Day 11 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Laramie Range in Wyoming & Beyond!
On the way to Casper, Lupe was going to go right by a famous landmark from the days of the early pioneers – Independence Rock (6,028 ft.) in the Sweetwater River valley. She had been by it before a time or two, but had never stopped to take a look around. Today she had the time, and it seemed like just the sort of thing an adventurous American Dingo ought to do!
Independence Rock was once an important landmark on the Oregon, California & Mormon Pioneer trails. Hwy 220 goes right past it now. Just off the highway, there’s a rest area with bathrooms, water fountains, and shaded picnic tables. A sidewalk leads to displays detailing the history and importance of this site to the pioneers, and on to Independence Rock itself. Lupe and SPHP set off on the short stroll.
SPHP stopped to read some of the displays along the sidewalk, but the Carolina Dog had limited patience with that. She wanted to get there and experience Independence Rock for herself!
One of the dangers the early pioneers faced here so long ago was still around. Near the base of Independence Rock a man was sitting on a bench where the sidewalk divided to make a loop around the rock. He said he had just seen a 4 foot long rattlesnake slither across the sidewalk only a few minutes ago. The rattler appeared to be hunting the numerous gray rabbits hopping about all over the place.
That rattlesnake had the right idea! Lupe was also keenly interested in hunting rabbits! Sadly, party-pooper SPHP didn’t think racing around in the tall grass among rabbits and rattlesnakes was such a hot idea. A very disappointed Lupe was forced to stay on the leash.
The good news was that it was permissible to climb right up onto Independence Rock! The best way up was from the NW. Used to climbing mountains, getting to the top was easy for Lupe. She was there in practically no time.
Also known as the Great Register of the Desert, thousands of pioneers had painted or chiseled their names on Independence Rock by various means. Only the names actually carved into the granite still remain.
Lupe saw some names carved in the rock, but as SPHP read them off, it turned out that Loop didn’t personally know any of these pioneers. The Carolina Dog lost interest. She wanted to look and sniff around. A view of a herd of delicious black cows grazing down by the Sweetwater River was especially interesting.
The view to the E was disappointing. Loop couldn’t see any horses or covered wagons on the way. Apparently she wasn’t going to be lucky enough to meet any pioneers at Independence Rock this morning. She’d thought her chances were pretty good, since it was such a beautiful day for pioneering. Oh, well! When she’d seen enough of the views, the American Dingo decided she may as well head back down.
More people who were coming up reported that they’d just seen the 4 foot long rattlesnake again down below, still on the prowl for rabbits. Loop thought that if she were a rabbit, she’d probably hit the trail W like the pioneers. Independence Rock was a dangerous place!
On the sidewalk on the way back to the rest area, Lupe kept a pretty good eye and keen nose out for the rattlesnake, but she didn’t see it. SPHP dawdled again looking at displays.
SPHP wanted to do one more thing here, which was to walk down to the Sweetwater River. Lupe thought that might not be such a bad idea, since those black cows were somewhere along the river.
Lupe and SPHP followed an old abandoned road near Hwy 220. Unfortunately, it ended at some fences before Loop got all the way to the river. She never did get close to the black cows, but at least SPHP got a photo of Independence Rock and the Sweetwater River from this angle.
Time to move on. Lupe still had a long way to go today. After a brief stop for supplies in Casper, SPHP drove W on Hwy 20/26. A R turn at Waltman onto Natrona County Road No. 104 (Buffalo Creek Road) got Lupe headed NNW toward the small community of Arminto. Arminto was located N of some railroad tracks 8.5 miles from the highway.
Arminto was a pretty quiet place. The pavement ended a mile N of town. Buffalo Creek Road continued on, though, now as Natrona County Road No. 105. Lupe had a good time barking at scattered herds of cattle as the G6 climbed steadily through classic western scenery.
Lupe was on her way to Mine Benchmark (9,121 ft.), the high point of Natrona County. Once again, SPHP was using a trip report by famed peakbagger Edward Earl for directions. 15 miles N of Arminto was a 4-way intersection. Mr. Earl’s instructions said to turn L on Bighorn Mountain Road (Natrona County Road No. 109). No. 109 wound W & N for a few miles, then began to climb more steeply.
How far the G6 might be able to get along Bighorn Mountain Road wasn’t clear. Edward Earl had a Nissan pickup truck, and had reported slipping on a steep uphill section, then having to stop soon afterward at a very muddy spot. He’d had to walk half a dozen miles from there, just to get to where he’d originally intended to park.
The road was a bit damp and muddy, but the G6 made it to the top of the steep section just fine. Lupe had an advantage being here in mid-June. Edward Earl’s trip report was for an ascent of Mine Benchmark dated 5-26-2009. With nearly a month extra of warm, sunny weather to dry things out, there was at least some hope the G6 would be able to get farther than the Nissan had.
The next test came soon. Beyond the steep climb, the road leveled out and reached a small stream 4 or 5 miles from the turn onto Bighorn Mountain Road. From Mr. Earl’s description, this was likely the muddy point where he’d had to park the Nissan and continue on foot. The topo map showed this stream as First Waters Creek.
Lupe and SPHP got out of the G6 for a look. First Waters Creek was only 4 or 5 feet wide and a foot deep, but the bottom appeared rutty. Hmm. It ought to be OK. Lupe stayed outside while SPHP gave it a go. The G6 hit bottom lightly in one of the ruts, but made it across undamaged. Lupe waded over and hopped in. Onward!
Edward Earl mentioned two more streams ahead, still several miles away. Bighorn Mountain Road resumed a steady climb. After a few miles, Lupe reached a high point at a 8,300 foot saddle. So far so good, but soon the South and Middle Forks of Buffalo Creek would have to be crossed. This saddle wouldn’t be a bad place to park the G6, though, if it became necessary.
