Buffalo Peak – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Buffalo Peak & Twin Peaks in the Laramie Mountains of Wyoming (6-12-17 & 6-13-17)

Part 2 of Day 5, plus Day 6 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Laramie Range, Wyoming & Beyond!

Reluctantly, Lupe left the huge old squirrel tree at the edge of the beautiful green glade. She quickly forgot about squirrels, sniffing her way NNE. The Carolina Dog came to a burned forest, passed through it, and entered another section of live forest where she crossed a dirt road. By the time she reached the W side of the Meadow Creek valley, Loop was back in burned out forest again.

Lupe reaches the burned out forest in the Meadow Creek valley on her way to **Buffalo Peak**. Photo looks N.

After having a great time climbing nearby Squaw Mountain (9,313 ft.) earlier in the day, Loop was on her way to Buffalo Peak (9,387 ft.). The summit was now less than a mile to the NE. Unfortunately, the weather was deteriorating. Clouds were moving in. A sudden wind arose, and distant thunder could be heard. Better take cover, but where?

Glancing around, SPHP spotted a square recess in a big rock formation. The opening appeared to have a bit of an overhang. The recess was 70 feet higher up a moderately steep slope to the SW. Lupe could hide out there until this squall passed.

No other option was readily available. Loop and SPHP climbed the slope up to the square recess. The opening was large enough to accommodate both Lupe and SPHP, with sufficient overhanging rock to provide decent protection from rain or hail. Sweet!

Lupe at the square recess in the rock where she would take shelter from the storm. Photo looks W.

While the American Dingo watched from the safety of the square recess in the rock, storm clouds swept across the sky from the SE. Only a small patch of blue sky remained to the N. Lupe saw a single bolt of lightning miles to the E. An eerie, angry buzzing or humming sound filled the whole valley. The peculiar noise went on and on.

The wind blowing among the dead trees must be making that strange sound! From here, Lupe could see nothing but burnt forest in Meadow Creek valley. On the other side of the valley, the entire SW face of Buffalo Peak had burned, too.

Thunder rumbled constantly. While Lupe waited for the storm to hit, SPHP had plenty of time to check maps and study the SW face of Buffalo Peak. The plan had been to go N up the Meadow Creek valley, gradually turning NE. When Lupe got high enough she would turn SE, approaching the mountain from the NW. The topo map seemed to suggest this would be the easiest way up.

However, the SW face of Buffalo Peak didn’t look all that bad. It appeared Lupe might be able to go right on up a long, wide slope between two large rock ridges. Above this wide chute, she would need to turn E to reach the top of the mountain, but that looked feasible from down here, too.

From her square recess in the rocks, Lupe could see the whole SW face of **Buffalo Peak**. SPHP thought she could probably climb the mountain from this direction, instead of circling around to the NW as originally planned. Photo looks NE.

After a huge, suspenseful buildup, nothing happened. No hail, no rain – not even a drop. The distant thunder and the odd buzzing sound both faded away as storm clouds sailed off to the NW. Blue skies returned. Buffalo Peak was in sunshine. More than 40 minutes had gone by. This was her chance! Lupe had better get going!

The American Dingo headed NE down into the valley. She crossed Meadow Creek, which was only a small stream. Soon she reached the base of the long slope up the SW face of Buffalo Peak. Even from here, it didn’t look bad.

Lupe began climbing. The long chute was very wide, bordered by large rock formations on both sides. At first, Looper encountered quite a lot of deadfall timber. Higher up, less deadfall existed. The slope was steep, but not at all scary. Lupe traversed a mix of bare ground, scattered yellow flowers, and numerous small to medium-sized loose rocks.

The American Dingo made great progress, especially after SPHP got above the worst of the deadfall. Lupe made it up to the top of the long chute. She now needed to angle more to the E. What appeared to be Buffalo Peak’s summit was still a good 300 feet higher. Getting up there looked somewhat more complicated from here than it had appeared from below. However, Lupe was able to gain elevation traveling ENE below a high ridge of rock.

Lupe near the upper end of the long steep slope she climbed from the SW. From here, she gained elevation traveling ENE (R) through more complicated rocky terrain than expected. Photo looks N.

Shortly after reaching the upper end of the SW chute, it became clear another squall was on the way. More clouds were approaching rapidly, blown in on a strong SE breeze. No lightning was seen, but initially faint thunder grew steadily louder. Time to seek refuge again!

