Days 4 & 5 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains & Wind River Range in Wyoming!
7-16-18, morning, Gunboat Lake – The sun was already shining on the new Marmot tiny house. Lupe was still lazing about inside being petted, and having her belly scratched. All ambition was gone. One night’s rest hadn’t made up for two strenuous days culminating in the Carolina Dog’s successful ascent of Bomber Mountain yesterday. Neither Lupe nor SPHP felt like doing a darn thing.
Eventually, that had to change. SPHP packed up the tiny house, as Lupe relaxed or sniffed around her Gunboat Lake base camp a final time. She could still see the rocky knob on Bomber Mountain(12,840 ft.) that had appeared to be as high as the official true summit.
Lupe takes it easy on a beautiful morning in the Bighorns. One of the smaller Fortress Lakes is beyond her. The high ridges are all part of Bomber Mountain. Photo looks NE.Lupe’s base camp for her ascent of Bomber Mountain yesterday had been established on this grassy ridge overlooking Gunboat Lake. Photo looks SSW.
When SPHP had everything ready to go, Lupe posed for a final photo of Bomber Mountain from close to where her tiny house had been.
Loop bids farewell to Bomber Mountain (beyond her). Photo looks NE.
Lupe left the grassy ridge overlooking Gunboat Lake heading NW. She was still on the ridge when she came to a profusion of lupines blooming in purple splendor. The largest of the Fortress Lakes was just ahead.
Having barely left Gunboat Lake, Lupe came to this hillside of beautiful purple lupines. The E end of the largest of the Fortress Lakes is ahead. Photo looks NW.
Solitude Trail (No. 038) was close by. Lupe followed the trail W near the S shore of the largest of the Fortress Lakes.
Loop reaches the Solitude Trail. Photo looks W.Looking back from the W end of the largest of the Fortress Lakes. Photo looks E.
Mistymoon Lake is less than a mile from Gunboat Lake. As Mistymoon came into view, Lupe could see the pass she would have to go over to get to the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek beyond the lake.
W of the Fortress Lakes, Mistymoon Lake (R) comes into view. The pass (R of Center) leading to the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek is in sight beyond the lake. Elk Mountain(11,321 ft.) is at Center. Photo looks W.A small waterfall on the creek coming down from the Fortress Lakes to Mistymoon Lake. The trail did not cross this creek between Gunboat and Mistymoon Lakes.
At Mistymoon Lake, Lupe had lost 450 feet of elevation since departing base camp. She followed the Solitude Trail W along the S shore, crossing West Tensleep Creek. SPHP managed to rock hop it, after having forded this same stream a couple of days ago.
SW of Mistymoon Lake, Lupe reached a junction with Mistymoon Trail (No. 063). Cloud Peak(13,157 ft.) was now in sight.
Cloud Peak (Center) from Mistymoon Lake. Photo looks NE.
The Mistymoon Trail comes up from West Tensleep Lake to the S, but Lupe needed to go W. She stayed on the Solitude Trail turning N along the W side of Mistymoon Lake. SPHP’s old Bighorn National Forest map showed another junction along in here with the Middle Paint Rock Creek Trail (No. 066), which was what Lupe was looking for, but she didn’t come to it.
No matter. The pass Lupe needed to get to was up a big open slope. It looked like an easy climb. Loop left the Solitude Trail heading W.
The trek turned out to be longer than expected due to having to avoid some boggy areas. Ordinarily it wouldn’t have seemed like much of a climb, but after 2 long days spent getting to the top of Bomber Mountain, SPHP was played out. Lupe was in better shape, but even she sometimes took opportunities to rest on the grassy slope.
Near the pass, Lupe finally did find the Middle Paint Rock Creek Trail. Apparently she would have come to it if she had simply stayed on the Solitude Trail until she was NW of Mistymoon Lake.
Loop takes a break after finding the Middle Paint Rock Creek Trail near the pass W of Mistymoon Lake (R). Cloud Peak (L) and Bomber Mountain (Center) are in view. Photo looks ENE.Looking ESE from the same spot. The saddle (R of Center) leading to the Fortress Lakes, Gunboat Lake & Florence Pass is beyond Mistymoon Lake.
