Weren’t we there with Lanis way back on my first ever Dingo Vacation in 2012?
That’s right, we were! Won’t take long to have another look. The loop trail is only about a mile, if memory serves, and almost perfectly flat.
Why not, then? Let’s do it, SPHP!
Turning W off Hwy 56 at a signed junction, a paved road wound 4 miles through an increasingly impressive forest. Only 7:39 AM. Not a soul was around when Lupe leapt out of the RAV4 at an end of road parking lot.
Arriving at the Ross Creek Scenic Area Giant Cedars parking lot. One of two.
Awesome! We’ve got the whole place to ourselves, SPHP!
Perfect! Let’s have a look around while we can enjoy the tranquility of the ancient cedars, Looper.
Ross Creek Nature Trail No. 405 left the parking lot as a short boardwalk that immediately led to wide dirt path. Already in a cedar forest, Lupe checked for squirrels, but didn’t see any right away. The trees were big, and very tall, but still seemed to be about normal size. The path went by some rocks along the lower bound of the broad Ross Creek valley.
Setting out along Ross Creek Nature Trail No. 405.
Various placards were posted along the trail, some showing their age. SPHP glanced at a few, but mostly just followed Lupe through the forest. The trail soon veered away from the edge of the valley, crossing a couple of boardwalk bridges over small creeks, as it led deeper into the forest.
The creeks were bone dry.
On the boardwalk bridges.
Severe drought every summer out W, SPHP! Can’t be good for the giant cedars, can it?
I wouldn’t think so, Looper, but who knows? Maybe their root systems go super deep, and the giant cedars are actually better adapted to drought than one might think?
They seem like rain forest trees to me, SPHP. Don’t huge trees need huge quantities of water? After all, they’re growing by what’s supposed to be a stream! That’s no accident, is it?
You’re probably right, Loop. I just don’t know. I suppose I ought to read more of these placards. Maybe they say something about that, but while we’ve got the giant cedars to ourselves, seems more fun to simply enjoy wandering among them. Maybe there’s more water underground here than we realize?
Continuing on, the American Dingo came to the first of the giant cedars. Sadly, it was dead. Just an enormous rotting stump.
By the enormous rotting stump.
The giant cedars weren’t all dead, though. Lupe soon started coming to live ones. The base of their trunks looked like tentacles burrowing into the earth.
The tentacled trunk of a live giant cedar.Gotta be a giant squirrel somewhere up there!
Reaching a grove of giants, Trail No. 405 divided. This was the start of the loop part. The Carolina Dog went R, going counter-clockwise around the loop. Although most of the cedars were relatively young, there were many giants among them. The trail went past some that had died and fallen. Loopster scrambled up on a couple of them.
On a fallen giant.Thank heavens we don’t face deadfall like this back at home in the Black Hills!
How old do you suppose these giant cedars are, SPHP?
Oh, not entirely sure, Loop, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some of them weren’t at least 500 years old. The oldest ones might be close to 1,000! Saplings back in the Dark Ages, if you can imagine that!
Wow! Incredible! Just think how wild it would have been here back then, SPHP! The days of saber-toothed Dingoes!
Saber-toothed Dingoes? Sounds kind of far-fetched, Loopster.
Not at all, SPHP! We Dingoes ruled the earth, you know! Still do!
That, I can believe. Feel sort of ruled by one myself much of the time.
Hey, look, SPHP! There’s a Siamese cedar!
Oh, c’mon. A feline cedar?
It was true!
By the Siamese giant cedar.
Oh, OK! Joined at the trunk. I suppose they are Siamese giant cedars. Must not have started out that way, though.
They’ve been this way for a long time, SPHP.
Nothing makes a forest feel as ancient as giant trees and ferns! Plenty of ferns added to the giant cedars’ prehistoric ambiance. Maybe keeping an eye out for saber-toothed Dingoes wasn’t such a bad idea?
Ferns – lots of ’em, for that primeval, prehistoric look.