A great many large rocks were in the area, but places to hide beneath an overhang were scarce. Lupe and SPHP scouted out possibilities with increasing urgency. A couple of tight spots were all that could be found. SPHP stuffed the backpack beneath a small overhang. Loop and SPHP jammed together into a different barely large enough space under a big rock nearby.

As another squall approached, Lupe and SPHP searched for a place to take shelter. Lupe and SPHP wound up jammed together in the small space under the rock seen to the L of Lupe. Photo looks SSE.

Wind blew. Thunder rumbled, but no lighting was seen. A series of threatening clouds raced by. From the cramped space, SPHP had a glimpse of wild-looking clouds and blue sky far to the S.

Ho hum. Dullsville. Lupe had gotten used to this routine. She dozed on SPHP’s lap, waiting for the squall to pass.

In cramped quarters under a large rock, Lupe dozes on SPHP’s lap, while waiting for the storm to pass.

Eventually, the distant blue sky to the S appeared to be heading this way. Once again, not a drop of rain, despite all the sound and fury! When thunder could no longer be heard, and sunshine reached Squaw Mountain 1.5 miles away, Lupe and SPHP clambered out from under the boulder.

With skies starting to clear again, Lupe emerged from beneath the boulder she’s standing on to resume her ascent of Buffalo Peak. Photo looks NE.

Another 30 minutes had been lost. The summit of Buffalo Peak was still 200 feet higher. Lupe resumed her ascent.

Within 10 minutes, the American Dingo had scrambled up enough boulders to reach a large amphitheater where the ground sloped toward the NW. The amphitheater contained burnt trees, quite a few large low rocks, and a fair amount of bare earth with little vegetation. Around the perimeter were 3 large ridges of rock, with openings to the SW and NW.

Lupe reaches the amphitheater near the top of **Buffalo Peak**. The true summit is unseen a short distance beyond the high rocks on the L. Photo looks N.

Of the 3 high points on the rocky ridges around the amphitheater, the lowest was clearly the one to the SW. From below, the one to the SE had appeared to be the mountain’s summit. However, from the amphitheater it looked fairly certain the large ridge to the N was actually highest.

Lupe went to check out the SE ridge first, in case part of it was hidden from view. The possibility that the true summit was over here hadn’t been completely ruled out yet. As soon as Loop got up on top, though, it was clear this was not the true summit. Nevertheless, the views were awesome!

Loop reaches the top of **Buffalo Peak’s SE high point**. This turned out not to be the true summit. Photo looks NE.

Retreating clouds make for a dramatic scene from **Buffalo Peak’s SE high point**. Photo looks NNE.

**Squaw Mountain (9,313 ft.)** (Center) is the high burnt ridge to the R of Lupe. The much more distant high point seen above her rump is **Warbonnet Peak (9,414 ft.)**. Photo looks SE.

The lower SW ridge is in view on the R. The territory Lupe had come up through to reach the amphitheater from the SW is seen on the R. Photo looks SW.

The summit of **Buffalo Peak** as seen from the SE high point. Photo looks NNW.

From the high point on the SE ridge, the true summit of Buffalo Peak was clearly seen off to the NNW. Lupe had to get over there to claim her peakbagging success. Off Lupe went. A scramble up from the SE was easily accomplished. The mighty Carolina Dog stood at the very top of Buffalo Peak (9,387 ft.)!

Loop stands on the true summit of **Buffalo Peak**. Photo looks NW.

Lupe’s odd summit stance makes the situation look much more precarious than it actually was.

A plastic jar tucked next to the two highest rocks on the mountain contained a registry. Six people ranging from 10 to 64 years old had made the trek up Buffalo Peak and started the registry on Memorial Day, 2013. Since then, only one other person had signed in on 7-12-16. Naturally, Lupe’s name got added.

The Buffalo Peak registry had gotten off to a good start on Memorial Day, 2013, but had seen little use since then.

It was a good thing Lupe made it to the top of Buffalo Peak when she did. Before long, the weather was deteriorating again. The entire sky grew dark. Distant peaks disappeared in a soft, gray haze. Nearby peaks could still be seen clearly, except when wisps of fog streamed by on the relentless SE breeze. Thunder roared threats from afar.

