You can’t be serious! You’re joking, right SPHP?
No, really Loop. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. You don’t object, do you?
Object? Why should I object? Every Carolina Dog dreams of a chance to revel in the splendors of Poverty Gulch! My, you sure know how to show a Dingo a good time, don’t you?
Oh, come on! It’s just a name. Keeps the riff-raff out.
With a name like that, it probably draws riff-raff like flies! Why on earth would we want to go to Poverty Gulch, anyway?
It’s just an alternate route up to Castle Peak (6,358 ft.), Looper. Since we didn’t get there last time out, I thought we might try another approach?
And Poverty Gulch was the best you could come up with? What’s wrong with Middle-Class Meadows or Luxury Lane?
Well, there’s Brown Jug Draw, which is actually closer, but I don’t think the G6 can get back in there this time of year.
Brown Jug Draw? That sure sounds highfalutin! I suppose we’re doomed then. At least the castle part sounds good!
Upon reaching Rochford in the central Black Hills, how to get across Rapid Creek to the lower end of Poverty Gulch was itself a question. Lupe wound up having a chance to visit parts of the greater Rochford metropolitan area. The stores were closed this early in the day, but Rochford seemed to be making a good impression on the American Dingo.
Maybe we should just skip Poverty Gulch, SPHP? We could hang out here in Rochford and wait for the saloon to open!
Why, Loopster what’s this change of attitude? You weren’t impressed with Brown Jug Draw. Moonshine Gulch doesn’t sound any more highfalutin than that.
It does when you put “saloon” behind it! Sounds downtownish, in an Old West sort of way. If we stay, we can check out the Rochford mall while we wait for Happy Hour. Ought to open pretty soon. No harm in looking, even if the Christmas Bazaar hasn’t started yet, is there?
Disappointingly, SPHP persisted in wanting to go up Poverty Gulch. It turned out that Lupe could get across Rapid Creek by taking a short stretch of the Mickelson Trail. The Rochford trailhead was just E of town. (9:07 AM, 30ºF)
The Mickelson Trail went past a number of private homes and cabins. After 0.25 mile or so following Rapid Creek upstream, Lupe came to a frozen pond. The ravine coming down out of the hills next to it had to be Poverty Gulch!
An old cabin sat up on a little rise at the mouth of Poverty Gulch. A small, snowy side road passed just below it heading up the valley. The topo map showed a trail going up Poverty Gulch, but there weren’t any signs for it, or fences around the old cabin. Hmm. Who knew? Maybe not completely kosher, but Lupe left the Mickelson Trail trotting past the old cabin and up the valley.
Poverty Gulch wasn’t wide or particularly deep. A tiny stream could be heard gurgling away next to the road, which soon narrowed to no more than an ATV trail. A power line went up the valley, but there was no sign that anyone had come this way since at least the last snow.
A good foot of snow, crunchy hard from days of thawing and freezing, was on the road. Lupe could usually stand on it, but the snow didn’t hold SPHP’s weight. Although the trail was never steep, the all-uphill post-holing trudge was wearying and slow. The Moonshine Gulch Saloon was sounding better with every step.
For what seemed like a long way, but probably wasn’t much more than 0.5 mile, there were no tracks in the snow other than occasional animal tracks. Eventually, Lupe came to a more open spot where the trail widened out. This was the dead end of USFS Road No. 238.1B. Some vehicle with big knobby tires had come this far from the S. The tires had compressed the snow, but so much so that it had become ice.
Didn’t really help speed things up much.
The snowy scenery was pretty, the solitude unbroken. After deepening to 1.5 feet, the snow pack began to diminish. As Poverty Gulch gradually broadened out, the road gained elevation at a relaxed pace. The broken trunks of Ponderosa pines killed years ago by pine bark beetles dotted surrounding hills only moderately higher than the road.
On and on it went, the road winding its way S. Lupe came to no more cabins. The power line must have ended or veered off somewhere along the way. At one point Lupe and SPHP sat on a log together, taking a 10 minute breather. A gorgeous day for a workout in the hills!
Couldn’t be much farther! At last it was clear that the road was about to reach the top of a rise. When Lupe got there, sure enough, she had been here before. SPHP recognized the sign. Loop had reached USFS Road No. 238 (Divide Road). Her long trek up Poverty Gulch was over!
Castle Peak (6,358 ft.) was still 0.75 mile S of this junction. Lupe took No. 238 heading SW. The road quickly curved W, where a tree-broken view of Castle Peak was on offer from a hillside S of the road.
Returning to the road, it curved NW and started going downhill. A side road, USFS Road No. 238.1A, soon appeared on the L (SW). This was the same road Lupe had taken twice before when she’d gone to Castle Peak. It would get her nearly all the way to the summit.
