Start 10:14 AM, 44ºF at the intersection of Rochford Road & Mystic Road
Totally unacceptable – that’s what it was! More than 6 months had shot by since Lupe had climbed any mountain in the Black Hills. Even the last peak of her most recent Dingo Vacation had been nearly 2 months ago. Supposed to be a gorgeous day for November, but tomorrow snow was in the forecast again. So it was now or, well, not never, but another undesirable delay. Time for action!
The American Dingo was thrilled! Raring to go, Lupe sprang out of the G6 near the junction of Rochford Road and Mystic Road. She was ready to get back to climbing mountains and wasn’t fussy, any mountain would do! (10:14 AM, 44ºF)
Before she could climb Peak 5865, the first mountain on today’s agenda, Lupe had to cross the Mystic Road bridge over Rapid Creek. The bridge was just S of where the G6 was parked, so she was there in no time. The Carolina Dog stopped long enough for quick looks both both up and down the scenic stream.
After crossing the bridge, Lupe followed Mystic Road as it started up Cluder Gulch. 0.33 mile later, Mystic Road made a hairpin bend to the L. USFS Road No. 231.2B continued straight ahead at this turn, so Lupe took it the rest of the way up Cluder Gulch.
At the upper end of Cluder Gulch the terrain flattened out. Lupe entered a big park-like area. SPHP checked the topo map. Peak 5865 had to be off to the L (SE). The heavily forested W end of the mountain’s NW ridge was already in sight quite close by.
Advancing a little way into the park, a faint road not shown on the map led off to the W (R). Lupe stuck with No. 231.2B, which gradually curved SE (L). She soon came to a gate across the road, which she went around. No. 231.2B ended at an unmarked “T” intersection up on a minor pass.
The road to the L curved ESE toward Peak 5865, which was now in view and looked like an easy climb. Lupe took this road, following it partway through a sunny stretch with a nice view of the Pony Gulch area to the SSE. However, she soon left the road to climb NE up to the top of Peak 5865’s NW ridge. From there she headed SE toward the summit.
The trek up Peak 5865’s NW slope was easy. Nothing to it! At least, not until Lupe reached the N/S oriented summit ridge. Arriving toward the N end, she made an unexpected discovery. The true summit was a rocky knob unlike anything else on the mountain. Although the knob wasn’t terribly high, it’s sides were nearly vertical. For a brief moment SPHP wondered if Lupe could even get up there?
Yes! A quick scramble to the top was possible from the NE side of the knob. And that was all there was to it! Lupe and SPHP both went up. There wasn’t much room to maneuver, but the Carolina Dog stood on the highest rock enjoying her first peakbagging success in months.
Peak 5865 was nearly all forested. The only reasonably clear view was to the SE. The Carolina Dog hung around the cramped summit no more than 10 minutes before she was ready to get down. 100 feet to the S was a gently rounded high point. It was somewhat lower, but a much better spot to take a short break.
The rest break didn’t take long. Looper wasn’t actually hungry or tired yet. While SPHP consumed an apple and looked at maps, she laid on the ground or checked trees for squirrels. A gusty 15 mph W breeze blew between intervals of calm. A higher snowy mountain could be glimpsed off to the SW. That was Peak 6135. Maybe Lupe would climb it later on, but that wasn’t really the plan.
Lupe was ready to move on as soon as SPHP’s apple was gone. Before going back the way she had come up, she checked out the larger of two old mining pits. Whoever had dug or blasted them must not have found anything of interest. Even the largest hole wasn’t that big.
The Carolina Dog concurred. She didn’t see any reason to stick around this hole in the ground, either. On the way back to the T intersection at the end of USFS Road No. 231.2B, Lupe explored a little farther along Peak 5865’s NW ridge. She was rewarded with a fairly decent view of Peak 6135, and discovered a canvas deer hunting blind.
No one was at the deer blind, so Lupe continued on. Upon reaching the T intersection at the end of USFS Road No. 231.2B once again, she took the unmarked road going SW. According to SPHP’s map, this was USFS Road No 238.
