Spotted Horse – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

Day 1 of Lupe’s 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast.

Something different was happening. Lupe didn’t know what it all meant. She was 1 year and 7 months old, so the world was still pretty new. A couple days before, Lanis had arrived from Indiana in his Honda Element. Now Lanis and SPHP were carting the rear seats out of the Element, and into the living room. Lots of gear got stuffed into the back of the Element.

Lupe wondered what was going on. She had no idea what was coming. She didn’t know she was about to set out on her first ever Dingo Vacation. Even Lanis and SPHP had only a vague idea where Lupe was ultimately going to go. For starters, the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming, then probably to the Beartooths, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. After that, well, who knew? It was an adventure!

Shortly after 10:00 AM on 8-8-12, Lupe, Lanis & SPHP headed out. Lanis drove, SPHP was navigator, and Lupe was perched on a pile of camping gear and supplies covered with blankets and pillows.

When Lupe was a little puppy, she hated riding in the car. It made her sick. Her ears drooped at just the mention of the car. It took a long time, but Lupe had outgrown her car sickness. She finally realized riding in the car meant that something fun was about to happen. Still, SPHP wondered how she would fare on a long trip.

Lupe sets out on her first ever Dingo Vacation in Lanis' Honda Element perched comfortably on a pile of blankets. — Lupe sets out on her first ever Dingo Vacation in Lanis’ Honda Element perched comfortably on a pile of blankets.

Lupe did great in the Honda Element! She was getting attention, and having a good time looking out the windows. Soon Lupe was in Wyoming heading W on I-90. She was going to the big mountains for the first time ever. Her first big mountain range would be the Bighorns in north central Wyoming.

At Gillette, WY, Lupe left I-90. She went N to Spotted Horse on Hwy 14/16. This was a slightly longer route than just staying on I-90, but SPHP was curious to see what was there. Spotted Horse turned out to be just a wide spot in the road. However, there was a little store. More importantly, there actually was a spotted horse!

Lanis went into the store to see what they had. Meanwhile, Lupe met a white and black dog. Lanis returned with ice cream bars, the first treat of the trip. Lupe was quite enthusiastic about this turn of events. She eagerly helped SPHP out.

By the time Lupe reached Sheridan, WY, it was getting to be time for something a little more substantial than an ice cream bar. Lanis and SPHP stopped, and got Subway sandwiches. Lupe would have her Taste of the Wild. At Dayton, WY, there was a park on the Tongue River. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP stopped at the park for a peaceful picnic along the clear running stream.

At least it started off as a peaceful picnic, but after a few minutes, there was the sound of machinery. It seemed to be coming from upstream. It got louder. In a couple of minutes, the source of the noise appeared – a front end loader came right down the middle of the stream carrying a boulder. Back and forth it went. The front end loader was busy retrieving and rearranging boulders in the Tongue River. Apparently nature had placed them in the wrong spot.

Lanis was rather amazed and amused by the front end loader charging up and down through the river. Somehow it just didn’t seem right. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP went farther downstream to escape the noise, but the clear running river wasn’t clear any more, at least not during the picnic.

A front end loader moving boulders around in the Tongue River attended Lupe's picnic in Dayton, WY. — A front end loader moving boulders around in the Tongue River attended Lupe’s picnic in Dayton, WY. Even Lupe looks like she thinks it’s funny.

From Dayton, Lupe headed up into the Bighorn Mountains on Hwy 14. SPHP suggested going to Dead Swede campground, which is situated in a beautiful location on the Tongue River. At Dead Swede, Lupe and SPHP stayed at a campsite to claim it, while Lanis went to get a registration slip. Campground hosts came by patrolling on an ATV. They saw Lupe and SPHP standing at the empty campsite.

Right away they stopped and launched into a speech about how Lupe couldn’t be off leash, we had to pay within 30 minutes, we couldn’t do this and couldn’t do that. We had to do this and had to do that. The campground hosts claimed to be here to help us enjoy OUR national forest and wilderness experience. Then they left.

