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 Peak5800 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 (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. Peak5800 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 Peak5800, 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. Peak5917 (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!
Along the way. Five Points (L) and False North Point (R of Center). Photo looks SW.
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.
At Pistol Point. Photo looks ENE.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.
Taking a break. Photo looks SW.
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.Peak6070 (Center). Photo looks NW.
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.
On New Year’s Eve Peak, Black Hills of South Dakota 12-31-20
8:49 AM, 38ºF, Rochford Road 1 mile E of Rochford – 0.25 mile W of Silver Creek Road, a wide valley appeared on the R. Plenty of room! SPHP pulled over and parked the G6. Lupe hopped out and began sniffing around, while SPHP checked the topo map. Yup, this had to be it – Moonshine Gulch!
At the mouth of Moonshine Gulch, about a mile E of Rochford. Photo looks WNW.
Loop’s mission today was to explore Moonshine Gulch far enough to reach Peak6205, which shouldn’t be too hard, since Peak 6205 was only a mile away. The American Dingo set off going WNW up the gulch on a wide dirt and dry grass road. Pathetically easy at first, but that didn’t last. Soon the road narrowed and headed into a thicket of deadfall.
Still near the start of Moonshine Gulch on the … uh … road. Photo looks W.
The deadfall was bad for a little way, but the Carolina Dog got beyond it. The road was now all grassy and easy going again, lined on both sides by white-barked aspens. Rather pretty, and already feeling quite secluded. Clearly, no vehicle had been this way in a long time. Moonshine Gulch promptly curved N, leading straight into another big tangle of deadfall.
On the grassy lane beyond the deadfall.Among the aspens and pines. Photo looks WNW.Back into the deadfall. Photo looks SSW.
After scrambling over, under, or around this next batch, Lupe continued N up the valley. Moonshine Gulch narrowed, becoming more V-shaped. A tiny frozen stream appeared. Loop discovered free flowing water only a little farther upstream.
At the frozen trickle. Photo looks NE.Running water! Photo looks SSE.
All signs of a road vanished as the region down by the stream became choked with vegetation. Lupe traveled along a bench of somewhat higher ground up on the W slope. The way things were going, Moonshine Gulch might soon become virtually impassable.
The bench eventually ended, but by then a narrow strip of thick grass had appeared E of the stream. Lupe crossed over to it. Continuing up Moonshine Gulch, what was left of the road reappeared, making the trek easier again. The W side of the valley began to broaden out. The road went over that way, then started fading in and out – at times helpful, at others, essentially non-existent.
A small frozen pond appeared. Loopster went down to have a look.
On the exceedingly faint road as Moonshine Gulch widens out again.At the tiny frozen pond.
Some barbed wire was near the frozen pond, but that wasn’t anything good for Dingoes. The march N resumed. The upper end of Moonshine Gulch was supposed to curve sharply W, and it began to look like that was going to happen.
Lupe didn’t really have to go that far N, though, to get to Peak 6205. Since she was coming to more and more deadfall again, maybe it was about time to climb out of Moonshine Gulch? Working NW up the deadfall-laden slope to the W, Lupe got high enough to see a somewhat flatter region where a thick forest of young pines grew beneath a canopy of much older trees.
Hmm. Still some deadfall up here, too, but there didn’t seem to be any reason to go back down into Moonshine Gulch. Climbing slowly, Loop continued NW through the young pines. She soon found that the worst of the deadfall could be avoided without much trouble.
Before long, a small rock formation appeared ahead.
Not sure this is any better, SPHP? Want to try it? At the edge of the young pines after climbing out of Moonshine Gulch. Photo looks NW.On the highest rock of the little rock formation. HP5880 (Center) in the background. Photo looks NW.
Upon reaching the rock outcropping, Lupe made a surprising discovery. A road went right past it. This was a decent road, too, not all faint and grassy like the one down in Moonshine Gulch. Once again, SPHP checked the old topo map.
So what road is this, SPHP? Looks like a lot easier way to get here than Moonshine Gulch was!
I’ll grant you that, Looper, but I have no idea what road this is. The topo doesn’t show any roads at all in this region. Some USFS Road, no doubt. Tons of ’em in the Black Hills. Might be shown on another map, but I think I know where we are.
OK, I’ll bite! Where are we?
Hey! No biting! I think that hill beyond you is HP5880, and the hill right across the road is our destination, Peak 6205. Doesn’t look high enough, though. Must be more to it than we can see from here.
So, cross the road and head on up the slope?
Might as well, Loopster! Go for it!
The mysterious USFS Road not shown on the topo map. Photo looks S.E slope of Peak 6205. Photo looks WSW.
