupe came to several water holes, and even a few tiny streams, where she drank her fill. Turned out that there were actually two huge boulders separated by 100 feet. After passing both of them, the Carolina Dog started up the ridge without bothering to go all the way to the cleft.
The talus was big, and the scramble got steep. Considerable time ticked away before Lupe managed to reach an enormous slope of talus, scree, and tundra that awaited her on top. Peak 1520M and Mount Sittichinli weren’t that far away now, yet details remained obscured by the ever present smoke.
The topo map showed a large ridge at 1360M+ running N from the area above the cliffs. Turning NE, Lupe climbed steadily toward this ridge. When she reached it, sure enough, a wide, rocky plain led N toward a high point ESE of Mount Sittichinli.
Following the plain N, the terrain eventually steepened as Lupe began climbing toward a 100 to 150 foot high ridge of talus running SW/NE. A bench of tundra below it swept up toward the NE, but was completely exposed to a 20 mph E wind.
As Lupe approached, SPHP kept an eye on a promising area near the SW end of the ridge. When she got there, a region of soft, spongy tundra even sported some grass and small white flowers quivering in the breeze. It was perfect!
9:25 PM – Not going to get any better than this, Loop! I doubt we’ll find another spot to pitch your tiny house, if we go any higher. We better stop here for the night.
Lupe had no objections. Laying down on the tundra, she watched as SPHP struggled to erect her tiny house despite the wind. Putting the rain cover on, the strongest gusts threatened to completely flatten the tiny house, so SPHP removed it again. Without a cloud in the sky, and smoke billowing up from behind Mount Sittichinli, the rain flap hardly seemed necessary, anyway.
The American Dingo was as tired as SPHP was. As soon as the tiny house was up, Lupe was eager to get inside and curl up in her red sleeping bag.
9:38 PM, base camp – Weary, 1 KM SE of Mount Sittichinli (5,165 ft.), SPHP stood alone in the wind outside the tiny house pitched along the Yukon and Northwest Territories border, watching a pink sun sink into wildfire smoke streaming by the mountain. It seemed incredible that Lupe was actually here in the Richardson Mountains, on the verge of finding out whether she could ever actually climb Sittichinli, or not.
A dream come true, almost! Tomorrow would tell the tale.
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