Days 12 & 13 of Lupe’s 3rd Summer of 2020 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming & Montana!
8-16-20, early morning, W Fork of the Bitterroot River – Lupe streaked by, a newly-prized stick clenched in her teeth, dodging, weaving, returning again and again, defying SPHP to catch her while showing off just how fast and agile she was.
At least someone’s recovered from Trapper Peak (10,157 ft.)!
Oh, c’mon! Aren’t you even going to try to catch me, SPHP?
Sure! As soon as my paws aren’t sore. Won’t win then, either, but at least I’ll be able to move. Till then, that fabulous stick is all yours, Loopster!
Clearly disappointed, perhaps disgusted, the Carolina Dog dropped the stick.
Phooey! You’re no fun, SPHP! When are your paws going to toughen up? You’re always whining about them these days.
As soon as these boots are broken in, I’ll be fine again.
Think those boots are breaking in your paws in instead.
Heh. It’s been a slow process, that’s for sure. C’mon, I’m going to soak my paws in the river for a little bit before we head out. Numb sounds good. Maybe that squirrel that was here yesterday is still around?
The mere mention of “squirrel” and Lupe was racing off to check out those trees over by the river access point. Sadly, no luck. The squirrel must have been sleeping in. The river was beautiful, though, and the soaking did SPHP’s paws a lot of good. Happily, those paws didn’t look nearly as bad as they’d felt.
8-16-20, 10:12 AM, Hwy 200, Clearwater River –
Montana sure has a lot of beautiful rivers, doesn’t it, SPHP?
This part certainly does, Loop! Getting to be big fans of all these nice river access points, aren’t we?
They do help break up the trip! By the way, where are we going, anyway?
West Butte (6,983 ft.) of the Sweetgrass Hills, Looper! Remember those big hills we always see off in the distance E of I-15 when we’re on the way to Canada?
The ones you’re always wondering whether they are in the United States or Canada?
Yup. Those hills. Well, it turns out they are in the US. West Butte is the highest one, so guess what, Lucky Dingo? You’re going to get to climb it, if we can figure out the access situation.
Are we going to Canada, too?
Unfortunately, no. Not this year. Crying shame, but the border is closed. West Butte is so close to Canada, though, that you’re going to get to see it!
Not quite the same, SPHP.
I know. Not the same at all. Sorry ’bout that, but it’s the best we can do in the Year of Perfect Vision.
Montana not only had lovely rivers with great access points to explore, but dinosaurs, too! In Choteau, Lupe visited a snazzy pink one.
3:20 PM, Hwy 343 at Oilmont – Coming down out of the big mountains had been a mistake. Hotter ‘n blazes on the prairie! Lupe parted leaping billows of the Grasshopper Sea as she sniffed her way up a little rise at the E end of what more or less amounted to the ghost town of Oilmont.
Miles across the parched golden fields of August, the Sweetgrass Hills were in sight, stretched out in 3 isolated groups like American sentries guarding against unexpected invasion from Canada.
West Butte (6983 ft.) was closest to both Oilmont and Canada, and had the support of lower hills to the NW. Nearly 20 miles ESE of West Butte, stood the similar, only slightly lower East Butte group containing both Mount Royal (6,914 ft.) and Mount Brown (6,958 ft.). Between these strongholds, the lone cone of Gold Butte (6,512 ft.) held the otherwise undefended center of the line.
Driving E from Oilmont, the search for decent West Butte access began. Supposed to be available from the SW. 12 miles E of I-15 came a L (N) turn off the pavement onto Suphellan Road, a good, wide gravel road. Miles of dust, but after a few minor jogs and a couple of intersections, Lupe was getting close.
By now, Suphellan Road had led into Nine Mile Road, which worked it’s way NE. West Butte’s lower SW slopes were only 0.5 mile away when a junction was reached with Coal Mine Road. Private property here, but further investigation revealed a little blue sign 0.1 mile E.
Bingo! Dingo!
Farther E, Coal Mine Road led to a private ranch. Turning back around and exploring it W, the road dipped into a draw containing a ford of a rocky creek that was almost dry now, but might be an issue during wet weather. Coal Mine Road continued NW, winding through some of the lower Sweetgrass Hills. Clearly, no better access from this direction.
8-16-20, 5:55 PM, I-15 at Sunburst – Still 96ºF! Full scale retreat was called for. Luxury was on the agenda, air-conditioned luxury all night long! The Carolina Dog sure didn’t object. The Comfort Inn, the finest motel in Shelby, was nearly vacant with the Covid-19 panic going on. Stretching out on the big soft bed, Lupe heaved a sigh of delight. SPHP enjoyed a swim in the small, unoccupied pool. Not another soul! Sort of like Loopster and SPHP owned the joint.