Lupe climbed and climbed. Really was a lot more to this slope than had been visible down by the mysterious USFS road. Good thing, because the top hadn’t looked any higher than HP5880 from below. Wouldn’t have been any point in climbing the wrong mountain.
Plenty of deadfall to avoid, but nothing out of the ordinary these days. The higher Lupe got, the more the glimpses of views between the trees confirmed that this really was Peak6205. She was clearly way above HP5880 by the time the slope began to level out. Coming up from the NE, the Carolina Dog arrived near the S end of Peak 6205’s summit region.
An old board was nailed to a tree, and nearly a dozen rusty cans were strewn about. Remnants of a blue stove with a metal grill sat next to an ancient stone fire ring covered with deadfall. Several large tree trunks had collapsed next to this fire ring. 10 feet N of the ring was a little bench with stone supports and a log seat. Didn’t look like anyone had been here in a long, long time.
Looking NE back the way Lupe came up.
Sort of a mess, isn’t it, SPHP?
Someone must have camped out up here once upon a time, Loop.
Nice spot with room enough for a tiny house, although not much in the way of views. Too many trees!
Probably no views at all when all these dead ones were still standing. Wonder who would have come to a lonely peak like this?
Adventurers of old, SPHP! We’re not the only ones, you know!
Heh. No, I guess not. Well, what do you say we clean this place up a bit? Get it a little more ready for adventurers of the future?
No big rush on that from the look of things, SPHP, but fine with me.
Really not that much to do. SPHP dragged all the deadfall off the fire ring and away from the area around it, pitching it all onto the downed tree trunks nearby. At least it was now out of the way. Then all the rusty cans got gathered up and stuffed into a sack. Once home, they could all go to recycling or the garbage. SPHP took the metal grill for the blue stove, too, but didn’t have room for the stove itself.
Just going to leave this blue stove on the fire ring, Loopster, even though it’s no good anymore. Kind of my exterior decorator touch.
Exterior decorator? Don’t quit the day job, SPHP!
Oh, I won’t! This is it! Climbing no name mountains with a nutty Dingo.
Some humans have all the luck, SPHP!
Looper by the remodeled fire ring. Photo looks N.Does look a little better, SPHP! Lupe on the little bench. Photo looks SSE.
Well, it was time for a break, and then a tour! The usual Taste of the Wild, water, an apple, and a couple of small shared chocolate coconut bars. Lupe then went to see the only clear view from the S end of Peak 6205. From a patch of pine needles and grass, Lupe could look out over Moonshine Gulch toward the rumpled hills to the SE.
Looking SE from Peak 6205.
The true summit of Peak 6205 was NW of the fire ring. Beyond another heaping helping of wretched deadfall was a 40 foot long narrow, stony ridge. The highest rocks were at the NW end.
Not much in the way of views here, either. The best were toward the W. White Tail Peak(6,962 ft.) and Nipple Butte(6,800 ft.) were the most easily distinguished peaks on the horizon.
At the true summit of Peak 6205. Photo looks SSW.White Tail Peak (Center) on the horizon. Photo looks W.Nipple Butte (Center) is the sharpest little blip on the horizon. Photo looks SW.
And that was about it. Nearly an hour after arriving, Lupe returned briefly to the fire ring toward the S end of the summit region before starting back down the mountain the same way she’d come up.
At the more hospitable S end again. Photo looks SSE.Pretty snazzy, SPHP! At least compared to how we found it. Think how happy those future adventurers will be!Starting down the E slope. Photo looks SW.
12:05 PM – Loopster had barely gotten started down the E slope, when SPHP had a change of heart. The American Dingo had made it to Peak 6205 alright, but now what? Just go back? Seemed sort of early for that.
3+ miles as the crow flies. Somewhat longer in practice.
It’ll be dark then before we get back won’t it, SPHP?
No doubt. Don’t think we’ll have much of a problem, though. Mighty nice out for December. Supposed to be a record high for this date, in fact!
Lupe was fine with it. Carolina Dogs love exploring, especially at dusk. Instead of continuing down the E slope, SPHP went back to the NW end of Peak 6205’s summit ridge. Following the ridgeline NW, Lupe began working her way down the mountain that way. She soon saw White Tail Peak again, and even caught a glimpse of Custer Peak(6,804 ft.).
White Tail Peak (Center) on the horizon. Photo looks W.A glimpse of Custer Peak from the NW ridge. Photo looks N.Custer Peak (Center). Photo looks N with help from the telephoto lens.
A little farther down the ridge, Peak 6205’s N slope opened up a bit. This whole region was full of deadfall. A large grove of aspens was visible W of HP5880 at the bottom of the slope. Leaving the ridgeline, Lupe picked her way down, eventually managing to reach the aspens.
