May 2017 – Page 3 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 200 – Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 & Beyond to Peak 6735 in the Black Elk Wilderness (4-15-17)

SPHP parked the G6 at the Big Pine trailhead for Centennial Trail No. 89 (9:50 AM, 49°F). The road to the Horsethief Lake trailhead had been closed, but this was close enough. Lupe crossed Hwy 244, followed Centennial Trail No. 89 a short distance, then left it to cut down through the forest to the Horsethief Lake campground.

The stroll through the campground was easy – a paved road wound between tall pines past campsites all the way to some sites right on Horsethief Lake. No one was around. The campground was closed. Tourist season wouldn’t start for another month. Only 2 or 3 miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Horsethief Lake campground is a really nice place to stay when it’s open.

Lupe wasn’t staying, of course. She was here for her 200th Black Hills Expedition! She did go down to the lakeshore at a couple of spots on her way to the Horsethief Lake trailhead.

Lupe arrives at Horsethief Lake ready for her 200th Black Hills Expedition! She’s still in the campground here. The trailhead for Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 into the Black Elk Wilderness is in the forest on the far side of the lake. Photo looks SSE.

Horsethief Lake isn’t very big. About half of it is seen here. Hwy 244 crosses the dam in view at the far side of the lake. Photo looks NNE.

An extensive trail system leads into the Black Elk Wilderness, some of which sees heavy traffic while the majority of it sees relatively little use. Trail No. 9 from Sylvan Lake to Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) (formerly Harney Peak) and Trail No. 4 to Little Devil’s Tower (6,960 ft.) are the most popular, but Lupe wasn’t headed to either of those places today.

A short walk S from the lake up a gravel road brought Lupe to the trailhead for the 2.8 mile long Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14. SPHP stopped briefly to register, and Lupe was on her way!

Lupe awaits the start of her day’s adventure at the Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 trailhead.

Lupe entered the Black Elk Wilderness. Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 went S in a narrow valley featuring a small stream. All around were massive granite formations, many with nearly vertical sides towering far above the creek. Lupe drank from the stream and watched for squirrels in the trees, while SPHP paid more attention to the impressive rocks.

*Wow! How many expeditions have we been on since there’s been an actual stream, SPHP? Seems like forever! This is nice!*

Many massive granite formations tower above Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14. These formations are typical features of the Black Elk Wilderness.

This first part of Trail No. 14 gained elevation most of the time as it went S. It was a bit steep only along a few short sections. The trail crossed the stream a number of times, but Lupe easily leapt across.

The first 0.75 mile of Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 followed the stream and led to a junction with the 111 mile long Centennial Trail No. 89. Near the end of this first stretch, Lupe saw a couple of women. They were watching children scrambling around on nearby rocks. Lupe would see no one else the rest of the day.

Getting to the junction with Centennial Trail No. 89 was easy and hadn’t taken long.

*Well, this was easy! Piece of cake! … You’ve barely started sweet puppy, just wait!*

At the junction of Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 & Centennial Trail No. 89. Lupe had just come up the trail on the L and would be taking the trail toward the camera.

At the 3-way junction with Centennial Trail No. 89, Lupe took the trail to the R. For several hundred feet or more, Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 and Centennial Trail No. 89 share the same path. It only took Lupe a few minutes to reach another intersection where the trails divided again. Lupe went L, staying on Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14.

She was now headed into the heart of the Black Elk Wilderness.

Entering the heart of the Black Elk Wilderness, Lupe found these big mossy boulders near a stream.

Two miles of Horsethief Trail No. 14 remained after it separated from Centennial Trail No. 89. For the first mile, the trail continued winding S, gaining elevation at a slowly increasing rate. The small creek was sometimes nearby, and the trail crossed it again. Lupe still wandered among huge granite formations.

Lupe was still among massive granite formations as Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 continued S after separating from Centennial Trail No. 89.

The trail crossed the small stream again. Eventually the stream disappeared entirely as Lupe gained elevation.

The sky had clouded up by now. Rain threatened, but only a few drops fell. Small patches of blue sky here and there showed that nothing serious was in the works.

The small stream eventually disappeared. Lupe was approaching a pass. When she got there, a fallen tree was wedged in place over the trail.

Lupe came upon this fallen tree suspended over Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 at the top of the pass.

The forest in the Black Elk Wilderness has been devastated by pine bark beetles in recent years. Dead trees have broken and fallen in tremendous numbers over much of the landscape. However, the trail had been clear so far. Lupe had only begun encountering limited quantities of deadfall timber actually on the trail as she drew near the pass.

On the S side of the pass, the situation deteriorated steadily. The farther Lupe went, the more deadfall she had to navigate over, under, or around. Most of the trail was still clear, though. She was still making good progress.

The trail lost elevation heading SW into the Grizzly Bear Creek drainage. After a brief climb to a lower pass, Lupe’s peakbagging objective came into view for the first time. Peak 6735 was almost dead ahead, but still more than 2 miles away as the crow flies.

Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 descends through a shattered forest after going over a couple of passes. Lupe’s peakbagging objective, **Peak 6735**, is seen for the first time as the high point between the trees on the L. Dead ahead at center is **Peak 6710**. Photo looks SW.

Beyond the lower pass, Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 lost elevation the rest of the way to where it ended at a junction with Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7. Grizzly Bear Creek was flowing across No. 7 just S of the intersection.

Lupe was now 2.8 miles from the trailhead at Horsethief Lake. She had lost 300 feet of elevation coming down to Grizzly Bear Creek from the pass. She still had to gain nearly 1,400 feet from here to reach the summit of Peak 6735.

Loop reaches the junction with Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 at the end of Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14.

So far, Lupe’d had an easy time of it. Now she needed to follow Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 upstream. Right next to the intersection, two trees had fallen over the trail the way Lupe needed to go. A couple of signs were taped to the trees. What did they say?

The signs on the deadfall blocking Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 weren’t encouraging.

Turn around? Hah! Not a chance. The truth was, Lupe had climbed Peak 6735 once before, almost 3 years ago in June, 2014 on Expedition No. 92. Lupe had come this same route back then. So what, if the trail hadn’t been maintained in a while? Lupe was going to leave Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 pretty soon anyway. Whatever deadfall was on the trail ahead was only a hint of what was in store off-trail.

Lupe and SPHP went right over the signs and started up Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7. The trail went NW following Grizzly Bear Creek upstream.

Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 had a lot of deadfall on it. Lupe’s progress was slowed considerably, since SPHP couldn’t keep up with the agile American Dingo. Lupe didn’t need to follow Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 very far. SPHP watched for a field to appear on the opposite (SW) side of the creek. When it came into view after 0.25 mile or so, Lupe left the trail and crossed Grizzly Bear Creek.

Lupe crosses Grizzly Bear Creek after leaving the trail. From here on, she had no trail to follow the rest of the way to Peak 6735.

From here on, there was no trail. Lupe traveled W through the tall grass field. This was as easy as it was going to get, but wouldn’t last long. She stayed in the field, gaining elevation gradually as long as possible.

In the big field SE of Grizzly Bear Creek. Lupe traveled W, staying in the field as long as possible. Photo looks NW.

The field ended. Lupe entered the forest. The hard part of Expedition No. 200 was about to begin. Peak 6735 was an unseen fortress in the sky defended by huge rock formations, a long steep climb, but most of all by a never-ending jungle of deadfall timber. Lupe’s ordeal began in earnest.

On the way to Peak 6735 shortly after leaving Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 and the big field behind.

At first, the terrain Lupe was on seemed unfamiliar. This was actually a good thing. The plan of attack was to stay NW of a rugged ridge leading SW up to High Point 6411. It would be best if Lupe could avoid High Point 6411 entirely, and not reach the ridgeline until she was beyond it at a saddle leading to Peak 6710.

On Expedition No. 92, the plan had been the same, but Lupe had wound up following the ridgeline quite closely, which meant she had climbed clear up to the top of High Point 6411. That feat was unnecessary, since she then had to find a way down, losing 130+ feet of elevation in the process.

The deadfall had been bad on Expedition No. 92. It hadn’t improved one bit since then. If anything, it was worse. Lupe climbed and climbed. She went over and under countless dead trees. Progress was excruciatingly slow. The higher Lupe went, the tougher things became. Lupe started coming to large rock formations separated by steep stretches of devastated forest.

Gah! Gradually it became apparent that, once again, Lupe was on the NE ridge.

Eh, Looper, looks like all reasonable routes from this direction lead naturally to High Point 6411. Guess we’re going to get stuck going all the way up there again.

No worries, SPHP. I’m doing fine, if we can just stop for a few water breaks now and then. Jumping over all this mess is hard work! When does the fun begin?

Heh, this is the fun! At least, in a way it is. The ultimate reward will be the views from the top of Peak 6735.

You know SPHP, there’s something sort of wrong with you. Yeah, this is better than all the cactus on recent expeditions, but not that much. Could we please go on some expeditions to easy terrain where the trees are alive and full of squirrels? Do you ever even think about that?

I’ll try to remember to prioritize squirrels more in the future, Loop.

Promises, promises, but that would be nice!

The going got tougher as Lupe kept climbing. Another big rock formation is just ahead.

Slowly, slowly, up and up. The rock formations on the ridgeline became larger and larger. They were too big to go over. Lupe had to go around them. Sometimes it was easiest on the NW side of the ridge, sometimes on the SE side. SPHP kept expecting Lupe to arrive at High Point 6411, but she didn’t. How many of these rock formations would she have to work her way around? SPHP couldn’t remember.

Meanwhile, the views were improving as Lupe gained elevation. Everything in the distance now looked familiar. Lupe was in one of the most rugged parts of the Black Hills here. Beautiful large granite formations were all around. Peak 6735 to the SW remained hidden from view most of the time, but Black Elk Peak (7,131 ft.) was often visible to the NW.