Lupe followed the Middle Paint Rock Creek Trail the rest of the way up to the pass. The pass was a broad meadow strewn with boulders and rocks. The trail continued W along the S shore of a good-sized tarn.
By reaching the pass, Lupe had regained nearly all of the elevation she had lost going down to Mistymoon Lake. She wouldn’t have to face any additional significant elevation gains the rest of the day. From here, the Middle Paint Rock Creek Trail turned SW beginning a miles long descent through the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek.
This pass was the last chance for a good look at Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.), highest of the entire Bighorn Range, and Bomber Mountain(12,840 ft.), which Lupe had climbed only yesterday.
Lupe reaches a tarn in the pass 0.5 mile W of Mistymoon Lake. Cloud Peak (Center) and Bomber Mountain (R) are still in view. Photo looks NE.Well, this is it for views of mighty Cloud Peak (L) and Bomber Mountain (R) on this trip. We’ll be exploring the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek down to Lily Lake next! Photo looks NE.Upper end of the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek from the pass W of Mistymoon Lake. Photo looks SW.
After enjoying the views from the pass, Lupe headed SW into the valley of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek. The upper end of the big valley was all treeless meadows and scattered rocks. Going downhill again felt great! The American Dingo ran and explored at will.
Exploring upper Middle Fork Paint Rock Creek valley. Photo looks S toward Peak 11112.
Less than 0.5 mile from the pass, Lupe saw 3 cowboys on horseback. They were coming up the trail near a smaller tarn. Horses are always exciting! The Carolina Dog was good, though, and let them all go by without barking.
Lupe was excited to see 3 cowboys on horseback coming up the trail. Photo looks SSW.
The smaller tarn was a pretty spot. It looked like a good place to camp. A stand of pines was near the S shore. From SW of the tarn, Lupe could still catch a glimpse of Cloud Peak.
At a pretty tarn 0.5 mile SW of the pass. Photo looks SSW.Looking NE back up the valley. A glimpse of Cloud Peak (L) is still available.
Beyond the scenic tarn, the Middle Fork Paint Rock Creek Trail soon dropped into the lower part of the valley. This was a region of scattered pines, which gradually became more heavily forested.
Beyond the scenic tarn, the Middle Fork Paint Rock Creek Trail drops into the lower valley. Scattered stands of pines provided occasional shade in this region. Photo looks SW.Approaching the lower valley. Photo looks SW.
Lily Lake must be close to 4 miles from Mistymoon Lake. Large cumulus clouds were building over the high country as Loopster continued down the valley. Thunder could occasionally be heard. The trail forked before crossing over to the N side of the Middle Fork of Paint Rock Creek. Up until now, the creek hadn’t been anywhere near the trail.
Lupe and SPHP had no sooner forded the creek, when the 3 cowboys reappeared, now fleeing stormy weather back at the pass. They also forded the creek, their horses passing within only a foot of the Carolina Dog, who fortunately demonstrated enormous self-control.
Beyond the ford, Lupe came to a wide, treeless bog. Somehow SPHP lost the main trail and wound up on some faint side track S of the main one. A mucky march got Lupe to a hillside W of the marsh. A dirt road led N to an intersection close to the SE end of Lily Lake. Several dirt roads met up here. What little signage existed was confusing.
SPHP’s map was wrong again. It showed the Middle Fork Paint Rock Creek Trail heading SW from SE of Lily Lake. After needless marching back and forth trying to figure out which way to go, SPHP finally asked a fisherman where the road to the Middle Fork trailhead was. It turned out that it headed SW from the SW end of Lily Lake.
Elk Mountain(11,321 ft.) from the S shore of Lily Lake. Photo looks NE.
Lily Lake was a popular spot. Lots of people were fishing and camping. The rest of the Middle Fork Paint Rock Creek Trail from Lily Lake for about 2 miles back to the Middle Fork trailhead was all jeep trail. ATV’s roared up and down it, sending clouds of dust into the air.
