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.
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.
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.
Solitude Trail (No. 038) was close by. Lupe followed the trail W near the S shore of the largest of the Fortress Lakes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heading S on Highway 14A, SPHP turned R (W) onto Park County Road No. 19.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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