SPHP started down first. At the top of Buffalo Peak, Lupe stood alone in the wind waiting for the signal to come.

Alone on Buffalo Peak waiting for the signal to follow SPHP down. Photo looks NW.

The signal was given. Lupe bounded down. Now it was a race against the storm! She scrambled down to the amphitheater of dead trees, crossed it heading S, and started descending the mountain’s SW slope. Loop hadn’t lost much elevation before it was necessary to hide again.

Another overhanging rock was found to squeeze in beneath. This time there was room for the backpack, too. Lupe and SPHP waited. No blue sky could be seen, only a light band of weird yellow sky on the SW horizon. The wind picked up. Sprinkles of rain dashed against the rocks.

Under the rock, waiting out the latest storm threat on the descent.

Thunder echoed closer than before, but Lupe remained calm. She dozed while SPHP stroked her warm fur and soft ears. It rained harder. Water began dripping into Lupe’s refuge, ultimately becoming a steady stream. The Carolina Dog curled up on SPHP’s lap, comfortable and dry, while SPHP sat on increasingly muddy ground.

Half an hour passed with no changes. How long was this going to go on? The Carolina Dog might be fine here, but SPHP was not looking forward to a long night crammed under a rock. That was what it would come down to if the storm didn’t let up. Getting drenched didn’t seem like a good plan either. Better stay as dry as possible. No reasonable choice other than to wait it out.

An hour went by. It began to hail. Nothing major. Pea-sized hailstones ricocheted off nearby rocks. A few struck stinging glancing blows, but did no real damage. Fun, fun!

After 10 minutes, the hail let up. It had been the storm’s last hurrah. A SE breeze remained, but now the sky was clearing again. Not a moment too soon, either. The sun was getting low. Better make tracks. Lupe and SPHP set off down Buffalo Peak, retracing the Carolina Dog’s earlier route up.

A profusion of yellow wildflowers like these grew on the slopes of Buffalo Peak.

The sun was still up when Lupe reached the top of the long, wide SW chute leading down to the Meadow Creek valley. By the time she reached the worst of the deadfall timber at the lower end of the slope, sunlight remained only high up on Squaw Mountain.

The sun was still up as Lupe began her descent of the wide, SW chute leading to the Meadow Creek valley. Photo looks SW.

Puppy, ho! Onward! No time to lose. Lupe crossed Meadow Creek again, and turned S. As twilight weakened, she passed through the burnt forest and reached the live forest. A dark, shady gloom prevailed. Lupe kept going. Across the dirt road, out of the gloom, and into another burnt forest.

Little light remained by the time Lupe made it back to the gnarled old squirrel tree. The tent and sleeping bags hung in it were only slightly damp. At least that had worked. In almost total darkness, SPHP pitched Lupe’s “tiny house” beneath a starry sky. What a day it had been! Sweet success! Lupe had managed to climb both Squaw Mountain (9,313 ft.) and Buffalo Peak (9,387 ft.).

Once safely inside her “tiny house”, Lupe was ravenous. She gobbled down her Alpo, before curling up on her red sleeping bag. In no time, she was out like a light. (End of Day 5)

It was a cold night. The wind blew for hours, yet the American Dingo hardly stirred. When she did, SPHP kept wrapping the red sleeping bag over her for warmth. She must have snoozed well, much better than SPHP. When dawn arrived, Loopster was ready for action. She demanded to be let out!

No problem. Loop wouldn’t run off, not with a giant squirrel tree right outside. SPHP unzipped the tent door. Out she went. An excited yipping and yapping commenced immediately. The squirrel tree hadn’t failed her. An annoyed squirrel scolded the Carolina Dog for rudely breaking the early peace and tranquility of the new day. The scolding only egged her on.

The excitement finally died down and became an occasional thing. SPHP dozed fitfully for another 2 hours, checking on Looper every so often. She was always there, waiting and watching beneath the huge squirrel tree.

The sun was well up by the time SPHP managed to spring back to life. A stroll out in the sunny green glade to take off the morning chill was in order. The warm sunlight felt good.

Lupe next to her “tiny house” at the edge of the green glade. The huge squirrel tree is beyond her. Photo looks N.

In the warm sunshine of the green glade. Photo looks S.