The road hike to the Middle Fork trailhead wasn’t as fun as the single track trail prior to reaching Lily Lake. Lupe disagreed. Nearly the entire way, the road wound through a heavily forested region where squirrels provided exciting entertainment.
Is there anything in the world more entertaining than a squirrel?
Rain threatened. SPHP expected it to start at any moment, but it never did. Loopster reached USFS Road No. 24 at the Middle Fork trailhead completely dry. The storm had passed and the sun was out by the time she made it to Battle Park and the Bucking Mule trailhead where the G6 was parked at the end of the road. (3:22 PM, 66°F)
Lupe’s Bomber Mountain adventure was over. A chance to recuperate. SPHP drove back to Highway 16, then E over Powder River Pass. Lupe spent the evening at Munkres Pass (9,447 ft.). She explored the forest both N and S of the pass. While she had a good time sniffing around, these were aimless wanderings lasting only half an hour each.
7-17-18, noon, Munkres Pass – A lazy morning had shot by. Lupe and SPHP had spent some time collecting trash in the forest S of the road. Not too much on the agenda today. The plan was just to get into position to climb Heart Mountain(8,123 ft.) tomorrow, a dramatic lone peak N of Cody, Wyoming with over 2,100 feet of prominence.
Loop at Munkres Pass. In 2014 she had climbed Hesse Mountain(10,385 ft.) from here.
Lupe left Munkres Pass early in the afternoon. SPHP drove W back over Powder River Pass, and eventually down out of the Bighorns via scenic Tensleep Canyon.
Tensleep Canyon. Photo looks SW.
A plaque in Tensleep Canyon commemorated a monument to Gilbert Leigh, who fell to his death while hunting bighorn sheep in 1884. The actual monument was out of sight somewhere way up on the rim of the canyon.
This plaque in was interesting, but gave no hint of how to get to the actual monument it referred to.Looking up Tensleep Canyon from a short path below Highway 16. Photo looks NE.A section of the N rim.
The drive continued W of the Bighorns. By early evening, there it was! Heart Mountain was off in the distance to the SW. It did look dramatic beneath an unsettled sky.
Early in the evening, Heart Mountain came into view. Photo looks SW.Heart Mountain with help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks SW.
Heading S on Highway 14A, SPHP turned R (W) onto Park County Road No. 19.
Looper by the turn off Highway 14A onto Park County Road No. 19. Photo looks S.
Road No. 19 immediately crossed railroad tracks. After 1.5 miles, No. 19 became Lane 13H. 3.2 miles on Lane 13H brought Lupe to a junction with Road No. 22. The Carolina Dog had reached the Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve administered by the Nature Conservancy.
At the junction of Lane 13H and R22 at the start of the Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve. Photo looks SW.
Another 3 miles on Lane 13H brought Lupe to a locked gate. This was the Heart Mountain trailhead. A maintained trail goes 4 miles all the way to the top of Heart Mountain from here. Success seemed assured! Everything was perfect, except for one critical detail. A big sign on the gate said Dingoes were not welcome.
After a long afternoon drive, Lupe arrives at the Heart Mountain trailhead to find out she isn’t welcome here. Photo looks SW.The Nature Conservancy was sort of adamant about no Dingoes. It was Rule No. 1 in caps and blue letters. No other rule was even close to being so important. So much for “Welcome to Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve”.
Well, phooey. It had been a pleasant afternoon’s drive, but apparently in vain. Looper was never going to climb Heart Mountain. This trailhead was as close as she was ever going to get.
Loop rejected, but not too dejected, a few miles from Heart Mountain. Photo looks SW with help from the telephoto lens.
So that was that. Stymied, Lupe and SPHP turned tail and left. Time for Plan B! By sundown, Lupe was back in the Bighorns. By the time it was dark, the G6 was way up on Duncum Mountain(9,831 ft.). Not Heart Mountain, but Loop had unfinished business here. Her adventures would resume in the morning.
