New Year’s Eve Peak – Page 3 – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 41 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-31-12)

1:00 PM, start of USFS Road No. 257 just off Horse Creek Road (No. 243) – Been a while since Lupe had been here, more than 11 months, in fact. Way back on 1-29-12 on Expedition No. 3, the Carolina Dog had started from this same spot. She’d gone mountain climbing for the first time ever, intending to reach the top of Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.), but had ended up on Peak 6043, instead.

Back then, Lupe had seen a line of barren hills NE of here that looked like it might be fun to explore. For her final Black Hills, SD Expedition of 2012, the American Dingo was going to do just that! Exactly as she’d done on Expedition No. 3, Lupe headed N on USFS Road No. 257.

0.5 mile brought her to the junction where No. 257.1A split off to the W. That was the way she’d gone on Expedition No. 3, but Lupe continued N this time. The road curled around the E side of the first high point ahead, before turning W for a short distance. No. 257 then began a steady climb NNW up a long valley.

The road was gradually taking Lupe farther W than SPHP had intended. The Carolina Dog was skirting the W end of the barren hills region she was supposed to be exploring, but it seemed simpler to gain elevation following the road than to take off into much steeper terrain.

Nearly 2 miles from the start, No. 257 went over a forested pass between two hills. The peak to the E was now less than 250 feet higher. This was Lupe’s chance to get up there without much trouble. Leaving the road, she scrambled up a steep, slippery slope with ease, while SPHP clung from tree to tree trying to maintain traction on 0.5″ of snow covering loose pine needles.

Lupe came up near a 2 foot high wall of rock basking in the brilliant, weak warmth of 2012’s last afternoon. This line of rocks was along the W edge of a spacious summit region. Little could be seen to the N or E due to all the trees.

Part of the wall of rock along the W edge of the summit region. Photo looks N.

The high point was visible a little way off to the S. 2012 was still alive and well up here, the sun 2 hours from the horizon. An inch of pristine white snow hid a layer of pine needles, further brightening a mountaintop already illuminated by sunlight filtering through the pines.

Something in the slanting rays whispered of enchantment. Quiet, alone, undisturbed, this mountain had been waiting. Waiting countless days and starry nights, not long forgotten, but never even known, and those times having passed, were now as if they had never been. No one comes here – ever.

Yet on this final fading afternoon, magic had conjured an unanticipated wonder. A visitor! Lupe! The American Dingo had appeared as though foretold, or perhaps pre-destined, barely in time to beat some ancient deadline established in ages past for reasons beyond memory.

Turning S, Lupe prowled toward the high point.

Heading for the true summit. Photo looks N.

A big rock was the absolute high point. Nothing happened when Lupe got up on it. A breeze sighed amid the pines, otherwise stillness, silence. Although summoned, perhaps even the mountain had forgotten why?

Yet the spell remained unbroken. Gone was the desire to explore the barren hills. Maybe Lupe was supposed to stay here, simply watching, experiencing, appreciating the light and glory of 2012 before it vanished never to be seen again?

By the **true summit**, pondering the demise of 2012. Photo looks NW.

So Lupe and SPHP stayed, lingering while earth’s beautiful sun settled wearily in the SW. A whole year gone! 2012, the year Lupe had started her Black Hills expeditions, and climbed her first mountains. For some reason this lonely mountain, by now dubbed New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.), was destined to be the last of the bunch.

As 2012 slipped away, Lupe and SPHP shuffled back and forth between viewpoints. To the W was a narrow look at snowy hills similar to this one, to the S, a panoramic view of forested hills stretching away toward Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), South Dakota’s highest mountain.

**Harney Peak** (L), **Five Points (6,221 ft.)** (R of Center), and **False North Point (6,130 ft.)** (R). Photo looks S.

A profound brooding serenity at last gave way. Enough! While 2012 still lived and breathed, the barren hills were calling. Insufficient time for a thorough exploration, but Lupe could still experience the essence of what lurked there.

