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

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

10:39 AM, 31°F – Intersection of USFS Road No. 710 & Hwy 385, a few miles S of Pactola Reservoir

Lupe was off to a late start, but for a good reason – two good reasons, actually. Last week’s Expedition No. 79 – The Snow Trek, had been an 11 hour in the field ordeal, and subsequent complete social fiasco. Big Sid, the neighbor’s dog who had been joining Lupe on recent expeditions, had been returned home late – 10 PM, and totally exhausted. Though Loop recovered quickly, Sidney had hardly been able to move for days afterward.

The neighbors were not amused. They’d been worried sick about Sidney being gone so long. Apparently Big Sid had a curfew. Who knew? Sid’s exhausted condition had earned SPHP the rather unflattering nickname “Dog Killer”. Sidney wasn’t going to be allowed to join Lupe on her expeditions any more. SPHP hadn’t even bothered checking this morning whether there had been a change of heart. Back to the old ways – just SPHP and Loop from now on.

So after The Snow Trek fiasco, something less arduous had sounded good to get back into the swing of things again. Rushing off early for another super long day wasn’t in the cards this time around.

The other reason Lupe was off to a late start was that it had been only 6°F when she’d gotten up. No sense in following up The Snow Trek with the Frozen Solid Trek was there? Lupe’s adventures are supposed to be fun, not dubious episodes of “Survivor”. Although Lupe had been eager to get going, SPHP had insisted on hanging around the house for a few hours letting the day warm up.

At any rate, Lupe was here now, and happy to be out and about again. She trotted W on USFS Road No. 710, following it gradually up a forested valley. A dusting of new snow that had fallen overnight was unspoiled, showing no tracks. Snow was plentiful, but not nearly as plentiful as it had been in the higher hills W of Nahant last week.

After going a mile, Lupe reached the upper end of the valley. Here the road leveled out as it went through an open forest of large, beautiful pines. Beyond the pines was barren ground, all clean and white beneath a blanket of snow. Lupe saw a big white hill (High Point 5217) only 0.33 mile away to the W.

Lupe on USFS Road No. 710 after passing through the open forest of tall pines at the upper end of the valley. Photo looks NE.

After emerging from the forest at the upper end of the mile long valley, USFS Road No. 710 headed into a barren area where the forest had burned years ago. Blue skies and the white snow made everything look clean, bright and cheerful. High Point 5917 is the hill on the R. Photo looks W.

This barren area must have burned in a forest fire many years ago. The dazzling white snow beneath the blue sky made everything look bright and cheerful. Lupe stayed on No. 710 as it curved to the S. The road soon circled back to the SE, passing through another stand of tall pines on the way.

By the time No. 710 emerged from this second stand of trees, Lupe was gaining elevation again. Off to the N was a smaller, snowy hill. The American Dingo left the road to climb it. From here, Lupe could see much more of the burn area. With so few trees around, she was treated to a panoramic view to the S and W, a rare sight in the mostly heavily forested central Black Hills.

Looking SW from the small hill N of the road, Lupe could see quite an extensive area that had burned years ago. Small pines were growing, indicating the forest will eventually take over again. In the meantime, the panoramic views were great!

**Harney Peak (7,242 ft.)**, the highest mountain in South Dakota, was in view from the hill Lupe was on. Photo looks S.

To the SE, Peak 5800 was in view only 0.5 mile away. Earlier, SPHP had been thinking maybe Lupe should climb it. However, the day was now so nice out that greater ambitions had started to set in. SPHP had visions of Lupe making it all the way to Old Bald Peak (6,130 ft.).

Peak 5800 was in view only 0.5 mile away from the small hill. Earlier, SPHP had been thinking maybe Lupe should climb it today. By now, though, SPHP had a grander vision that Lupe might make it all the way W to Old Bald Peak instead. Photo looks SE at Peak 5800.

The views were so wonderful from this small hill, that it seemed to make sense for Lupe to head W up to High Point 5917, the first snowy hill she had seen. High Point 5917 was considerably higher than where Lupe was now, so the views should be even better over there. Furthermore, High Point 5917 was on the way to Old Bald Peak, if Lupe was really going that far.