Yet another rocky high point on the ridge ahead. How many of these big rock formations would Lupe have to find a way past? SPHP couldn’t remember. Photo looks SW.

Black Elk Peak (Center), the highest mountain in South Dakota, was often in view as Lupe climbed ever higher up the ridge. Photo looks NW.

Lupe was in some of the most rugged country in the Black Hills. Photo looks NE back down the ridgeline she was coming up.

As expected, it finally happened. Lupe reached the top of High Point 6411. She’d had several water breaks on the way up, but now it was time for a longer break. Lupe had Taste of the Wild. SPHP ate an apple.

SPHP consulted the topo map. It seemed like it had taken a long time to get here, but Lupe had covered a depressingly short distance from Grizzly Bear Creek. On the bright side, she had gained a lot of the elevation required to reach Peak 6735. Unfortunately, she would have to give some of it back getting down off High Point 6411.

Since Lupe had come all the way to the top of High Point 6411, she might as well have a look around. Peak 6735 was in view, but still nearly a mile away.

Peak 6735 was in view from High Point 6411, but still nearly a mile of deadfall infested territory away. Photo looks SSW.

At the summit of High Point 6411. Photo looks S.

On Expedition No. 92, Lupe had come within 10 feet or so of reaching the summit of Peak 6710 seen here on the L. Parts of the Cathedral Spires and Little Devil’s Tower are in view farther off on the R. Photo looks WSW.

Loopster at the very top of High Point 6411. Photo looks SSE.

The views were great from High Point 6411, but would be even better on Peak 6735. Onward! A first attempt to get down off High Point 6411 going WSW proved a little too steep for comfort. Ugh! Lupe climbed back up. SPHP couldn’t remember how Lupe had gotten down on Expedition No. 92.

A foray to the WNW didn’t look promising at first, but worked out just fine. Lupe made it down to the saddle leading to Peak 6710. Once across the saddle, she started climbing again. For a while, the terrain forced her to head directly toward Peak 6710, but this time she wasn’t going to go virtually all the way to the summit like she had on Expedition No. 92.

Once Looper made it past some more big rock formations, and was about as high as the saddle leading from Peak 6710 over to Peak 6735, she turned S and headed for the saddle. She wound up higher on Peak 6710 than she needed to be, but skirted the summit a little way off to the SE. Struggling through a thick forest of young pines choked with the endless deadfall, she finally got past Peak 6710. The saddle to Peak 6735 was now close by.

Once Lupe skirted around the SE slope of Peak 6710, the saddle leading to Peak 6735 was directly ahead. Photo looks S.

Across the saddle and straight up the N ridge. Lupe was getting close! Near the end, the terrain wasn’t as steep, the deadfall a little less troublesome. Suddenly Lupe was there! Despite the mountain’s deadfall defenses, the plucky Carolina Dog stood at the top of Peak 6735.

Well, almost. A dead tree with many annoying branches was leaning against the very highest rock at the summit, preventing Lupe from getting up on it.

Oh, no! No way! Lupe had gone over, under, or around hundreds, maybe thousands, of dead trees to get here. The whole mountain was covered with and surrounded by wretched deadfall. All those jillions of dead trees could stay exactly where nature placed them, except this one. This one had to go!

Fortunately, the offending dead pine tree was smallish. SPHP managed to drag it away from the summit rock and push it over the edge. It fell only 10 feet, but at least it was out of the way. The summit rock was clear. Lupe stood on top!

At the top of Peak 6735, a short uneven ridge of rock ran for 30 feet in a line oriented roughly E/W. The ridge sloped a little up toward a rock at the true summit near the E end. The greater summit area was much larger and sloped down toward the SW, where a massive, but lower, granite platform ran along the SE edge.

When Lupe had been here nearly 3 years ago on Expedition No. 92, Peak 6735’s summit had many large dead pines still standing. Some of them still were, but many had fallen over by now. The fallen trees made it harder to move around, but the views were more sweeping and open now than they had been back then. From seldom visited Peak 6735, Lupe had fantastic views of more than half of the entire Black Elk Wilderness!

After a suitably long rest break at the true summit, it was picture time. Naturally, Lupe toured the entire summit area.

**Peak 6920** (L) and **Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.)** (R) from the true summit rock. **Peak 6710** is the big rock formation to the R of Lupe’s head. Photo looks NW.

Looking E along the rocky summit ridge toward Loopster positioned at the very top.

Another look at Loop at the top. Photo looks SE.

Lupe found the cairn to her R sitting N of, and 8 or 10 feet below, the true summit of Peak 6735. SPHP hadn’t noticed any cairns when Lupe was here on Expedition No. 92, but maybe it was new since then? The large block of granite in the distance on the L is the back side of **Mount Rushmore (5,725 ft.)**. Photo looks NE.

Lupe now at the W end of the summit ridge. The highest point seen on the distant ridge at the far R is the top of **Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.)**. Photo looks WSW from the true summit.

This photo shows a good deal of the greater summit area. Photo looks S.

