Well, it happened again, and at the exact same spot. Lupe was on her way to Mount Theodore Roosevelt, but the G6 wasn’t going to make it to the parking lot near the summit. Even though temperatures have been way above normal in the Black Hills for weeks, snow and ice covered the road ahead. The G6 would probably make it through OK, but probably wasn’t good enough. Fortunately, there was a spot next to the road where SPHP could park (8:11 AM, 55°F).
Nearly a year ago, Lupe had come to Mount Theodore Roosevelt (5,680 ft.) on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 123. Back then, the snow was considerably deeper. A red car had been abandoned on the road, high centered and incapable of moving. Even though conditions were better now, they weren’t good enough. SPHP didn’t want to chance it. No harm in using paws and feet to go the extra 0.33 mile to the parking lot.
Along the way, Lupe came to a rare Mountain Dew colored snowfield. There was even a plastic Mountain Dew bottle laying right there, left by the original artist. The green snow looked kind of strange. They say “Don’t you eat that yellow snow!” What about green snow? Green snow isn’t natural. Lupe and SPHP just let it be.
Lupe made it to the parking lot 0.25 mile from the summit of Mount Theodore Roosevelt. A trail goes to the Friendship Tower at the top of the mountain. Two plaques telling about the Friendship Tower were at the start of the trail. The Friendship Tower was built in 1919 through the efforts of Seth Bullock to commemorate the life and death of his personal friend Theodore Roosevelt.
Not far from the parking lot, the trail divides and makes a loop. Lupe and SPHP took the SW part of the loop, which features a nice view of Deer Mountain (6,652 ft.) and Terry Peak (7,064 ft.) to the SW.
A couple was just leaving the Friendship Tower as Lupe and SPHP approached. They stopped to chat briefly with SPHP. They commented on what a nice day it was, and then pointed at a discarded plastic water bottle on the snow. What a shame it is that people have the energy to bring stuff up here, but don’t bother to take it with them when they leave! SPHP agreed.
The couple then left empty-handed on their way back to their truck, leaving the water bottle behind. Hmmm! It wasn’t their fault the water bottle was there, of course. They weren’t the problem, but then again, they weren’t the solution, either. SPHP resolved to pick the water bottle up, if it was still there later in the day when Lupe returned. No sense carting it all over the mountains.
Lupe and SPHP climbed up the steep, narrow circular staircase to the top of the Friendship Tower.
Even from the top of the Friendship Tower, the forest blocked the views in some directions, but there were great views in many others. At first, SPHP didn’t see Lupe’s next peakbagging objectives, Polo Peak (5,410 ft.) and Green Mountain (5,325 ft.). They were supposed to be practically due N and just a couple miles away, but where were they? SPHP saw nothing that looked right.
SPHP brought out the USFS map to try to figure it out, lining up known peaks with Mount Theodore Roosevelt. There they were! SPHP had been looking for Polo Peak and Green Mountain twisted around on directions by nearly 45°. SPHP had been looking NW instead of N. It still didn’t seem quite right, but the map insisted it was, and the map knew best.
Now that SPHP knew where Polo Peak and Green Mountain were, Lupe headed back down.
Lupe and SPHP followed a short path NW to the edge of Mount Theodore Roosevelt. The path led to a wooden viewing platform with a grand view to the NW and N. A field of boulders covered the NW side of the mountain just below the platform. Lupe needed to go N, so she circled over in that direction, but the boulder field extended over that way, too.
Lupe had to go down the boulder field to get to Polo Peak. The rocks were only of modest size. Even some of the larger ones were loose and tippy. It wasn’t hard going down, just a little slow. Below the boulders, Lupe came to a fairly large snow field. The snow was up to 2 feet deep in a few places, but only 1 foot deep on average.
Aspens were growing thickly at the lower end of the snow field. Below the aspens, Lupe entered a Ponderosa Pine forest. The N slopes of Mount Theodore Roosevelt are quite steep, but Lupe was able to follow a spine of the mountain that remained walkable for SPHP. Lupe was losing elevation as fast as SPHP could go. The going was steepest as Lupe neared the bottom of Polo Gulch.
Lupe found a dirt road at the base of the steep slopes down in Polo Gulch. On the other side of the road was a 15 foot embankment leading down to a level area full of aspens, a few pines, and a great many leafless bushes and brambles. Lupe and SPHP could hear running water. A brief struggle through the nearly 2 foot deep snow and thick underbrush brought Lupe to Polo Creek.
Polo Creek was in the sunlight where the snow had already melted. SPHP thought Lupe might be thirsty by now, but she wasn’t. She had been busy eating snow. Lupe and SPHP crossed the stream. Lupe climbed a 40 foot embankment on the other side. It wasn’t too steep, but there was a lot of underbrush in the forest. Even after Lupe reached flatter ground above Polo Creek, SPHP had to wind around through the dense vegetation.
Before Lupe could begin her climb up Polo Peak, it looked like she might have to lose some elevation again traversing a small valley up ahead. It turned out she didn’t have to. Instead, Lupe came to another dirt road. Lupe and SPHP followed it, since the road was so much easier than going through the forest. The road headed NE gaining elevation slowly, but steadily.
Before long, Lupe came to a very steep side road that went N. A sign said this road was closed to motor vehicles to encourage re-vegetation. Lupe and SPHP followed it. The road started down in the forest, but as Lupe gained elevation, the forest thinned and finally gave way to scattered stands of pines. Lupe entered sunny meadows with big views.