At the far end of the Nature Trail No. 405 loop, Ross Creek Trail No. 142 took off continuing up the valley. No telling how far it went, or where, or how much farther the giant cedars themselves extended.
Want to explore it, SPHP?
So many trails, and so little time, Looper! Yeah, I would love to, but we’ve got a mountain to climb yet today, so I guess we’ll have to pass. Can’t do everything.
Aww! We haven’t seen even a single giant squirrel yet!
That may be for the best, Loop. Might still be a saber-toothed squirrel or two lurking around here somewhere. We’d be in for it then!
Near the end of the loop, Lupe came to a dry riverbed. Ross Creek, or perhaps just a former channel? The riverbed was full of cairns.
At the Ross Creek cairns.
Oh, I remember this! We saw these cairns 9 years ago when we were here with Lanis, remember, SPHP?
Yeah, that’s right! We did! Always assumed they would get washed away in the spring, though. Surprised to see them again. Maybe rebuilding them is some sort of a tradition for the locals?
No one to ask about that. The forest was still quiet. Moving on, Lupe completed the loop, and headed back. Less an hour had gone by when she reached the RAV4 again. Still no one else around.
Returning to the start.Back at the parking lot, contending with the summer morning throng.
A stream near the parking lot had the only water the Carolina Dog had seen at the giant cedars. Naturally, Loop had to sample some for herself.
Don’t get carried away, Looper! Leave some for the giant cedars!
The Ross Creek Giant Cedars had been a fun way to start the day, but Lupe still had big plans for this afternoon. Returning to Hwy 56, SPHP drove N to Hwy 2, then E to Libby. Taking Hwy 37 N out of Libby toward Rexford, another highlight worth a stop was soon reached, the Libby Dam on the Kootenai River that forms Lake Koocanusa.
Arriving at the Libby Dam.The dam itself.A downstream view.
After a look at the dam, Loopster checked out Lake Koocanusa. Near the dam, the lake was less than a mile wide, but to the N it stretched away until completely lost from sight.
Lake Koocanusa.
How far does Lake Koocanusa go, SPHP?
90 miles, Looper! All the way into Canada, like the name implies.
Canada! Are we that close to Canada, SPHP?
Yup.
Oh, I wish we could go up into Canada and Alaska!
Me, too, Looper! Actually, the Canadian border opens today for tourism. If they’d opened it a little earlier in the season, we might already be way up into Canada. Too bad they didn’t open a month earlier, or at the very least announce it before the last minute.
You mean we could go to Canada today, SPHP? Why don’t we?
Technically, yes, but we’re not ready for it, because they gave no clue that they were going to open the border until very recently. There are rules we haven’t complied with yet. Besides, they change everything so often, I don’t trust them not to change the rules again without warning. No sense in getting ourselves stranded up there with no way to get back.
Be that as it may, that’s the way the cookie crumbles these days, Loop. We aren’t going to get to go into Canada on this Dingo Vacation, but you’ll at least get to see it.
I will? When?
Today! Somewhere up ahead there’s a bridge to adventure over this lake, and we’re gonna take it!
It might have been 30 miles, but before the RAV4 reached Rexford, a bridge over Lake Koocanusa did appear ahead. SPHP parked twice at different spots, so the American Dingo could have a look.
Approaching the bridge to adventure!
Where does the bridge go, SPHP?
Over to far NW Montana, Looper. On your next adventure we’ll be setting out so close to the Canadian border we could walk across!
Will we do that?
Uh, no. You’d just want to go clear to the Yukon, and it’s a heck of a trek.
Well, wherever we’re going, SPHP, let’s get started!
Piling back into the RAV4 again, SPHP turned the key. Moments later, Lupe was cruising in comfort across the bridge to adventure on her way to the next big thing.
Lake Koocanusa and the bridge to adventure, Montana 8-9-21
8:45 AM, 44ºF, S Rockerville Road – Although a sign insisted this was a privately maintained driveway, a brown wand also confirmed that this was USFS Road No. 641. SPHP parked the RAV4 at a wide spot.