Two grassy lanes through the aspens appeared to be remnants of old roads. One went ESE, passing S of HP5880, apparently destined to link up with the mysterious USFS Road Lupe had run across E of Peak 6205. However, Loop took the other lane, which went ENE.
Near the aspens W of HP5880 (R). From here, Lupe took the lane at far L. Photo looks E.
A short trek on the grassy lane led to a better road beyond the aspens. Lupe followed this new mystery road as it curved N. After 0.25 mile, she came to a “T” intersection. A brown wand identified the road Loop had just taken as USFS Road No. 513.1B, no doubt a spur off No. 513.1, which she had apparently just reached.
On the better road beyond the aspens. HP5880 (L) up in the pines. Photo looks ESE.Glancing back at Peak 6205. Photo looks S.Wand near the junction of USFS Roads No. 513.1B & No. 513.1. Photo looks SSW.
No. 513.1 was a better road yet. SPHP figured it was probably the same one Lupe had come to E of Peak 6205. In that case, it ought to connect by swinging around the N and E sides of HP5880. To test this theory, Lupe turned R at the junction, heading ENE.
Sure enough, No. 513.1 began to curve E, then SE. Most of this territory was flat, but when No. 513.1 started losing elevation, Looper left the road to climb nearby HP5900, the next hill 0.5 mile NNE of HP5880. HP5900 wasn’t much of a climb at all coming from the W, but the Carolina Dog did get a halfway decent look back at Peak 6205 from it.
Peak 6205 (L) from HP5900. Photo looks SSW.
On the way over here, Lupe had passed USFS Road No. 513.1C, another spur off No. 513.1 which went N, the general direction she needed to go. Since No. 513.1C wasn’t too far back and would be a lot easier than a trek through the forest, Loop returned to it.
At the start of USFS Road No. 513.1C where it leaves No. 513.1. Photo looks N.
No. 513.1C was clearly marked as a dead end, but Lupe followed it for nearly 0.5 mile. A long, gradual descent led to a slow rise. Near the end, No. 513.1C split, with one branch curving off to the E. Lupe left the road near this intersection, continuing to wander N through the forest.
Following No. 513.1C. Photo looks N.
Passing over a broad, gentle saddle, the American Dingo reached the start of a forested slope lower. The terrain steepened and forced her to turn NE, staying SE of a deepening ravine. After losing a fair amount of elevation in the trackless forest, Lupe came to a spot where she could easily cross over to the N side of the ravine. Here she came to an animal trail going NE down the slope.
On the animal trail. Photo looks NE.
Near the bottom of the valley Lupe was entering, the animal trail crossed another mysterious old road. The trail then turned NNE passing through a short section of forest. Having lost a good 200 feet of elevation, Looper finally emerged on the W side of a broad, grassy valley.
Moonshine Gulch, Peak 6205, and all of today’s explorations since then had all been territory Lupe had never been to before, but she had been here years ago. Loopster had made it to the Silver Creek valley. Greens Gulch, the way to Minnesota Ridge(6,240 ft.), split off to the NE only 0.33 mile farther upstream.
We’ve been here before! This is the Silver Creek valley. Photo looks N.
Silver Creek was a small stream, small enough to leap over. Lupe did so on her way to USFS Road No. 203.1F on the E side of the valley. Upon reaching the road, Loop followed it N, then NE into Greens Gulch. 0.33 mile trek up Greens Gulch brought the Carolina Dog to an intersection she recognized from Black Hills expeditions long ago.
By Silver Creek after leaping over it. Photo looks NW.In Greens Gulch, approaching a familiar intersection. Photo looks NE.
SPHP remembered at least one wand, maybe two, marking the roads at this junction, but none were to be seen now. Checking the maps, it was clear Lupe needed to keep going E up Greens Gulch on USFS Road No. 203.1D, the only road she’d never taken before from this intersection. No. 203.1D would get her up to a saddle SE of Minnesota Ridge.
Starting up No. 203.1D, Lupe came to a brilliantly lit field of dry grass. At the far end, the road entered the forest and climbed more steeply. After gaining more than 200 feet of elevation, Looper still hadn’t come to the saddle yet, but she’d reached another smaller field and the terrain was beginning to level out. The road continued SE from here, but Lupe left No. 203.1D taking a shortcut straight E.
5 minutes led to a 15 foot high embankment. Climbing it, Lupe reached the SW rim of Minnesota Ridge. Turning NW, she quickly came upon a minor rock outcropping.