Taking No. 238.1A, Lupe soon went past No. 238.1E on the R (W), which looked like it would curve down into Brown Jug Draw. Ignoring it, she stuck with No. 238.1A. Another snowy trek, steeper toward the end than anything back in Poverty Gulch, finally brought the American Dingo to the top of Castle Peak.
Castle Peak used to be the site of an old fire lookout tower, long gone years ago. Now the summit is an open area rimmed by pines. The views are disappearing as the trees keep growing. Lupe couldn’t see Peak 6216 a mile to the E, which she had visited 10 days ago, but there were still some views in other directions.
Time for a break! After taking a look at both Custer Peak (6,801 ft.) and Terry Peak (7,064 ft.), the most prominent mountains to the N, Lupe and SPHP sat down on a snow-free patch of ground. The best views from the summit of Castle Peak were on display off to the S.
Lupe had some Taste of the Wild. Since she’d been eating snow, she wasn’t interested in water. SPHP munched an apple. A light S breeze blew. The late November sun was bright, but felt feeble. Not cold out, but not all that warm either. Comfortably cool.
More than 4 years gone by since the last time the Carolina Dog had been here, nearly 7 since her first time on Castle Peak. Hard to believe. The thought was faintly disturbing.
So, we just going to sit here all day, SPHP?
Nah! Beautiful spot, though, isn’t it Looper? If you’re ready, we can go check out the views to the W.
From the top of Castle Peak, pines hide the views to the W. However, past experience had shown that a few small rock formations several hundred feet SW of the summit provide great views in that direction. Miles of the E edge of the limestone plateau country can be seen, including South Castle Rock (6,840 ft.), Castle Rock (6,783 ft.), Nipple Butte (6,800 ft.), Flag Mountain (6,937 ft.), Peak 6962, and White Tail Peak (6,962 ft.).
When Loopster got there, the bright white snow enhanced the already terrific panorama, making the hills seem higher and more splendid.
The view of White Tail Peak was of particular interest. Between here and White Tail Peak was a smaller mountain, Peak 6244. The Carolina Dog might be going there next, so SPHP wanted to get a look at it and the surrounding territory.
Peak 6244 didn’t look like much, just a small forested hill slightly over 1.5 miles away. It took SPHP several minutes of studying the topo map and comparing it to the terrain to pick Peak 6244 out for certain from similar hills nearby.
I don’t know, Loop. Might not see much of anything except trees from over there. Want to do it?
Oh, there’s more?
Yes. I was thinking we could visit that little mountain, Peak 6244.
Sure! Why not? We’ve been on Castle Peak an hour already. I wouldn’t mind doing some more exploring.
Well, one reason not to is that there isn’t any road that I know of most of the way. Between the snow and the deadfall we’d likely encounter, getting there might prove a lot tougher than it looks.
So do you want to, or not, SPHP? We’d better get going, if you do. The sun is already sinking!
Eh, the Carolina Dog had a point. Better quit dithering and get with it!
Loop and SPHP returned briefly to the summit of Castle Peak before heading back down USFS Road No. 238.1A.
Going down was definitely easier than going up. Didn’t take long to get back past the turn for USFS Road No. 238.1E. Shortly before reaching Divide Road again, Lupe came to the top of a small rise. Time to leave the road! To the W, dead trees stood spaced out on a gentle slope thickly covered with young pines.
The idea was to travel almost due W through the forest staying as much as possible up on the high ground of a hilly, poorly defined ridge. By staying toward the S, Lupe ought to be able to avoid the deepest snow. Like most of the Black Hills these days, though, the forest looked heavily damaged by a pine bark beetle infestation. The going might get really tough, if the Carolina Dog came to a lot of deadfall.
Things started off pretty well. Right away, Lupe found an animal trail going W through the young pines. Beyond them she wound up on the N side of a small hill, but the snow wasn’t that deep. She did come to some deadfall timber, but not enough to be much more than a nuisance.
All seemed well when Loop reached the broad flat top of an expected hill. No snow or deadfall here. The only problem was telling exactly which way to go as the ground sloped down to the W. The forest was featureless, and the tree-broken views of surrounding hills all looked about the same.
Well W of the hill, Lupe came to a faint, unmarked road.
Ignoring the road, Lupe crossed it and went over a small rise. On the other side, the terrain resumed a steady descent. Several big rocks were here, the only ones she’d seen since leaving USFS Road No. 238.1A.
Peak 6244 was only 1.33 miles due W of where Lupe had left No. 238.1A. The American Dingo must have traveled most of that distance by now. Ahead was a valley, and beyond it were higher hills. Very difficult to tell with all these trees, but it looked like maybe there was higher ground connected to those hills off to the SW. Had Lupe wandered too far N?
Seemed like that might be the case. From the big rocks, a snowy clearing to the S could be seen down in another part of the same valley Lupe was coming to. She headed down to it. On the way, she came to another road that went by the clearing. Nearby was a junction with what must have been the lower end of the faint road Lupe had just crossed. A marker said the faint one had been USFS Road No. 238.1C.
