{"id":4240,"date":"2016-09-07T08:10:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=4240"},"modified":"2020-09-21T16:51:48","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T22:51:48","slug":"black-hills-sd-expedition-no-108-calumet-ridge-silver-mountain-12-11-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=4240","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 108 – Calumet Ridge & Silver Mountain (12-11-14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Record setting warmth in December in\u00a0the Black Hills region\u00a0meant it was expedition time for Lupe!\u00a0 When it hit\u00a0an unbelievable 70\u00b0F+, SPHP planned to take Lupe to Cicero Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,166 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> the very next day.\u00a0 Unfortunately, when morning came, SPHP got off to a late start – too late to justify the travel time.\u00a0 It might be extraordinarily warm out, but that didn’t do a thing\u00a0to boost\u00a0the limited number of daylight hours.<\/p>\n

Since\u00a0Calumet Ridge<\/a><\/span> (5,601 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was closer, and Lupe had never been there before either,\u00a0Calumet Ridge\u00a0became Lupe’s primary\u00a0peakbagging goal for the day.\u00a0 Expedition No. 108 started\u00a0at a little side road just off USFS Road No. 358 (Boulder Hill Road).\u00a0 Lupe was\u00a0less than\u00a00.5 mile\u00a0S of\u00a0Boulder Hill<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0(5,331 ft.)<\/span><\/b> and a mile N of Hwy 16, as she left the G6 at 9:43 AM (57\u00b0F)\u00a0following the little side road W.<\/p>\n

There\u00a0was still ice on the road, and snow in the shadier parts of the forest.\u00a0 The road skirted to the N of Silver Mountain<\/a><\/span> (5,405 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, which Lupe had climbed for the first time\u00a0only a few weeks earlier on Expedition No. 105.\u00a0 Years ago, the Ponderosa pine forest on Silver Mountain burned almost completely in a devastating wildfire.\u00a0 In less than a mile,\u00a0the road Lupe was following turned WSW and entered the burn area.<\/p>\n

The road disappeared completely in the grass\u00a0as Lupe headed\u00a0up onto a barren ridge sweeping\u00a0down to the NW from Silver Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe followed the ridge a little way, and then turned W heading back into the forest.\u00a0 She soon crossed USFS Road No. 366 at the saddle marking the high point on the road.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP continued W of No. 366, climbing two forested ridges separated by a snowy little valley that drained to the N.<\/p>\n

From the second ridge, Lupe saw another larger valley to the W.\u00a0 There was some open ground down there and a road.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP headed down into the valley, but as Lupe neared the road, a Jeep came along and parked in the open part of the valley a bit to the S.\u00a0 A man with a\u00a0rifle\u00a0got out of the Jeep.\u00a0 SPHP realized he intended to do some target practice.<\/p>\n

Lupe has never liked gunfire, and she wasn’t going to like this.\u00a0 SPHP hurried NW to reach the road and start heading N.\u00a0 When the man opened fire, Lupe was greatly alarmed.\u00a0 She instantly started begging SPHP to stop and hide.\u00a0 It was all SPHP could do to persuade her to keep going.\u00a0 Fortunately, it wasn’t far to a jeep trail that left the main road to climb NW up a little side valley.\u00a0 Lupe relaxed a little, as the sound of gunfire became less distinct and more intermittent.<\/p>\n

The jeep trail split after about 0.25 mile.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP took the branch that curved W.\u00a0 It started climbing more quickly as it bent around to the S.\u00a0 Lupe arrived up on a little ridge, where SPHP thought there might be some views, but all that could be seen were nearby low forested hills.\u00a0 Lupe was now up on the E slopes of Calumet Ridge, still about 400 feet below and 0.5 mile SE of the summit.<\/p>\n

Very conveniently, Lupe found another jeep trail nearby\u00a0that went NW.\u00a0 This jeep trail was icy, and gained elevation at a steady moderately steep pace.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP\u00a0soon reached the top of the ridge at a broad, flat saddle area S of the summit.\u00a0 The jeep trail continued on down the other side of Calumet Ridge.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP turned N.\u00a0 Lupe found the summit of Calumet Ridge\u00a0at\u00a0a rock outcropping\u00a0in a shady forested area.\u00a0 She perched up on the highest boulder to claim her Calumet Ridge peakbagging success!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe claims her peakbagging success on the summit boulder near the N end of Calumet Ridge!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There really weren’t any views from the forested summit, but a little exploring around revealed that there was a good viewpoint not too far\u00a0to the E.\u00a0 From there, Lupe enjoyed a wide\u00a0open view off to the N and E.\u00a0\u00a0She could see Boulder Hill and Silver Mountain, and far beyond them out onto the plains of western South\u00a0Dakota.<\/p>\n

