Lupe was delirious with delight! The shocking news SPHP had just given her was so incredibly wonderful! Why, Christmas was coming! Not only that, but Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe were in town all the way from Colorado. Cousin Mark had even come with them. They all wanted to go on a Black Hills Expedition with Loop. Nothing too fancy or long, but enough to get a workout and see a few sights.
Was the American Dingo up for that? Oh, boy! Was she ever! She barked and leapt at SPHP. What’s the holdup? Let’s go right now!
Loopster raced through the front door of Grandma’s house and greeted everyone with great joy and energy. It was true! They were all here! Dusty was instantly excited, too, and responded in kind. Greetings all around. Dusty and Lupe both looked at SPHP expectantly. Oh, yeah. They both knew that Grandma had a big bag of Beggin’ Strips downstairs. Of course, they each got one. Sly dingo Loop grabbed two.
Start – 9:51 AM, 27°F at the junction of Highway 385 & USFS Road No. 710
Kind of cold and snowy, but this was a good spot for a quick romp in the hills. Peak5917 was only a little more than a mile away. Several options from there depending how things were going. With minimal delay the whole gang started up No. 710. The road headed W up a shady valley N of Peak5800. Cousin Dusty led the way.
Setting out for Peak 5917 on USFS Road No. 710. Uncle Joe with Cousin Dusty. Cousin Mark with Lupe.Cousin Dusty leads the way.
After 0.75 mile on No. 710, the road reached the upper end of the valley. The terrain flattened out. No snow here. The road curved S passing through an open stand of tall Ponderosa pines.
Lupe’s entourage reaches the open stand of Ponderosa pines at the upper end of the valley. Photo looks SW.
Beyond the pines the road turned W again, and began to fade. Ahead was a region of grasslands dotted with scattered pines. Peak5917 was already in sight.
Beyond the tall pines, heading for Peak 5917 (R). Photo looks W.
Soon everyone was on the way up Peak 5917’s SE slope. Mark and Dusty were out in front.
Cousins Mark & Dusty led the way up.Joe pauses to look back. The tall pines are at the far edge of the grasslands beyond him. Peak 5800 is on the R. Photo looks ESE.
Mark and Dusty reached the summit well before Joe, Lupe and SPHP caught up.
Cousin Mark atop Peak 5917. Mark is a Dance Dance Revolution champion who competes in tournaments. No wonder he was stepping so lively!Joe and Dusty join Mark at the summit. Photo looks N.Mark & Joe at the summit of Peak 5917. A triumph of sorts. They’re from Colorado. Maybe they’ve been on an even loftier peak once or twice before? Part of Pactola Reservoir (R) is in the background. Photo looks NNE.Lupe’s turn on the highest rocks while getting a pat from Mark. New Year’s Eve Peak is in view beyond her. Photo looks W.
December. Not especially cold, but definitely cool out. A chilly breeze was blowing out of the W. Prior to leaving Peak 5917, a group photo was hastily arranged.
L to R – Mark, Dusty, Lupe & Joe. Five Points(6,221 ft.) is a little L of Mark, and conical False North Point(6,130 ft.) is R of him. Pistol Point (5,880 ft.) is at the far end of the half grassy, half forested ridge on the R. Photo looks SW.
What now? Was everyone done? The closest options for extending the trek were New Year’s Eve Peak(6,046 ft.) a mile NW as the ridges went, go only halfway there to Pistol Point, or head SE back to Peak5800.
Pistol Point sounded good to everyone. Mark, Dusty and Joe started down Peak 5917’s SW slope. Loop lingered briefly at the summit before following after them.
Looper lingers in the chilly W breeze atop Peak 5917. New Year’s Eve Peak (L) in the distance. Lupe had been there only 5 days ago on Expedition No. 242. Photo looks NW.Mark, Dusty & Joe start down the SW slope. Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.) (L), Five Points (Center) and False North Point (R) are all in sight. Photo looks SSW.Pistol Point is at the far end of the half grassy ridge on the L. Photo looks W.
Pistol Point is only 0.5 mile SW of Peak 5917. Cousin Mark was soon poised atop the rocky ridge.
Heading up to Pistol Point. Photo looks W.Mark poised atop the rock formations at Pistol Point while Joe takes a photo. Lupe is standing over near the rock resembling the handle of a pistol jammed into the ground that Pistol Point is named for. Photo looks ENE.Cousin Mark staying hydrated.Mark and Dusty relax for a moment taking in the views. Photo looks SE.Joe and Lupe take a turn up on the rocks. Photo looks W.