Lupe now along the SE edge of the greater summit area. Photo looks SSE.

A glance back up toward the true summit. Photo looks N.

Looking SW from the larger, but lower granite ridge along the SE edge of the summit area.

Looper strikes a dramatic American Dingo pose. Photo looks NE back toward the true summit from the far SW end of the greater summit area.

Looking S from the far SW end of the greater summit area.

Much of the greater summit area. Photo looks NE from the SW end.

Lupe near the true summit again after completing her tour. A lovely green carpet of kinnikinnick clings to a thin layer of soil. Photo looks NE.

Back up on the little true summit ridge. Photo looks WNW.

Conditions were beautiful on Peak 6735. Lupe and SPHP lingered up here for quite a while, and would have loved to stay longer. However, even though the sun wouldn’t set for at least a couple of hours yet, it was time to go.

Already it was way too late to try to go back the way Lupe had come up. Traveling all that way through the deadfall took many hours. Getting stuck out here away from the trail when night fell would have made it nearly impossible to do anything other than wait for dawn. Even a deadfall-covered trail would be extremely difficult to follow at night.

On Expedition No. 92, Lupe had taken a shortcut back to Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 by going around the E side of Peak 6710 and continuing N. This shorter route back down to the trail had been very steep, but had worked.

SPHP wondered if Lupe shouldn’t try to avoid such a steep descent this time? By heading beyond Peak 6710 towards Peak 6920, she wouldn’t have to lose much elevation before reaching Norbeck Trail No. 3 not too far from its junction with Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7.

The advantage was, this might be the easiest route out of here. The disadvantage was, Lupe had never tried it before.

Lupe needed to get to a trail before dark, if she didn’t want to wind up stuck in all the deadfall all night long. SPHP pondered the possibility of heading W (L) of Peak 6710 (the lower rock formation on the R) and heading for Peak 6920 seen on the L. Lupe should reach Norbeck Trail No. 3 this way without having to lose a lot of elevation. Photo looks NW.

Lupe enjoyed a little more time up on Peak 6735 while SPHP pondered the best course of action.

Peak 6710 (L) with Black Elk Peak beyond it. Should Lupe try going around the W (L) side of Peak 6710? Photo looks NNW.

The rugged terrain to the NNE. Lupe had come up from this direction, but there wasn’t enough daylight left to go back this way.

The panorama to the NW. From L to R: Cathedral Spires, Little Devil’s Tower, Peak 6920, Black Elk Peak, Peak 6710.

High Point 6411 (lower R) is illuminated by sunlight. Photo looks NNE.

The final decision was made on the way down Peak 6735’s N ridge. Lupe would try going W of Peak 6710 and heading for Peak 6920. Hopefully, she would reach Norbeck Trail No. 3 well before sunset.

It was hurry up time, if possible, but the deadfall made the going dreadfully slow. By the time Lupe got over the ridge SW of Peak 6710, close to an hour had gone by. After crossing the ridge, the terrain and deadfall did not improve, but then they weren’t expected to. The only solution was to get to a trail. Any trail would do.

Looking up at the rock formations Lupe traveled beneath W of Peak 6710. Photo looks E.

Looking back at the big rock formation at the far end of the ridge extending SW from Peak 6710. Photo looks S.

A closer look with help from the telephoto lens.

Once she was over the SW ridge, Lupe lost some elevation before having to regain it to get up on the next ridge to the NW. This ridge went W from Peak 6710. Lupe and SPHP followed it a short distance, but within 5 or 10 minutes it was apparent a deep valley was ahead. This wasn’t going to work. Where to now?

Loop started back E toward Peak 6710. SPHP noticed a saddle off to the NE. It led to the NW, the way Lupe needed to go, and was every bit as high as where she was now. That was the route! Puppy, ho! Lupe maintained elevation and headed for the saddle.

It took a good 10 minutes to get there. The saddle wasn’t terribly wide or long. It led to a large rock formation immediately to the WNW. Climbing up there looked possible, but time consuming. Instead, Lupe crossed the saddle and turned NW to go around the high point.

Lupe was now way up in the upper Grizzly Bear Creek drainage. Somewhere down below was Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7. For a while, Lupe tried simply maintaining elevation and going NW. The plan was still to look for Norbeck Trail No. 3. A high ridge came into view to the NW. That had to be where Norbeck Trail No. 3 was, but it was still a considerable distance away and a bit of a climb.

SPHP debated whether Lupe should try simply cutting down through the forest directly to Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7, or getting on top of the ridge she was following? She tried a little of both, but didn’t lose all that much elevation going down, and never made it all the way to the top going up, either. The varied terrain kept changing SPHP’s mind on which way she ought to go.

A 50 foot deep ravine appeared ahead. Lupe had to kept going NW, so there was no choice, but to go down into it. Loop led the way down the slope. Suddenly SPHP realized she was standing on a trail! Odd, surprising. SPHP hadn’t thought she was anywhere close to a trail yet. Whatever works, though! The trail was good news!

