11:30 AM, start of USFS Road No. 203 off Rochford Road – What? Totally unexpected! A crew was doing some kind of maintenance work on USFS Road No. 203, the very road SPHP had chosen for today’s expedition in light of Cousin Dusty’s need for a relatively easy experience.
Fortunately, the maintenance work wasn’t a big deal. Merely a culvert being replaced. After waiting just a couple of minutes, the friendly two man crew waved Lupe and the pack by without further delay. No. 203 soon curved around a hillside, blotting out the sound of the machinery busily digging a trench for the new culvert.
Only two days ago, it had felt like winter up at frozen Sylvan Lake, all cold and gray with snow on the ground. Springtime today, though! Sunny and comfortably warm with a clear blue sky overhead.
The plan was to escort Uncle Joe, and Cousins Dusty and Laddie up the scenic, gentle Gimlet Creek valley. It was a perfect choice, since Dusty was now nearly 16 years old. The objective, to the extent there was one, and provided Dusty could manage it, was to visit Gimlet Pond 2.5 miles up the valley.
Cousin Dusty has always enjoyed water, and soon availed herself of an opportunity to cool off in Gimlet Creek.
No. 203 proceeded NNW up the valley with little variation in course. Elevation gain was slow, but steady.
The valley eventually widened out. When a single track trail closer to the creek appeared, everyone abandoned the road for a while to march through a field.
The day was getting warmer. Dusty and Lupe started taking frequent dips in Gimlet Creek. Laddie drank a little water, but preferred not to get his fancy, long thick coat wet.
Near the N end of the field, Gimlet Creek flowed right over USFS Road No. 203. The road climbed more steeply from here, soon passing a small rise on the L (W). Briefly leaving the road, everyone went up onto the rise, which provided a great view back down the valley.
Although Dusty still seemed to be doing fine, Joe was beginning to think that maybe this was far enough. However, Lupe had explored this valley on at least a couple of different occasions. It had been years since she’d last been here, but SPHP was almost certain Gimlet Pond wasn’t all that much farther now.
In that case, Joe was fine with letting Dusty continue. Beyond the rise, now on the W side of the valley, the road flattened out entirely. Several deer had been seen in the big field, but many were now visible racing across the N end of the valley ahead, close to where Gimlet Pond should be. More and more deer kept appearing until nearly 100 of them must have dashed by.
As expected, it didn’t take much longer to reach Gimlet Pond, yet not a deer was in sight by the time Lupe got there. The lovely pond was just as she remembered it. Cousin Dusty went wading almost right away.
Everyone except Dusty crossed the bridge over the outlet to get a look at Gimlet Pond from along the N shore. Dusty merely waded through the pond. Loopster soon decided she might as well go wading, too. As usual, Laddie showed no interest in getting wet.
12:42 PM – About time to let Dusty rest for a while, so a break was taken on a small hill overlooking Gimlet Pond from the S. Looking down the Gimlet Creek valley, Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) was visible far to the SSE.
Sitting in the shade of the pines, Joe and SPHP had Kind bars and apples while the dogs shared a couple of chocolate coconut bars. Lupe also had some Taste of the Wild, which Cousin Dusty shared in, too.
Oh, it was great to be here at Gimlet Pond on a lovely spring day! Lupe and SPHP were happy that Cousin Dusty had made it in good shape.
Toward the end of the rest break, Uncle Joe took an interest in the field W of the hill. Looked like it might be a good place to look for signs of old Native American encampments, so the whole pack went down there to have a sniff around.
Joe found nothing in the field. Further investigation down by the creek yielded the same result, but it was fun to look.
Well, soon time to head back. Happily, still another 2.5 miles of fun in the Black Hills along Gimlet Creek to go. Better savor every moment! Tomorrow, Joe, Andrea, Dusty and Laddie would return to Colorado.
Cousin Dusty was a veteran of many Black Hills expeditions with Lupe. On the way back, it was sad to think that at nearly 16, this might be her last one. Dusty had done great! Clearly, she was still enjoying herself. Cousin Dusty always did love the Black Hills where she was free to roam without a leash, a rare treat in crowded Colorado.
By the time it was all over and done with, Dusty had gone more than 5 miles. Sylvan Lake, the Custer State Park buffalo hunt, and now Gimlet Pond! Lupe and SPHP were so glad that Joe, Dusty, and Laddie had come to visit, and especially hoped that Cousin Dusty would make it back to the beautiful Black Hills again some day.
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