Start – 9:18 AM, 43°F at the curve in Hwy 44W (Rimrock Hwy) E of the Buzzard’s Roost trailhead
The recent subzero weather in the Black Hills was over. Yesterday most of what little snow existed at lower elevations had melted. Today the temperature was supposed to soar to 60°F, a new record for this date. Lupe was overdue for an expedition, and had almost given up hope. January can be a mighty dull time of year. Today was an opportunity not to be squandered!
The Carolina Dog was frantic with excitement as soon as she realized SPHP was getting ready to take her out in the hills. She’d been ready for days on end! Any old adventure would do!
Norris Peak (4,982 ft.) was what SPHP had in mind. Loop had been there only once before, a very long time ago. SPHP couldn’t remember exactly when. Checking her ascent records, SPHP was surprised to see that Lupe had been to Norris Peak on her 2nd birthday, more than 5 years ago. Yes, it had been a while!
Although there are much shorter routes to Norris Peak, the plan was to make a day of it. Lupe would take the same general birthday route she had taken on the day she turned 2 years old. Part of it would be a loop including both Turkey Ridge and Prehistoric Ridge. Turkey Ridge would come first, if Lupe could find it again.
Lupe and SPHP left the G6 parked at the start of the first big bend in Rimrock Hwy E of the Buzzard’s Roost trailhead. Turkey Ridge was several miles NW from here, but Loop ought to be able to find it following a long ridge the whole way.
Even before setting out, Lupe’s enthusiasm dimmed considerably. This area wasn’t far from Rapid City, the largest population center in the Black Hills region. The American Dingo was hearing noises she didn’t like. People were banging and clanging away somewhere off in the distance. Perhaps she heard gunfire, too?
Whatever poor Loopster heard with those super sensitive Dingo ears, it was all far away and no genuine threat at all. SPHP encouraged her onward. Lupe came, but instead of roaming the forest and having fun, she nervously stuck close to SPHP for security. Lupe prefers adventures in remote places, far from the scary noises people always seem to make. This time of year, though, she would have to take what she could get.
Lupe and SPHP headed NW gaining elevation gradually following the first ridge N of Hwy 44. This area proved to be a maze of trails and old logging roads. Seemed like there was always something to follow along the ridge, if Lupe wanted to, although sometimes she ventured off into the forest. The terrain was easy, the forest unremarkable, and Lupe made steady progress.
This close to civilization, Lupe treasures were scattered in the forest. SPHP began collecting them for later recycling or proper disposal. For a while nothing changed, but after she’d gone 0.75 mile, Lupe came to a double set of power lines. From here, a small slice of western Rapid City was in view.
N of the power lines, the ridge became steeper, narrower and better defined. Logging roads continued to appear. Following these roads NW, Looper reached a place where the ridge widened out again. A broad, gentle, grassy slope provided her with a sweeping view to the E.
The broad grassy area was confined to the region a little N of High Point 4582 on the topo map. Wild Irishman Gulch was farther N, and Shanks Gulch SW, though neither was much in view. Loop turned W entering the forest again. No logging road went this way, but there was a good single track trail.
Staying on the high ground between Wild Irishman Gulch and Shanks Gulch, Loop continued W or NW gaining elevation most of the time. She lost a little heading W across the saddle at the N end of Shanks Gulch. More logging roads were present at the saddle. Lupe followed one of them W, regaining all her lost elevation and more.
A mile and a half from the broad, grassy area near High Point 4582, Lupe reached the high point of the whole long ridge she’d been following. She stood atop SW facing cliffs providing the best views she had come to so far. Thrall Mountain (5,091 ft.) was less than 1.5 miles away.
Lupe continued NW from the high point, staying near the cliffs until they faded away. The terrain along in here went up and down before starting to lose elevation consistently. At the very end of the miles long ridge the American Dingo had been following, Lupe came to Turkey Ridge, a narrow, level ledge of purplish, reddish rocks jutting 100 yards out to the NW before ending abruptly.
Lupe and SPHP got up on Turkey Ridge, going as far toward the NW end as easily possible. Years ago, Turkey Ridge had been more exposed, with clear views in every direction except back to the SE. Now, trees had grown up enough to hide a significant portion of the scenery. Lupe had unobstructed views to the SW, but Prehistoric Ridge to the NNE was only visible from one spot.
The name Turkey Ridge doesn’t appear on any map. It is a private name SPHP had given this rock formation years ago. Prehistoric Ridge is also a private name SPHP had assigned to the much larger, more dramatic ridge capped by limestone cliffs 0.5 mile to the NNE.
Lupe and SPHP took a short break on Turkey Ridge to appreciate what views the forest hadn’t swallowed up yet.
A single track trail ran below the NE side of Turkey Ridge. When her break was over, Lupe went down to it. She followed the trail a little way, before deciding to explore the base of the Turkey Ridge rock formation.
