Days 17-19 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming!
7-8-21, 2:37 PM, E of Alpine – Only a few dispersed camping sites here, but the luck of the Dingo held! 15 minutes after arriving, the tattooed lady with two kids who were collecting seashells abandoned the best spot, allowing SPHP to seize it.
On a shady bank overlooking the Greys River, Lupe was set for the day! Miss Hot Paws cooled off wading along the edge of the beautiful river while SPHP took a dip, then spent her time snoozing, or barking at squirrels.
7-9-21, 6:28 AM, 46ºF – A cattle guard on Greys River Road was only a mile or two E of the spiffy dispersed camping site where Lupe had spent the night. SPHP parked the RAV4 at the second pullout on the R beyond it, which seemed to be about the right area.
Sure enough, on the opposite N side of the road, an unmarked use trail went up the embankment.
Setting out for Bradley Mountain (9,292 ft.), Lupe climbed steadily, but SPHP soon realized that the use trail she was on wasn’t climbing fast enough. The American Dingo had barely started when it curved around the L side of the ridge ahead as though destined to proceed up the valley to the W. Doubts already! Maybe this wasn’t the right trail? Loopster needed to be up on the ridgeline.
Hoping for the best, SPHP stuck with the use trail too long before giving up on it. Delaying the steep ascent required to get up onto the ridge had been a mistake. Looper faced a tough climb when she finally made her move. Any steeper, and SPHP would have been clinging to stuff. During pauses to gasp for breath, SPHP noticed that the loose gray soil was full of little white seashells, or maybe they were snail shells?
Reaching the ridgeline was a relief. The rounded ridge was plenty wide, and covered with sagebrush and plants with big arrow-shaped leaves. Scattered trees provided shade which wasn’t needed yet, but would be soon enough.
Even the ridge climbed at a fairly aggressive rate. Before long, Lupe was starting to get some views. Somewhat worryingly, toward the S, the sky was turning white.
Another use trail ran up the ridge, which eventually broadened out into a small valley. The trail continued across it, then up to a higher region. A forested high point came into view ahead. Probably HP8518, the first of a series of big knobs SPHP had seen mentioned in various trip reports.
As Lupe continued higher, paused SPHP for breathers. The best view during these short breaks was of Stewart Mountain (10,103 ft.) back to the S. It’s barren summit stood out among the otherwise heavily forested region around it.
The ridge broadened out into a wide sagebrush and big arrowhead leaf plant meadow. Losing the trail, Lupe stayed toward the E (R) side of the ridge where a few trees offered shade. A minor high point wasn’t far ahead. E of it, the terrain appeared to be topping out.
When Lupe got there, a short break was taken in the shade of several big trees. Ants had built a vast metropolis nearby. Across a flat region also full of sagebrush and the big arrowhead leaf plants, the minor highpoint was now seen to be a small, flat ridge. N of it, a second knob was visible above and beyond HP8518.
Loop was perfectly happy relaxing in the shade, but still had a long way to go. After water and only a short rest, she headed WNW across the flat region toward the little ridge, rediscovering the use trail again on the way. After climbing up onto the ridge, the trail turned N toward HP8518.
Lower down, the big arrowhead-shaped leaf plants had a dry, past their prime look, but up here they still sported big yellow flowers. HP8518‘s E slope was all meadow, and it sure appeared that the American Dingo ought to be able to go up that way easily enough. However, trip reports SPHP had read all suggested that the best route was W of the knobs.
Hmm. I don’t know. What do you think, Looper? Which way should we go? The E slope looks pretty good to me.
Why not let the trail decide, SPHP? If it goes W, fine! But if it fades away, staying E looks better to me, too, as long as we stick close enough to the forest to check for squirrels, and get out of the sun if we need to.
Starting up HP8518. the use trail headed into the trees. Lupe climbed only a little way before it did swing over toward the W. Since the trail was actually more distinct along in here, Loop stuck with it. Leveling out, the trail traversed a steep, mostly forested slope. Before long, there were open stretches, too, and a SW ridge could be seen ahead.
Upon reaching the SW ridge, the trail divided. An easy 30 foot climb would have gotten Lupe up onto the open ridgeline, but the clearest branch of the trail turned NE, so she went that way instead.
The level traverse was over. Paralleling the SW ridge, never all that far from the crest, the use trail began another steep climb. Entering a big stand of aspens, Lupe followed a series of tight switchbacks higher.
After a good climb, the trail entered a conifer forest as it finally went over the crest of the SW ridge. Lupe was now on an another steep slope almost directly W of HP8518. The trail flattened out for a while before resuming the ascent at an easier pace.
Bradley Mountain’s summit was now only a mile NW. For the first time, the American Dingo began getting glimpses of it from small openings in the forest. Bradley Mountain (9,292 ft.) was just a big hill! Didn’t look difficult at all.