Back in the Bighorns at sundown.Sunset, Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming 7-17-18
Heart Mountain Directions – From Powell, WY go 11 miles SW on Hwy 14A. Turn R (W) on Road No. 19. Go 1.5 miles. No. 19 becomes Lane 13H. Follow Lane 13H W 3.2 miles to an intersection with Road No. 22. Heart Mountain Ranch HQ is 0.3 mile down No. 22, a L turn. Staying on Lane 13H go 1 mile to a closed gate, supposedly typically unlocked. The trailhead is 2 miles farther at a locked gate.
The Heart Mountain trail is a maintained trail 4 miles long that goes to the summit. Elevation gain is approximately 2,500 feet. Don’t bother bringing your Dingo.
Day 3 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Bighorn Mountains & Wind River Range in Wyoming
7-15-18, the wee hours, Gunboat Lake – The crisis struck when Lupe woke SPHP up. She wanted out of her new Marmot tiny house. No telling what time it was. SPHP let her go. The American Dingo shot off into the night. No stars. The silent night was pitch black. Must be cloudy.
Loop was back soon enough, and settled down to snooze some more. Though profoundly weary, SPHP couldn’t. Those faint flashes of light, were they real or imaginary? SPHP listened. Nothing. Eventually two brighter flashes were conclusive. Lightning!
Was a storm bearing down upon Gunboat Lake? Was the weather going to be rotten in the morning, destroying Lupe’s chances of ever making it up Bomber Mountain (12,840 ft.)? Even if it wasn’t, how was SPHP ever going to accompany her up there feeling so pathetically drained and weak?
The mind raced. Fears multiplied. Real or imaginary? Potentially either, perhaps, but unrealized yet. Low blood sugar was fueling the fear. Nuts and applesauce! Get that blood sugar back up! A couple of hours of mental failing went by. SPHP fell into a deep sleep.
7-15-18, 7:32 AM – Heh. When even the Carolina Dog is sleeping in, you know it had been a long day! The morning news was all good, though. No storm had ever materialized. Sunshine, in fact! Scarcely a cloud in the sky. Gunboat Lake sparkled. Bomber Mountain loomed off to the NE, daring the American Dingo to try it. SPHP was still fatigued, but yeah – a perfect day! Weary or not, Loopster was gonna do this!
Loop sacked out in her brand new Marmot tiny house. Gathering strength for Bomber Mountain, ya’ know!
Slowly SPHP got ready. At least the Marmot tiny house and sleeping bags could be left here at Gunboat Lake. A lighter pack would help a lot.
Miss Sleepyhead revived and made her appearance. She was moving a bit slowly, too. Loop sniffed around lazily and stretched. Didn’t appear she was in any great hurry to go anywhere. Understandable. This little ridge overlooking Gunboat Lake was a glorious place to be!
Miss Sleepyhead makes a leisurely appearance. Gunboat Lake is on the R. One of the smaller Fortress Lakes on the L. Bomber Mountain is in the distance on the L. The valley at Center leads to Florence Pass. Photo looks NE.Gunboat Lake on the L. Peak10860 in the distance on the R. Photo looks SW.
Before long the pack was ready, even if SPHP wasn’t. Feeling it or not, Lupe was on her way!
Loop at base camp prior to departure for Bomber Mountain (L). Photo looks NE.
Being on the move again put a spring in Lupe’s step. Her energy came surging back. Nose to the ground, she raced along sniffing everywhere. Instead of heading straight for the Solitude Trail to Florence Pass, Looper went down to explore the NE shore of Gunboat Lake first. Gunboat Lake was gorgeous!
The NE end of Gunboat Lake sparkles in the morning sunshine. Photo looks E.Loop by Gunboat Lake, a favorite spot in the Bighorn Mountains. Photo looks SSW.Looking along the length of Gunboat Lake. Peak 10860 in the distance on the R. Photo looks SW.