No. 238 climbed steadily at an easy pace. For a long way it wound along the upper S slopes of hillsides overlooking Pony Gulch. Looper trotted along happily looking for deer, squirrels, or anything else of interest. Much of the time she enjoyed nice views of Peak 6135.
After 1.5 miles, Lupe went over a minor pass as No. 238 swung over to the N side of the ridge it had been skirting. Bearcat Gulch was to the N. The road dipped and headed back SW again as Lupe crossed a broad saddle. She wasn’t far from Peak 6135 now.
Lupe was almost to a part of USFS Road No. 238 she had been to before. On two prior Black Hills Expeditions she had come up Pony Gulch from Mystic Road on USFS Road No. 428. The junction was just ahead. On those prior occasions Lupe’s ultimate destination had been Castle Peak (6,358 ft.). That was today’s plan, too.
Approaching the junction with No. 428, SPHP considered the notion that maybe Lupe ought to go climb Peak 6135 instead of bypassing it? The summit was only 0.5 mile SE from here. In fact, the first time Lupe had gone to Castle Peak on Expedition No. 36, she had climbed Peak 6135 on the way back. That was nearly 7 years ago now. SPHP remembered a high rocky knob with some great views at sunset.
No, not going to happen. SPHP dismissed the thought. Already too late in the day to climb Castle Peak and another mountain along the way that actually was on the agenda, plus Peak 6135. A nice idea, but unrealistic. Days are simply too short this time of year. Lupe continued W on USFS Road No. 238.
There were occasional distant views to the SE or SW as the road wound along hillsides, once again climbing slowly, but steadily. Lupe got almost as high as Peak 6135 before No. 238 started a gradual descent to a saddle where junctions with two other roads appeared in quick succession. The first road came up from Castle Creek to the S, and the second (USFS Road No. 184) went down Bloody Gulch to the N.
Only 0.25 mile ahead, Lupe’s next peakbagging objective was now in sight. Peak 6216 was a heavily forested ridge. Quite frankly, it didn’t look too impressive. No matter, despite low expectations the American Dingo was going to explore it. You never know what she might find!
Trees and snow mostly. From the saddle, Lupe followed No. 238 going NW. Before long the road reached a high point. Looper left the road climbing SW through the snowy forest.
The top of the ridge was forested, too, but not nearly as snowy. Crossing over to the W side, Lupe found a small opening where the ground was snow-free. Castle Peak was in view only a mile to the W. Much farther to the SW, Loop could also see the snow-filled fields of Reynolds Prairie.
After a look at the view, Lupe headed S along the ridgeline in search of the true summit of Peak 6216. The terrain sloped up for a short distance to the top of a modest rise. Was this the true summit already? Not much to see here other than the forest. Loopster stood briefly on highest rock before continuing S.
At first she lost a little elevation, but Lupe was soon climbing again. She quickly regained all the elevation she’d lost and then some. She reached another high point. This time the ground sloped away more sharply in all directions. This had to be it! Clearly nothing higher any farther S.
In truth, the true summit of Peak 6216 didn’t look much different from the first high point. A few rocks scattered in the forest with a little snow on the ground. No views to speak of here, either. Oh, well. Lupe’s first glimpse of Peak 6216 from the road hadn’t raised any big expectations, that was certain. The Carolina Dog could still claim a 2nd peakbagging success for the day.
Actually there was a view from the summit of Peak 6216, a rather nice one too. Black Elk Peak (7,231 ft.), the highest peak in South Dakota, was narrowly visible with the help of the telephoto lens from a slightly less forested spot only 10 or 15 feet SE of the true summit.
Time for another break. Not too long, though. The sun was sinking. If Lupe still intended to get to Castle Peak where the views would be better before sunset, she couldn’t linger too long on Peak 6216. Castle Peak (6,358 ft.) was only a mile away as the crow flies, but easily twice that the way the roads went.