Still below and W of the knobs, the trail began turning NNW. Lupe came to a flat corridor between conifer forest on the R (E) and aspens on the L (W). The corridor soon widened out into a big meadow providing the first truly unobstructed views of her objective.
The trail vanished. Ahead, the meadow sloped downward. Rather than lose elevation, Lupe turned NE toward some tall trees. After a short rest in the shade, she continued up to the ridgeline the knobs were strung out along, picking up the trail again on the way.
The ridge was open where Loop reached it, already N of HP8518 and a couple of other knobs. HP8825, the last of the big knobs was now visible directly ahead. The trail aimed toward it, but well before getting there, went over to the W side of the ridgeline and descended to another part of the big meadow.
Looper lost maybe 60 feet of elevation before the trail leveled out. Soon she was climbing again. When the trail returned to the ridgeline NW of HP8825, Lupe was overjoyed!
SPHP, look! A glacier!
Streaking toward the Bradley Mountain Glacier, the American Dingo was off like a shot. Seconds later, she was there, enthusiastically rolling and thrashing about on the soft, cold snow of a big snowbank melting into a pond.
Feeling a little hot, were you, aye, Loop?
You try climbing mountains in July wearing a fur coat, SPHP! You’ll see!
Climbing steadily, the trail continued up a little valley above the glacier. It soon veered W out onto a grassy, gently sloping bench on the upper S face of Bradley Mountain. Only 200 feet below the summit now, the trail continued W, seemingly uninterested in going there. However, it looked like Lupe could scramble N up to rock outcroppings along the E ridge, cutting some distance off a final assault on the summit.
Refreshed by her glacier experience, the Carolina Dog went for it.
Plenty steep, but perfectly doable. Some loose soil and rock near the top, but Lupe got there.
Bradley Mountain’s E ridge was quite narrow where Loop reached it. A little gnarlier than expected, too. However, the view to the W was most encouraging. The Carolina Dog wasn’t far from the summit now, and only a little lower.
Destined for success, Lupe headed WNW. At one point she had to drop a little down the N side of the ridge to get past a sharp drop, but after that, the terrain wasn’t as rocky and began to broaden out. Suddenly, all that remained was a short grassy stroll to the high point.
7-9-21, 12:29 PM, 70ºF – Lupe came up Bradley Mountain (9,292 ft.) from the ESE, arriving almost immediately at the true summit, situated close to the SE end of a summit region roughly 5 acres in size. Most of the mountaintop consisted of a rolling sagebrush meadow that sloped gradually down toward the NW. A band of trees stood along the N edge.
Directly over the true summit, a 12 foot tall metal framework supported a single large solar panel used to power a communications site. Beneath it was a small well-constructed cairn.
Although Bradley Mountain hadn’t been a rugged or difficult peak at all, roughly 3,400 feet of elevation had been gained over the course of 3 miles. Lupe and SPHP were both ready for a good long break. While SPHP checked out the cairn, the American Dingo relaxed in the shade cast by the solar panel.
The cairn was hollow. Removing one of the two rocks serving as a roof revealed an upside down tin can painted red. The sight brought a flood of emotion.
Loopster! Guess what? Richard Carey has been here! Remember Cathedral Mountain?
Up in the Brooks Range in Alaska, SPHP? Of course, I do! Oh, that was a glorious day! What a magnificent mountain!
No understatement there. Cathedral Mountain had been where Lupe first encountered one of Richard Carey’s signature red tin cans back in 2017. Lifting it, SPHP wasn’t surprised to see a jar containing a small red spiral notebook, a pen, and a pencil. Sure enough, the first entry in this little registry was by Richard Carey.
Gosh, Loop! If we’d been here less than a year ago, we could have met Richard Carey. And Shelley Rogers was with him!
Shelley Rogers?
Yes. Remember the Chandalar Shelf not too far from Atigun Pass?
Where we were going to climb Table Mountain (6,314 ft.), but had to turn back due to rain and fog, SPHP?
Yeah. Richard and Shelley climbed Table Mountain together, too. There’s a picture of Shelley on Peakbagger.com standing next to a cairn up there that’s as tall as she is. I looked at that picture so many times before we made our trivial attempt, that I almost expected we would find Shelley still standing there, if we had made it to the top.
The registry contained only one other entry. Dustin Erickson had been here on 6-1-21. SPHP added Lupe’s name before returning the registry to the jar and hiding it under the red tin can back inside the cairn.
For an hour, Loop and SPHP remained there beneath the solar panel. Every now and then the Carolina Dog had to move a little to stay in the shade. She munched at her Taste of the Wild or tried to doze while SPHP muttered away.
Funny, isn’t it, Loop?
Oh, yes! Absolutely hilarious! Care to mention what you’re talking about, SPHP?