Think we’re good here, Loopster. Private property nearby, but No. 641 is USFS land all the way to Peak4760.
Start of USFS Road No. 641. Photo looks SE.The sign that caused momentary consternation.
No. 641 started out heading SE, slowly gaining elevation. A little cool in the shade, but still a very warm morning for January.
Is this the start of the blitz you mentioned last time, SPHP?
Indeed it is, Loop. Actually, just a mini-blitz.
Mind explaining what you mean by that?
Oh, it’s quite simple actually. You’re closing in on an achievement, dear Dingo! If it hadn’t been so smoky last summer, you would have already finished it. Since you didn’t, we’re just going to plug away at it now at the start of 2022 every time the weather is decent until you get it over and done with. That’s the blitz part of it.
So we’re going to be climbing a bunch of mountains? Sounds good, but what is this mysterious achievement, and how long is it going to take, SPHP?
The achievement is a surprise. I’ll let you know when your done. Expect you to finish maybe in late, late January, more likely in February. Depends on the weather and how well it goes. The mountains we’ll be climbing are all Lists of John peaks we’ve never been to before right here in the Black Hills that all have at least 300 feet of prominence. Unless, of course, we wind up going somewhere else for a big finish!
That would be cool, SPHP! Especially in January, unless we go a long way S!
Yeah, we’ll have to see on that, Loopster. Not sure yet what we’ll wind up doing, but in the meantime you’re going to be busy right here in the good ol’ Black Hills.
Should be fun, but we’ve already been climbing quite a few Lists of John Peaks lately. How is this any different?
More peaks, more often, until you’re done. A blitz!
Whatever, SPHP! Sounds like the same thing we’ve been doing, but if it means I get to explore more mountains, I’m all for it. Lists of John mini-blitz it is!
0.25 mile and the road topped out as it began to curve S.
Thar she blows, Looper! Going to be a snap!
Is that our first Lists of John mini-blitz peak already, SPHP?
Yup. Peak4760! No doubt about it. Numero uno dead ahead!
The hill SPHP was referring to was already in sight a little over 0.5 mile away. Forested, but not all that big. Really didn’t look hard at all.
Peak 4760 (L). Photo looks SE.
No. 641 wound around toward the S a bit, then turned E, dipping down to cross a drainage before starting to climb again. Lupe passed a road to the N that must have gone to one of the private properties, and soon thereafter went right past a big house. All easy peasy.
Approaching from the NW, the Carolina Dog arrived at a fork in the road at the base of the mountain. No. 641.1B went L, while No. 641 veered R. Hardly mattered. Both routes would probably work out just fine.
Following USFS Road No. 641 as it winds S. Photo looks SW.About to cross the drainage. Peak 4760 (Center). Photo looks ESE.At the fork. No. 641.1B goes L. No. 641 goes R. Photo looks SSW.
Sticking with No. 641, Lupe went R. The road climbed just a little before topping out. Off to the SW, there was already a terrific, if distant, view of Mount Rushmore(5,725 ft.) and Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.). A couple more scenic hills were ahead, but Lupe wouldn’t be visiting them.
Black Elk Peak (Center), Mount Rushmore (L of Center). Photo looks SW.More hills ahead. Photo looks SSE.
Leaving the road at about its high point, Lupe started climbing through open forest. Although Peak 4760 had appeared heavily forested from a distance, she didn’t have to go far before a clearing was visible ahead. Crumbling limestone littered a sunny hillside below a more intact cap. This last part of the climb was short, but steep.
On the sunny upper slope. Photo looks. NE.Near the limestone cap. Photo looks ENE.
The top of the mountain was broad, and tilted gradually up toward the NW. Lupe had come up at a big clearing near the true summit, which was along the NW edge of the mountain. A limestone platform offered another big view of Black Elk Peak and Mount Rushmore.
Up on Peak 4760. Photo looks WNW.The big clearing near the NW end of the mountain. Photo looks SE.At the true summit. Black Elk Peak (beyond Lupe). Photo looks SW.Mount Rushmore (L), Black Elk Peak (R). Photo looks SW with help from the telephoto lens.Zoomed in on Mount Rushmore.