From the NE end of Gunboat Lake, it wasn’t far to the Solitude Trail. The trail was good all the way to Florence Pass (10,900 ft.) 0.75 mile from camp. Florence Lake came into sight as soon as Lupe reached the pass.
NE of Gunboat Lake. The Solitude Trail goes up the valley ahead before curving to the L (N) where it reaches Florence Pass beyond the hill seen on the L. Photo looks NE.At Florence Pass. Florence Lake dead ahead! Photo looks N.
Florence Lake nestles just N of Florence Pass in a spectacular setting! The whole N shore of Florence Lake was surrounded by massive ridges, all part of the SW reaches of Bomber Mountain(12,840 ft.). A waterfall plunged noisily into the NE corner of the lake.
Upon reaching Florence Pass, the Solitude Trail turned ESE staying well above the lake’s S shore. North Clear Creek flows out of the SE end of Florence Lake. When Lupe got to where she could see the outlet, the views were encouraging!
Though a big stream, North Clear Creek was chock full of rocks. Looper ought to be able to rock hop it! The headwall beyond North Clear Creek was steep, but definitely climbable. Situation excellent! Lupe headed for North Clear Creek.
E end of Florence Lake. Golden Lakes are up in the canyon beyond the headwall on the far shore. The waterfall is difficult to discern, but plunges from the low cliffs L of Center directly into the lake. The North Clear Creek outlet is just out of sight to the R. Photo looks NE.North Clear Creek leaves Florence Lake from the area directly beyond Lupe. Once across the stream, Loop would climb the headwall on the other side staying mostly in the green areas toward the R. Photo looks NE.The upper end of Florence Canyon from the S bank of North Clear Creek as it exits Florence Lake. Photo looks SE.
Lupe was across North Clear Creek in nothing flat. SPHP wasn’t nearly so agile, but rock hopped it, too. Wondering what was taking so long, Loop came partway back to give SPHP encouragement.
North Clear Creek outlet from Florence Lake. Lupe shot across across the rock-choked stream in no time at all. She’s the brown speck on the R at the edge of the greenery on the N bank. Photo looks NNE.Florence Lake from the North Clear Creek outlet. Photo looks W.
Once across North Clear Creek, the easy part was over. The Solitude Trail turned ESE disappearing down Florence Canyon. A relentless trek higher was about to begin. More than 2.5 miles and 2,000 vertical feet of up, all the way to the as yet unseen summit of Bomber Mountain.
The first step was to get up the 300 foot high headwall NE of Florence Lake. The climb was steep, but not bad. Lanes of vegetation allowed Lupe to avoid much more difficult areas of nothing but rock. The worst part was simply how played out SPHP felt from yesterday’s long march to Gunboat Lake. Starting off tired wasn’t good. Bomber Mountain was going to be a long, long day.
A spectacular day, though! The view of Florence Lake from the top of the headwall was amazing.
Florence Lake from the headwall. North Clear Creek is below on the L. Florence Pass is L of the big snow bank farthest L on the opposite shore. Base camp at Gunboat Lake is out of sight below the dark distant ridge on the L. Photo looks SW.
The original intention was to go up the big canyon NE of the headwall at least far enough to see the Golden Lakes from High Point 11328. Lupe started off that way, but the terrain was really rough. Patches of green here and there, but mostly broken rock. Progress was slow despite not gaining much elevation.
Heading up the canyon NE of the headwall. The intention was to go far enough to see the Golden Lakes from High Point 11328 (in view within the canyon a little R of Center – topo map). Photo looks NE.
Loop got fairly close to High Point 11328 before SPHP decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The Carolina Dog was no longer rock hopping, but scrambling among huge boulders. She was good at it, but SPHP was barely moving. Wasting too much time! Better get above all this giant debris.
Abandoning the High Point 11328 idea, Lupe scrambled E directly up the side of the canyon. Also slow going at first, but no worse than down below and at least getting higher. Conditions began to improve. Scattered green lanes of vegetation appeared. Making progress again! Heart, lungs, and legs dictated the pace instead of obstacles.
This is way better than down among all those huge boulders! Photo looks ENE.
