Days 12-14 of Lupe’s 1st Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming!
6-27-22, Dog Creek trailhead at the end of USFS Road No. 31030 – The sun was well up and shining brightly when SPHP came to.
About time, sleepyhead!
And I suppose you’ve been up for hours, aye, Looper?
A long time, SPHP.
Well, bully for you then, Miss Ambitious! You needn’t have woken up so early, though. After 4 days in the Snake River Range, we’re taking a break.
Good! I’m actually feeling lazy, too. I was just giving you a hard time, SPHP.
Perfect, we’re on the same page then, Loopster. You’re going to like the plan for the next couple of days.
Two rest days, SPHP?
Yeah, why not? The trip journal needs some serious catching up.
After a quick drive back to Hwy 26/89, SPHP spent an hour cleaning and reorganizing the RAV4 at the Pritchard boat ramp along the Snake River. Lupe didn’t even get out, preferring to laze around on her pink blanket. Then it was off to Alpine for a few groceries.
6-27-22, Greys River – Lupe was super enthusiastic when she hopped out of the RAV4 and saw that she was back at the same spot at the end of Road No. 10399. Nearly a week ago she’d spent the day after her ascent of Mount McDougal (10,780 ft.) here. The American Dingo dashed about sniffing excitedly, even briefly wading in the river before settling down to relax in the shade of old spruce trees along the riverbank.
This was rapidly becoming a favorite spot! Hiding from the sun with the help of blankets and clothing draped over the RAV4’s windows, Lupe spent a pleasant afternoon snoozing on her pink blanket while SPHP worked on the trip journal. In the evening, a stroll was taken both up and down Greys River Road
6-28-22, Greys River, end of Road No.10399 – During the night, Lupe had wanted out. SPHP obliged her, but the Carolina Dog didn’t actually go anywhere. Instead, she just laid on the ground near the RAV4 for a while all by herself beneath the stars, sniffing the cool night air and listening.
Morning had been sunny and bright again. Clouded up a little around noon. Another beautiful lazy day shot by next to the Greys River. Only a deer managed to entice Lupe out of the RAV4 during the heat of the day. Evening brought lightning and a rain shower, followed by a rainbow. After a drive along Greys River Road just for fun, Lupe had been up for another stroll as dusk came on. It was close to midnight by the time SPHP had the trip journal caught up.
6-29-22, 10:25 AM, Crow Creek trailhead along Greys River Road –
C’mon, Looper! Adventure time!
Barepawed, SPHP had already forded the first little side channel of Greys River, but Lupe was hanging back.
Evidently the American Dingo was intent upon playing her stalking game again today. That was alright. She’d be along soon enough.
After putting socks and boots back on, SPHP almost immediately ran into a second side channel. Ugh, already the usual ford routine again! By the time SPHP was across this second stream, Lupe had caught up. A short, damp, almost marshy stretch of Crow Creek Lakes Trail No. 044 went S from here to a sturdy pawbridge over Greys River.
Once across the bridge, the trail headed W to a slope that gained 50 feet on its way up to a level stretch of forest. Many trees were dead, trunks scorched by fire. Beyond the forest, Trail No. 044 turned SW, passing through a large meadow leading to the mouth of the Crow Creek valley.
The trail dipped slightly after crossing the meadow. Crow Creek, a lovely, medium-size stream was now in sight.
0.5 mile plus from the Greys River pawbridge, Trail No. 44 crossed Crow Creek. No bridge at all here! Lupe was going to have to ford the stream. Although the bottom was rocky, this wasn’t a difficult ford. The water wasn’t even knee-deep on SPHP.
Since Loopster was still playing her stalking game, SPHP was already on the far bank by the time the Carolina Dog arrived. Instead of plunging in, Lupe laid down in the shade of some bushes.
C’mon over, Loop! Nothing to it. You’ll like it!
Is that so? I notice you don’t plunge entirely into many frigid streams, SPHP. Why should I? Where are we going, anyway? You haven’t said, yet you’ve got the tiny house. How long are we going to be gone this time?
Oh, remember before we climbed Mount McDougal (10,780 ft.) how I first gave up on climbing Mount Fitzpatrick (10,907 ft.), because I was afraid of how much snow we might have to face on a steep N face? I’m hoping enough snow has melted since then to give us a decent shot at Fitzpatrick. Should only take us a couple of days.
So, just one day in, then all the way back tomorrow, SPHP?
Yep, that’s the plan! We’ll only go as far as the Crow Creek Lakes today, summit tomorrow, and out. How does that sound?
The American Dingo apparently liked the plan. Without further ado, Lupe easily forded Crow Creek and the trek resumed, but only for a few hundred feet before a second ford appeared.
