9:27 AM – Two miles E of Custer, SPHP turned N off Hwy 16A onto America Center Road and promptly parked the RAV4, letting Lupe out for a look. 0.33 mile N of the highway, beyond a mowed acreage and a well-kept private home, stood a complex ridge of ancient granite.
That’s Calamity Peak (5,760 ft.), SPHP?
Yup, or at least what we can see of it from here, Loop. There’s more to it on the other side, including the highest point.
And you really think that we can climb it, SPHP? Looks like technical rock climbing territory to me!
You might well be right, Looper, but we’re going to give it a shot. Who knows what we’ll find?
Without public access from the S, the Carolina Dog returned to the RAV4. SPHP drove a couple miles NE along America Center Road to a L turn onto Rocky Road (USFS Road No. 345.1E). Rocky Road went uphill a bit then flattened out. SPHP parked the RAV4 again in a field just W of the road.
9:44 AM, 46ºF – Not a bad starting point, and a lovely warm morning for late November to boot! Peak 5874, another peak the American Dingo might take a shot at today, was already in sight only a little more than a mile NW. Lupe scrambled up a 15 foot high granite outcropping close to the RAV4 for a better look.
Peak 5874 appeared fairly rugged, too, but not as daunting as Calamity Peak had from the highway.
In any case, Peak 5874 was for later on. After retreating off the granite, Lupe headed SW through gently rolling territory. The forest here had been substantially thinned by loggers, so it was already possible to see Calamity Peak ahead. It looked a lot different from the NE than it had from the highway. Still some massive granite formations visible, but most of the mountain looked forested.
Maybe climbing Calamity Peak wouldn’t be such a big deal after all?
Working her way W, Lupe crossed a couple of minor drainages following old logging roads. Before long she came to a wider drainage. Big rocks along the edge of the low ridge overlooking it provided nice viewpoints.
Crossing the wide drainage, Lupe came to a tiny stream. Fortunately, it was sufficiently frozen to support even SPHP’s weight.
Beyond the stream, Lupe headed W up a hillside, soon reaching USFS Road No. 345.1H. For a little way, the road went S toward Calamity Peak, but ultimately curved W up to the saddle between it and the next ridge to the N.
Since the topo map showed that the terrain W of Calamity Peak wasn’t quite as steep as an approach from the E would be, Lupe continued W over the saddle. She stuck with No. 345.1H a little farther as it curved SW and began to head downhill, but soon left it.
Venturing S through the forest while gradually gaining elevation, it soon became apparent that sticking with the road a bit longer would have been better. Lupe came to a ravine that had to be crossed, then ended up traversing steep slopes full of deadfall, at least some of which could have been avoided.
The Carolina Dog pressed on, however, and finally reached the base of a cluster of massive granite formations.
The nearly vertical granite formed a continuous wall. Impossible to go straight up it. Lupe was forced to look for another approach. Searching toward the W, she discovered a passage between the rocks, and a couple of other short ramps higher, but they all quickly became too steep.
After a slow battle back through the deadfall, which was bad along the base of the granite, Lupe tried going around the E end.
Surprisingly, this worked! A lane higher appeared. Lupe scrambled up.
The Carolina Dog discovered that there actually was a way up here from the W through a passage between the rocks. Steep and narrow, but a Dingo could have made it.
Loopster got high, but not high enough. She could only go so far before getting stymied by a massive chunk of granite a little to the SW. No way to get up there, but she could move around in a small area flanked by big rock formations.
From the edge of the granite, Lupe actually had a decent view to the N. Miles away, Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.), Little Devils Tower (6,960 ft.) and the Cathedral Spires (6,840 ft.) were all in sight. From this unique perspective, the Black Hills looked incredibly rocky in that direction!
Lupe hadn’t been able to get to the top, but that didn’t necessarily mean that her attempt to climb Calamity Peak (5,760 ft.) was destined to fail. There was another possibility. A short distance S of this big cluster of granite formations was another one that looked just as high. Success was still possible if the American Dingo could get to the top over there!
Descending the way she’d come up, Lupe crossed the forested saddle leading to the S high point and began to climb.
Hopes were high for a couple of minutes as Lupe made some progress, but it all ended as the same song, second verse. She could get to within a few tens of feet of the summit, but completing the ascent without her Dingo Wings was impossible.
Oh, that’s right, SPHP! I haven’t thought about my Dingo Wings in years! Are they here? Did you bring them? I’ll just flap ’em and sail right on up to the top of Calamity Peak (5,760 ft.), if you did!
No, sorry, I didn’t bring them, Loop. Truth is, they still haven’t come in.
They’re still on backorder from Amazon, SPHP? Can’t you try another vendor? This peakbagging business would be a whole lot easier, if I had wings.
You can say that again! No offense, Loop, you’ve been awesome, you truly have, but my next peakbagging partner is going to be an eagle.
Hah! Good luck with that, SPHP! No eagle is going to put up with all your plodding along at a snail’s pace. You’re lucky you’ve got me!
Oh, and don’t I know it! Love you, Loopster! C’mon, let’s have a look around.
The views here consisted of some distant ridges to the SW, plus a look at the town of Custer.
Are we done here, SPHP?
Seems that way, Loop. Our personal calamity is that we can’t get to the top of Calamity Peak, although any half-decent rock climber could.