The American Dingo bid farewell to the true summit of New Year’s Eve Peak heading ESE through the forest. A steep descent into a deep valley appeared. Lupe started down, but SPHP was soon thinking that maybe this wasn’t the best way to go? Turning sharply back toward the WSW, Lupe climbed just enough to get up to a ridge S of the true summit.

Following this ridge S, Lupe traipsed along an intermittently rocky spine through pine forest, gradually losing elevation. The forest thinned after 0.33 mile as the ridge turned SE and broadened out. Lupe roamed in sunshine among rock outcroppings and clearings.

Lichens on a big rock S of New Year’s Eve Peak’s summit.

Roaming the S ridge. **Harney Peak** (R). Photo looks SSE.

The sky was clear as Lupe reached the barren hills. The Carolina Dog was high on the NW edge of the region, enjoying a commanding view to the S and E similar to the one from the top of New Year’s Eve Peak.

Frozen Sheridan Lake was in sight miles to the SE. Heading toward it, Lupe came to an open lower ridge with a series of big rock formations strung out along its crest.

**Sheridan Lake** (L of Center) with **Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.)** beyond it. Photo looks SE.

Frozen **Sheridan Lake** (Center). Photo looks SE.

Late afternoon. End of December. The barren hills glowed serenely, as if happy that Lupe had finally come to bask with them in the final silent sunlit moments of 2012.

Not much time left for exploring! Sunset imminent! Joyful in the fresh mountain air, Lupe sniffed all that she could as she wandered SE amid the rock formations.

**Peak 5800** (Center). Photo looks ESE.

Lupe soon left the rocky ridgeline, entering a valley to the E. Here, she turned S on a grassy slope in the shadow of the ridge she’d just left.

**Peak 5800** (L) from the spot where Lupe left the ridge. Photo looks ESE.

E side of the rock formation. Photo looks S.

Starting down the valley. **Harney Peak** (R). Photo looks S.

For a few fleeting minutes, Lupe made it back into the beautiful sunlight, but this was the end. By the time the Carolina Dog turned SW going over a low pass, 2012 glittered only from high points still able to glimpse the gleaming orb fleeing W.

Down, down to the black pines ahead! This next valley would take Lupe back to No. 257. Five Points (6,221 ft.) and False North Point (6,130 ft.) were the culprits looming to the SW, casting an early shadow over all.

**Five Points** (L of Center) and **False North Point** (R of Center). Photo looks SW.

4:48 PM, 14ºF, at the start of USFS Road No. 257 off Horse Creek Road – Twilight. A few stars already. Snow crunching underpaw, the dim trek back along No. 257 had been a time to reflect on all that Lupe had done in 2012. 41 Black Hills expeditions! The Carolina Dog’s first ever Dingo Vacation with Lanis clear to the W coast! So many adventures!

Sadly, 2012 was gone, or nearly so, about to steal away in the night. At the start of 2012, none of these adventures had even been dreamed of, but Lupe had high hopes now.

Tomorrow the golden sun would return, bringing 2013 in all its blazing glory! Another year of new mountains, new adventures, near and far! And maybe at the end of it all, an American Dingo would stand again atop the silent, magical summit of New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.).

In the **barren hills SE of New Year’s Eve Peak**, Black Hills of South Dakota 12-31-12

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 80 – New Year’s Eve Peak (3-23-14)

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 261 – Peak 5800 & New Year’s Eve Peak (12-31-20)

12:47 PM, 37ºF, junction of Hwy 385 & USFS Road No. 710 – A little late in the day to be starting out on a Black Hills expedition, but that was by design. Lupe was excited, though, and SPHP was too! As soon as SPHP was ready, the American Dingo headed SW into the forest. A skiff of snow was on the ground, somewhat surprising since the weather had been extremely dry and unseasonably warm for 2 months.

Loopster heads into the forest. Photo looks SW.

The slope quickly increased into a steady, relatively steep climb. Lupe was already most of the way up Peak 5800 when she began coming to minor rock outcroppings and shelves. Pausing briefly at a particularly open spot, she could see the rolling grasslands of the Bald Hills.