Good thing, we don’t own it, Loop! Must be losing money hand over fist, if it’s this empty during tourist season!
Star Wars!? Change the channel, SPHP! Maybe they’ve got Lassie or Rin Tin Tin?
8-17-20, 10:26 AM, 81ºF, SW of West Butte – SPHP parked the G6 a few hundred feet E of the junction of Nine Mile Road and Coal Mine Road. High clouds and hazy out. Plenty warm, but not sweltering, at least not yet. Lupe trotted a little farther E along Coal Mine Road to the blue sign before heading out into the flat field leading to West Butte.
Surprisingly, thankfully, no cactus. Looper crossed the Grasshopper Sea without encountering any. Entering a shallow drainage, she followed it higher until she was almost at the base of West Butte’s first big grassy slope. Leaving the drainage, up she went!
The long grassy slope got pretty dang steep, but the Carolina Dog kept at it. Climbing hundreds of feet higher, she eventually reached a windswept tree that was 90% dead.
Not too far above this tree the rate of climb slowed a bit. Forests and rock fields prevalent on West Butte’s upper slopes were in sight again. Lupe kept heading for them.
Shortly before reaching the trees, Lupe came to the first rock slides. A path crossed these rocks angling up toward the NNE. Following this path higher, the rocks were loose and relatively small, yet still large enough to provide decent support. For such rocky terrain, this was easy going!
The path soon led into the trees. Overhead, the cloud cover was getting thinner. Patches of blue sky were beginning to appear, and the day was getting warmer. Enjoying the shade, Lupe and SPHP took a water break and a long breather.
Resuming her climb, Loopster went right up the forested slope for a while, but eventually got far enough NNE to emerge from the trees again. More paths angled up another scree slope.
The scree slopes went on and on. Numerous paths were available to choose from. The Carolina Dog passed through another smaller stretch of forest. After that, she came only to scattered trees or bushes. The higher Loop got, the rockier West Butte seemed to be.
For a long way, it was just more and more of the same sort of thing. Lupe followed whatever path seemed handiest up the scree. If anything, the slope of the mountain was getting steeper, but at last that changed. As the terrain began to level out, the rocks disappeared. Lupe reached a grassy slope. A band of trees was off to the N, but Loop turned E heading for the summit.
8-17-20, 1:17 PM, West Butte – The top of West Butte (6,983 ft.) was a roomy plain, flat in the center, edges rounded in all directions. Toward the SE stood a tall, well-constructed cairn, the only significant feature up here. A rusty can perched near the top of the cairn, and a red metal box and a plaque sat next to one another along the base.
Almost everywhere, yellow fields 2,500 feet lower stretched to murky horizons blurred by a smoky haze. No sign at all of the mighty peaks of Glacier National Park far to the W, which might have been visible on a clear day. Instead, the eye was drawn SE where Gold Butte (6,512 ft.), Mount Brown (6,958 ft.) and Mount Royal (6,914 ft.) were close enough to be on display.
Lupe’s first thought was to seek out the shade of the cairn.
While Looper spent her time panting, SPHP opened the red metal box. Full of registry notebooks and assorted junk. Lots of people make it up here! Way too many entries to read them all, although SPHP did take a look at some of them. The last entry was only 4 days ago. SPHP added Lupe’s name to the list.
The rusty can on top of the cairn contained a collection of small white stones. For what conceivable purpose, SPHP couldn’t imagine unless Hansel and Gretel came up here from time to time.
The plaque was more interesting. Placed by A. Taft, whose last ascent was over 8 years ago on 7-22-12, the plaque was entitled “You know you’re home when you see The Hills”. Seven “Sonnemaker Homestead Children who grew up in the shadow of The Sweetgrass Hills” were listed. All of them had been born between 1910 and 1924.
Not too likely any of them were still alive today.
100 years and more since most of the Sonnemaker children had been born. A sobering thought. Lupe’s name was on a mountain, too, far away in the Bighorns in Wyoming. Not on a plaque, just made out of loose rocks. Been a couple of years since Loopster had seen it. SPHP wondered if it was still there?
Most of the cloud cover had burned away by now. Gotta be at least 85ºF, although a 10 mph S breeze provided some relief. SPHP had brought a White Claw raspberry-flavored spiked sparkling water in the backpack, and proceeded to drink the entire thing. Between that and the Benadryl taken earlier to control hay fever, SPHP was soon left in a lethargic state of wooziness. Using the backpack for a pillow, with the old Alaska cap pulled down for shade, SPHP tried to nap.