The original plan had been for Lupe to climb Buffalo Peak today, but she’d already done it. Fortunately, there was something else fun to do on the way back to the G6. Looper could climb Twin Peaks (9,280 ft.) again. Twin Peaks was the mountain Lupe had climbed a year ago where she’d first spotted Squaw Mountain and Buffalo Peak.

Lupe stood guard at the base of the squirrel tree while SPHP packed everything up. When all was ready, Loop had to leave the squirrels in peace. She didn’t mind. By now she was ready for more exploring. She crossed the green glade heading S and entered the forest.

It was 2 miles back to the minor pass S of the big rock formation close to where Lupe had left Twin Peaks Trail No. 618 yesterday. On the way, Loop stayed W of the route she had taken to Squaw Mountain. Much of the time she was in forest, but a brighter, more open forest than she’d been in before.

Loop made it back to the minor pass. SPHP ditched the tent and sleeping bags near some rocks. The Twin Peaks summit was only 0.5 mile S from here. Lupe crossed Twin Peaks Trail No. 618 and took off into the forest again, starting her ascent. At first, she had only the forest and deadfall timber to contend with. Higher up, she reached rock formations, much steeper ground, and even some snow.

On the way up Twin Peaks, Lupe reaches rockier territory and even some snow. Photo looks SSW.

The Carolina Dog came to a rocky high point SPHP recognized from last year. As she continued higher, the mountain seemed more and more familiar. For the most part, Lupe took a more direct route straight up from the N this time. She didn’t scramble up onto the same NW ridge she had approached from last year until very near the summit.

On the way up the N slope, the NW ridge protected Loopster from the weather. Upon attaining the summit, however, she was exposed to the full force of a gale blowing out of the SW. Puffy white clouds floated swiftly by. The sky was mostly blue, and the day sunny, but it wasn’t warm or relaxing up here.

Lupe detested the wind. She stood on the summit long enough for a short photo session. After that, SPHP could gaze at the views without her. Loop hid down in a grassy slot between some of the highest rocks where she was at least partly sheltered from the relentless, stiff breeze. The American Dingo had some sense, even if SPHP did not.

Lupe stands on the tip top rock on **Twin Peaks (9,280 ft.)** again for the first time in a year and 12 days. It was windy! **Squaw Mountain (9,313 ft.)**, which Lupe had climbed yesterday is seen on the L. Photo looks NE.

Part of **Squaw Mountain** (Center) is seen near Lupe’s forehead. **Buffalo Peak (9,387 ft.)** is the barren rounded peak a little to the L. Photo looks NE.

**Laramie Peak (10,272 ft.)** (Center) is the most distant high point. **Warbonnet Peak (9,414 ft.)** is the highest point closer by on the R. Photo looks SE.

A Carolina Dog leans into the stiff SW gale up on the summit of **Twin Peaks**. Photo looks E.

Loopster takes shelter from the roaring SW wind in the slot between **Twin Peak’s** summit rocks. The open end of the slot faces W, so the protection wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot better than standing up on top of these same rocks. Photo looks E.

The views from Twin Peaks were fabulous! Seeing them again was great fun, especially looking over at Squaw Mountain and Buffalo Peak now that Lupe had been to both. While Lupe hid out, SPHP endured the gale a little longer.

Looking W. The very last part of Lupe’s ascent was from this direction.

It was especially fun seeing **Buffalo Peak** (L) and **Squaw Mountain** (R) from **Twin Peaks** again now that Lupe had climbed both! Photo looks NE.

The valley Lupe would travel through on her way back to the **Twin Peaks** trailhead is seen below. **Squaw Mountain** is on the L. Photo looks ENE.

**Buck Peak (9,061 ft.)** is the conical mountain at Center. Photo looks NNW.

It was a shame it was so windy up on Twin Peaks, but SPHP was glad Lupe had returned. Still, 20 minutes of this gale, and even SPHP was ready to retreat. Lupe was more than happy to start the descent. She definitely preferred roaming the forest to the conditions at the top.

Heading down the N slope of **Twin Peaks**. Lupe much preferred the forest where she was sheltered from the wind. Finding hidden snowbanks like this one was an added bonus!

Looper returned to the minor pass N of Twin Peaks. SPHP retrieved the tent and sleeping bags. Together, Lupe and SPHP started E back down Twin Peaks Trail No. 618.