So instead of continuing SE to climb Peak 5800, Lupe went S back down to the road and started following it NW. She passed through the second grove of trees again, then kept going NW, leaving the road and ultimately climbing all the way to the top of High Point 5917.

No doubt about it, the views were even better here!

Looking back at Peak 5800 (L) from High Point 5917. The smaller hill Lupe had been on earlier is the closest hill on the far L. Part of Sheridan Lake is seen as a patch of white in the distance on the R. Photo looks SE.

Harney Peak again. This time as seen from High Point 5917. Photo looks S.

Lupe on High Point 5917 in happy expectation of some kind of treat or attention from SPHP as a reward for having reached such a lofty height.

After enjoying the terrific views from High Point 5917, Lupe left going SW down the hill. She lost a couple hundred feet of elevation on the way down to a saddle leading over to the next ridge. Right away, she had to regain nearly all of the elevation she had just lost. When she arrived up at the first real high point on the next ridge, SPHP recognized this place.

Lupe had been here before, way back on Expedition No. 41. This ridge would go a little farther W, and then turn N on its way up to Peak 6046 about 0.5 mile away. Lupe had come down this way on Expedition No. 41 after climbing Peak 6046 by another route. It had been the last day of 2012, which was how Peak 6046 had become privately known as New Year’s Eve Peak (6046 ft.).

Returning to New Year’s Eve Peak was an appealing idea. 2014 wasn’t exactly new anymore, but there was still snow on the ground and the year was still young! Lupe set off to the W, following the ridgeline as it curved N. The final climb up the S slope was a little steep, but soon Lupe was back on New Year’s Eve Peak again.

Lupe back on top of New Year’s Eve Peak for the first time since the end of 2012. Photo looks N.

It hadn’t taken all that long to get here, but the mood of the day had changed by the time Lupe reached the top of the mountain. The blue skies were gone. Gray clouds hung low over the hills. A chill light breeze blew in from the NE.

Lupe and SPHP sat together looking at the view to the W. Lupe had some Taste of the Wild. SPHP ate an apple. Old Bald Peak was still 2.5 miles off to the WSW. It was easy to see Lupe would have to lose hundreds of feet of elevation again to continue any farther W. Then it would be up and down all the way to Old Bald Peak.

In the end, SPHP decided the change in weather meant Lupe shouldn’t continue W looking for Old Bald Peak. Instead, the original idea of climbing Peak 5800 returned. It was much closer to where the G6 was parked.

Even that never happened. After leaving New Year’s Eve Peak, Lupe made it all the way back E to the NW face of Peak 5800. By then, the mountaintops were all hidden in the clouds. Beneath the dark, foggy sky, the gloom was thicker than ever. Tiny snowflakes fell. The top of Peak 5800 was no more than 200 feet higher, but Lupe would have to start by climbing a slippery snow-covered boulder field.

SPHP hesitated. Snowflakes swirled in the cold breeze. Maybe this wasn’t the day for Peak 5800, either.

And that was it. Lupe and SPHP left the mountain. Lupe took a shortcut going N down a long slope through a snowy forest. On the way, she heard gunfire. Now she was desperate for SPHP’s protection. SPHP urged her onward. Lupe reached USFS Road No. 710 again. Still, she didn’t feel safe until she was back in the G6 (3:07 PM, 32°F).

Barely 4.5 hours. Not much of an expedition compared to The Snow Trek ordeal a week ago. Too bad big Sid hadn’t been along today, he would have loved it! The shorter day would have been better suited to his needs. Who knew, though, if Big Sid would ever come along again?

As for Lupe, she hadn’t made it back to Old Bald Peak (which she had visited once before) or to the top of Peak 5800, but maybe she still would some day. At least, she’d had a good time, and seen some beautiful sights. And whether the calendar said it was the right day for it or not, she had enjoyed her journey back to the cold, lonely summit of New Year’s Eve Peak.

Harney Peak is seen in the distance between pine trees on the summit of New Year’s Eve Peak. Photo looks S.