On the way back to USFS Road No. 238, Lupe explored the entire length of Peak 6216’s N ridge, which was close to 0.33 mile long. The whole ridge was forested, but she did find another spot along the W edge where she could see Castle Peak and Reynolds Prairie.
At the end of the N ridge, another snowy romp got Loop back down to USFS Road No. 238. Following it NW, she didn’t get far before coming to a padlocked gate. A big orange sign said the road was closed.
Private property was ahead. No. 238 went through several old mining claims in this area. Lupe had gone this way to Castle Peak on both of her previous expeditions to it back in 2012 and 2015. Those mining claims had been for sale back then, but this road had never been closed before. The gate was new, too.
Well, shucks Loopster.
What’s wrong SPHP?
Looks like whoever bought this mining claim doesn’t want anyone going across it without permission. They’ve closed the road.
Can they do that? This is a USFS road, shouldn’t there be public access?
I would think so, but I don’t really know. Our maps are old. Maybe the road and its easement have been vacated or abandoned?
So what now?
Think this is it, Loop. No easy way around this private property. Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing the sunset from Castle Peak. We would have had a long walk back in the dark, though.
So we’re going back to the G6?
Yeah, think we have to. We can take USFS Road No. 184 to Rochford Road, if you like. We’ve never gone down Bloody Gulch before.
Lupe was fine with exploring Bloody Gulch, but before she got to the turn, SPHP had a different idea.
Hey, Looper! Why don’t we just go back the way we came? If we hurry, we might get to Peak 6135 in time to see the sunset from there?
Oh, that sounds like fun! We haven’t been on Peak 6135 in nearly 7 years, right? Let’s do it! Come on, I’ll race you, SPHP!
Heh, you can award yourself the blue ribbon right now, Loop.
American Dingoes are flexible. That’s one of the great things about them. As long as they get to come along, they rarely fuss over exactly which adventures they go on. There is no point in racing them, though. None at all. Lupe led the way back on No. 238, sniffing and exploring while SPHP plodded on behind.
The evening sun was still shining brightly on Peak 6135, but wouldn’t be for much longer by the time Lupe drew near again.
Lupe and SPHP lost no time. Abandoning the road, Lupe headed SE up Peak 6135. Half a foot of snow or more hid lots of slash from old logging operations, making progress a bit slow. 0.5 mile to the summit!
A prominent rock formation stood bathed in the last rays of sunlight as the Carolina Dog approached. This wasn’t the summit yet, but Lupe paused here for a quick look. The sun was already on the horizon.
Hurrying onward, Lupe came to a second outcropping, a vertical wall of rock that was set back in the trees.
Two more rocky high points were only a few hundred feet farther S. The closest appeared to be the true summit. An easy little scramble and Lupe was there, poised once again at the top of Peak 6135 for the first time in nearly 7 years.
The sun was already gone, but just barely. Lupe stood bathed in the glow of an increasingly beautiful sunset. The views were tremendous, especially from more exposed rocks a little S of the true summit. Both Peak 5865 and Peak 6216 were technically more prominent, but they couldn’t hold a candle to this!
Colors spread rapidly across the sky. Lupe and SPHP lingered admiring the glorious display. It didn’t last. The brilliant glow was soon fading, in full retreat before the onslaught of the dark powers of night.
It was over. As twilight deepened, Lupe made her way NW back past now gloomy rock formations. The snow hiding the treacherous slash helped to reflect and prolong what light remained long enough for the Carolina Dog to reach USFS Road No. 238 again. When she got there, though, SPHP had to pause long enough to bring out the flashlight.
Nearly 3 miles to go to get back to Cluder Gulch and down to the G6. Thin clouds blotted out the stars, an almost full moon a mere silver smudge. Lupe trotted happily along the road, venturing frequently out into the inky blackness to explore whatever secrets were hidden out there. A coyote howled, the rhythmic crunch of snow underpaw the only other sound. (End 6:49 PM, 33ºF)
Links:
Next Black Hills Expedition Prior Black Hills Expedition
Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 142 – Castle Peak (10-17-15)
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