The trail Lupe had found had to be Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7. SPHP wondered how far Loop was from the intersection with Norbeck Trail No. 3? Didn’t matter. The sun would still be up for a while. Best to make tracks, and use the available daylight to get past as much deadfall on the trail as possible. Without the slightest hesitation, Lupe and SPHP followed Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 going E.

The sun was still shining on the high peaks and would be for a while, but Lupe had a lot of elevation to lose. The trail went on and on. Fortunately, this upper section of Grizzly Creek Trail No. 7 trail was not choked with deadfall. In fact, there was very little of it. Lupe made great progress, but the sun had set by the time she made it all the way down to Grizzly Bear Creek.

Lupe makes it back to Grizzly Bear Creek.

The trail crossed Grizzly Bear Creek a number of times, but the creek was low enough so the crossings weren’t a problem. Deadfall on the trail became a problem again and slowed things down, but was no big deal compared to what Lupe had been through already.

The forest was dim and the sky pale, by the time Lupe reached the intersection with Horsethief Lake Trail No. 14 again. The race to make as much use of the fading light as possible continued. Lupe didn’t stop for a break until she was beyond the upper pass. SPHP could hardly see the trail now. The flashlight came out.

Stars had been shining above for a while. No worries, though. Lupe knew the rest of the trail ahead had little deadfall. It would be easy enough to follow.

A short break, then onward, but now at a relaxed pace through an inky black forest with incredibly bright stars above. What a gorgeous evening!

Well, Looper, Expedition No. 200 wasn’t a bad day’s adventure, was it?

No, not at all, but I still say it needed more squirrels!

End (9:42 PM, 38°F)

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition

Want more Lupe adventures? Check out her Black Hills, SD & WY Expeditions Adventure Index, Master Adventure Index, or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures!

The Wedge & The Ramp, Chugach State Park, Alaska (8-29-16)

Day 31 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska

Glenn Alps Trailhead on the SE edge of Anchorage was a busy place. (11:52 AM, 55°F) It was certainly the first trailhead Lupe had ever been to where SPHP could pay the $5.00 parking fee by credit card. Spiffy. So uptown and 21st century.

Up town wasn’t where Lupe wanted to be. She was looking forward to adventures up mountain in spectacular Chugach State Park! Lupe and SPHP left the parking lot heading for the Powerline Trail. Turned out there was a closer, lower parking lot. Learn something new every day.

Lupe had a beautiful sunny day for her adventures. Not so long ago, SPHP had almost despaired of ever seeing the sun in S Alaska. Twice Lupe had been on the verge of leaving the state. However, she wound up spending the last few days exploring and adventuring in brilliant sunshine out on the Kenai Peninsula. A high pressure system must have finally chased the gloom away from the Anchorage area, too.

The Powerline Trail turned out to be an old road. Lupe took it SE toward Powerline Pass. The trail was busy with people jogging and biking. Mountains were in view ahead. From almost the very start, Lupe could see The Wedge (4,660 ft.), her first peakbagging goal, in the distance. For Alaska, it looked like an easy, not too inspiring climb.

Lupe on the Powerline Trail. The Wedge is already in view in the distance on the L. Photo looks SE.

To be honest, both Lupe and SPHP found the Powerline Trail rather dull. Too sunny, too warm, too busy, too low down, and far from the mountains. A long, boring trudge on a dirt road. It’s easy to get spoiled in Alaska! Hopefully the experience would improve.

It did. Gradually, the mountain views seemed less distant. To get to the valley leading to the saddle between The Wedge and The Ramp, Lupe had to leave the Powerline Trail after a couple of miles. A smaller side trail led down to a footbridge across the South Fork of Campbell Creek. As soon as Lupe left the Powerline Trail behind, suddenly everything seemed better and more beautiful.

The views steadily improved as Lupe progressed along the Powerline Trail. Lupe’s 2nd peakbagging objective, The Ramp, is the sharp, pointy peak seen L of Center. Photo looks E.

Lupe at the start of the side trail, about to leave the Powerline Trail behind. The nice footbridge across the South Fork of Campbell Creek is just ahead. Photo looks E.

Hot paws cool down in the refreshing South Fork of Campbell Creek. Photo looks E.

Even though Lupe was still in the same valley, as soon as she left the Powerline Trail, everything seemed more beautiful. Photo looks SE up the South Fork of Campbell Creek toward Powerline Pass.

After crossing the South Fork of Campbell Creek, the side trail went NE up a moderately steep slope. The trail entered a forest of stunted conifers. A couple of women came down the trail toward Lupe. They had seen a moose and calf only a little farther up, right on the trail!

Lupe and SPHP proceeded slowly, cautiously. Lupe saw the mama moose, but only got a glimpse of the calf. The moose were no longer on the trail, having wandered off into the forest. Lupe and SPHP got by them at a good distance without incident. Lupe was very interested in those moose! She was a good Dingo, though, and never barked.