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition

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

Expedition No. 112 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-31-14)

Expedition No. 147 – Silver Peak & Old Bald Peak (11-24-15)

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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 221 – Peak 5800 & New Year’s Eve Peak (1-7-18)

Start – Intersection of Hwy 385 & USFS Road No. 710, 10:26 AM, 40°F

Lupe was late, a whole week late, but it wasn’t her fault. She’d spent the last several days of 2017 in the Denver area visiting babies Felix and Owen, and having adventures with cousin Dusty. The weather had been frigid, anyway, in the Black Hills. It was still 5 below zero when Lupe returned home on New Year’s Eve 2017, and that was the high on New Year’s Day 2018.

Loop had climbed Peak 6046 for the first time on New Year’s Eve 2012 way back when she was barely 2 years old. Since then, returning near the end of each year or the beginning of the next, had evolved into a tradition. As far as the American Dingo and SPHP were concerned, Peak 6046 had become New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.). Now, even though Lupe was a week late, returning to New Year’s Eve Peak seemed like a must for her first Black Hills, SD Expedition of 2018.

It’s odd that it would matter, but this year felt a bit different due to the later date. SPHP decided to shake things up a bit. Lupe would take a slightly different route from her favorite one in recent years. Instead of following USFS Road No. 710 W up a valley N of Peak 5800, Lupe would start by climbing Peak 5800 instead. She’d only been on Peak 5800 once before. She’d climbed the mountain from the W after visiting New Year’s Eve Peak first on New Year’s Day 2016.

Lupe didn’t care what route SPHP wanted to try. The Carolina Dog was just glad that it was finally warm enough to go out on an expedition in the hills! So instead of taking USFS Road No. 710, SPHP had her skip the road entirely and head SW straight for Peak 5800.

Lupe starts out for **Peak 5800** on her first Black Hills, SD Expedition of 2018! Photo looks WSW.

Despite the recent bitter cold temperatures, this part of the Black Hills hadn’t received much snow so far this winter. Several inches blanketed the NE slopes of Peak 5800, but that was only half as much as Lupe was used to seeing in this area in recent years.

Without any definite route in mind, Lupe and SPHP wandered up the mountain. Peak 5800 has two NE ridges. Looper soon chanced upon on the one farthest S, which ultimately leads to the lower SE part of the big main summit ridge. The Carolina Dog was in snowy forest most of the way up. As she got higher, she started coming to rock formations, some of which provided decent viewpoints.

At one of the rock formations Lupe reached early in her ascent. The large patch of prairie below is known as the **Bald Hills**. Photo looks ENE.

Loopster had a good view of several mountains she was familiar with from this snowy ledge. **Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.)** is on the horizon at Center. **Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.)** is to the L. Part of frozen **Sheridan Lake** is straight up from Lupe’s head. The high point beyond the lake is **Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.)**. Photo looks SE.

Lupe astride a particularly rocky point on the way up **Peak 5800**‘s southernmost NE ridge. Photo looks SW.

Lupe reached the top of Peak 5800’s long, broad summit ridge near a high point close to its SE end. This high point wasn’t the true summit, which was still some distance to the NW. Since the broad ridge isn’t heavily forested, Loop already enjoyed some rather nice panoramas.

Loop on a handy Dingo display rock near the lower SE end of **Peak 5800’s summit ridge**. **Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.)** (L) and **Five Points (6,221 ft.)** (R) are in view. Photo looks SSW.

Looking SE again. In the distance are **Silver Mountain** (Center), **Boulder Hill** (L) and **Calumet Ridge** (R, beyond **Sheridan Lake**).

A cheerful Dingo with a grand view of her Black Hills from **Peak 5800** on the first expedition of 2018. What a glorious, huge dog park! Photo looks SW.

Lupe at the highest point at the SE end of **Peak 5800’s summit ridge**. The true summit is in view beyond her. **New Year’s Eve Peak** is the highest distant forested hill on the L. Photo looks NW.

After a look around from the SE end of the summit ridge, Looper sniffed her way NW to the true summit. An easy 10 minute stroll and she was there.

Loopster reaches the true summit of **Peak 5800**! The Seth Bullock fire lookout tower is just visible on **Scruton Mountain (5,922 ft.)** (L). Photo looks NNW with some help from the telephoto lens.