Norris Peak is only a mile away from Turkey Ridge. When Lupe finished sniffing along the base of the ridge, she headed NW down a forested slope. She reached a USFS road headed toward Prehistoric Ridge.
Sometimes in the forest, and sometimes on unmarked USFS roads, Lupe made her way N around the W end of Prehistoric Ridge.
Crossing the upper end of Wild Irishman Gulch near Prehistoric Ridge, Loop had lost close to 400 feet of elevation from the high point she’d been at earlier. Now she was having to regain all that and more to get to the summit of Norris Peak (4,982 ft.).
The climb became progressively steeper as the American Dingo began her ascent of Norris Peak’s E slope. Before long, Lupe reached the broad, gently inclined NE ridge leading to the summit. She was almost there!
A short, easy stroll now brought Lupe to a smallish rock at the very top of the mountain. Norris Peak’s summit area was large and nearly flat. The concrete foundations of an old fire lookout tower which had once been here were still in plain sight. Lupe discovered the rock foundation of a former cabin nearby, too.
The best views from Norris Peak were to the SW and NW. Lupe could see quite a number of hills and mountains she had been to at one time or another. To the NW, a housing subdivision occupied the territory at the base of Norris Peak. Despite her long trek here, the Carolina Dog still wasn’t far from civilization.
After a good look around, Lupe relaxed for a while. She wasn’t hungry yet, refusing Taste of the Wild when SPHP set it out for her, and drank only a little water. Mostly she just wanted to lay there and look out across the hills. SPHP petted her, and reminded Lupe it had been her 2nd birthday the last time she was here. It hardly seemed possible so much time had gone by since then.
Then, while Lupe rested, SPHP wandered around taking more photos.
When Loop was ready to get going again, she first stopped by the E edge of the summit area for a look at her next objective. From Norris Peak, she could see the top of Prehistoric Ridge.
The easiest way to get to Prehistoric Ridge was to travel down Norris Peak’s gently inclined broad NE ridge. Lupe followed a rocky dirt road.
The NE ridge soon bent around to the SE. Lupe stayed with it until she came to a big ravine draining S. She went partway down the ravine before turning SE to gain a saddle leading over to Prehistoric Ridge from the N. The climb up Prehistoric Ridge itself was steep, but short. Loop went out on a rock ledge at the N end for a look back at Norris Peak.
The top of Prehistoric Ridge is nearly all forested, and slants noticeably down to the NE. The only views were to the SW from above the cliffs Lupe had seen from Turkey Ridge. Staying near the cliffs, Lupe and SPHP went all the way to the SE end of Prehistoric Ridge.
The line of cliffs extended all the way to the lower SE end of Prehistoric Ridge. Lupe had to backtrack NW along the NE side of the ridge looking for a way down. After going 500 feet or so, a ravine appeared providing a passable route down into a N branch of Wild Irishman Gulch.
The route down was all thickly forested, but upon reaching the main part of Wild Irishman Gulch, Lupe entered a big field. From the field, the American Dingo had a fine view of the SE end of Prehistoric Ridge.
Descending Prehistoric Ridge, Lupe had lost a lot of elevation that she now needed to regain to get back up on the big ridge she had originally followed to Turkey Ridge. She crossed Wild Irishman Gulch, headed back into the trees, and ascended a ravine. She passed just W of High Point 4705, as intended.
Somewhere beyond High Point 4705, SPHP stopped to get Lupe a drink of water. Her silver bowl! It wasn’t in the pack! Instantly, SPHP knew the silver bowl had been forgotten up on Norris Peak. That little silver bowl had been Lupe’s nearly her whole life. It was too late to go back and get it today, though.
Pressing onward, SPHP thought Lupe was right on track to head back to the G6 staying on the long ridge. However, as the light began to fade, somehow Looper wound up on cliffs S of High Point 4841. Hwy 44 W was visible below, as well as a big housing subdivision. The Carolina Dog was more than 0.5 mile too far S!
SPHP tried to avoid it, but Lupe wound up heading down Shanks Gulch. She reached Hwy 44 W almost 0.5 mile W of the G6. Come to think of it, this same exact thing had happened on Lupe’s 2nd birthday. Talk about nostalgia! Eh, it wasn’t that great. Lupe’s adventure ended with a long, dull walk in the ditch next to busy Hwy 44 W. (5:06 PM, 47°F)
The Norris Peak adventure wasn’t really entirely over, however, when Loop reached the G6 – not with the Silver Bowl Quest unfinished! With snow in the forecast, Lupe and SPHP returned to the area two days later. This time Lupe explored a much shorter route to Norris Peak starting from Norris Peak Road. She discovered a good trail winding up the SW slope.
At the top of the mountain, Lupe was happily reunited with her silver bowl again. Some hungry wild animal must have been glad SPHP had forgotten it, though. The Taste of the Wild that had been in it was all gone.
Note: Lupe treasures gathered included 8 aluminum cans, 4 other cans, 3 plastic bottles, and 1 glass bottle.
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