Glancing out over the **Bald Hills**. Photo looks NE.

The climb got easier near the end. Lupe reached Peak 5800’s big summit ridge near the SE high point. Heading SE, she lost a bit of elevation on the way to a few big rocks for a look at the views in this direction.

Part of Sheridan Lake, which looked frozen over, was in sight. Beyond the lake was Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.). Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.) and Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.) were easily recognizable, too.

At the SE end of Peak 5800’s summit ridge. **Sheridan Lake** (R) with **Calumet Ridge** beyond it. **Boulder Hill** (L) and **Silver Mountain** (L of Center). Photo looks SE.

Five Points (6,221 ft.) and False North Point (6,130 ft.) stood out to the SW.

**Five Points** (L) and **False North Point** (L of Center). Photo looks SW.

Turning back, Lupe headed NW for Peak 5800’s true summit, stopping at both the SE high point, and for a look at Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) along the way.

On **Peak 5800’s SE high point**. **True summit** (Center). **New Year’s Eve Peak** (L). Photo looks NW.

**Black Elk Peak** (L of Center). Photo looks S.

Traversing the summit ridge was easy. Lupe quickly reached the big gray rock formation near the NW end that constituted the true summit. Light green and charcoal gray lichens decorated the stone. Peak 5800 wasn’t as high as New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.), Loopster’s ultimate destination today, but the views here were actually better, since they were much more open.

At the **true summit of Peak 5800**. Photo looks NW.

Enjoying the open views from **Peak 5800’s true summit**. **Bald Hills** (L). Photo looks E.

Among other sights, New Year’s Eve Peak itself was visible nearly 2 miles NW as the crow flies. Today’s late start had been driven by the intention of letting Loopster say good-bye to the Year of Perfect Vision over there. A glorious sunset was hoped for, but the completely overcast sky was not encouraging.

**New Year’s Eve Peak** (Center) from Peak 5800. Photo looks NW.

However, all was not lost. The cloud cover appeared to be rather thin. Would take a while to get over to New Year’s Eve Peak, so maybe there was still a chance a decent sunset would materialize? 10 minutes at the true summit of Peak 5800, and the American Dingo continued on.

The NW face of Peak 5800 was quite steep and very rocky. A little better more toward the W. This was Lupe’s 3rd time on Peak 5800. She’d come down this way each time, but the descent seemed trickier than SPHP remembered it. Might have gotten a little off course somewhere along the line this time around.

Descending the W face. **Scruton Mountain (5,922ft.)** (L). Photo looks NNW.

Fortunately, Lupe didn’t have to lose an awful lot of elevation here. Even so, the descent took longer than expected. By the time Looper reached much easier terrain, she had some good news! Patches of blue sky were appearing and seemed to be spreading. Weak sunlight illuminated golden fields ahead.

Looking back at **Peak 5800** after getting past the steep, rocky part of the descent. Photo looks E.

The golden trek ahead. **Peak 5917** (Center) with forested **New Year’s Eve Peak** behind it and slightly to the L. Photo looks NW.

Blue skies over **Peak 5800**. Photo looks ESE.

The journey through the sunlit fields was as gorgeous and fun as it was easy. This region was a longtime favorite. Ever since Lupe first climbed New Year’s Eve Peak on the last day of 2012, she had been coming here near the end of every year. Poor weather often prevented Loop from returning right on December 31st, but she had usually been able to get here within a day or two.

The American Dingo roamed freely, having a blast as SPHP pondered this tradition and the sad imminent demise of the Year of Perfect Vision. Two years since Lupe had come this way! In 2019, SPHP had been far too sick to make the journey. Great to be back! Lupe hated fireworks, and this annual trek to New Year’s Eve Peak was her much preferred method of celebrating New Year’s Eve. Beauty, solitude, and freedom!

By the time Loop made it to Pistol Point, hopes for a glorious sunset were fading fast. Obliterating all blue sky in its path, a thicker bank of clouds was sweeping in from the NW. Still not darkly overcast, but the sun was already reduced to a mere bright spot in the clouds.