The Seth Bullock fire lookout tower on **Scruton Mountain** (L) is easily seen in this photo. **Custer Peak (6,804 ft.)** is the pointy peak R of Center. Photo looks NNW with lots of help from the telephoto lens.

Looking SE back along **Peak 5800**‘s broad summit ridge. Sheridan Lake is on the R.

Looking WSW from the summit of **Peak 5800**.

The sweeping views from Peak 5800 were actually grander than what Lupe would see from New Year’s Eve Peak, but Loop was still going on. A chilly W breeze encouraged her not to linger too long at Peak 5800’s summit. She left it heading W, and was soon picking her way down through boulders on the mountain’s W face.

Looking back at **Peak 5800** after picking a way down through the boulders on the mountain’s W face. Photo looks E.

Once below the boulder field, Lupe and SPHP headed NW across rolling fields and hills. This is a favorite area. A fire had burned the forest here years ago. Young pines now dot the landscape in some places, but most of the terrain is grassy. Sharp rock formations exist scattered along the edge of high ground overlooking territory that slopes S down toward the Horse Creek valley.

Lupe on one of the sharp rock formations along the edge of the higher ground. Photo looks W.

Looking S. **Black Elk Peak** (L), **Five Points** (R) and **False North Point** (far R) are in view.

Approaching High Point 5917 from the SE, Lupe rejoined her usual route to New Year’s Eve Peak. She turned W staying S of High Point 5917, and crossed a saddle leading to the SE end of New Year’s Eve Peak’s S ridge. On the W side of the saddle she faced two steep snowy climbs in succession. Neither was particularly long, but the first one was both longest and steepest.

Looper reached Pistol Point, a traditional stopping point on the way to New Year’s Eve Peak. SPHP had named it Pistol Point after a large rock that looks like the handle of a big pistol jutting up out of the ground. The Carolina Dog could see the top of New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) from here.

Lupe on one of the large rocks in the **Pistol Point** area. The forested summit of **New Year’s Eve Peak** (Center) is seen beyond her. Photo looks NNW.

View to the W from **Pistol Point**. **Pistol Point** is the high point at the SE end of **New Year Eve Peak**‘s S ridge, and a favorite stopping point.

Looper stands next to the pistol handle at **Pistol Point**. Photo looks E.

After climbing around on the rocks checking out the views from Pistol Point, Lupe headed W. She was already on New Year’s Eve Peak’s S ridge, which soon swept around to the N. The ridge became narrower, rockier, and more heavily forested as Lupe continued on, before finally widening out again upon reaching New Year’s Eve Peak’s upper S slope.

A few more minutes and Lupe was there, standing atop the boulder at the summit of New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.).

Looper on **New Year’s Eve Peak**‘s summit boulder. This was her 5th ascent of the mountain. Photo looks WSW.

On top of **New Year’s Eve Peak**. A cairn can be seen behind Lupe. The cairn wasn’t here the first time Lupe climbed the mountain on 12-31-12. She had seen it for the first time on her 1-1-16 ascent. Photo looks N.

The first two times Lupe had climbed New Year’s Eve Peak, the summit area had all been heavily forested. It had been hard to get much more than a glimpse of a view in any direction. New Year’s Eve Peak used to have a shady, dark, gloomy feel to it, an atmosphere which fit in with being here alone at the end of a dying year.

Sometime during 2015, loggers had come. When Lupe had arrived on New Year’s Day 2016, the S end of the summit area and part of the S slope below it had been cleared. Lots of slash and dead logs had been left to stumble around upon. The affected area was relatively small, but the logging created good, open views to the S and SE. Ever since then, the summit has been brighter and cheerier.

Somehow Lupe and SPHP preferred it the old way, yet that didn’t mean there was any reason not to take a look around.

Looking SE from **New Year’s Eve Peak**. **Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.)** (Center) is seen beyond Sheridan Lake. **Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.)** is on the L, and **Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.)** on the far L.

A chilly 20 mph W wind was blowing. It had been 40°F when Lupe and SPHP left the G6 this morning. It didn’t feel like the day had warmed up a bit since then. Lupe and SPHP sat huddled together at the W edge of the summit facing the cold wind, pondering the beautiful winter scene, the passage of 2017, and start of 2018.

Looking WSW with some help from the telephoto lens.