At 2:19 PM, Loop arrived back at the trailhead. After a bite to eat, both Lupe and SPHP were overcome with weariness. Adventuring can take it out of you! Nothing wrong with taking a nap, is there?

Naptime lasted nearly 3 hours. When she awoke, Lupe’s adventures in the Laramie Mountains were about over for now. During the last 6 days, she’d had peakbagging successes and failures, spent countless hours sniffing and exploring, seen many beautiful things, and even faced some dangers. As wonderful as it had all been, the moment had come to move on.

On the way back to Douglas, Lupe rode with her head out the window of the G6, barking vigorously and happily at everything she saw along the way. SPHP stopped at several scenic spots. The SW wind still blew hard, but that didn’t detract from the beautiful western scenery.

Near **Bear Rock** along Cold Springs Road, Lupe faces into the sun and SW wind. Photo looks NE.

Lupe on her way back to Douglas, WY. She’s leaving behind adventures in some truly beautiful territory. **Bear Rock** (L), **Squaw Mountain** (Center) and **Buffalo Peak** (R). Photo looks SW.

**Bear Rock** seen through the telephoto lens. Photo looks SW.

A pronghorn antelope dashes away across the rolling high plains. Lupe loves watching antelope run!

Lupe stopped by the fancy entrance to the gorgeous Powderhorn Ranch. **Buffalo Peak** (Center) is in the distance. Photo looks SW.

The Powderhorn Ranch SW of Douglas, WY. **Buffalo Peak** (L) in the distance. Photo looks SW with help from the telephoto lens.

Upon reaching Douglas, WY, Lupe and SPHP headed W on I-25. A side trip S to Ayer’s Natural Bridge ended in disappointment. A sign said the park closes at 5 PM, and it was more than an hour later than that. Didn’t matter. The sign also said no pets allowed. Oh, well.

Lupe was happy anyway, barking at the buffalo she saw from the G6 in a big field along the gravel road.

Buffalo near the road to Ayer’s Natural Bridge.

Back at I-25, SPHP drove W. Bright-eyed Lupe rode up even with the dash, comfy on her pile of pillows and blankets. With the Laramie Mountains to the S, and high plains to the N, the sinking sun shone upon her eager face. Loop was on the road to adventure once more! Tomorrow she’d be in unexplored territory beyond the Laramie Range.

Links:

Next Adventure Prior Adventure

Part 1: Squaw Mountain, Laramie Range, Wyoming (6-12-17)

Twin Peaks, Laramie Mountains, Wyoming (6-1-16)

Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s 2017 Laramie Range, Wyoming & Beyond Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.

Buffalo Peak, Jefferson County High Point, Colorado (11-9-15)

The days aren’t very long in November. Lupe and SPHP should have gotten off to an earlier start. The plan was for Lupe to climb Buffalo Peak (11,589 ft.), the high point of Jefferson County, Colorado. With no trail and over 3,000 feet of elevation gain involved, it was a fairly ambitious plan for this time of year.

SPHP had intended to park the G6 up at Stoney Pass, but just past Wellington Lake there was a creek running across the road. The creek wasn’t very large. It was about a foot deep, and maybe 6 feet wide, as it crossed the road. SPHP stood peering into the clear water. The creek bottom looked flat and smooth and firm. But, what if it wasn’t really? The G6 didn’t have much clearance. If it sank another foot into mud and the engine got wet, Lupe and SPHP were in for an adventure of the wrong sort.

It would probably have been fine to ford the creek with the G6, but SPHP wasn’t going to chance it. Not way out here. SPHP found a place nearby to park. Lupe and SPHP were just going to have to walk the 1.5 miles up the road to Stoney Pass. The only real problem was the time it took. It was already 9:42 AM when Lupe and SPHP left the G6 behind.

Looking NW at **The Castle (9,691 ft.)** near Wellington Lake as Lupe starts for Buffalo Peak.

It was a beautiful, clear and calm day as Lupe crossed the little creek, and started up the road for Stoney Pass. It was already 45°F. Back in Arvada, where Lupe was staying with cousin Dusty while on vacation in Colorado, it was supposed to get into the low 60’s. It wouldn’t get that warm out here, though, not way up on Buffalo Peak. Even so, at least weather wasn’t going to be an issue.