Once past the moose, Lupe kept climbing through the forest on the trail. By the time the trail left the forest, it had deteriorated considerably. Only a simple single track path remained. Ahead to the ESE, Lupe now had a clear view of the big saddle between The Wedge and The Ramp. The saddle was still a couple miles away.

After emerging from Moose Forest, Lupe had a great view of the saddle between The Ramp (L) and The Wedge (R). Photo looks SE.

The trail crossed some fairly level terrain heading toward the valley leading to the saddle. Lupe arrived at a tributary of the South Fork of Campbell Creek. The trail could be seen on the other side, but there was no bridge, or even any decent arrangement of stepping stones across the creek. No problem for Lupe, but SPHP would have liked to avoid getting wet feet.

Lupe arrives at the tributary of the South Fork of Campbell Creek near the start of the long valley leading to the saddle between The Wedge & The Ramp. Photo looks NE.

In the end, even though the stream wasn’t all that big, SPHP found no way across in this area without simply fording it. Squish, squish. Puppy, ho! Onward! Lupe climbed up the embankment on the far side of the creek and kept going.

It would have been better if SPHP had gone farther upstream before crossing. The trail vanished. Lupe soon found herself in boggy terrain on the S side of another small tributary. Higher, drier ground was over on the N side, but it took a while to find a reasonably dry way to get there.

Once on the higher ground N of the boggy creek, Lupe quickly found a trail again. Lupe and SPHP followed it toward the big saddle. For quite a long way, Lupe could run down to the creek for a drink any time she wanted. She enjoyed availing herself of this opportunity at regular intervals.

Lupe down in the clear rushing tributary. For quite a distance, she was able to cool off or get a drink out of this creek any time she wanted.

Colorful foliage made Lupe’s trek up the valley to the saddle bright and beautiful.

Farther up the valley, the tributary stream wasn’t so boggy. Here Lupe enjoys the stream below a series of small waterfalls.

As Lupe continued up the valley, the trail became intermittent. In fact, there seemed to be multiple trails, but none of them was a firmly established dominant route. All started and stopped in unpredictable fashion. It hardly mattered. Lupe could always see the big saddle up ahead, and kept going toward it.

Eventually, the stream reduced to a trickle, then disappeared. Lupe was getting close to the saddle between The Wedge & The Ramp. She could have chosen to climb either mountain first, but went for The Wedge (4,660 ft.). It wasn’t as high, and looked like the easiest climb.

Higher up in the valley, the stream disappeared. Lupe was getting closer to The Wedge, which she would try to climb first. Photo looks SSE.

Lupe got up on a big rounded ridge that swept down into the valley from the saddle. On the other side of the ridge, she could see a large snowbank. Except for tiny tundra plants, nearly all vegetation disappeared as Lupe made the final climb up the rounded ridge to the saddle.

Lupe reaches the rounded ridge sweeping down from the saddle. Very little vegetation remained by the time Lupe reached this point. She followed the rounded ridgeline up to the saddle, then turned SW to complete her ascent of The Wedge. Photo looks SE.

Lupe followed the rounded ridgeline all the way up to the saddle. The saddle was a very broad, rounded area as well. Lupe turned SW to ascend The Wedge. Although The Wedge had looked like an easy climb from way back down on the Powerline Trail, it was steeper than expected. Lupe roamed the wide slope at will, as SPHP trudged slowly higher.

The climb was steep, but not the least bit scary. The slope was covered with small rocks and plants. For the most part, it was all fairly stable. Lupe didn’t come to any trail going up, but she didn’t need to. Staying far from the cliffs was easy. Lupe could take any route she desired up the huge, broad slope.

It seemed like a long climb, but the terrain finally started to level out. Lupe reached The Wedge’s summit ridge near the NE end. The true summit wasn’t far away at a rocky prominence. While SPHP took a look an initial look around at the tremendous views, Lupe relaxed.

Lupe relaxes on The Wedge! The true summit is at the rocky prominence seen beyond her. The summit ridge went hundreds of feet farther beyond it. Photo looks WSW.

My, how those views had improved since Lupe started out way back down on the Powerline Trail!

The wide valley Lupe traveled through on her way to The Wedge is seen on the R. The first mountain beyond her (the one casting the dark shadow) is High Point 4160. The hill in sunlight beyond High Point 4160 is **Flattop Mountain (3,510 ft.)** near Anchorage. Cook Inlet and Anchorage are also in view. Photo looks WNW.

**O’Malley Peak (5,150 ft.)** from **The Wedge**. Photo looks NNW.

If Lupe had stayed on the Powerline Trail, she would have wound up at Powerline Pass(L). The small lake is Green Lake. **Homicide Peak (4,660 ft.)** is visible on the L beyond Powerline Pass. **North Suicide Peak (5,065 ft.)** appears above the ridgeline beyond Green Lake. **South Suicide Peak (5,005 ft.)** is to its R. Photo looks S.

Lupe’s next peakbagging destination, The Ramp, is seen here on the L. Part of the big saddle between The Wedge & The Ramp is seen in the lower foreground. Photo looks NE.