Lupe munched on Taste of the Wild. She had been eating snow, and didn’t want any water. SPHP hadn’t brought anything else.

It’s funny what the mind is capable of. Every other time Loop had been here, the mood had been melancholy, especially when she’d been here right on New Year’s Eve. There was something psychologically depressing about watching the sun sink toward the horizon, and the light of day disappear for the last time on a year that had been part of the unknown future not so long ago. A year now rapidly passing away never to be seen or experienced again.

The years when Loop had been here on New Year’s Day instead of right on New Year’s Eve, some of that sadness still lingered. However, it was already being counterbalanced to a degree by the hope, brilliance and excitement of the new year just beginning.

Perhaps it was partially because Lupe was here earlier in the day today than on previous years, while the sun was still relatively high in the sky. As the Carolina Dog and SPHP sat facing the cold wind, it no longer felt possible to truly mourn the passing of 2017. Surprisingly, with only 2% of 2018 now history, the new year no longer seemed quite as completely bright and shiny as it had been a week ago, either. The mind had already made the adjustment and moved on.

It only felt cold. And like Lupe really had arrived late. Not terribly late, but late. It was good to be here, though, together again, on top of New Year’s Eve Peak peering out at the quiet, familiar wintry scene last gazed upon a little more than a year ago. Loopster’s 2018 adventures were now underway. That was a good thing. 2017 had been a fabulous year, and 2018 was still a 98% clean slate with many adventures to come. Her annual pilgrimage to New Year’s Eve Peak complete, Lupe was ready to press on.

Puppy ho! She was right, no sense sitting in the cold wind too long. Lupe returned briefly to the summit boulder.

Loop on **New Year’s Eve Peak**‘s summit boulder once again. Photo looks N.

Even though this year’s experience wasn’t quite the same, coming here today had been better late than never. Lupe and SPHP bid farewell to New Year’s Eve Peak, promising to return again, hopefully right when New Year’s Eve finally rolled around again many adventures from now. Then Lupe led the way down the mountain’s S slope to retrace her route along the S ridge back to Pistol Point.

On a ledge early on the way down the S slope. Photo looks W.

At an opening along **New Year’s Eve Peak**‘s upper S slope. Photo looks WSW.

Lupe reaches the transition point between the S slope and S ridge. Photo looks S.

**Peak 5800** (Center) from rocks near **Pistol Point**. Photo looks ESE.

It felt good to be moving again. Lower down the W wind was demoted to a mere breeze. The slanting afternoon sunlight highlighted details of the terrain. Growing shadows added contrast. All the way back to the G6, Lupe ran and played in a beautiful world. 2018 was finally off to a good start! (3:42 PM, 33 °F)

Looking S from the S slopes of **High Point 5917**.

On USFS Road No. 710 taking the traditional route back to the G6. **High Point 5917** is on the R. Photo looks W.

Links:

Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition

Expedition No. 187 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-30-16)

Expedition No. 242 – New Year’s Eve Peak, Peak 6070 & Peak 6043 (12-17-18)

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

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 187 – New Year’s Eve Peak (12-30-16)

A few miles S of Pactola Reservoir, SPHP parked the G6 at the junction of Hwy 385 and USFS Road No. 710 (11:55 AM, 50°F). Lupe was early, a whole day early. The weather dictated her timing. It was 50°F out! Tomorrow would be 15°F cooler, and New Year’s Day colder yet. No sense waiting another day, only to suffer in the cold, when this afternoon was going to be so nice!

Lupe and SPHP set off following USFS Road No. 710. At least 6″ of snow was down here in the shadow of Peak 5800. The snowy road went W for nearly a mile up a long draw. Other than a few animal tracks, the snow was pristine. No one comes here this time of year. Lupe ran sniffing around in the forest.

New Year’s Eve Peak (6,046 ft.) was Lupe’s destination. The mountain’s name is a private one. Officially, no name is shown on the maps. Lupe was on her 4th trip to the mountain. She had first climbed it on the last day of 2012, which was how it got it’s name. Two years later, she returned on the last day of 2014. Since then, climbing New Year’s Eve Peak on or close to the last day of each year has become a Lupe tradition.