SPHP reached Stoney Pass after a trudge up the road. Lupe had already been busy racing around in the forest sniffing everything of interest. Now it was time to leave the road together and plunge into a dense forest. The plan was to reach the summit of Buffalo Peak by following a ridge from the NE. SPHP already knew there was no trail, that the mountain was heavily forested, and that the ridge wasn’t all that distinct.

The topo map showed the climb up would be pretty relentless, although there were some flatter areas near the top. SPHP wondered if there would be any viewpoints along the way. It would sure help to be able to catch a glimpse of the summit every now and then, just to make certain Lupe was going the right way.

Despite the possible obstacles, SPHP felt pretty confident Lupe was going to reach the top. Lupe showed no concerns, whatsoever. It was just another big, fun romp in the woods to her. As Lupe started the climb, SPHP wondered what the summit would be like. Would it even be worth the effort to get there? From a distance, Buffalo Peak had looked like just a big forested hump. Would there be any place from which to get a view? Or would Lupe’s efforts just end at a high spot in a forest that looked like the entire rest of the mountain?

There hadn’t been any snow at Stoney Pass, but as Lupe climbed, she started encountering a thin layer of snow. SPHP worried that Lupe was going too far to the W instead of heading SW. Lupe didn’t really seem to be up on a ridge. The blue sky seen between the trees above was always hundreds of feet higher than where Lupe and SPHP were. There was little deadfall timber at first, but as Lupe went on, gradually there was more. Most of it was pretty small stuff, though, so it wasn’t much of a hindrance.

Lupe climbed a very long way before she finally came to a big rock outcropping. SPHP was eager to see what could be seen from the other side. Lupe and SPHP found a way through to the SW side of the rock outcropping. The view wasn’t all that encouraging. Farther off to the W than SPHP had been hoping was what might be a part of Buffalo Peak near the summit. To the SW was a little valley, and beyond it another ridge. Now SPHP wasn’t even sure Lupe had been following the correct ridge up.

Intrepid American Dingo Lupe reaches the first big rock outcropping on her journey up Buffalo Peak.

This view to the W toward the general direction of the summit of Buffalo Peak from the 1st big rock outcropping wasn’t too encouraging.

The first big rock outcropping as seen from the S.

To the S of the first big rock outcropping, Lupe passed through a nearly level area. She headed for the next ridge that SPHP had seen ahead. She climbed several hundred feet up it to find a 2nd big rock outcropping. The views from here were a little more encouraging. What SPHP believed was the summit area was now at least in clear view.

Part of the 2nd big rock outcropping Lupe reached.

Buffalo Peak from the 2nd rock outcropping. Photo looks SW.

A glimpse at mountains to the WNW from the 2nd big rock outcropping.

Lupe had to head S down into another valley from the 2nd big rock outcropping. When the land started rising again on the other side of the valley, Lupe and SPHP faced another long climb. The snow got deeper. Maybe SPHP was just getting tired, but the climb seemed to go on and on. Except at the rock outcroppings, it was difficult to have much sense of where one was in the snowy forest.Finally, Lupe reached a viewpoint on the N side of the mountain. SPHP isn’t certain about it, but this may have been the high point marked on the Peakbagger.com topo map as point 10,778. Wherever Lupe was, there were some impressive views to the N from this high point.

Looking down to the N toward Wellington Lake (Center) and The Castle (L).

Looking NE toward Green Mountain. — Looking NE toward **Green Mountain** **(10,421 ft.)**. Stoney Pass and the road where Lupe came from are way back down at the base of Green Mountain.

If Lupe was at point 10,778, there was still another 800 feet of elevation left to be gained. Lupe and SPHP headed SW still climbing, but the mountain was no longer as steep as it had been. The going was easier. The main concern was the time. SPHP knew that Lupe had to hurry if she was going to make it to the summit of Buffalo Peak, and still have enough daylight to make it back down to the road at Stoney Pass.

After climbing and heading SW for a considerable distance, Lupe emerged into a little open area where the ground was flat. Here it was possible to catch a glimpse of mountains to the S between the trees. Lupe had to be getting close to the summit of Buffalo Peak. There couldn’t be an awful lot of elevation left to gain.

Lupe emerged into this flat little clearing high up on Buffalo Peak. Mountains to the S could be glimpsed between the trees.