The top of Polo Peak is rounded and grassy. As Lupe neared the end of her climb, the terrain became progressively less steep and more level. The road gradually faded away. Here and there, small rock outcroppings rose above the open ground.
Polo Peak was sunny and warm. The brilliant sunshine made Lupe squint whenever she looked S. From the summit, Lupe and SPHP continued N. It was a very easy stroll on gently sloping terrain. Lupe was heading toward Green Mountain, her next peakbagging goal.
Green Mountain is only 0.5 mile from the N end of Polo Peak. The entire territory between the mountains is forested. Lupe went down the N slope of Polo Peak staying a bit toward the W. She crossed the saddle over to Green Mountain and started climbing again.
SPHP wasn’t certain Lupe would find any views up on Green Mountain. From the S, it looked much more heavily forested than Polo Peak had been. There was only one little opening visible among the trees near the top that had given SPHP at least a little hope that Lupe might find a view in some direction.
As Lupe neared the summit, it became clear that the top of Green Mountain was not completely hidden in a shady forest as SPHP expected. Beyond the band of trees around the S end, the summit was flat and almost completely bare. Lupe had sweeping, unobstructed 180° views to the N.
The glorious views from the flat, barren expanse on top of Green Mountain were surprising. Green Mountain had another surprise, too. Someone had used rocks to spell out names and other words. Not all of them were still legible, but SPHP could make out the following: Dannette, Trussell, Mexico, Seiler.
Green Mountain, with its sweeping views, was a great place to take a break. Lupe wasn’t terribly hungry yet, but she was thirsty. After a big drink, she rested on the ground near SPHP, panting in the warm sun. Meanwhile, SPHP ate an apple while enjoying the incredible views extending far out onto the prairie beyond the Black Hills.
After a while, the time came for Lupe to leave. She paused for a photo at the summit before heading out.
Lupe and SPHP took essentially the same route back to Polo Peak and Mount Theodore Roosevelt. There was plenty of time, so Lupe stopped for a few photos along the way.
When Lupe got back to Mount Theodore Roosevelt, people were coming and going between the Friendship Tower and the viewing platform to the NW. At least a dozen people came and went. Lupe cooled off on the snow, while waiting for the crowds to leave.
SPHP hadn’t forgotten the discarded water bottle. It was still there, plus a rusty beer can and some other trash near a picnic table. SPHP picked it all up and put it in the backpack. SPHP ate the last apple seated at the picnic table. When everyone else had left, Lupe and SPHP returned to the top of the tower.
On the way back to the G6, Lupe and SPHP reached the greenish Mountain Dew snowfield again. SPHP had been picking up trash alongside the road and added the plastic Mountain Dew bottle to the collection.
Even though it was still early, Lupe must have figured Expedition No. 161 was over when she arrived back at the G6 (3:07 PM, 66°F), but SPHP had a surprise in store for her. She was going to climb one more mountain today, one she had seen from Green Mountain.
SPHP drove Lupe to Elkhorn Mountain. Lupe did seem surprised when SPHP parked the G6 again (3:30 PM, 76°F). At first, she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to get out, or not. When SPHP encouraged her, she jumped out ready for action.
Elkhorn Mountain looks like just a big rounded hill. SPHP hadn’t appreciated how BIG it really was. It took considerably longer to get to the top than anticipated. Between the heat and the elevation gain, Lupe and SPHP went through the rest of the water supply.
Up above the forest, Elkhorn Mountain really was beautiful in the slanting rays of the late afternoon sun. Some of the taller grass glowed an amazing orange. The 360° views were wonderful. A bit of a breeze helped counter the heat. Lupe found what appeared to be a grave shortly before reaching the summit.
Lupe and SPHP spent a bit of time at the summit of Elkhorn Mountain. It was a beautiful way to end the day, with a pleasant stroll back down to the G6 ahead. When Lupe got back to the G6 (5:10 PM, 76°F), her peakbagging exploits on Expedition No. 161 were over, but SPHP still had a task in mind.
There was still time to return to the junction of Crook Mountain Road (USFS Road No. 176) and USFS Road No. 176.1A. This was where the G6 had been parked a week ago at the start of Lupe’s Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 160 to Crook Mountain (4,930 ft.) and Whitewood Peak (5,140 ft.). The intersection had been strewn with all kinds of trash. SPHP didn’t have anything to put it all in back then, but now had 2 garbage bags in the trunk of the G6.
Lupe barked enthusiastically at many deer, cows and horses on the way to USFS Road No. 176.1A. Once there, though, she had to stay in the G6 while SPHP gathered up the trash. There was broken glass around, and SPHP couldn’t be certain it had all been found. It only took a little more than 1 overflowing garbage bag to hold all the trash SPHP could find. It was almost dark out by the time Expedition No. 161 was really, truly over, and the American Dingo was on her way home.
For those possibly interested in the surprising tale of Theodore Roosevelt’s last great adventure exploring Brazil after losing the 1912 U.S. Presidential election, Lupe recommends The River of Doubt – Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard.
Note: Lupe Treasures gathered for disposal or recycling on Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 161 included: 57 aluminum cans, 15 glass bottles, 3 large plastic cups, 27 plastic bottles, 17 cigarette butts, a tin of Copenhagen snuff, part of a tailpipe, beer cartons, plastic bags, broken glass and assorted miscellaneous trash.
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