The scenic part of the journey starts as USFS Road No. 710 reaches the upper end of the long draw, and enters a thin forest of tall pines. The road starts to curve S here. Soon there are views of open country ahead.

Lupe on USFS Road No. 710 as it reaches the thin forest of tall pines at the upper end of the draw. Here, the road begins to curve S. Photo looks W.

In only a few minutes, Lupe was beyond the thin forest of tall pines. She followed No. 710 S for a little way into open country, then left the road to climb gradually up through a snowy field toward higher ground to the SW. She reached a minor ridge from which she had nice views of white hills and valleys toward the S and W.

Lupe reaches the minor ridge SW of the tall, thin forest. **Five Points (6,221 ft.)** is the wavy ridge in the distance on the L. Photo looks SSW.

From here, Lupe would pass over the hill seen on the R on her way to the higher hill on the L. The higher hill is privately known as Pistol Point. Photo looks WNW.

The vast majority of the Black Hills is thickly forested with Ponderosa pines. One of the fun things about going to New Year’s Eve Peak is that Lupe gets to travel along quite a bit of high ground that burned in a forest fire years ago. Consequently, there are open views along the route, which is unusual for most Black Hills territory.

From the minor ridge, Lupe headed for Pistol Point, the highest ground she would reach in the open territory on her way to New Year’s Eve Peak. To get there, she skirted to the S of High Point 5917, crossed a saddle to the W, and made a steep double climb up to the end of the ridge that sweeps down to the S and then SE from New Year’s Eve Peak. The high point at the end of this ridge is Pistol Point.

Lupe reaches the rock formations at Pistol Point. New Year’s Eve Peak is the high point seen in the distance beyond her. Photo looks NW.

**Peak 5800** is the semi-bare high hill at Center. Lupe started her expedition from the valley to the N (L) of Peak 5800. Photo looks ESE from Pistol Point.

Looking W from Pistol Point. Lupe would continue on toward the closest small hill, then turn R (N) to follow the ridgeline to New Year’s Eve Peak.

From Pistol Point, Lupe lost a little elevation going W to the closest small hill, then turned N to follow the long ridge leading up to New Year’s Eve Peak. This ridge is fairly narrow, with rock outcroppings and various small prominences along the way. Lupe went over all of them, and started the final climb up New Year’s Eve Peak.

Lupe sits on a big rock she reached not too far below the summit of New Year’s Eve Peak. Photo looks NW.

**Peak 6070** is in the distance on the L. Photo looks NW.

Lupe reached the top of New Year’s Eve Peak. She had returned to say good-bye to another year, even if she was a day early. She hopped up on the highest rock on the mountain, near a small cairn.

Looking WSW. The small summit cairn is in view.

The first two times Lupe had been to New Year’s Eve Peak, on the last day of both 2012 and 2014, the top of the mountain had all been heavily forested. However, when she’d returned on New Year’s Day in 2016, there had been a big change. The upper S slope of the mountain had been heavily logged. Now there are good views toward the S.

After tagging the summit, Lupe went to take a look at Harney Peak (7,242 ft.), the highest mountain in South Dakota.

Lupe stands at the S end of the summit area on New Year’s Eve Peak. Harney Peak, the highest mountain in South Dakota is visible on the R. Two years ago, the area where Lupe is standing was heavily forested. Back then it was difficult to get even a glimpse of Harney Peak. Sometime in 2015, this part of the mountain was heavily logged. Photo looks S.

After a quick look at Harney Peak, it was time for a break. Lupe went over to the W edge of the summit area. Sitting huddled together for a while, Lupe and SPHP contemplated the snowy view to the W.

Lupe perches on a rock at the W edge of the summit area. Lupe and SPHP took a break just below this rock. Photo looks W.

The snowy view Lupe and SPHP contemplated from New Year’s Eve Peak a day before 2016 drew to a close. Photo looks WNW.

The feeling wasn’t quite the same as when Lupe has been to New Year’s Eve Peak before. After all, there was still one more day to go in 2016. Somehow that one extra day still to come (due to 2016 being a Leap Year!) did seem to make a little difference. There wasn’t yet quite that same sense of finality, even though 2016 had less than 34 hours left before drawing to a close.