Lupe needed to get up on the ridge beyond (SW) the clearing. Following the road S up to the ridgeline seemed like a reasonable course of action. Probably was, but SPHP became anxious to turn W again, and had Lupe leave the road before getting all the way to the top.
The snow quickly deepened on the upper N side of the ridge. Loop came to another area thick with young pines. No animal trails here! Instead, deadfall timber was everywhere. The trek became a terrible struggle trying to force a way through the young pines, deep snow, and unending tangle of deadfall.
Progress virtually ground to a halt. In deep snow, stuck down among the little pines, Lupe valiantly leapt over or snuck under hundreds of dead trees. Exhausting! The sun was sinking. This was taking forever! At last, Lupe made it over to the SW side of the ridge where there was less snow and deadfall timber. What had to be Peak 6244 was now in sight.
The easiest way to get there appeared to be to head NW to a subpeak NE of Peak 6244. The ridge Lupe was on led to minor dip at the base of the subpeak. Beyond the dip, she came to yet another unmarked road.
Unfortunately, the road didn’t go up the mountain. After crossing it, the Carolina Dog continued NW up the slope leading to the subpeak. At first, this was easy terrain. No snow, little deadfall.
The situation soon deteriorated. Loop didn’t have to go all the way to the top of the subpeak, but all the territory between it and Peak 6244 was another region of young pines, snow, and a tangled mess of deadfall. Trying to turn toward Peak 6244 before reaching the saddle leading to it from the subpeak proved futile.
Up at the saddle, things were somewhat better. Not much snow. Still plenty of deadfall, but most of it was neatly arranged perpendicular to the route Lupe had to take. She still had to go over it all, then climb Peak 6244’s snowy NE slope, but the top of the mountain wasn’t much higher than where Lupe was now. Shouldn’t take too long.
Approaching from the NE, Peak 6244 seemed to be coming to a pointy top. Rocks were up there! Maybe Lupe actually would have some views from the summit? That would be really nice after all this effort!
The summit region was surprisingly roomy. Ground covered with pine needles connected two slightly higher rocky areas, one to the E and the other to the W. The true summit was a big rock at the NE end. Looper went first to some other rocks almost as high that offered a nice view to the S. Not bad at all!
The rock at the true summit provided a view of less interesting territory off to the NE, plus a tree-broken glimpse of Castle Peak.
The rocky area to the W was worth exploring, too. Lupe went there next, stopping briefly for another look at Reynolds Prairie on the way.
Lupe’s journey to Peak 6244 had been a success! Really shouldn’t stay, though. The day was almost shot, the sun a mere glow in clouds near the horizon. Getting stuck out here in the dark surrounded by snow and deadfall would not be good! Yet the Carolina Dog did stay for a little while, hanging out by the W rocks.
More Taste of the Wild disappeared. SPHP’s last apple vanished. Such a nice spot! Peak 6244 was way better than anticipated after that first look at it from Castle Peak.
25 minutes flew by. Alright. Better get going. Lupe leapt up on the W rocks one more time.
She then started down the mountain heading S along the W edge. Oh, there was that view of Reynolds Prairie again! Worth pausing for.
Enough already. Time to skedaddle.
Onward! Puppy, ho!
Heading S, Lupe quickly circled WNW as soon as the terrain permitted. Going back E the way she had come up was out of the question. Way too late for a return to Poverty Gulch. Had to get to a road before it got pitch dark! Finding a quick route to S Rochford Road less than 0.5 mile W of Peak 6244 was the only hope.
Turned out it was easy. The W slopes of Peak 6244 weren’t that difficult. Not much snow or deadfall. Loopster lost elevation rapidly. Before long she reached another USFS Road by a tree marked “BT” in purple paint, whatever that meant.
Lupe followed the road N. SPHP hoped it would lead to S Rochford Road. Nope. Instead the road wound along the W slopes of Peak 6244, neither gaining nor losing elevation. Fortunately, S Rochford Road soon appeared off to the L (NW) down a fairly steep slope.
Easily manageable! 5 minutes and Lupe was standing in a snowy field next to S Rochford Road. A rosy glow to the SW! Sunset, such as it was. The glow strengthened momentarily, then faded even faster.
The sky was clearing. Stars appeared. The temperature plunged. Quiet, dark. Maybe 3 miles back to Rochford? Not any more than that. Long stretches of the road were icy and slick. Where it wasn’t smooth, the ice crunched loudly underpaw.
Lights were on at the Moonshine Gulch Saloon! Through the window, the joint looked packed. Good for the saloon, but too bad for Lupe. If it hadn’t been so busy, maybe she really could have snuck in? At least, SPHP would have let her try.
Oh, well. Only a little farther to the G6. (6:09 PM, 32ºF)
Links:
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Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 142 – Castle Peak (10-17-15)
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