Yeah, right! SPHP has no use for Washington bureaucrats, and certainly doesn’t need them to enjoy a “wilderness” experience. Lanis was back within a few minutes with the registration slip. SPHP told him to forget it – Lupe was leaving!

Looking NE out at the high plains from one of the turnouts along Hwy 14 heading up into the Bighorn Mountains.

Lupe, Lanis and SPHP went on to check out the Giant Mushroom area. There were some nice views from up on a ridge there to the SE toward Cloud Peak (13,167 ft.), the highest mountain in the Bighorns. There were interesting dolomite rock formations, including the Giant Mushroom. Lupe had fun exploring. The ground was pretty lumpy for camping, though. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP went on to Shell Creek campground.

Lanis at the giant mushroom in the Bighorn Mountains.

SPHP had a chat with the campground hosts at Shell Creek. They were pretty cool and laid back. They didn’t care too much what happened, as long as no one complained and everyone acted responsibly. That was fine. Lanis and Lupe also approved of Shell Creek campground, which was in a beautiful spot in the upper end of Shell Canyon.

So Lanis and SPHP reserved site No. 11. Like all the other sites, it was right next to Shell Creek. Lanis and SPHP set up the tent, or Lupe’s “tiny house”. Lupe, Lanis, and SPHP all went for a walk along Shell Creek. For the first time ever, Lupe saw a moose. The moose had a calf. Mama and baby were down along the creek getting a drink. They soon sauntered off into the woods.

The moose at Shell Creek, Bighorn Mountains, WY. — Mama moose at Shell Creek, Bighorn Mountains, WY.

Back at the campsite, Lanis and SPHP made a late dinner. Lupe had some Alpo. By the time dinner was done and cleaned up, it was 10:00 PM. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP all piled into the tent. Lupe was pretty excited. She was going to spend the night out here?! This was new and different. It took her a while to settle down. She finally fell asleep to the soothing sound of the rushing waters of Shell Creek.

Now and then as she dreamed, she still twitched in excitement.

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Early on the gorgeous summer morning of July 10, 2013, Lupe and SPHP set out on their 2nd Annual Great Dingo Vacation. Unlike 2012, this time they were alone. Once on the road, SPHP could hardly remember ever feeling so free. Although SPHP had told everyone that Lupe was headed for the Beartooths and Canadian Rockies, the truth was that Lupe and SPHP could have gone anywhere and done anything in the next 3 or 4 weeks and no one would have been the wiser.

What a cutie pie! Lupe in the G6 ready to hit the road on her 2nd Annual Great Dingo Vacation 7-10-13

SPHP turned off the cell phone shortly after leaving town. It and the radio would not be turned on again until dingo vacation was over. SPHP had the windows on the G6 partly down so Lupe could sniff the wonderful cool morning air. Lupe was riding shotgun and kept a close eye out for cows to bark at. It was plenty noisy in the G6 with the frantic dingo sounding off every 30 seconds. There were big beautiful clouds over the Black Hills, but the clouds were smaller by the time Lupe was crossing into Wyoming on I-90.

The plan for the first day was to head to the glorious Bighorn Mountains in N central Wyoming. There was plenty of time to get there. In 2012, when Lanis had been along, SPHP had wanted to see some new territory and had Lanis turn N on Hwy 14/16 at Gillette, WY to go see Spotted Horse. There had proven to be just one little store there, but there was a spotted horse! SPHP thought it would be fun for Lupe to go see it again this year.

Lupe and SPHP took the northern route into the Bighorns on Hwy 14A through Ranchester and Dayton up to Burgess Junction. Near Burgess Junction, SPHP turned N on a gravel road for a couple of miles. The road led to the North Tongue River and SPHP parked the G6 near it. A huge gorgeous field of wildflowers stretched unbroken upstream. Young Lupe, only 2.5 years old, had arrived at the Elysian Fields of Puppy Happiness!

Lupe cools off in the North Tongue River, Bighorn Mountains, WY

Lupe & SPHP roamed upstream. Lupe sometimes got into the crystal clear North Tongue River to cool off and drink. Colorful butterflies flitted through the air, dragonflies zoomed around, and bees buzzed among the infinity of blossoms. Lupe raced, bounded and sniffed her way through the Elysian Fields of Puppy Happiness.