In the brilliantly lit field along USFS Road No. 203.1D. Photo looks ESE.At the upper field, still on No. 203.1D. Photo looks NW.First minor rock outcropping along the SW edge of Minnesota Ridge. Photo looks NE.
Minnesota Ridge encompasses a large, elevated region of pine forest. Nearly all of it is gently sloping, except along the SW edge where the rim of a long escarpment features rock formations ranging from only a few feet to as much as 30 feet high.
Although Lupe had explored portions of Minnesota Ridge on a number of different occasions, the only other time she had come looking for the summit she had discovered a series of slightly higher rocks as she’d headed NW along the edge of the escarpment. This time it wouldn’t be necessary to visit all those false “summits”, since the true summit was now known to be nearly 0.5 mile from here.
Gunfire! Hunters to the NE! Still unseen, they couldn’t be too far away. Instantly transformed into a Chicken Dingo, Looper slunk quietly NW, sticking to SPHP like glue. More shots were heard at intervals of several minutes before the incident ended. By then, Lupe had come to a more open region along the escarpment. Peak6205 was visible 3 miles SSW.
Successfully eluded death and destruction! There’s Peak 6205 (Center). Photo looks SSW.
The last time Lupe had been here, the area close to the true summit had been a deadfall jungle. The Carolina Dog reached a couple of rocks that looked familiar near the SE end of this region, getting up on both for a look around. The deadfall was still here, and matters were now further complicated by dense young pines springing up amidst it all.
Pretty sure I’ve been on this rock before.This one, too!
The true summit wasn’t much farther, only a few hundred feet of little pines and deadfall left to weave through. When Lupe reached another line of rocks, she knew she was about there.
Farther NW, among the young pines.Real close to the true summit now!
The true summit was off to the NE, 30 or 40 feet from the escarpment in a part of the forest that was still happily largely deadfall-free. Loop and SPHP tromped about this slightly elevated flat region, but as before, nothing stood out as the clear high point. Face it – the true summit of Minnesota Ridge was a roomy, but not terribly interesting place.
Weren’t there bigger rock formations where we saw huge birds flying around here last time, SPHP?
Yes! There were, Loop. Turkey vultures, if I remember right. That’s a little lower ground, but not too far from here, just a bit farther NW.
Well, that was a lot more scenic, SPHP! Why don’t we go over there?
Good idea! We can hang out for a little while, and see if the big birds are still circling by.
NW of the true summit where the largest rock formations of the entire escarpment are. Photo looks NW.This is more like it!
The big rock formations were easily found. No turkey vultures this time, though. The sun was already quite close to the horizon. A short break was all Lupe had time for. Taste of the Wild, the last apple and chocolate coconut bars all disappeared.
Trees had grown up enough to pretty much hide whatever limited views had been here years ago. Looper did what she could, though. Exploring the rim of the escarpment, she gazed out toward the setting sun, or peered into the forest below.
No more turkey vultures, SPHP!Sort of makes you wonder what ever happened to them?Exploring the escarpment.
The sun was down well before Lupe got back to USFS Road No. 203.1D near the SE end of Minnesota Ridge. As dusk deepened, she followed the road W. Stars twinkled above by the time she’d retraced her journey on No. 203.1F through Greens Gulch back down to the Silver Creek valley.
SPHP had a bright idea. Instead of following No. 203.1F S down Silver Creek, why not go W? The topo map showed a road going all the way to USFS Road No. 17, the highway N of Rochford. No. 17 was only a little over a mile away. Although a longer route back to the G6 overall, the rest of the march would be easy.
So from Greens Gulch, Lupe took a dirt road that went NW. It curved W, as the map showed, crossed a muddy low spot containing the remnant of Silver Creek, then proceeded W on a long abandoned route.
It all went as planned until lights appeared ahead. Avoiding private property, Lupe took a single track trail up a grassy draw that went S or SW. After gaining a fair amount of elevation, she topped out. In the weak beam of the little flashlight, no further route W could be seen. However, the single lane track continued S, or maybe SE. Hard to tell what to do in the dark, but sticking with the trail seemed the best option.
Exactly where Lupe went on this black December night is now a matter of conjecture. Somehow she wound up following a road, probably USFS Road No. 217.1A, back down into the Silver Creek valley. She eventually reached a private road leading to Silver Creek Road (No. 204), passing a number of homes decorated with cheery Christmas lights along the way.
A half moon was up by the time the American Dingo reached Rochford Road. Not far now. Only 0.25 mile W to the G6 still silently waiting at the start of Moonshine Gulch. (7:14 PM, 51ºF)
Sunset from USFS Road No. 203.1D near Minnesota Ridge, Black Hills of South Dakota, 12-8-20