Even so, it was a time to reflect on 2016, the fast fading year gone by. Lupe’s 2016 had started right here on New Year’s Day. She’d gone on 38 great Black Hills expeditions during the year. She’d met mountaineer Jobe Wymore, and gone with him to the Wildcat Hills of Nebraska at the start of April. She’d made a trip to the Laramie Mountains in late spring, and climbed Cloud Peak, the highest mountain in the Bighorn Range in Wyoming in July.

Lupe had even spent a day at Kabekona Lake in northern Minnesota in October. And, of course, there had been her huge 41 day Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon and Alaska where she’d had so many excellent adventures.

Yes, Lupe had been one lucky Carolina Dog in 2016! Sadly, now it was all over and done.

A cool N breeze was blowing. The temperature had dropped considerably since Lupe had left the G6. Off to the NW, dark clouds were on the far horizon, but were on their way. Just like 2016, Lupe’s time on New Year’s Eve Peak was almost over. Lupe went to see the views to the S again.

Harney Peak (R of Center) from New Year’s Eve Peak. Photo looks S.

**Boulder Hill (5,331 ft.)** is the knob on the L. **Silver Mountain (5,405 ft.)** is the bare hill at Center straight up from Lupe. Frozen Sheridan Lake is on the R, with **Calumet Ridge (5,601 ft.)** beyond it. Lupe had seen a mountain lion on **Bluelead Mountain (5,170 ft.)** near Calumet ridge on Leap Day 2016! Photo looks SE.

Boulder Hill(L) and Silver Mountain(R). Photo looks SE using the telephoto lens.

Harney Peak(R). Photo looks S using the telephoto lens.

Before leaving New Year’s Eve Peak, Lupe returned briefly to the summit.

It was time to start back. Lupe started down the mountain, retracing the route she had taken to New Year’s Eve Peak.

Lupe starts down New Year’s Eve Peak. She has barely left the summit here. Evidently, something was hiding among these rocks. Lupe clambered all over them, sniffing excitedly for 10 minutes before she was willing to give up the hunt. SPHP never saw whatever had caught her attention. Photo looks N.

Going down the S ridge. The ridge becomes much narrower and rockier than this a short distance farther ahead. In some places, Lupe encountered snow drifts 2 feet deep. Photo looks S.

Approaching Pistol Point. Pistol Point is another privately named location. The name comes from the rock near the top that looks like the handle of a pistol jammed into the ground. Photo looks E.

Near the pistol handle rock that gave Pistol Point its name. Photo looks E.

**Peak 5800** (Center) from Pistol Point. Photo looks E.

By the time Lupe reached Pistol Point again, the clouds that had been far off to the NW were moving in. SPHP started to realize that Lupe might be treated to some fairly dramatic skies on the rest of the way back to the G6. With the sun already quite low in the SW, Lupe’s next to the last sunset of 2016 might be pretty sweet!

The skies were becoming steadily more interesting as Lupe came down from Pistol Point. Harney Peak (Center) is in view beyond the snowy ridge. Photo looks S.

Shadow moved over the land as dark clouds sped in from the NW. Off to the E, Peak 5800(L) was still in sunlight. Photo looks ESE.

The sun was getting low as the clouds moved in. Lupe and SPHP hoped for a colorful, dramatic sunset. Five Points is the wavy forested ridge in the distance on the L. Photo looks SW.

Due to a hole in the clouds, Lupe is briefly bathed in sunshine again. Photo looks NW toward High Point 5917.

Lupe reached the minor ridge SE of High Point 5917. A colorful sunset seemed increasingly likely. Instead of going straight back across the field to USFS Road No. 710, where it would be hard to see much of the sunset, Lupe and SPHP traveled E along the minor ridge, trying to keep the view to the SW in sight.

Harney Peak (Center) from the minor ridge as the sunlight fades. Photo looks S.

Lupe was near the top of a small hill mid-way between High Point 5917 and Peak 5800 when the next to the last sunset of 2016 reached its peak of perfection. From this small hill, Lupe sends best wishes to all her fans for a very Happy New Year 2017 full of fun and exciting adventures of your own! (5:06 PM, 28°F)