9:35 AM, 48ºF, Peak 4760 –
Our Lists of John mini-blitz is off to a great start, SPHP! This was easy!
Certainly had been. A break hardly seemed warranted yet, but Lupe took one at the true summit. Even if she was on the mini-blitz now, that didn’t mean she couldn’t spend a little while up on top experiencing the mountain. That would be just too big of a breach of tradition! Might as well share a chocolate coconut bar, whether truly earned yet, or not.
At the true summit. Photo looks E.
Instead of her usual summit hour, the American Dingo spent a mere 30 minutes up on Peak 4760. Plenty of time to wander about having a look at the views. Silver Mountain(5,405 ft.) and Boulder Hill(5,331 ft.) were both in sight from the true summit. From the SW edge, a big ridge, part of which must have included Woodpecker Ridge(5,680 ft.), could be seen to the SSW.
Silver Mountain (L) and Boulder Hill (R). Photo looks NW.Looking SSW in the general direction of Woodpecker Ridge (Center).Along the SW edge. Photo looks S.
Half an hour zoomed by. On the way down, Lupe journeyed SE through most of the big clearing before starting down the SW slope. Not quite as steep this way. Once below the limestone cap, it was back down the rocky hillside to the forest, and ultimately USFS Road No. 641 again.
Heading down. Black Elk Peak (Center). Photo looks SW.Passing below the region where Lupe went up during the ascent. Photo looks N.
Which way now, SPHP?
Back to the RAV4, Looper! These Lists of John peaks are scattered around enough so that we’ll have to drive between them. Our “blitz” would take a month of Sundays trudging from one to the next.
Returning to the RAV4. Photo looks WSW.
10:41 AM, 50ºF, Playhouse Road a mile S of Hwy 40 – Wasn’t all that far to the next starting point. A 10 minute drive, and Loop was leaping out of the RAV4 again at a minor pass along Playhouse Road. Beyond a green cattle guard, USFS Road No. 359.1C curved away into the forest.
At the start of USFS Road No. 359.1C.
That way, SPHP?
Absolutely! Onward! Puppy, ho!
No. 359.1C wound W, then NW. For an abandoned road according to the topo map, it sure seemed to be in good shape. Loopster soon found out why. After a steepish climb approaching HP4600, the road leveled out at a pass. No fence, but the road ahead was posted. The signs looked new.
Setting out on USFS Road No. 359.1C. HP4600 (R). Photo looks W.Starting the climb toward HP4600. Photo looks WNW.At the posted pass along HP4600‘s S ridge. Photo looks W.
Well, shoot, Loop! This was supposed to be our easy route to Peak5000. Guess we should have started out by the sewage ponds. Would have been shorter, anyway. And here, I thought this would be better.
Sewage ponds! Forget that, SPHP! Can’t we go around this private land?
Yeah, more effort than a road hike, though. Gonna slow down your blitz!
Looking 30 feet back down the road the way Lupe had come up, SPHP noticed a line of posts and survey ribbons. Must be the property line!
Guess we can go around the edge that way, Looper. C’mon!
Heading NE along the line of posts, it wasn’t far to a property corner. Able to turn NW again, Lupe was happy to see a snowy slope. Climbing past the snow, she then turned N passing E of HP4600‘s summit. A valley was just ahead. Peak 4894 now in sight due W. More toward the N, and farther away, part of Peak5000 was visible, too.
On the snowy upper E slopes of HP4600. Photo looks NW.Peak 4894 (L of Center). Photo looks W.Peak 5000 (Center). Photo looks NW.
A house was visible down in a saddle to the W. Clearly private property over that way. Staying well NE of the house, Lupe descended into the valley ahead. At the bottom, she passed a pile of slash leftover from a logging operation. It looked old, but the American Dingo came to more recently logged territory after starting up the other side of the valley.
Crossing the valley. Peak 4894 (Center). Photo looks WSW.On a recently logged slope. Photo looks NW.