SPHP was getting sick and tired of constantly taking boots and socks off, only to put them right back on again, but did it once more. Lupe waited until SPHP ventured across to take on Crow Creek a second time.
Happily, this second ford was the last one. Trail No. 44 now headed W up the valley, eventually curving NW. Most of the time, Lupe was out in the open, among wildflowers and lush vegetation. Although never far away, Crow Creek was generally hidden by bushes and seldom in view.
Obstacle-free and easy to follow, the trail both gained and lost elevation, but was usually flat, or a gradual incline. Progress was rapid. Overhead, a previously sunny sky was clouding up.
Roughly 2 miles from the trailhead, the Crow Creek valley split in two. The confluence of North and South Crow Creeks was in this area, but never visible from the trail. Sticking with the trail, SPHP followed it W up the North Crow Creek valley. Meanwhile, Lupe continued to hang back, playing her stalking game.
The rate of climb increased. No. 044 crossed several tributaries of Crow Creek. All were small, a few muddy stretches of trail being the worst of it. While there were still meadows, the trail now went through longer and more frequent stretches of forest. Deadfall sometimes slowed SPHP down, but most of it wasn’t that hard to get by.
After a while, it began to sprinkle. SPHP took shelter beneath a large spruce tree when a harder downpour began, and Lupe soon caught up. 10 or 15 minutes, and the rain moved on. So did the Carolina Dog.
Eventually, glimpses of a huge mountain began appearing ahead. Upon seeing it, SPHP’s heart sank. If that was Mount Fitzpatrick (10.907 ft.), this whole endeavor was doomed. Lupe wouldn’t stand a chance! The whole N face was very rugged, rocky, and borderline cliff-like steep.
Trail No. 044 headed almost straight for the monster. As Lupe closed in, a headwall extending N came into view. Both Crow Creek Lakes were somewhere above that headwall.
4 miles from Greys River Road, Lupe entered a big meadow providing a great view of both the mountain and the headwall, which were now only 0.25 mile away. Just getting above the headwall looked like a challenge. A continuous line of cliffs ran along it.
Near the far W end of this meadow, a brown “No Motor Vehicles” wand marked the end of Trail No. 044 at a junction with Trail No. 079, which went either S or N from here. 100 feet W of the wand, a sign was nailed to a tree.
The sign merely confirmed what SPHP already knew. Lupe needed to take Trail No. 079 R (N) to Pass 9060.
Despite 2 rest days, and an easy trek thus far, SPHP was already getting worn out lugging a heavy pack. Heh, too bad! Things were just starting to get interesting. Continuing W a short distance into the forest, Trail No. 079 steepened considerably as it then curved N into a long meadow.
The American Dingo’s stalking game continued. Loop was getting plenty of rest breaks due to SPHP’s frequent pauses to gasp for breath. The sky was clearing again, and the sun felt mighty warm on the uphill trudge.
3:03 PM, Trail No. 079 at Pass 9060 – Shedding the pack, SPHP sat down on a log. Pass 9060 was forested, and sitting in the shade was a welcome relief. Time for a longer rest break! When Loop sauntered in, she had no objections to laying down and enjoying some Taste of the Wild.
Pass 9060 was a fairly narrow ridge running E/W. The N side was quite rocky, and Lupe was thrilled to find a snowbank still melting away. Off to the NW, Peak 10180 was in sight. Trail No. 079 continued N beyond the pass, starting a descent into the Rock Creek valley.
This was it, though, as far as Trail No. 079 was concerned for Lupe. As soon as SPHP felt sufficiently recovered, it was time to start looking for a way up the headwall. Apparently inspired by the steeper, rocky terrain, the American Dingo no longer held back, instead leading the way as she began climbing W along the Pass 9060 ridge.
A use trail appeared. Following it, the cliffs of the headwall soon came into view.
Reaching the base of the cliffs, they appeared continuous toward the S. The use trail turned NW up a rocky ramp. From Pass 9060, cliffs had been visible to the N, too, but after gaining some elevation and getting up to where these cliffs were, the ramp and use trail both turned SW.
Sort of steep, but the ramp wasn’t bad. No real scrambling involved at all. Suddenly, Lupe was above the headwall! Still climbing, the use trail turned W continuing up a big ridge. Steep meadows were to the S, with genuine cliffs just N of the ridgeline.
After gaining nearly 200 feet of elevation from the top of the headwall, the rate of climb diminished. Another mountain was now in sight W of the one seen earlier from the North Crow Creek valley. Pausing to check the topo map, SPHP finally understood.
Oh, I get it now, Loopster! That first mountain is actually Peak 10525. Mount Fitzpatrick (10,907 ft.) is the one beyond it.
Is that a good thing, SPHP?