\"Boulder<\/a>
Boulder Hill (L) and Silver Mountain (R) from Calumet Ridge. They are both about 2.5 miles away. Photo looks ESE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was another viewpoint, too.\u00a0\u00a0This one was at some big rocks a very short distance NW of the summit.\u00a0 From here,\u00a0there was a narrow view\u00a0to the NW toward Sheridan Lake and the central Black Hills.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A glimpse of Sheridan Lake to the NW from Calumet Ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sheridan<\/a>
Sheridan Lake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe and SPHP took a little break at the summit.\u00a0 That meant Taste of the Wild for Lupe, and an apple for SPHP.\u00a0 Now what?\u00a0 SPHP checked the maps.\u00a0 The highest parts of Calumet Ridge extend for about 0.5 mile running NNW\/SSE.\u00a0 Lupe was near the N end where the 5,601 ft.\u00a0summit was shown.\u00a0 However, the topo map also showed a very small area enclosed by\u00a0a 5,600 ft. contour\u00a0toward the middle of the S end of the ridge.<\/p>\n

Well, Lupe had better check that S summit out, too!\u00a0 It was so close in elevation to the N summit, that it was even possible it might actually be a bit higher.\u00a0 In any case, to be certain Lupe had really visited the true summit, she needed to visit the S one, too.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP headed S, and started following a dirt road that winds partway along the ridge.<\/p>\n

S of the saddle where Lupe had first reached the ridgeline, the dirt road brought Lupe to a big open pit\u00a0toward the E side of the ridge.\u00a0 Lupe sniffed around exploring the pit.\u00a0 Although the Black Hills are full of old dig sites from the gold rush days in the late 1800’s, this pit was too large and too new to date back anywhere close to that long ago.\u00a0 SPHP could discern no particular reason why the pit was here, but there it was.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lupe investigates the open pit on Calumet Ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dirt road eventually disappeared as Lupe and SPHP continued SSE along the ridge.\u00a0 Lupe arrived at a high spot on the W side of the ridge where there was a rock outcropping with a clear view toward Mount Warner<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (5,889 ft.)<\/strong><\/span> to the SW.\u00a0 Lupe could see Harney Peak<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0(7,242 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, too.<\/p>\n

Someone\u00a0had left a white metal chair up here, positioned to take advantage of the view.\u00a0 Sadly, Lupe\u00a0also noticed\u00a0an old dilapidated couch fallen down below the viewpoint.\u00a0 It must have served the same purpose once upon a time.\u00a0 People and their trash!\u00a0 Although they like to claim everything is sacred – in practice, nothing really is.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at the viewpoint on the way to the S summit of Calumet Ridge. Photo looks SW toward Mt. Warner (R) in the foreground, and more distant Harney Peak (L) on the far horizon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It wasn’t much farther to the S summit.\u00a0 The S summit was comprised of a large rock formation, surrounded by cliffs on most sides.\u00a0 However, at the N end from which Lupe approached, it was only 12-15 feet up to the top, and it wasn’t quite a cliff.\u00a0 It looked possible to scramble up, without too much difficulty, using rocks and trees for support.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The S summit of Calumet Ridge. Photo looks S at the N end of the summit block where Lupe would scramble up to the top.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The short\u00a0scramble up to the top of the S summit was scarier than the photo shows.\u00a0 You sure wouldn’t want to have small children attempt it.\u00a0 However, between the rocks and trees, there were plenty of good handholds and footholds.\u00a0 There must have been adequate pawholds, too.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP were soon up on the S summit of Calumet Ridge.<\/p>\n

The summit area was the size of a modest room in a house.\u00a0 There were trees and grass growing up there, and enough room to walk around a bit.\u00a0 The best views were off to the SE toward Silver Mountain, and the SW toward Mount Warner.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lupe up on the S summit of Calumet Ridge. Silver Mountain is seen 2.5 miles to the SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Silver<\/a>
Silver Mountain using the telephoto lens from the S summit of Calumet Ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking SW toward Mount Warner (L).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the N and S summits of Calumet Ridge weren’t in view from one another due to the forest, it wasn’t possible to form any firm opinion on which might actually be higher.\u00a0 In any case, Lupe had visited both.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP returned NNW to the broad saddle area where Lupe had first reached the ridgeline.\u00a0 Instead of going SE back down the way she had come up, Lupe took the jeep trail down the W side of the mountain.\u00a0 The road started off heading W, but soon made a sharp turn back to the SE.\u00a0 Someone was using a chainsaw in the\u00a0forest a little way below the road.\u00a0 He didn’t see\u00a0Lupe go by when she passed his truck parked in the middle of the road, but she saw him.<\/p>\n