Didn’t work. The heat was oppressive, the hard ground uncomfortable, and SPHP wasn’t really tired, just sort of drugged. Still, SPHP laid there long enough for the Carolina Dog to start wondering what was wrong? Lupe came over to check for some sign of life.
Still among the living, SPHP? Or have you met your Sonnemaker?
Eh. Not yet, Loop. Want more water? Bet you do! Here, ya go!
Thanks, SPHP! What now?
Well, I suppose we ought to take some more photos. A shame it’s so hazy. Montana always seems to start filling up with smoke this time of year. Could see forever from here on a clear day.
The haze isn’t that bad, SPHP! At least we can still see the rest of the Sweetgrass Hills. Let’s get those photos then head back to the Comfort Inn!
Hah! So that’s you’re plan is it?
Hotter ‘n blazes again, in case you hadn’t noticed, SPHP.
Yeah, but we’ve got another card up our sleeve for tonight, Sweet Dingo! But c’mon, let’s finish up.
Which way is Canada, SPHP? You said yesterday that we would see it from here.
Less than 5 miles straight N, Loopster!
Canada was out there, alright. A featureless plain North Dakota flat. Details, if there were any, couldn’t be made out.
Oh, I hope Canada is what you have up your sleeve, SPHP! We’ve had so many fabulous adventures there!
8-17-20, 2:20 PM, West Butte – The traditional summit hour had flashed by. Lupe stood by the cairn for the last time. Sadly, West Butte was going to be as close to Canada as the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood would get this year.
Looper was happy, though! SPHP had brought plenty of water, and West Butte had been fun. Surely, the next time the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood did go to Canada, she would see West Butte again and remember this day.
And I’ll remember the Comfort Inn, too, SPHP! Don’t forget that!
Onward! Puppy, ho!
The descent began. Lupe headed back down the grassy slope on the W side of the summit. Took only a few minutes to get back to the trails leading down the long scree slopes. Loopster’s return route was nearly identical to the one she had taken up, although she did stray somewhat farther W after reaching the windswept 90% dead tree.
8-17-20, 4:39 PM, at the G6 along Coal Mine Road – Ugh! 96ºF again! A 15 mph wind blew out of the W like a furnace. Time to crank up the G6 and enjoy some serious AC! After taking Nine Mile Road and Hwy 552, SPHP turned S on I-15 at Sunburst.
What a strange year! This close to Canada, I-15 was all but vacant. Just like the Comfort Inn, as nearly the sole users, Lupe and SPHP practically owned the road as the G6 sped S through a beastly hot haze permitting no hint of the tremendous peaks hidden to the W.
No Comfort Inn tonight! Along Hwy 89 SE of Great Falls, came a brief stop at the Al Buck Memorial Park. Twilight was deepening as SPHP let Looper out to cool her paws off and enjoy her traditional drink from the cold, clear spring that gushed out of the mountainside. Then it was S again, up into the Little Belt Mountains.
9:50 PM, 62ºF, Kings Hill Pass – Comfortably cool! The oppressive heat of the Grasshopper Sea infesting the parched yellow fields surrounding the Sweetgrass Hills was already just a memory. Yet today’s pilgrimage in the Year of Perfect Vision to the sunny summit of West Butte, where an American Dingo had peered through the murk into the fabled, and now forbidden land of Canada would not be forgotten.
Lovely Alberta, gorgeous British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies, the mighty Yukon, misty Northwest Territories, and gleaming Alaska! Three thousand miles N, summer was weakening, dying. The empty tundra of the North Slope was already a land of gold awaiting the silent pristine white of winter. Ever so far away, reds, oranges, and yellows were spreading S beneath the pale, darkening Arctic sky.
Today’s dim vision from lofty West Butte had been a mere glimpse in the direction of glories Lupe knew lay beyond. Glories held for the moment in the mind’s eye only, but they were real, they were out there. Someday!
Yes, someday the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood would return.
West Butte access: From I-15, take Exit 389 at Sunburst. Head E on paved Hwy No. 552. The pavement ends 9 miles E at a 4 way intersection with crossroad Pederson Road. Keep going straight E, now on unsigned Nine Mile Road, which is good gravel. 4 miles from this intersection, turn N (L) at a “T” intersection with Suphellan Road. Wind N and E another 4 miles (still on Nine Mile Road) to the junction with Coal Mine Road. Public access is 0.1 mile E at the blue sign on the N (L) side of Coal Mine Road. Good pavement/gravel all the way. Any vehicle can do this with ease.
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