Only 0.25 mile N of the 8,300 foot saddle, Lupe arrived at the South Fork of Buffalo Creek. Once again, Loop and SPHP exited the G6 to assess the situation. The creek crossed the road in two separate little streams. The streams were stony, but only a few inches deep. Yeah, the G6 could do this! SPHP drove slowly across. It went fine. Puppy, ho!
Another 2 miles. The G6 confronted the last stream, the Middle Fork of Buffalo Creek. The Middle Fork was wider and deeper than the South Fork, but still only 6 inches deep. Stones were the only worry. Slowly, carefully, the G6 inched across and triumphed again. Hah!
Lupe was less than 1.5 miles from the 8,450 foot saddle where Edward Earl had intended to park his Nissan pickup. With no more streams to cross, the G6 was going to get there. However, on the way up to the saddle, the road passed by a huge purple slope covered with lupines. Lupe had to get out of the G6 for this!
After a romp through the lupines, Lupe returned to the G6. At the 8,450 foot saddle, SPHP parked along a side road leading E toward High Point 8509. It wasn’t yet 4 PM, and Mine Benchmark (9,121 ft.) was only a couple miles away now at most. Plenty of time to get there and back!
Lupe was certainly out W. Perhaps there was a wicked witch around? The lupines had the same effect on Loop and SPHP as the poppies had on Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Instead of setting out promptly for Mine Benchmark, both were soon fast asleep.
More than 2 hours went by before the spell was broken. After 6 PM! Loopster had better get going! The topo map showed a survey benchmark at 8,463 foot elevation on the W side of Bighorn Mountain Road. The marker ought to be near the start of the side road Lupe was supposed to take to Mine Benchmark. Leaving the G6, Loop and SPHP set out in search of the 8,463 foot benchmark (6:21 PM).
Sure enough, the American Dingo found the survey marker right about where the map showed it. Until now, she hadn’t even noticed the road she was supposed to take to Mine Benchmark. It could be seen from here, though, grassy and faint, heading SW toward a forest.
Lupe and SPHP struck out on the faint grassy road for Mine Benchmark. Once in the forest, SPHP began to worry about the possibility that the road would deteriorate beyond recognition. It seemed abandoned. Deadfall timber blocked it in places. Lupe reached a locked gate in a barbed wire fence, but went under it.
Half an hour after Loop left the 8,463 foot survey benchmark, she emerged again from the forest. Suddenly she was out on open ground where it was possible to see. There wasn’t much left of the road most places, but it hardly mattered now. Lupe could see a big hill to the W. That had to be it! Getting to the Mine Benchmark was going to be easy!
This was just the type of high, open territory Lupe loves. The lupines had lost their effect. The Carolina Dog was energized now! She raced away to explore this beautiful place.
Lupe soon reached a slope immediately S of Mine Benchmark. Large boulders were scattered here and there. It wasn’t far to the top. A little bird, probably the same one that tells all sorts of news and rumors, watched Lupe with curiosity as the Carolina Dog began the final part of her ascent. The easiest way up was from the SE.
The scramble to the top took only a few minutes. The summit area was roomy and fairly flat. The highest, rockiest parts were toward the SW end. Big rocks along the S and W edges of the summit area sat above cliffs of modest height. Many of the big rocks were separated by sizable gaps that had eroded out between them.
Loop got out on the big rocks for a look around. Panoramic views of beautiful, rolling Bighorn Mountain meadows spread out before her! It was the kind of territory that made you want to wander forever.
Pieces of an old wooden structure were laying around the summit area, and some smooth wire was draped among the rocks. These were reminiscent of what Lupe had found up on Squaw Mountain (9,313 ft.), the Shirley Mountains High Point (9,151 ft.), and Quealey Benchmark (9,150 ft.) earlier on this Dingo vacation. Lupe also found the actual Mine survey benchmark nearby.
Although a couple of big rocks looked almost equally high, SPHP thought a large slanty one toward the N was clearly the highest. Lupe needed a boost to get up on top, which SPHP was glad to give her.
The Carolina Dog let SPHP help her get down from the true summit, though she had appeared imminently ready to leap off all on her own. Once down, Lupe did some more exploring of the summit area.
A chilly NW breeze kicked up while Lupe was exploring some of the NE part of the summit ridge. Loop and SPHP left the ridge to get out of the wind. Loop circled back around to the SW side of the Mine Benchmark summit formation.
It was a gorgeous evening. The sinking sun would be down within the hour. Although Lupe had successfully completed her Mine Benchmark peakbagging objective, maybe sunset was worth sticking around for?
Lupe and SPHP hung around S of the high point for 20 minutes to see what might develop. Loop was greatly entertained watching several nervous pronghorn antelope.
The chilly NW breeze was still blowing when Lupe returned to the Mine Benchmark summit. The sun would be down pretty soon now. Quite a few clouds were off to the W. Hope existed for a brilliant display, but maybe the sun would just disappear behind the clouds.
Day’s end was beautiful, but the eagerly anticipated spectacular display never developed. Though Lupe waited hopefully, clouds ultimately swallowed the sun. It was gone. The sky darkened. Everything began fading to gray. Night was coming. Time to go.
Two stars, or perhaps planets, twinkled above by the time Lupe made it back to the G6. She had dinner, then rested outside on the ground watching, listening, and sniffing the air. Meanwhile, two lonely stars were joined by 2,000 more in the black void above.
Links:
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Edward Earl’s 5-26-2009 ascent trip report for Mine Benchmark
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