Lupe never did see the Golden Lakes on the way up. She was too far E. The climb went on and on, but this was the worst of it. Loop must have been feeling the effects of yesterday’s long march, too. She wanted to stop often to rest and be petted.
SPHP could hardly disagree. The danger was in sitting around too long. Would be so easy to simply get wrapped up in relaxing and enjoying the views, and end up proceeding too slowly to ever get there. SPHP tried to keep the rest breaks short.
Puppy, ho! Onward! Rinse and repeat. Endlessly.
The views became ever more impressive. Gradually the going became easier. The slope of the terrain was slackening. Good thing. Despite, or perhaps because of the glorious surroundings, energy was fading, too. The terrain led Lupe to turn more and more to the NE, then NNE.
A high point that had been visible from way back at base camp was off to the N. It was still far away, but Lupe was definitely getting closer. Was that the summit of Bomber Mountain? If not, it had to be close to it, didn’t it?
Getting easier, but still a long way to the high point at Center that might be the summit of Bomber Mountain. Golden Lakes, which Lupe never saw on the way up, are hidden down in the canyon on the L. High Point 12436 is the lower of the 2 ridges at far R. Photo looks N.
Higher, higher! Vegetation all but disappeared. Nothing but rock.
At each rest break, SPHP tried to judge how high Lupe was by comparing her position with other mountaintops where the elevation was known. Finally, it was possible to see that Looper was getting nearly as high as Mather Peaks(12,400 ft.) off to the S. This had to be High Point 12436 on the topo map that Loop was coming to.
Approaching High Point 12436. Still 0.75 mile S of the summit of Bomber Mountain. Photo looks NE.Mather Peaks(12,400 ft.) are the two high points on the L. Peak 12328 is on the R. It had looked possible to access these peaks from the ridge SE of Florence Lake. Photo looks S.
Lupe got very close to the top of High Point 12346, but passed W of it. She actually lost elevation heading NW around cliffs to the N. By now a small distant ridge E of the high point SPHP had thought might be the summit of Bomber Mountain was in view.
That distant ridge was it! The true summit of Bomber Mountain. Only 0.75 mile away now! Tired, very tired, but Lupe was going to get there!
W of High Point 12436, the true summit of Bomber Mountain comes into view (R). Photo looks N.A steep snowbank clings to cliffs N of High Point 12436. True summit of Bomber Mountain (Center) dead ahead. Photo looks N.Near the steep snowbank N of High Point 12436. Photo looks E.Peering down the canyon E of High Point 12436 (R). The northernmost of the Powell Lakes is in view. Photo looks SE.
N of High Point 12436 a huge, narrow ridge extended far to the E. This ridge was nearly as high as the summit of Bomber Mountain, still 0.5 mile farther N. Towering cliffs surrounded the ridge, and ran all along the entire E face of Bomber Mountain.
A 12,580 ft. saddle N of the scary E ridge led to the summit of Bomber Mountain. The rocks got smaller and the terrain easier as Lupe made her way toward it. She crossed a snowfield on the way, but it wasn’t steep. Upon reaching the saddle, Lupe could see Lake 11124 and a string of smaller ones off to the NE.
Loop relaxes 0.5 mile from the summit. Part of Bomber Mountain’s giant SW ridge is in view. Photo looks WSW.At the 12,580 ft. saddle. Bomber Mountain’s E ridge is on the R. Lake 11124 is the closest one below. The large lake in the distance is Cloud Peak Reservoir. Photo looks NE.
0.25 mile and 260 vertical feet to go! Lupe headed up yet another rocky slope, steeper than what she had gone through on the way to the saddle. Nothing too difficult. Wasn’t long before she was almost there. Off to the W Looper could see the high rocky knob that had been visible from base camp.
Almost there! The rocky knob that had been visible from base camp is on the L. The true summit is a bit farther off the R edge of this photo. Photo looks WSW.