Pistol Point offers the same sweeping 180° views to the S that Peak 5917 does from only a slightly different perspective. The W wind was still chilly. If it hadn’t been for the breeze, New Year’s Eve Peak, only 0.5 mile NW, probably would have happened.
As it was, though, Cousin Dusty was shivering. At 12 years old, she was doing great to have come this far leading the way most of the time. Best to head back, though, to get her out of the cold wind.
Group photo at Pistol Point shortly before departure. Mark and Lupe on the L. Joe and Dusty on the R. Photo looks SW.Peak 5917 from Pistol Point. Photo looks NE.Joe and Dusty start down. Peak 5917 (L) and Peak 5800 (R). Photo looks ENE.
Dusty felt better as soon as she was out of the wind. The trek back to the G6 was scenic with great company to share the day with. The route back was the same, minus an excursion up to Peak 5917 again.
Dusty leads as Mark and Joe follow her down. Peak 5800 (R). Photo looks ENE.A momentary pause while Joe checks his phone. Part of Sheridan Lake is seen beyond Dusty.Calumet Ridge(5,601 ft.) is beyond the lake. Silver Mountain(5,405 ft.) is L of Calumet Ridge. Photo looks SE.Another pause on the return. Peak 5800 (Center). Photo looks ESE.Lupe in familiar territory. Nearly every year she makes a pilgrimage to New Year’s Eve Peak coming this way. Boulder Hill(5,331 ft.) (R) is the prominent knob far beyond her. Peak 5800 (L). Photo looks SE.Dusty having a good time in the Black Hills now that she’s out of the wind.Back on the road in the tall pines area. Photo looks E.
Before long, everyone was heading down the valley on snowy USFS Road No. 710. A ride back to Grandma’s house for goodies and more fun was waiting at the end of the road. Best of all, the festivities would continue for the next several days, because, you know, Christmas was coming! (12:52 PM, 29°F)
Mark, Joe, Dusty & Lupe on USFS Road No. 710, Black Hills of South Dakota 12-22-18
Bright and early Lupe was all corked up. The lucky American Dingo’s enthusiasm soared higher yet when she realized another outing with Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe was in the works. Flag Mountain(6,937 ft.) along the E edge of the western Black Hills limestone plateau country was today’s destination.
By 9:00 AM, Joe was parking the G6 at the start of a spur road off USFS Road No. 189. The spur road gains nearly 400 feet of elevation in a little less than a mile before ending near the summit of Flag Mountain. Lupe and Dusty could get a good romp in on the way to the top while Joe and SPHP chatted.
Nipple Butte(6,800 ft.) from the spur road leading up Flag Mountain. Photo looks S.
The trek up the spur road went by quickly. Before long the end was in sight. Leading the way, Dusty and Joe followed an old rock stairway to the top of Flag Mountain.
Approaching the end of the spur road. Photo looks NE.A short flight of stairs at the end of the road winds up to the summit.Dusty and Joe on top of Flag Mountain. Photo looks W.This was Lupe’s 6th ascent, but Dusty & Joe had never been to Flag Mountain before.
Flag Mountain(6,937 ft.) used to sport a fire lookout tower at the E end of the summit ridge. Part of the old rock foundation wall still exists. Lupe got up on the wall for a look around. Off to the W, the limestone plateau country was about as high as Flag Mountain, but the views to the N, E and S were fabulous.
Loop up on the old lookout tower foundation. The ridge on the L is Peak6962. The more distant ridge beyond Lupe is White Tail Peak(6,962 ft.). Terry Peak(7,064 ft.) is even farther away at far R. Photo looks N.Looking S now. Castle Rock(6,783 ft.), South Castle Rock(6,840 ft.) and Nipple Butte(6,800 ft.) appear clustered together on the L.
No one else was around when Dusty, Joe, Lupe and SPHP first arrived, but that didn’t last long at all. This was the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Within a few minutes the roar of engines could be heard. ATV’s appeared. People started coming and going. Dusty, Joe, Lupe and SPHP moved to the W end of the summit ridge to let others enjoy the views from the lookout point at the E end.
While a steady stream of people came and went, Joe began setting up his portable Ham radio. A small pine tree provided good support for a 16.5 foot long antenna.
The Flag survey benchmark is located on the limestone summit ridge W of the old fire lookout tower foundation.Numerous ATV’s came and went. Several are seen below at the end of the spur road. Parts of Deerfield Reservoir are in sight beyond Reynolds Prairie. Photo looks SSE.