Lupe and SPHP turned W from the little clearing. Lupe hurried onward, but it was still farther to the summit than SPHP realized. Lupe would have to gain more elevation and cover more ground, if she wanted to reach the top. At a bigger opening in the forest, the summit area was still ahead and higher up.

Looking W across the 2nd larger clearing toward the summit of Buffalo Peak.

SPHP knew it was decision time. Although the sun wouldn’t set for close to 2 hours yet, Lupe would need all that time, plus any twilight, to get back down to Stoney Pass. Continuing onward clearly meant breaking the rule. The rule is that Lupe and SPHP are supposed to turn around in time to be able to reach a road or trail before dark from which SHPH knows for certain the way back to the G6.

As far as complying with the rule goes, it doesn’t matter if the road or trail to the G6 is a long one. It’s perfectly fine if Lupe has to spend a few hours of the night getting back to the car. Darkness isn’t the problem. Not knowing the way to go in the darkness is….

Buffalo Peak is a big mountain. It is heavily forested, and the forest offers few views even in the daytime. There is no trail. Except near the top, the mountain sides are fairly steep. It was November. There were a lot of good reasons for Lupe to abandon the attempt on Buffalo Peak and turn around.

On the other hand, the summit of Buffalo Peak wasn’t much farther. Lupe was very close to it compared to all the distance she had already come. SPHP decided to break the rule.

SPHP reasoned that even though it was going to get dark before Lupe reached Stoney Pass, she would have enough daylight and twilight to retrace most of the way back to the road. Once darkness descended, Lupe could just head directly for Green Mountain. She would inevitably reach the road, even if she didn’t hit it right at Stoney Pass. In a sense, the route was known. It just wasn’t a trail or road.

Lupe continued onward. The snow was 6″ deep in the forest near the summit. At first, SPHP wasn’t even certain this was the summit of Buffalo Peak. SPHP was surprised by what Lupe found in the forest. Ahead was a 30 or 40 foot high ridge of rounded red rocks and boulders. To the NE, the forested ground was steeper than expected. To the SW, there was – nothing? SPHP couldn’t get a clear view over there, but it seemed like there might be a cliff.

The ridge ran SE/NW. There was no easy way up it from the SE end where Lupe first reached it. Lupe and SPHP worked around to the NW along the NE side of the ridge. Before long there was a place where Lupe could climb up. When SPHP got up there, the view was both fantastic and concerning.

From the narrow, rocky ridge, there were fabulous views in every direction except to the NE, which was hidden by the forest. SPHP’s earlier concerns that Lupe would climb all the way up Buffalo Peak to see nothing but trees was totally unjustified. The top of Buffalo Peak offers splendid views.

Looking SW at remote snowy mountains from Buffalo Peak.

From Buffalo Peak, Lupe could see Cheesman Lake to the SE. Beyond the lake was Thunder Butte, the high point of Douglas County, which Lupe had climbed just 3 days earlier. Thunder Butte and Sheep Nose looked so tiny from up on Buffalo Peak! — From Buffalo Peak, Lupe could see Cheesman Lake to the SE. Beyond the lake was **Thunder Butte (9,836 ft.)** (on L), the high point of Douglas County, which Lupe had climbed just 3 days earlier. Thunder Butte and **Sheep Nose (8,894 ft.)** looked so tiny from up on Buffalo Peak!

The object of concern was to the NW. In that direction there was clearly a break in the ridge. Beyond the break, the ridge continued. What concerned SPHP was that the ridge was clearly a little higher beyond the break. Lupe was not yet at the true summit of Buffalo Peak. It was going to take more time for Lupe and SPHP to work their way back down and around through the snow, deadfall and boulders to reach the true summit.

Looking NW along the ridge line on Buffalo Peak. Beyond Lupe is a break in the ridge. The true summit is past the break. Lupe and SPHP would have to spend more time climbing back down and then up again to get over there. — Looking NW along the ridge line on top of Buffalo Peak. Beyond Lupe is a break in the ridge. The true summit is past the break. Lupe and SPHP would have to spend more time climbing back down and then up again to get over there.

Well, there was nothing to do, but spend the time necessary to reach the true summit. Lupe and SPHP carefully climbed back down to the NE off the ridge. It only took 10 minutes or so even with the snow, deadfall, and rocky terrain to get over to the higher NW part of the ridge. Lupe and SPHP were soon up on top of it. SPHP was very happy to find a register and a USGS Benchmark. Lupe had made it to the very top of Buffalo Peak!