The road dropped rather steeply along much of its length.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP soon arrived down in a valley just W of a saddle area S of Calumet Ridge.\u00a0 SPHP briefly\u00a0considered having Lupe go on to make an attempt at climbing Samelius<\/span><\/a> (5,856 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and Hardesty<\/span><\/a> (5,562 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Peaks, located close to each other more than 2 miles to the SW.\u00a0 Lupe could probably climb both of them before sunset, but then there would be a long trek back to the G6 in the dark.\u00a0 Samelius and Hardesty would have to wait for another day.<\/p>\n

Lupe turned E and went over the saddle.\u00a0 Almost immediately, she started hearing gunfire again.\u00a0 It was distant, but still made her nervous.\u00a0\u00a0She made persistent efforts to persuade SPHP to stop and hide.\u00a0 SPHP stopped to pet and console her.\u00a0 SPHP assured Lupe she wasn’t going to get shot, if she stayed close.\u00a0 Lupe wasn’t entirely convinced.\u00a0 She stuck to SPHP like glue, but still campaigned for taking shelter.\u00a0 SPHP had to stop several times to boost her spirits.<\/p>\n

The area E of the saddle was a maze of little roads among low, mostly forested hills.\u00a0 To stay as far as possible from the gunfire, Lupe and SPHP wandered in a generally SE direction, sometimes on the roads, and sometimes just in the forest.\u00a0 Lupe came to a field where traffic noise from Hwy 16 could be heard not that far off to the S.\u00a0\u00a0Part of the\u00a0field extended up into a little valley to the NE.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went that way, re-entering the forest at the end of the field.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lupe passed a number of interesting plants like these while wandering the forests SE of Calumet Ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe reached USFS Road No. 366 again, a little S of the saddle where she had crossed it going W earlier in the day.\u00a0 This time she crossed it heading E.\u00a0 Although she hadn’t gone on to climb Samelius and Hardesty Peaks, she now headed for Silver Mountain.\u00a0 This would be Lupe’s 2nd ascent of Silver Mountain in just a few weeks.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP hoped to see a dramatic sunset up there.<\/p>\n

Lupe arrived at the top of Silver Mountain about half an hour before sunset.\u00a0 With the forest\u00a0completely burned off\u00a0the top of\u00a0Silver Mountain, Lupe and SPHP enjoyed 360\u00b0 views.\u00a0\u00a0Lupe wasn’t actually\u00a0too interested in the views.\u00a0 Target practice was still going on off\u00a0to the NW toward Calumet Ridge.\u00a0 She\u00a0huddled under\u00a0SPHP’s jacket, which made her feel safer.<\/p>\n

\"Nervous<\/a>
Nervous Lupe up on Silver Mountain. Photo looks SW toward Harney Peak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Together Lupe and SPHP watched the sunset, but it never really developed much color.\u00a0 Once it became clear that the show was over, Lupe and SPHP started down the steep N slope of Silver Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe ready to follow SPHP down off Silver Mountain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was a lot of dead timber on the N slope, and despite two days of very warm weather, there was still some snow, too.\u00a0 It was slow going coming down the mountain.\u00a0 Target practice continued off to the W until it was so dark stars were starting to come out.<\/p>\n

By the time\u00a0Lupe reached a road down below, twilight had faded to darkness.\u00a0 The road was icy and slick.\u00a0 SPHP didn’t recognize the place and turned the wrong direction.\u00a0\u00a0After about 10 minutes,\u00a0SPHP realized the error and turned around.\u00a0 The road led Lupe all the way back to the G6.\u00a0 Lupe arrived at 5:31 PM.\u00a0 It was still a crazy 57\u00b0F out!<\/p>\n

Lupe had a mostly fun day going to Calumet Ridge.\u00a0 There was too much target practice going on in the area to the E of Calumet Ridge, though.\u00a0 It had basically gone on all day long.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP both agree that more remote locations are more to their liking.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on Calumet Ridge, 12-11-14.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As for Cicero, Samelius and Hardesty Peaks, which Lupe never made it to this day –\u00a0Lupe did go on to climb all three and more\u00a0before the end of 2014.\u00a0 But those Lupe adventures are the subjects of other posts.<\/p>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s Black Hills Expeditions Adventure Index<\/strong><\/a><\/span> or Master Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Record setting warmth in December in\u00a0the Black Hills region\u00a0meant it was expedition time for Lupe!\u00a0 When it hit\u00a0an unbelievable 70\u00b0F+, SPHP planned to take Lupe to Cicero Peak (6,166 ft.) the very next day.\u00a0 Unfortunately, when morning came, SPHP got off to a late start – too late to justify the travel time.\u00a0 It might … Continue reading Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 108 – Calumet Ridge & Silver Mountain (12-11-14)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[105,9,554,106,104,555,304],"class_list":["post-4240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-hills","tag-american-dingo","tag-black-hills-expeditions","tag-calumet-ridge","tag-carolina-dog","tag-lupe","tag-silver-mountain","tag-south-dakota"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/P1050716.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4240"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28247,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4240\/revisions\/28247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}