The original plan had been for Joe to “activate” Flag Mountain using the Summits on the Air (SOTA) website. On prior trips to the Black Hills, Joe had activated Custer Peak, Boulder Hill and Silver Mountain. Joe had gotten a huge, essentially overwhelming response each time. Summits on the Air had been a blast!
Unfortunately, when Joe tried to schedule an activation alert for Flag Mountain on the SOTA website yesterday evening, there no longer seemed to be a way to do it. Something had changed. Despite best efforts, neither Joe nor SPHP could figure out the problem. The system now seemed to require a second password and wouldn’t take anything Joe submitted. Phooey!
Summits on the Air or not, Joe was planning on transmitting Morse Code from Flag Mountain. Of course, without an activation alert scheduled, whether anyone would pick it up was uncertain. Another potential problem was that the 11 year sunspot cycle is at its low point during 2018. Conditions for transmitting radio waves tend to be poor.
Joe getting ready to transmit from Flag Mountain with American Dingo Lupe standing by ready for action! Photo looks NE.A small pine tree provided support for a 16.5 foot antenna. The setup also included 4 lateral wires running out from the center.
Dusty relaxed in the shade of the pine tree supporting the antenna. Lupe, however, stayed on alert near Joe. She knew how this worked. Her job was to bark a warning if anyone showed up and started getting too close to the thin lateral wires strung out from the antenna.
Lupe on the alert for intruders. Her job was to bark if anyone else showed up and got too close to any of the wires.Dusty relaxing happily in the shade.
So he could hear better and wouldn’t get too many questions about what was going on, Joe waited until a quiet period when all the people and ATV’s had left before beginning to transmit.
Right away Joe had good news! Some sort of amateur radio contest was going on. Hundreds of people were on the airwaves! And despite the unfavorable sunspot cycle, the atmospheric conditions were excellent. Joe stayed busy making contacts from around the nation. He could even hear stronger stations in Europe and South America.
Joe & Lupe broadcasting live from Flag Mountain!Joe’s portable radio.Despite not being able to set up a Summits on the Air alert this time, Joe stayed plenty busy making successful contacts with other Ham radio operators. Photo looks N toward White Tail Peak.
After a good half hour of Ham radio fun, Joe was satisfied. Time to pack it all up, and think about heading back down the mountain.
Joe and lateral wire defender, Lupe, after the Ham radio fun was over. Defending the wires had been a cinch. No one had come along to threaten them. Photo looks ENE.Lupe, Joe & Dusty ready to depart. Photo looks E.Heading back down. Photo looks SW.
On the way back to the G6, there was some discussion about possibly climbing nearby Nipple Butte(6,800), too. However, the day was warm beneath a cloudless sky. Cooler activities sounded like more fun. Joe drove while SPHP gave directions on how to get to the Dragon Caves.
About 3 miles SW of Deerfield Reservoir on USFS Road No. 291 is a turn to the W onto a bridge over Ditch Creek. This is the start of USFS Road No. 385. Immediately past the bridge a dusty side road goes straight on up a little hill. The Dragon Caves are right around a bend to the R (N).
Apparently the Dragon Caves are no great secret. Hordes of ATV’s were coming down the hill when Dusty, Joe, Lupe and SPHP arrived. While the dust they stirred up settled, Dusty and Lupe gladly took advantage of this opportunity to cool off in Ditch Creek.
Lupe in Ditch Creek. Cooling off in the creek was way better than a hot climb up another mountain.Dusty takes a turn in Ditch Creek, too.
When the last of the ATV’s left, everyone headed up to the Dragon Caves. SPHP wasn’t sure what Joe was expecting of “Dragon Caves”, but he may have been surprised to see 3 huge horizontal shafts disappearing into the mountainside. The openings really were large enough for dragons!
Dusty, Joe and Lupe arrive at the Dragon Caves.
No one else was around when Dusty, Joe, Lupe and SPHP walked into the middle cave. The air was much cooler than out in the sunshine only a few feet away. A vast dimly lit corridor led into the mountain.
Perhaps 100 feet in, the corridor met up with similar corridors coming from the other two cave openings. Several more passages went off in other directions. Despite the size of the openings, it was rather dark this far from the entrance. SPHP brought out a small flashlight. It helped, but the batteries were low. The huge caverns remained dimly lit.