Lupe astride the true summit of Buffalo Peak, the high point of Jefferson County, Colorado. The blue top of the registry container is seen below her.

Buffalo Peak is also known as Freeman Peak. This is one of two USGS Benchmarks Lupe found on Buffalo Peak. This one was near the registry container.

Lupe and SPHP were soon signed in on the registry. It was fun to see that Lupe’s blogging and peakbagging acquaintances Beth & Sprocket from 3UpAdventures had been here over a month earlier on 10-2-15. (Those two peakbagging maniacs had also signed the Thunder Butte registry the same day!) Lupe had the good fortune to briefly meet Beth & Sprocket in person (in Dingo?) back in the Flat Top Mountains in August, 2015.

Beth & Sprocket of 3UpAdventures were here on 10-2-15!

After registering, it was time for a little break. Lupe gobbled up most of the Taste of the Wild supply. SPHP hadn’t bothered to bring any human food along. SPHP eyed the remaining Taste of the Wild, but decided to save it for later. At least there was plenty of water. Lupe wasn’t drinking much since she prefers to eat snow. After a short rest, it was final summit photos time. The Carolina Dog was quite willing to add a little canine interest to some of the shots.

There wasn't much time for taking breaks up on Buffalo Peak, but Lupe took a short one. Photo looks toward the wild country to the WNW. — There wasn’t much time for taking breaks up on Buffalo Peak, but Lupe took a short one after gobbling up most of the Taste of the Wild supply. A dingo gets hungry climbing mountains! Photo looks toward the wild country to the WNW.

Wellington Lake from the top. Photo looks N.

Looking NNW. — Looking NNW with the telephoto lens.

Lupe near the 2nd USGS Benchmark. (Near her left front paw.)

After all the time and effort it took to get up here, it was a shame to have to leave so soon, but it was important to get as far down the mountain as possible before the light was all gone. SPHP was glad the snow was around on the way down. Lupe and SPHP followed their tracks back down the mountain for a long way, before SPHP lost them for the final time.

The sun went down. The twilight faded. The mountain and the forest went on and on. The deadfall, which hadn’t seemed too bad on the way up, seemed more prevalent, larger and troublesome on the way down. The slopes seemed steeper in the darkness. Still, Lupe succeeded in losing a tremendous amount of elevation before it was so dark the flashlight had to come out. By that time, SPHP thought Lupe must already be getting close to Stoney Pass.

SPHP was wrong. Down, down, down went the dingo in the dark. Lupe and SPHP headed for the black outline of Green Mountain against the stars. It was the only thing that showed the way. Once SPHP distinctly heard voices. SPHP must have been losing it. There was no one out here. Suddenly a big bird flew away with a great deal of noisy fluttering. Lupe had passed beneath its perch.

Finally the steep slopes grew less steep. Lupe and SPHP emerged from the forest into a small grassy and level valley. A low dark ridge loomed ahead. There didn’t seem to be a road. Green Mountain was out of sight. Just great! No telling which way to go. It didn’t make sense. SPHP shone the little flashlight around.

A small patch of light similar to others on the aspen trees nearby looked a little different. It looked a little like it was reflective. Lupe and SPHP headed toward it. Soon it was clear that it was indeed reflective. There was some kind of sign. Before SPHP even reached it, Lupe found the road. A little wandering around in the grassy valley brought Lupe to a familiar spot. She had come down the huge mountain in the darkness to arrive just 150 feet NW of Stoney Pass.

No worries now. Everything was cool. Lupe and SPHP headed NW down the road. Although it was only 1.5 miles back to the G6, it seemed to take a longer than it should. Time always seems to go by very slowly in the dark. Lupe crossed the little creek that had prevented the G6 from reaching Stoney Pass. In just a couple of minutes, she was at the G6. It was 7:17 PM and 30°F.

It was after 9:00 PM by the time Lupe and SPHP were back at cousin Dusty’s house in Arvada. SPHP served up some Alpo for Lupe and Dusty. Andrea had a roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions ready and waiting in the crock pot. SPHP wasn’t going to have to finish Lupe’s Taste of the Wild after all.