O’Malley Peak (Center) is the high point along the far ridge. Photo looks NNW.

The views of the nearby peaks were impressive, but far toward the E & SE horizons, Lupe could see even higher mountains and big snowfields. The camera’s telephoto lens provided a better look at what was out there.

Wow! What’s that white monster peering over from behind the snowfield on the L? SPHP had no idea what peak that was. Photo looks E using the telephoto lens.

Looking S or SE toward fabulous remote mountains.

Naturally, Lupe went over to the true summit of The Wedge to claim her peakbagging success.

Lupe sits on the true summit of The Wedge. The Ramp is in view beyond her. Photo looks NE.

A lone Carolina Dog stands astride the summit of The Wedge. Her next destination, The Ramp, is seen on the L. Photo looks ENE.

After half an hour spent on The Wedge, Lupe started her journey back down to the big saddle leading to The Ramp. She stayed farther to the E than where she’d come up, hoping to see Ship Lake, which hadn’t been visible from the summit of The Wedge. As she lost elevation, Ship Lake came into view.

Staying farther E coming down The Wedge, Lupe came to an amazing view of Ship Lake. Lupe is the tiny Dingo on the R. Photo looks ESE.

Ship Lake from the upper ENE slopes of The Wedge. **Avalanche Mountain (5,000 ft.)** (R) towers above the lake. Photo looks ESE.

Lupe continued on down toward the saddle leading to The Ramp (5,240 feet). The Ramp is nearly 600 feet higher than The Wedge, and looked considerably steeper from afar. The upper slopes were much more rugged, and the top of the mountain comes nearly to a point. Lupe couldn’t expect any nice big summit area to relax on at The Ramp!

Looking at the summit of The Ramp through the telephoto lens. Lupe would try climbing up near the center of this photo a little to the L of all the steep ragged ridges. Photo looks NE.

SPHP started wondering if Lupe could even make it to the top of The Ramp? Meaning, of course, SPHP wondered if SPHP could make it to the top! The first part of the climb wouldn’t be bad, but the closer Lupe got to The Ramp, the more concerned SPHP became.

Meanwhile, Lupe was leaving Ship Lake and The Wedge farther and farther behind as she progressed across the saddle and started up The Ramp.

Looking back across the saddle toward The Wedge from near the start of Lupe’s climb up The Ramp. Ship Lake is out of sight far down the slope to the L. Photo looks SW.

As Lupe started climbing The Ramp, Ship Lake and Avalanche Mountain receded behind her. Photo looks SSE.

For quite a long way, climbing The Ramp wasn’t any harder or steeper than climbing The Wedge had been. However, the way up was slowly getting progressively steeper. Lupe had already regained all of the elevation she’d lost going down from The Wedge and more, when suddenly a woman was in view above. She was coming down toward Lupe.

Lupe and SPHP soon met up with her. She had made it to the summit of The Ramp, and advised staying near the closest ragged, rocky ridgeline to the E where there was sort of an intermittent trail. Near the very top, though, Lupe should swing around to complete her climb along the W ridge. Going back down, Lupe could either return to the saddle or go down the W ridge, slowly turning SW into the valley.

SPHP thanked her for the advice, and she was gone. She was the only person Lupe saw all day after the two women who had seen the moose early on. The woman did seem to know what she’d been talking about, and apparently she’d made it to the top. Per her advice, Lupe and SPHP angled over to the ragged ridgeline.

The woman was right. An intermittent trail went up the ragged ridge. Lupe had less loose rock to contend with. There were also some fearsome drops only a few feet away on the E side of the ridge. Lupe and SPHP kept climbing. Lupe was getting there! More and more of The Ramp was down below. Less and less remained above.

Nearing the summit of The Ramp. Lupe made the last part of this climb along the W ridge, seen on the L. Photo looks N.

As the woman had advised, and the terrain virtually dictated, Lupe gained much of the last 60 feet of elevation by moving over to the W ridge and climbing up from that direction. Very close to the top, Lupe traversed a narrow 30 foot long level ledge toward the SE, then scrambled 10 feet almost straight up to a small grassy area.

The narrow ledge had way more exposure than Lupe and SPHP are used to, but SPHP had good hand and foot holds all the way. Lupe seemed unconcerned. She had no problem crossing the ledge. She scrambled up to the grassy area as easily as if she were only part Dingo, with a good dose of mountain goat in her.

At the little grassy area, Lupe was only 15 – 20 feet below the summit. After a brief pause, Lupe and SPHP finished the climb. The last 10 feet were very steep, but once again, there were good hand and foot holds. Lupe managed to get all the way up to sit a only a foot or two below the tops of the highest rocks at the summit of The Ramp.

SPHP wouldn’t let Lupe go up that last foot or two. Huge exposure was only a couple feet away to the N. This was it. Close enough for Dingo work! Lupe was claiming her peakbagging success! With one hand, SPHP clung to the rocks, while operating the camera with the other.