Eh, hard to say. See quite a bit of snow on Fitzpatrick’s N face, and it looks mighty steep, too. Can’t be any worse than Peak 10525, though. No way we were ever going to make it up that one.
Well, it is a good thing then, SPHP! At least we stand a chance now!
Yeah, I guess you’re right, Looper. Surprised we haven’t seen any use trail peeling off to the SSW yet. Lower Crow Creek Lake is supposed to be over that way nestled at the base of Peak 10525. Sort of wanted to see it.
Nothing stopping us from going over there, SPHP. Want to do that?
Oh, I don’t know, Loop. Think we’ve already climbed too far. Kind of hate to give up any of our elevation gain, and I suspect we’re already well above the lower lake. If we see a trail going that way, maybe we’ll take it, but we could just head for Upper Crow Creek Lake instead. Hoping to put your tiny house up there, anyway, since it’s closer to Fitzpatrick.
Suit yourself, SPHP! Fine with me. Onward, then!
Staying high, Lupe continued WSW along the flattest part of the ridge.
Before long, the flat ground came to an end. Ahead, the terrain sloped quite a bit. Lupe was going to have to lose at least some elevation just to get over to the next flat area, a forested region already in sight.
By now the use trail had faded away. Side-hilling wasn’t SPHP’s favorite, but didn’t bother the Carolina Dog at all. The only other choice would have been to angle WNW following the ridge clear to the top of Peak 10143. Eh, that wasn’t happening, so the downward traverse began.
When Loopster got to it, the forested area wasn’t entirely flat, either. Exploring, she came to a snow-filled clearing in a depression. Since there still wasn’t any sign of a trail going S to the Lower Crow Creek Lake, Lupe kept going W. At the base of Peak 10143, she discovered a scenic tarn so secret that it wasn’t even shown on the map.
Passing S of the tarn on rocky terrain, Lupe got almost down to the tarn’s level. A meadow went W from the tarn to another fairly steep slope. An 80 foot rocky climb led to a broad flat region.
Got it made now, Looper! This is Pass 9540. All downhill from here!
After crossing the super flat saddle, a gentle descent toward Peak 10525 ensued through a meadow bordered by forest and long snowbanks.
At the lower SW end of the meadow, a minor escarpment of flat rocks came just before a somewhat steeper, but still easy, descent into a band of trees. Emerging from the trees, a glorious scene was ahead.
Wow! So, this is Upper Crow Creek Lake, SPHP? It’s absolutely gorgeous!
Yeah, our home for an evening, Loop! I’m loving it, too!
Right at the base of the highest, most magnificent part of Peak 10525, Upper Crow Creek Lake was nearly surrounded by snowfields still filling most of the valley. The lake even sported a few icebergs A mile WSW, loomed the N face of Mount Fitzpatrick (10,907 ft.).
5:22 PM – After circling around a little NE bay, SPHP pitched Lupe’s tiny house amid newly emergent buttercups on a snow-free patch of ground next to a stand of old spruce trees on a bank overlooking the N shore of Upper Crow Creek Lake. Only a few feet away, a couple of weathered logs, their ends set at a 90º angle to each other, partially protected a white stone fire ring.
Despite the glorious surroundings, a certain weariness had set in for both human and Dingo. Once the tiny house was up, both crept inside for a nap, enjoying the comfort of sleeping bags. A cool S breeze coming from across the lake made the tiny house flap, but a blissful sound sleep was not to be denied.
6:44 PM – Ahh, much better! The American Dingo and SPHP were both up and about again, feeling much refreshed. What remained of a long summer evening was now free to spend exploring the fabulous Upper Crow Creek Lake region.
Naturally, a trip down to the N shore of Upper Crow Creek Lake was in order. It was a journey Lupe would make more than once this evening.
Is that a bear I hear, or is it getting to be about dinner time, SPHP?
That’s my tummy, Loop. Yeah, something to eat wouldn’t be a bad idea. In fact, most anything would do at this point. I’m famished!
Lupe sniffed around the tiny house, while SPHP rustled up some grub.
After dinner, another trip was made down to Upper Crow Creek Lake’s N shore to see the icebergs and admire Peak 10525’s rugged splendor as the last rays of sunshine crept up the mountain.
No marmots, pikas, or gophers had been seen or heard, but somehow the crazy Carolina Dog became utterly convinced throngs of ’em were hiding near the tiny house. The evening ended with frantic sniffing and furious digging at various holes. Meanwhile SPHP stared off to the WSW toward Mount Fitzpatrick’s N slope.
A lot of snow up there, and mighty steep for a long way. Loopster was having a grand time digging, but her efforts were all coming to naught. Maybe this whole trip was going to end up the same way?
Hopefully not, but even if true, at least there was the consolation of this wonderful evening spent at spectacular Upper Crow Creek Lake!
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