Joe at the end of the middle cave looking toward other passages.Dusty and Joe head farther in.
Joe doesn’t really believe much in dragons. As a geologist, he puzzled over why anyone would go to such expense as to mine out huge passages like this in sedimentary rock? Lupe, however, wasn’t so sanguine.
SPHP, don’t you think we better get out of here before the dragons return? Those ATV’ers probably stole all the dragon’s treasures while they are away. The dragons are going to be mighty unhappy when they get back and find us here instead of their piles of loot!
None of the passages seemed to go much farther into the mountain. A few looked like they had caved in. The only clue to Joe’s question about why anyone would mine out a place like this was an odd discontinuity in the rock. A smooth, vertical wall of rock of a different color completely blocked one passage.
Lupe immediately suspected a magical door, but didn’t say so to avoid unnerving everyone else. What if the dragons were still actually at home just beyond it? Joe wondered out loud about that apparent fault line, too, but the notion of a magical door isn’t the sort of conclusion an experienced geologist is apt to leap to at first blush.
Joe takes a picture while Dusty sniffs for clues.
Fortunately, the magical door never did open. Although the outside world seemed very bright and hotter than ever, the American Dingo was relieved when the exploratory tour of the mysterious Dragon Caves was finally over. Joe wanted to go up on top of the hill over the Dragon Caves to see if any clues about the local geology could be discovered. Everyone made a brief foray up into the forest above the caves.
Disappointingly, nothing of geological note was really to be seen above, although stands of lovely wild irises were blooming on the way there.
Wild iris.
Back down below, Joe noticed a pile of big brown rocks some distance from the front of the Dragon Caves. These large rocks showed signs of mineralization, but nothing significant enough to justify the amount of excavation evident here. The Dragon Caves remained a mystery.
As far as the Carolina Dog was concerned, that was fine with her. At least the dragons hadn’t returned to explain it all in fiery detail.
After visiting the Dragon Caves, enough time remained in the day for a couple more quick sightseeing excursions. Ditch Creek campground was only a mile S of the Dragon Caves. Maybe Dusty and Joe would like to see it? The whole place was packed with people when Dusty, Joe, Lupe & SPHP arrived, but Loop and Dusty managed to sneak in another quick plunge into clear, cold Ditch Creek.
Looper and Dusty at Ditch Creek again, this time near the Ditch Creek campground a mile S of the Dragon Caves.
Staying cool had become a theme on this warm day. The final stop was at Deerfield Reservoir. Dusty and Joe had seen Deerfield Lake for the first time only yesterday during Expedition No. 231 to Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.). The lake had been a hit then, and Cousin Dusty was looking forward to another refreshing swim while fetching sticks.
W end of Deerfield Reservoir. Photo looks W.Oh, yeah! What a great way to end the day!Dusty and her prized stick du jour.
The afternoon wore on. The time came to return to Grandma’s house for dinner, and an evening of fun and relaxation. Tomorrow, Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe were going with Aunt Andrea down to David & Mush’s 40 acre ranch in the southern Black Hills. Lupe wouldn’t see them again before they all left for home in Arvada, Colorado.
Lupe’s adventures with Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe were over for now. Dull days laying around resting up at home were ahead, but not too many of them. June was almost here! The Carolina Dog didn’t know it yet, but soon she would be setting off on her first big Summer of 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and beyond!
Cousin Dusty & Uncle Joe in the Dragon Caves, Black Hills, SD 5-26-18
Lupe was beside herself with joy! SPHP had just informed her that Cousin Dusty and Uncle Joe were in town. That could mean only one thing – an adventure in the mountains! The Carolina Dog couldn’t wait. She insisted that SPHP take her to Grandma’s house to pick them up right away. Sure enough, it was true! Dusty and Joe were there, ready and waiting to go.
Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.) in the W central Black Hills was the day’s peakbagging objective. Although Dusty and Joe have visited South Dakota many times, they had never been to this part of the hills before. Maybe they would enjoy seeing nearby Deerfield Reservoir before heading for the mountain? A quick stop was a success. Dusty and Lupe both had a fun time cooling off in the lake. Dusty loves fetching! Joe threw a stick into the water for her several times.
Dusty enjoys a cool swim while fetching a stick. Photo looks ENE.Dusty and the all important stick.Lupe emerges from Deerfield Reservoir. The American Dingo didn’t go swimming like Dusty did, preferring to restrict herself to just wading.