Continuing N and NW, trying to avoid private property, but not always succeeding, judging from National Forest boundary signs sometimes met along the way, Looper finally reached another valley.
In the second valley. Photo looks NNW.
Down in the heavily forested valley, it wasn’t clear exactly what route would be best from here.
Must be somewhere SE of Peak 5000 now. Just start climbing, Loopster!
Picking a hillside that didn’t look too terribly steep, Lupe charged up. After gaining 60 or 70 feet of elevation, she reached a narrow ridgeline that rose steadily to the NW. Seemed like a reasonable route higher.
On the ridgeline. Photo looks NW.
Rock formations, fallen trees, dense forest, and a couple more National Forest boundary signs. Progress was kind of slow, and it wasn’t at all clear what was USFS land and what wasn’t. Maybe it didn’t matter too much? The whole region seemed surprisingly remote and untouched.
After gaining hundreds of feet of elevation, Lupe arrived at a clearing. The terrain was flatter now. Remnants of a long abandoned electric fence were up here. All three strands of wire were flat on the ground.
At the clearing. Photo looks SSW.
This is kind of strange, don’t you think, SPHP?
Yeah, I do. We’re less than a mile from Keystone. Wonder if we’re going to come to a housing subdivision? Let’s follow this fence. Must be some kind of a border. Probably can’t mess up too badly, if we stay close to it.
Loop followed what was left of the electric fence NW until it vanished. Continuing NW, she kept passing National Forest boundary signs. The ground kept rising, but at a slower and slower pace.
By a National Forest boundary post.
Eventually a rock formation could be seen only a short distance ahead. Looked like a high point.
Get up there, Looper!
Is this the summit, SPHP?
Hard to say. Might be.
Success! Maybe. Photo looks ESE.
No views here! Way too many trees. Nothing to see.
Oh, yes there is, SPHP! Look at this!
30 feet NW of the big rock Lupe had just been on, there was a bearing tree, survey marker, and a couple more National Forest boundary signs.
By the survey marker. Photo looks SE.
That wasn’t all. Within sight farther NW was Peak 5000 Stonehenge!
At Peak 5000 Stonehenge. Photo looks NW.
Oh, I bet this place is magical! Stand back, SPHP! I’ll get inside, and see what happens.
Be careful, Loopster! Remember the space port at South Baldy? That was weird enough!
Inside Peak 5000 Stonehenge. Photo looks ENE.
Surrounded by the odd vertical rocks of the Peak 5000 Stonehenge, Lupe stood there for a minute or two.
Anything happening, Loop? I can’t tell any difference.
Not even a tingle, SPHP. Maybe we need to come back at midnight during a full moon? The magic would be a lot more powerful then.
Heh. Don’t bet on that ever happening, Looper. Was hard enough to find this place in broad daylight.
The tops of the tallest Stonehenge rocks looked like they might actually be Peak 5000’s high point, but that illusion was quickly dispelled. The ground rose again as Loopster continued NW. She soon passed a minor ridge to the W that was definitely higher than Peak 5000 Stonehenge, or the first big rock back at the survey marker. However, an even higher spot was now visible a little off to the NE.
Approaching the SE summit. Photo looks NE.
It was sunny when Lupe first reached the flat top of a little ridge. A few small rocks with a scratchy, leafless bush growing among them formed an undramatic high point scarcely a foot above the rest of the terrain.
Chocolate coconut bar time! Lupe and SPHP sat down together enjoying the warm sun. Nearly 60ºF! In January, no less. Taste of the Wild, an apple, and water rounded out the provisions that met the same fate as the chocolate coconut bar.
You were wrong, SPHP!
About what, this time?
The housing subdivision.
Oh, yeah. Well, I’m glad about that. Peak 5000 is better like this, anyway. Gets awkward real fast when the true summit of a mountain is someone’s front yard.
Peak 5000’s summit had two points of interest. One was a small pit 30 feet S of the high point. Lupe ventured over for a look at it, but wasn’t overly impressed. No pendulum. The other was a surprising view.