Lupe perches next to the very highest rocks of The Ramp. Want to know how large the summit area was? You’re looking at it! Photo looks E.

Part bird, part mountain goat, part Dingo! Lupe sits on top of The Ramp with incredible views in every direction. Photo looks SE.

Lupe at the top of The Ramp. Photo looks ESE.

*Yeah, SPHP, there’s a helluva view from up here, but you know what? So far, not a squirrel in sight!*

Of course, the views were amazing from The Wedge. In fact, they were dizzying. SPHP clung to the rocks, taking pictures. At SPHP’s bidding, Lupe got down off the summit. She retreated to a less precarious position close to the grassy area where she could rest comfortably, while still enjoying the stupendous view. SPHP soon joined her. Wow, what an incredible place!

**O’Malley Peak (5,150 ft.)**(L of Center), **Hidden Peak (5,105 ft.)**(Center), and **Wolverine Peak** **(4,491 ft.)**(R) from **The Ramp (5,240 ft.)**. Photo looks NW.

Looking down on some of the Williwaw Lakes in the valley of the Middle Fork of Campbell Creek. Wolverine Peak is on the L. **Mount Elliot (4,710 ft.)** is the closest mountain beyond the lakes. The Tanaina Peaks and Tikishla Peak are along the big ridge beyond Mount Elliot. Photo looks N.

Ship Lake and Avalanche Mountain from the summit of The Ramp. The Suicide Peaks are visible on the R. Photo looks S.

The Wedge(L) looks much smaller from the summit of The Ramp. The broad valley seen below is the one Lupe came up on her way to The Wedge after leaving the Powerline Trail. Photo looks SW.

O’Malley Peak using the telephoto lens. Photo looks NW.

Some of the Williwaw Lakes using the telephoto lens. Photo looks N.

Lupe chillin’ a little below the summit. She has a view of part of Ship Lake and Avalanche Mountain on the L. The Suicide Peaks are straight up from her head. On the R is the saddle she crossed coming here from The Wedge. Photo looks S.

After 15 minutes doing nothing other than enjoying the views together, Lupe and SPHP started down. Once safely past the 10 foot down climb and 30 foot ledge, SPHP felt more relaxed about the situation. A long pleasant evening trek down the mountain ensued. Lupe took the alternate route down along the W ridge, eventually dropping well below it on her way to the valley.

Going down the W ridge line. O’Malley Peak on the R. Photo looks WNW.

The route stayed steep and rocky for a long way. Slowly the slope decreased. Tundra vegetation started taking over, and the way became less rocky. For Lupe, this was the best part of the entire excursion. For a long time, she ran free over great distances to her heart’s content. The tundra glowed with color in the evening light. The air was fresh and cool. Lupe was in American Dingo paradise!

The Wedge as seen from the N side of the broad valley. Photo looks S.

*Only one question. Where do they keep the squirrels around here? I’ve searched everywhere!*

Of course, Lupe always remembered to come running back to SPHP at frequent intervals, even though it was a chore having to constantly regain all the elevation she’d just lost.

Lupe comes running back to check on slowpoke, SPHP. Lupe’s route up The Wedge earlier in the day is in view here. She started up the low ridge at center, following it all the way to the L, then curving back up toward the R to reach the top. Photo looks S.

Lupe and SPHP saw no one in the broad valley. The return trip was a glorious, peaceful, happy time.

SPHP has no idea what sort of plant these are, but they were soft and beautiful. They decorated the tundra in scattered clumps.

The wonderful, amazing Carolina Dog! She seemed fairly satisfied with the way this adventure turned out!

By staying farther N in the valley, Lupe was able to avoid most of the boggy terrain lower down. SPHP even found a way over the tributary of the South Fork of Campbell Creek without having to ford it again. By the time Lupe was getting close to the Powerline Trail again, the sun was disappearing behind the mountains far to the W beyond Cook Inlet.

The sun disappears on the W horizon behind mountains beyond Anchorage and Cook Inlet. The Knik Arm is seen on the R.

A final look back at the now distant big saddle between The Wedge (R) and The Ramp (L). Photo looks SE.

As Lupe and SPHP finally drew near the turn off the Powerline Trail leading to the Glenn Alps Trailhead, some of the lights of Anchorage came into view. Mountains were silhouetted against an orange sky beyond the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet.

Some of the lights of Anchorage came into view from the Powerline Trail. Photo looks NNW.

SPHP remembered there was a small hill near the upper Glenn Alps Trailhead parking lot where the G6 was. Why not spend a view extra minutes to climb it and get a sweeping view of the lights of the entire city of Anchorage? It sounded like a great idea!

Lupe never got to. Someone else had the same idea, and had already claimed both the hill and the view as their own. (10:33 PM)Note: The Glenn Alps Trailhead is on the SE edge of Anchorage. To get there, take O’Malley Road off Seward Highway going E toward the mountains. Turn R on Hillside Drive, L on Upper Huffman Road, and follow the signs to Toilsome Road. The upper trailhead parking lot is at the end of Toilsome Road.