SPHP wandered up onto a nearby small ridge and followed it to a forested hill. Lupe and SPHP climbed up onto the rocks from where there was a view of the surrounding open fields, forests and mountains. Black and brown cows grazed near the river below. The scene was typical of the beauty of the Bighorns. It was great to be alive and free!

Lupe went as far as the nearby forested hill at the right of this photo.

Bighorn Mountains from the rocky hill Lupe climbed.

Lupe surveys the scene above the North Tongue River. — Lupe surveys the scene from above the North Tongue River.

The afternoon wore on. Sadly Lupe’s time in the Elysian Fields of Puppy Happiness drew to an end. SPHP headed the G6 W on Hwy 14A from Burgess Junction. Just E of Bald Mountain near the W end of the Bighorns, SPHP turned the G6 onto a side road. The only clouds were far on the western horizon. Very fortunately, the weather was going to be clear this evening.

Despite not really being very well equipped for it, SPHP managed to lug 2 sleeping bags, and a pillow or two up to the summit of Bald Mountain (10,042 ft.). From there, Lupe and SPHP continued on along the gently rounded ridge to the slightly lower SW part of the mountain.

Lupe just E of Bald Mountain, Bighorn Mountains, WY

There Lupe & SPHP spent the evening with a sweeping view from the E around to the S and W. Lupe and SPHP searched the mountain. SPHP almost despaired of finding them, and then suddenly stumbled upon the names. Very happily, SPHP fixed them.

After the sun went down, SPHP persuaded Lupe to lay down in a sleeping bag for a little while. That wouldn’t last. The stars came out and the universe was on display. Far below and away on the prairies to the S and W, gradually the distant lights of little Wyoming towns started to shine too. A sliver of a moon was about to set in the W.

There was no tent. Lupe was going to spend the night under the stars. Her amazement and excitement eventually proved uncontainable. She slept well for a few hours and then SPHP awoke to suddenly realize she was gone. Lupe hadn’t gone far though, SPHP soon heard the tinkle of the little tag on her collar as she ran around beneath the stars. Lupe could not be persuaded to lay down again. SPHP tried to sleep.

Lupe on Bald Mountain, WY 7-10-13 — Looking S from Bald Mountain.

But I'm not sleepy!!!! — But I’m not sleepy!!!! Lupe with a big night of sniffing and racing around beneath the stars ahead of her.

For hours, SPHP dozed fitfully, while listening every few minutes for the tinkle of the little tag on Lupe’s collar. Lupe raced back and forth in the darkness sniffing at top speed the open ground on top of Bald Mountain. She returned to check in with SPHP every 10 or 15 minutes.

Lupe and SPHP were at nearly 10,000 feet. The Milky Way blazed spectacularly above as the rest of the universe sped away as it has been doing for billions of years. The silence and solitude of being totally alone on a high mountain were primal and magnificent. Sometime in the wee hours of the night, Lupe was finally willing to lay down on her sleeping bag and SPHP passed out.

Morning on Bald Mountain looking W towards the mountain where the Medicine Wheel Historical Site is located. 7-11-13

Lupe immortalized in stone on Bald Mountain 7-11-13

Morning on Bald Mountain looking ESE. 7-13-15 — Morning on Bald Mountain looking SE, Bighorn Mountains, WY 7-11-13

A chilly breeze was blowing in the morning. The fuzzy white heads at the tops of the stems on some kind of plant that covered the area were waving in the breeze, somewhat like dandelions whose seeds didn’t fly away. The effect was beautiful. SPHP looked for the place of names again and found it. SPHP added Lupe’s name to the collection. Then Lupe and SPHP returned to the summit of Bald Mountain, an easy stroll up a gentle rise to the east.

After a pause at the top of Bald Mountain to absorb the glory of the scene spreading out in every direction, Lupe & SPHP headed down to the G6, a tiny red dot below.