And then she was there! Lupe scrambled up a jumble of large rocks. A small cairn sat near the high point. The summit of Bomber Mountain was on the brink of a dizzying precipice. The high point visible from camp could be seen from here, too. It looked every bit as high as where the cairn was. If she had time later on, Loop would go over there, too.
Success! Lupe stands next to Bomber Mountain’s summit cairn. Photo looks WSW.Looking WSW along the summit ridge. The high point that had been visible from base camp (Center) looked as high as where Lupe was now.
Off to the N was the eye-popping view that the Carolina Dog had come all this way for. Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.), mightiest of the Bighorn Range, was on display in all its magnificent glory!
Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.) (L) is the highest peak of the Bighorn Mountains. Farther away, straight up from Lupe’s head, Mount Woolsey(12,978 ft.) and Black Tooth Mountain(13,005 ft.) are together at Center. The E end of Glacier Lake is seen on the R. Photo looks NW.
A metal canister containing a registry was laying on a rock amid the highest ones. SPHP signed in for Lupe.
This metal canister containing a registry was found as shown amid the highest rocks.
Bomber Mountain is named after a B-17 Flying Fortress that crashed into one of it’s vast ridges on June 28th, 1943 during World War II. All 10 men aboard were killed. Along with the climber registry, the canister contained a separate Bomber registry commemorating the crash victims.
B-17 Flying Fortress crash registry.
The weather was near perfect. Clouds were building to the NE, but the wind was out of the W at 10 mph. The sky was clear in that direction, and the temperature was a pleasant 60°F. There didn’t appear to be any urgency at all to start back down the mountain. Fabulous!
Neither Lupe nor SPHP were anxious to leave. However, after a quick look at the stunning views, a longer rest break was in order. The highest rocks were a jumble with no good place for Lupe to get comfortable. W of the summit was a shelf of flatter rocks 10 feet lower. Lupe and SPHP retreated down there for food, water, and to simply relax.
Lupe taking it easy at her Bomber Mountain break area W of the summit.
Resting felt great. The views were grand. The weather cooperative. For an hour and a half Lupe and SPHP hung around the summit area, sometimes down at or near the break spot, sometimes up at the very top. Last night’s worries were but a memory. Lupe was really here! Her Bomber Mountain experience was superb!
Glacier Lake (L), Sapphire Lake (Center), and Diamond Lake (R). Photo looks NNE.A newly rested mighty American Dingo returns to the Bomber Mountain summit cairn. Cloud Peak (Center). Mount Woolsey and Black Tooth Mountain together on the R (above Lupe;s back). Photo looks NW.Hey, look! I’m even higher than the cairn (R)! … For pity sake Loop! Don’t get any closer to the edge!Cloud Peak (R). Photo looks WNW.Loop up top among the clouds. Photo looks NE.Looper on the brink along the edge of the rest area. The views weren’t too shabby from here, either! Cloud Peak (L), Mount Woolsey and Black Tooth Mountain (Center). Peak12590 (R) beyond Lupe. Photo looks NW.Looking W at the canyon separating Bomber Mountain from Cloud Peak.Part of the steepish N face of Bomber Mountain (L). Photo looks W with help from the telephoto lens.Cloud Peak (Center) from Bomber Mountain. Photo looks NW.
Of course, the stupendous views to the NW and N of the most rugged part of the Bighorn Range held the attention more than what lay in any other direction. Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.), Mount Woolsey(12,978 ft.), Black Tooth Mountain(13,005 ft.), Peak12590 and Peak 12644 were all spread out in a glorious panoramic display along with Glacier, Sapphire and Diamond Lakes.
That didn’t mean there weren’t other splendid scenes to gaze upon, too! Strung out along the lofty spine of the Bighorn Range were Peak 12328, Mather Peaks(12,400 ft.) and others beyond them to the S. Lupe might even have seen Darton Peak(12,275 ft.), but it was very far away.
Looking S along the spine of the Bighorn Range. Mather Peaks are on either side of Center. Peak 12328 is on the R. Closer at hand is the 12,580 ft. saddle Lupe had come up by. Part of Bomber Mountain’s E ridge is on the L. High Point 12436 is along the edge beyond the crevasse R of Center.Bomber Mountain’s E ridge. Photo looks SE with help from the telephoto lens.