**Peak 5917** (L) and **Peak 5800** (R) from **Pistol Point**. Photo looks E.

**New Year’s Eve Peak** (Center) from Pistol Point. Photo looks NNW.

Only 0.5 mile to go! Leaving Pistol Point, Lupe headed W across open ground, but was soon turning N along New Year’s Eve Peak’s S ridge. The ridge was narrow, rocky, and thickly forested. Some up and down along the way, but nothing major. Before long, Loop was coming up the S slope.

3:56 PM – For the 8th time in her life, and 3rd time right on New Year’s Eve, Lupe stood atop the true summit boulder on New Year’s Eve Peak. Perfect timing!

All to no avail. Somewhere the sun was still up, but not for long. Clearly, no sunset, whether grand and glorious or otherwise, was in the cards. The sky was a uniform light gray, the mood merely a chilly, blah nothing. Not a ray of sunshine anywhere. Entirely out of character, New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) felt neither like the end, nor the beginning, of anything.

A disappointing end to 2020, the Year of Perfect Vision.

A few years ago, loggers had come and thinned out some of the pines to the S, both creating a mess and opening up the views, which used to be very limited. Young pines were already growing all around the summit boulder. A few more years, and the views would be vanishing again.

On the **true summit** boulder of **New Year’s Eve Peak**. Photo looks SW.

Before doing anything else, Lupe and SPHP performed a ritual task in keeping with tradition. Sitting together, a short break was taken facing W. Taste of the Wild, a couple of shared chocolate coconut bars, and an apple disappeared. Quite a bit of territory was in sight, looking snowier and more wintery than seemed justified at the end of a December so warm and dry.

In the past, Lupe had always arrived here earlier in the day. In fact, she’d always completed her New Year’s Eve Peak tour well before the sun went down. By sunset she was on her way back to the G6, out in open country where the final gleaming rays and dazzling colors of the dying year could be better appreciated.

Knowing that the sun was already on the horizon, but unable to glimpse it, simply felt wrong. No moment of anticipation. Nothing was going to happen. What was the point?

None really, except to maintain the tradition, to be here together as whatever remaining light of the old year faded, to remember the year that had been.

Grandma finally moved this year. Then months spent working on her house getting it ready to sell. The sale itself, which went so fast. The last of more than 1,000 trips to the cul-de-sac. Then summer. A late start to it, but Lupe had climbed some fabulous peaks, among them some of the highest she had ever been to. An early end to those happy times, as the smoke of countless wildfires blanketed and obscured the W. Through it all, the trials of Covid-19 which had prevented the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood from returning to Canada and Alaska.

Each day is precious, unique, never to return. Lupe and SPHP stirred. A quick New Year’s Eve Peak summit tour was in order, even if other plans had been denied.

**Black Elk Peak** (L), **Five Points** (R) with **Sylvan Hill (7,000 ft.)** beyond it.

**Silver Mountain** (L) and **Calumet Ridge** beyond **Sheridan Lake** (R). Photo looks SE with help from the telephoto lens.

Done. Mission complete. Onward! Puppy, ho!

Ironic. By the time the flashlight had to come out, stars were twinkling above. So where did all those infernal clouds go? The Dingo didn’t care. No brilliant sunset before 2020 vanished forever? So what? Peak 5800 and New Year’s Eve Peak! She’d had a great time. (End, 6:00 PM, 32ºF)

At home, dinner then early to bed, very early. For hours, Lupe laid close to SPHP for protection while sporadic fireworks boomed in the night. With each thud, the Carolina Dog glanced up in fear and wonder. Near exhaustion and final collapse, the Year of Perfect Vision was still hanging on, still fending off the dread uncertainties of 2021.

Oh, don’t worry about it, Loopster! Gonna be OK! You’ll still be climbing mountains in 2021. You might as well enjoy that Busy Rib Hide!

Stroking her soft fur, SPHP gave Lupe another kiss. Reassured yet again, the American Dingo went back to chomping away.