Although trees blocked the views in all directions save one, that lone view was unique. Black Elk Peak(7,231 ft.), the highest mountain in South Dakota, was lined up behind Mount Rushmore(5,725 ft.), South Dakota’s most famous mountain.
The pit (the shadow at far R). Photo looks S.By the not-so-fascinating pit. Photo looks S.Black Elk Peak (L). Photo looks W.Mount Rushmore (L), Black Elk Peak (R). Photo looks WSW with help from the telephoto lens.
What now, SPHP? On to the next mountain?
Not going to be a next mountain, Loop. Took too long to get here after we got forced off USFS Road No. 359.1C.
Lupe couldn’t leave Peak 5000 yet, anyway. One more rise was visible 300 feet farther NW. Didn’t look quite as high as where the Carolina Dog was now, but she’d better check it out, just in case.
Looking toward the next high spot to the NW.
Good thing she did! The next rise went a little farther and higher than it first appeared. By the time Lupe got to the top, it was clear that this area was in contention for the title of Peak 5000’s true summit. Several large rocks along the E edge might well be it. Would almost bet money on it! Loopster scrambled up to the top.
Looking back toward the SE summit (R) from the NW summit area. Photo looks SE.At the NW summit high point (and likely true summit). Photo looks E.
Whether the shady rocks of the NW summit, or the sunny hill of the SE summit, was actually the true high point was never entirely clear, but Lupe had been to both. Might as well head back to the RAV4! Returning briefly to the SE high point, Loopster went over it, continuing S or SE through the same heavily forested region she’d been through earlier.
Returning to the SE summit. Photo looks SE.
After passing Peak 5000 Stonehenge, and following the remains of the electric fence back to the clearing where she’d first reached the S ridge, Lupe went just a little farther S to an opening where a bulldozer had cleared a level spot. Off to the WSW, was another, much more open view of Mount Rushmore and Black Elk Peak, lined up even more perfectly here than they had been at Peak 5000’s SE summit.
Mount Rushmore and Black Elk Peak (Center) from the bulldozer clearing. Photo looks WSW.Mount Rushmore & Black Elk Peak. Photo looks WSW with help from the telephoto lens.
Then it was back down the same steep SE ridge that Lupe had explored on the way up. Once in the second valley she’d come to on the way to Peak 5000, going down it seemed the better choice, skipping the woodsy trek necessary to avoid all the private property and get back to USFS Road No. 359.1C.
Turned out that this valley really was a far better route. The American Dingo soon came to an old jeep trail, which became a super easy trek as the valley eventually began to widen out.
Heading down the old jeep trail. Photo looks NE.In the snowy lower valley. Photo looks E.
The adventure was more or less over when Lupe reached the sewage ponds near Playhouse Road. They turned out to be bone dry. Perhaps they were defunct?
By the old sewage ponds. Photo looks N.
A 0.67 mile trudge back up paved Playhouse Road to the RAV4 waiting at the start of USFS Road No. 359.1C was all that remained. Some traffic to watch out for, but not all that much. Lupe trotted along, pausing when SPHP did to gather the inevitable Lupe treasures in the ditches.
Humanity is a mess, isn’t it, SPHP?
Yeah, much of it is, Looper. Some things never change.
We aren’t climbing any more peaks today?
Nope. Getting too late.
Not much of a Lists of John blitz, was it, SPHP? We only got to two peaks!
Peak 5000 took longer than I expected, Loop. Besides, blitzing isn’t our strong point. Kind of the opposite of our usual lackadaisical wanderings. Maybe we need a little practice at it?
Well, maybe practice would make a difference, and maybe not. Hard to break old habits. In any case, the Lists of John mini-blitz was at least off to some kind of a start. One thing for sure. Wouldn’t be long before the Black Hills Dingo would be back at it again! (End 3:00 PM, 48ºF)
Black Elk Peak & Mount Rushmore from Peak 4760, Black Hills, South Dakota 1-11-22