All the names we see on Peakbagger.com. Thousands of them! At first, they’re all meaningless, but over time, some stand out. Usually because we’ve been to some of the same places. Like our first ill-fated peakbagging hero, Edward Earl, or Tim Worth! Not always, though. Yet after a while you start to feel like you somehow know these people, almost like they’re personal friends, even though we’ve never met or had any contact.
Haven’t we exchanged a few emails with Richard Carey, SPHP? I know we did!
True enough. Smart guy! Richard’s been to many exotic places, knows a lot of history, and writes extremely accurate trip reports. But I’m not just talking about Mr. Carey, but the whole peakbagging “community”, if you want to call it that.
Well, we know Jobe Wymore and Dave Covill, SPHP! And they’re both terrific! No doubt there are lots of great individuals, and canines I might add, out wandering in the mountains like us. Glad they’re not all here right now, though! We like it remote and secluded, don’t we?
Yeah, most of the time. Sometimes fun to have company.
We’re always together, SPHP!
True dat, sweet puppy!
Bradley Mountain was quiet enough. Unfortunately, the morning’s white sky had foretold the situation. A smoky haze was in all directions, and getting worse, carried in on a SW breeze. Grand Teton (13,770 ft.) had been faintly visible far to the N when Lupe first reached the summit, but no sign of it now.
Regardless, it was about time for a tour of the summit region. Splendid mountains everywhere, but the smoke was bad enough to significantly degrade all views. A glimpse of relatively nearby highlights was about it. These included Ferry Peak (9,612 ft.), a distinctive light gray ridge to the NW, the S end of the Palisades Reservoir to the W, and Stewart Mountain (10,103 ft.) to the S.
7-9-21, 1:59 PM – During the 1.5 hours Loopster had been up on Bradley Mountain the SW breeze had kicked up to more of a wind, and the air seemed to be getting smokier by the minute. Once again, the Carolina Dog sat by the cairn at the true summit.
Guess this is about it, huh, SPHP?
The way this smoke is looking, maybe in more ways than one, Looper. But you’re right, it’s time. Onward! Puppy, ho!
The descent via the same route went fine, fast and easy until SPHP made a change. Lupe was already clear down to the small valley the use trail had crossed on the way up, when SPHP decided that maybe going down the valley would be better than following the ridge.
Huge mistake! Started out OK, but soon Lupe was plunging steeply through thick vegetation neck high on SPHP. Slow, miserable! Thankfully, the American Dingo didn’t cliff out. The jungle ordeal seemed endless, but the situation eventually improved.
Finally popping out on Greys River Road 200 yards W of the RAV4, a steady stream of pickups and ATV’s roaring by kicked up clouds of dust during the hot trudge along the road. (End 5:56 PM, 87ºF)
All the dispersed camping sites along the Greys River were taken this late in the day. What now? Lupe still had plans in the Wyoming Range. Last year, the smoke from wildfires farther W hadn’t chased Loop out of Montana until August 10th. Seemed incredible it could be happening a whole month earlier here in Wyoming in 2021, yet the smoke was bad in Alpine.
Too hot down here in any case. In the end, SPHP drove all the way back to the Kilgore Creek trailhead near Hoback Peak where Lupe had been 2 nights ago.
7-10-21, 7:18 AM, 46ºF, Kilgore Creek trailhead – Precisely as feared, too smoky! The Wyoming Range had to be abandoned. Entering Pinedale an hour later, even the Wind River Range was enveloped in haze. Far to the NE, the Bighorn Range became Plan B. By mid-afternoon, Lupe was there. N of the Owl Creek Mountains, the sky had been an encouraging blue again.
Loopster spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at the Lake Point picnic ground overlooking Meadowlark Lake. Just before sunset, she took the short trail up to High Park Lookout (9,477 ft.).
Patches of snow were visible up on the big peaks along the spine of the Bighorns. Some haziness up there, but not too bad yet. However, the blue skies W of the Bighorns had already vanished during the few hours spent at Lake Point. Smoke to the S, even some to the E, and a big plume heading this way out of the NW.
Sorry, Lupe.
It’s over, SPHP?
Yup. Don’t think there’s any sense in waiting around. Likely to be worse by morning.
Half an hour later, SPHP briefly parked the RAV4 at Powder River Pass. Back to the WNW, a red sun sank into the murk, and was gone.
Now what, SPHP?
This is it, Looper. Your Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming is over. We’re heading home.
But it isn’t even mid-July yet, SPHP! Summer can’t be over!
Oh, it’s not! Looks like a long, hot, dry one still ahead. We’ll clean up and rest up at home, then figure out what to do. In the meantime, pray for a big monsoon to put out the fires out W.
Heh. How likely was that? Not very, but hope springs eternal. The American Dingo wasn’t giving up on the summer of 2021, certainly not yet! (End, 7-11-21, 1:12 AM, home)
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Bradley Mountain GPS Track by Sam Grant 7-9-20
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