Well past mid-afternoon. Getting back to Gunboat Lake was a long trek. Despite being downhill nearly the entire way, the rocky terrain would prevent as rapid a return as one might expect. Time for a few closeups of the grandest peaks, then Lupe would have to be on her way.
Cloud Peak(13,167 ft.). Lupe had been there in 2016! Photo looks NW with help from the telephoto lens.Black Tooth Mountain(13,005 ft.) juts up from behind Mount Woolsey(12,978 ft.), the high, short ridge at Center. Photo looks NW with help from the telephoto lens.Peak12,590 (L) looms in the distance well beyond Glacier Lake. Photo looks NNW, again with plenty of help from the telephoto lens.Well, that’s about it from the summit of Bomber Mountain! Stick around a little longer, though, if you’d like to see the beautiful Golden Lakes on the way down!
Leaving the official summit, Lupe traveled WSW toward that seemingly equally high point that had been visible from base camp. She got only partway there. The WSW high point was farther than it first appeared. It was taking longer than expected to get there across the endless rocks.
So close, but yet so far! Too much time had gone by already. Shouldn’t have dilly-dallied quite so long at the official summit. SPHP decided Loop would have to settle for a photo.
The WSW high point that Lupe started for, but which SPHP made her give up on. Photo looks W with lots of help from the telephoto lens.
After that, it was down, down, down! Lupe made good progress. Being able to see what was ahead from above helped to avoid the worst of the boulder fields. The Carolina Dog stayed farther W this time, hoping to get a look at the Golden Lakes. Eventually they did come into view.
Looking back up at the official summit of Bomber Mountain shortly after starting the descent. Photo looks N.Gunboat Lake (Center) was in view during much of the descent. Peak 11080 (Center) is in the distance. Photo looks SW.Gunboat Lake (L), Florence Lake (Center), and a couple of the Golden Lakes (lower R) from Bomber Mountain’s S ridge. Photo looks SW.Lupe did get to see the Golden Lakes (lower R) after all. Somehow they were much bluer than she expected. Photo looks SW.Uppermost of the Golden Lakes with Bomber Mountain’s SW ridge in the background. Photo looks NW.Uppermost of the Golden Lakes with lots of help from the telephoto lens.
How many rocks had Lupe leapt onto or over? Thousands. While going down was faster, even this was tiring work. Loopster was getting sick of the rocks. She wanted to rest and be reassured frequently. Feeling the same way, SPHP obliged, but time was a-wasting. The rest breaks were all as brief as possible.
The sun was behind Bomber Mountain’s SW ridge by the time Lupe reached the headwall overlooking Florence Lake. The American Dingo was thrilled when she finally got down to the Solitude Trail again. No more obstacles, but the sun had set.
Light faded as Lupe and SPHP marched back to Florence Pass and on down toward Gunboat Lake. Clouds were building to the W, but SPHP hadn’t really paid much attention to them. The very minute Looper reached her new Marmot tiny house, a few raindrops fell. A peel of thunder echoed through the mountains.
That was all it took. Lupe and SPHP ducked into the tiny house pronto. Only 2 or 3 minutes later the storm broke. Lightning, thunder, torrential rain! The Marmot tiny house shook violently in a gale that threatened to flatten it. In a darkness rent by flashes of lightning, Lupe stared up at SPHP wide eyes full of concern, while SPHP sought to reassure her the destruction that seemed imminent wasn’t going to happen.
It didn’t. 15 minutes, and it was over. No relapse, just done. The storm sailed off to wherever. In her old tiny house Lupe, SPHP, and every bit of gear would have been drenched. The Marmot tiny house had withstood the storm and leaked only a few drops.
What a day! What an utterly exhausting and exhilarating day! A bite to eat, then cozy, safe, and dry, Lupe and SPHP collapsed for the night.
Back at the headwall overlooking Florence Lake near day’s end, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming 7-15-18