Once Dusty and Lupe were done cooling off, it was time to head for Hat Mountain. The trek started 0.5 mile S of the lake at the junction of Deerfield Road and USFS Road No. 691. For the first mile, everyone followed No. 691 going SSW toward the mountain. The last 0.25 mile was an easy off-road hike up Hat Mountain’s N slope. Dusty led the way.
On the way up Hat Mountain’s N slope. Photo looks S.Dusty nears the summit. Photo looks S.
The top of Hat Mountain(6,779 ft.) is a flat oblong close to 80 feet long and half that wide. Bushes grow in a small depression toward the S end, but no trees are found on the summit. Joe and Dusty were impressed with the 360° panoramic views.
Dusty and Joe on the summit. Part of Deerfield Reservoir (R) is in view. Custer Peak(6,804 ft.) is on the far horizon way beyond Dusty. Photo looks NNE.The valley of the N Fork of Castle Creek is seen in the distance beyond Joe. Photo looks NW.Cousin Dusty on Hat Mountain. Dusty was doing mighty well for a 12 year old! She loves visiting the Black Hills where she can roam off leash like Lupe.
While Dusty and Joe pondered the views, Lupe and SPHP went over to get a photo of the old Hat survey benchmark. Set in 1950, it’s looking rather worse for the wear now. The “A” in “Hat” has been completely obliterated, though parts of the “H” and “T” are still visible.
Hey, SPHP! The survey benchmark is over this way, remember? This was Lupe’s 4th ascent of Hat Mountain. Green Mountain(7,164 ft.) is the highest ridge on the L. Photo looks SSE.The Hat survey benchmark is easy to find toward the E side of the summit area.
A week ago on Expedition No. 230, Lupe had gone with Rizzo, Buddy & Josh Hilpert to Ward Draw and K2Peak. Josh had told SPHP about a friend of his who had seen lots of pieces of old Indian artifacts up on Hat Mountain. Although Lupe and SPHP had been on Hat Mountain 3 times before, SPHP had never noticed anything like that up here. Still, it was an intriguing tale, and one of the main reasons Joe had been interested in coming to Hat Mountain today.
An initial scan of the small rocks scattered across the summit area proved disappointing. Joe found a few pieces of rock that looked like they might possibly have been chipped as part of a tool making process, but none even faintly resembled a finished product. SPHP didn’t see anything unusual, and the few poorly chipped rocks Joe came up with didn’t interest Lupe or Dusty at all.
Despite the discouraging results on the summit, Joe wasn’t ready to completely give up on the idea that there might be something of interest here. Joe decided to make an exploratory circle a little below the top of the mountain to see if might be possible to run across something down there. Dusty went with Joe, while Lupe and SPHP hung around up top just enjoying the views.
Joe and Dusty circle the summit of Hat Mountain looking for artifacts. Photo looks NNE.Lupe in the depression at the S end of the summit area. According to the story Josh had told SPHP, there were supposed to be lots of pieces of artifacts here, but even Joe, who is a geologist, couldn’t find anything too interesting. Photo looks SSW.Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.) (L on the horizon) and Green Mountain(7,164 ft.) (R). Photo looks SE with help from the telephoto lens.Black Elk Peak (L) and Little Devils Tower(6,960 ft.) (R). Photo looks SE with lots of help from the telephoto lens.Lupe a little below the S end of the summit area. Photo looks NE.Joe & Dusty continue circling the summit. Photo looks WSW.
The stroll below the summit was scenic, but unproductive. Joe found even less of interest down below than up on top. The whole artifact deal was basically a bust.
Oh, well. Just looking had been sort of fun. Joe and Dusty returned to the summit for a group photo with Lupe.
Cousin Dusty & Uncle Joe with Lupe on Hat Mountain.
Then it was time to head back down to the G6.
South Castle Rock(6,840 ft.) & Castle Rock(6,783 ft.) (both on L), Nipple Butte(6,800 ft.) (Center), and Flag Mountain(6,937 ft.) (R) from USFS Road No. 691 on the way back to the G6. Photo looks N with help from the telephoto lens.
Upon reaching the G6, Dusty and Lupe were both very much in favor of another refreshing short side trip to cool off in Deerfield Reservoir.
Dusty & Joe back at Deerfield Reservoir. Photo looks NW.Lupe wading in Deerfield Reservoir. Photo looks W.
Then it was back to Grandma’s house for dinner on the deck, fun chasing tennis balls on the front lawn, and the traditional walk up the hill and around the bend to the cul-de-sac.