That excludes you, doesn’t it, SPHP?
Without a doubt!
Defeated, there was nothing more to be done on Calamity Peak. SPHP got the bright idea that descending a wide valley to the SE might be the fastest, easiest way down rather than heading back through the deadfall.
Worked at first, but even this soon turned into a fiasco. Although a scenic route, the valley steepened, then narrowed, then became even more choked with deadfall that the route up from the N had been. Time slipped away as SPHP thrashed and flailed through it all.
The valley began to widen out again as SPHP finally got past the worst of the deadfall. Progress improved. The valley continued on, though, still bearing SE. When the ridge to the N finally diminished sufficiently, Lupe left the valley to climb up and over it.
Well E of Calamity Peak now, the trek N wasn’t bad at all. Lupe crossed several minor ridges separated by drainages of mixed open and forested territory. In addition to passing a handsome granite formation, she was excited to see several deer.
Reaching USFS Road No. 345.1H again, Loopster followed it N toward Peak 5874. As she got close, the road angled NE and began to climb. When it topped out, Loop left it following a small ridge NW. A short break was taken at the ridge’s high point amid sunlit young pines.
Peak 5874’s E slope looked very steep. It’s N ridge featured a gigantic granite formation, making it seem rather doubtful that an approach from the lower end of the long ridge would succeed in getting past it.
The sun was already sinking. Too late already to circle clear around to the W side of the mountain to see if the situation looked any better over there. Looper was going to have to try to climb that steep E slope.
Leaving the minor ridge, Lupe lost a little elevation as she headed for it. Upon reaching the base of the slope, SPHP saw right away that it wasn’t as steep as it had appeared. Might work, after all! Lupe started up just S of the enormous granite formation towering far above, aiming between it and more dramatic formations a little farther S.
Deadfall slowed, but merely delayed progress. Without encountering any serious difficulty, Lupe reached the ridgeline between the huge granite formation to the N, and another one to the S.
Good thing Looper hadn’t tried coming up farther N. No way she would have gotten past that wall of rock! However, if she was going to have any success climbing Peak 5874, she still had to get past the formation immediately S of where she’d come up.
Fortunately, there was a way around the E side. A short, easy climb along a bit of a ledge, and Lupe was over a shoulder and through a little gap. Ahead was a forested slope full of deadfall laying perpendicular to the route the American Dingo needed to take.
The deadfall would slow SPHP down, but Lupe was definitely going to get up that slope! However, she still lacked a clear view of the summit. Before heading that way, Looper took a look back N. She was already higher than the fearsome granite formation she’d managed to avoid.
Leaping over deadfall, Lupe worked her way S toward the summit. As she got close, it became clear that she was going to come up between two distinct high points. When she got there she found a carpet of kinnikinic covering a roomy flat area. A forested ramp dotted with boulders went a short distance SE up to an especially large boulder partially hidden by a tree.
At first glance, it appeared that giant boulder might well be the true summit of Peak 5874. Lupe headed for it.
The giant boulder was perched right along the S edge of the mountain. It was so big, Loopster needed a boost from SPHP, but suddenly, there she was! Way up on Peak 5874! If only Calamity Peak had gone this well!
Lupe had a fabulous view to the S, but the boulder was a mighty airy spot. No sense in risking a real calamity! A couple of quick photos and SPHP encouraged her to leap down. The Carolina Dog needed to check out the W high point as well to complete her tour of Peak 5874, anyway.
Lupe needed a boost to get up onto the W summit, too. It was a roomier place, but lacked the grand view to the S the SE boulder had provided. Too many trees! However, it seemed clear that Lupe actually was at the true summit of Peak 5874 now. The American Dingo could finally claim a peakbagging success today!
Loop lingered for a few minutes up at the true summit before leaping down to join SPHP in an exploration of the rest of the summit region, which extended somewhat farther to the S, W and NW.
A little ridge of rock provided a terrific view S. Beyond Calamity Peak were others that Lupe had been to before. Custer Mountain (6,089 ft.) and Peak 6040 bracketed Northeast Cicero Peak (6,240 ft.) on the far horizon. Mount Coolidge (6,023 ft.) was visible to the SE beyond a sliver of Stockade Lake.
The summit region sloped down quite a bit toward the NW. Deadfall made it hard to move around, and live trees blocked most of the views. However, Loop did get a narrow look at Crazy Horse seemingly glaring at her from Thunderhead Mountain (6,567 ft.).
4-21 PM, 47ºF, Peak 5874 – SW of Peak 5874’s true summit, Lupe and SPHP sat near the edge watching the weary sun hover barely above the horizon. Water and a chocolate coconut bar were eagerly accepted by the American Dingo. Peaceful, calm. A few lights twinkled amid the blackness below.
The last glimmering rays vanished. Time to go! Lupe headed back down Peak 5874’s N ridge and E slope, ultimately returning to USFS Road No. 345.1H. As dusk deepened, she followed the road as it looped NE, then SE, back to Rocky Road. Turning S at the junction, she was soon back at the RAV4. (5:21 PM, 47ºF)
You win some, you lose some, but at least there had been no greater calamity than simple failure to attain the summit at Calamity Peak.
And Expedition No. 285 had ended splendidly at Peak 5874.
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