9:40 AM – Down in the living room, Lupe was raising a ruckus.
Mark’s here, SPHP!
Oh, I knew we could count on him, Loopster. I’ll be right there.
Lupe greeted Mark with such tremendous enthusiasm when SPHP let him in that Mark scarcely knew how to react. When the Carolina Dog calmed down, the conversation quickly turned to today’s destination, or more precisely, where would Mark like to go?
Although Mark had grown up in the Black Hills, he’d moved to Colorado decades ago, and asked SPHP for suggestions. Exactly what to propose was hard to say, due to his situation.
An avid traveler, skier, and hiker in some mighty scenic countries around the world, Mark had been through a hip replacement last fall that had gone wrong. Naturally athletic, he’d been reduced to a walker and crutches for months. As recently as only a couple of months ago, even managing a flight of stairs had still been difficult. However, a nerve that had been damaged was slowly healing, and Mark reported that he could now amble several miles without much pain.
Hmm. Something scenic with a decent trail, a little on the ambitious side, yet not too far, seemed to be the parameters that needed to be met.
SPHP’s first suggestion was dead on arrival. Nope, not scenic enough! Mark had been there 5 or 6 years ago with another friend, and the big views really didn’t come until nearly the very end.
Well, there was an obviously better choice, but one that involved a little scrambling. Could Mark do that?
A no pain, no gain sort of guy, he was willing to try.
When SPHP proposed Little Devils Tower (6,981 ft.), Mark was nearly as enthusiastic as Lupe had been upon his arrival. A terrific idea! SPHP was surprised to learn that Mark had never been there before.
12:00 PM – Early June in the Black Hills. Sylvan Lake was a zoo! Every parking spot was taken. Vehicles even lined the Needles Highway during the short drive on the way to the Little Devils Tower trailhead. At the first opportunity, Mark parked the RAV4 alongside the road.
Not a great spot to begin for Mark’s hip, but he didn’t complain as Lupe led the way NE through fields and forest after crossing the highway. Managing to reach Little Devils Tower Trail No. 4 between Sylvan Lake and the Little Devils Tower trailhead without incident, Mark had no problem getting to the trailhead and starting up the valley beyond it.
The march up the valley was easy enough and busy. A steady stream of people and dogs went by. Lupe had countless opportunities to sniff and get acquainted. The valley was a mix of meadows, forest, scenic granite formations, and, near the start, even featured a tiny stream.
Ambling along with frequent short breaks, Mark and SPHP jabbered away on every topic under the sun while Lupe enjoyed the nonchalant pace. No one really took much notice as the trail steepened. When Trail No. 4 topped out, the spur to Little Devils Tower was right there.
Heading N, much of the 0.25 mile long spur was a gradual climb through mostly open territory, but once the big granite formations were reached, that all changed. A steeper climb between two granite walls ended at a minor pass. Immediately to the L, a 10 foot vertical scramble led up into a narrow crack.
Moment of truth! Mark passed with flying colors. SPHP gave Lupe a boost up the scrambly part, and the American Dingo managed the rest of the crack by herself. Emerging from the upper end of the crack, a nice view of Sylvan Hill (6,998 ft.) was off to the WSW.
This wasn’t the end of the scrambling, but none of what lay ahead was any worse than what Mark had already demonstrated his ability to deal with. SPHP had to smile. Mark was clearly enjoying the experience!
Marked by blue diamonds, the spur trail continued higher, winding over solid granite to another passage that quickly led to a flat patch of dirt. From here, a second almost vertical scramble was all that remained.
Several people expressed amazement when Lupe scrambled up this last section all on her own. They didn’t realize that Mark’s successful ascent was actually the genuinely amazing accomplishment.
1:22 PM, 68ºF, Little Devils Tower (6,981 ft.) – During most of an hour spent relaxing while munching on a Subway sandwich and taking in the views, which were among the best the Black Hills have to offer, Mark confirmed this was by far the most difficult hike he’d been on since his hip replacement operation last September. He was doing fine, though, and very happy to be here. Little Devils Tower had been a great choice!
Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.), South Dakota’s highest mountain, only a mile NNE was the main attraction. Other highlights included a spectacular view of the Cathedral Spires (6,907 ft.), and Sylvan Hill (6,998 ft.), the Custer County high point.
2:19 PM – Panhandling chipmunks were conducting a lively business with the ever-changing crowd. The American Dingo cheerily appointed herself chief enforcer against this illicit trade, making SPHP nervous during her sudden dashes to the brink of destruction. Probably best to mosey on. Mark was satisfied, and Lupe’s traditional summit hour was almost over, anyway.
The descent was harder on Mark than the ascent had been. Moving slowly and cautiously, he appeared a bit fragile and unsteady. Lupe had plenty of time to pay more attention to the views, while still keeping an eye out for chipmunks.
The descent went well. No mishaps. It wasn’t until Lupe was practically back at the Little Devils Tower trailhead that Mark finally admitted that his hip and arthritis were giving him some pain, although he insisted that the pain hadn’t set in until just the last 200 yards.
SPHP offered to retrieve the RAV4 while Mark waited at the trailhead, which would have been an easy thing to do, but Mark wouldn’t hear of it. However, he did prefer walking back to the RAV4 on Hwy 89 rather than take the lumpy overland route Lupe had led him on before.
3:30 PM, Sylvan Lake – The throng had thinned out a little. Volunteering to buy ice cream, Mark parked the RAV4 in front of the store, then went in to get it. When he returned, while Lupe laid in the shade of the pine trees, Mark and SPHP sat on a rock with a view of the lake consuming chocolate-flavored soft serve.
Despite the somewhat painful ending, Mark was very pleased with how today’s outing had gone. Pain and disability had been a big part of his life ever since last September, and Little Devils Tower had been a huge leap forward. He was greatly encouraged, and confident that he would soon be back close to normal.
June! Dingo Vacation time was almost here. Another week or so, and Lupe was going to be in Colorado! Mark invited Lupe and SPHP to stop in and visit. Another joint adventure was sure to result.
Seeing Mark again had been awesome! Knowing that he was rapidly on the mend was even better. SPHP promised that a feisty American Dingo would soon be on his doorstep.
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