![\"Lupe](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/P1050468.jpg\")
<\/a>No. 304.1B went W for 0.5 mile, then turned SSW for another 0.5 mile.\u00a0 The road ended at a barbed wire fence shortly before reaching the top of a saddle along a high ridge.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP got past the fence, and continued up to the saddle.\u00a0 On the other side of the saddle, a herd of black cows was grazing in the upper reaches of a wide grassy valley.<\/p>\n
Lupe’s first peakbagging goal of the day, Peak 6720<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0was in sight\u00a0about 0.25 mile to the SSE along the ridgeline.\u00a0 A fair amount of deadfall timber laying across the ridge looked like the only obstacle in the way of an otherwise easy stroll up to the summit.<\/p>\n At the top of Peak 6720, Lupe found 3 separate high points strung out along the ridge.\u00a0 Each high point featured a rocky outcropping.\u00a0 The middle rock outcropping was the true summit, but\u00a0fewer\u00a0standing trees made the\u00a0views better from the N and S high points.<\/p>\n Although the rock\u00a0formations at the high points\u00a0weren’t all that large, they were somewhat tricky to navigate.\u00a0 The presence of significant amounts of deadfall timber, and an annoying bumper crop of thistles didn’t help.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP spent at least half an hour up on Peak 6720.\u00a0 Part of that time was\u00a0used up just\u00a0moving around between the high points.<\/p>\n Peak 6720 is the highest point along a long ridge that runs for several miles in a NNW\/SSE direction.\u00a0 Although there are a number of other points nearly as high along the ridge, Lupe and SPHP had good views over a wide swath of territory in most directions.<\/p>\n Lupe visited all 3 of the high points on Peak 6720 before heading NW down the mountain into the long valley SSW of the saddle to Tree Draw.\u00a0 Well down the slope, Lupe passed to the N of a tall rock formation, turned SW, and proceeded down to the bottom of the valley.<\/p>\n A dirt road went along the W side of the valley.\u00a0 Black cows were grazing near it, but moved off up the valley as Lupe and SPHP approached.<\/p>\n Lupe and SPHP followed the road, which was probably USFS Road No. 297.3E, going SSW down the valley.\u00a0 SPHP knew there would be more cows ahead, having seen several herds from up on Peak 6720.\u00a0 When the next herd came into view, Lupe and SPHP crossed a tiny stream on the W side of the valley and headed up into the trees.<\/p>\n After going high enough to avoid disturbing the cows while passing by, Lupe and SPHP tried going SSW along the side of the hill.\u00a0 For a while it worked out OK.\u00a0 In fact, it was a rather interesting trek.\u00a0 The hillside had some interesting geology.\u00a0 Very shiny fine-grained rocks and nice specimens of white quartz formed part of the rock formations Lupe came to.\u00a0 There were even some pieces of rose quartz.\u00a0 SPHP wondered what made the shiny rocks so glittery?<\/p>\n The hillside became steeper.\u00a0 A deep, narrow side\u00a0ravine coming down from the NW blocked Lupe’s way forward.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP had to go down off the hillside.\u00a0 At the\u00a0base of the hillside, Lupe found the tiny creek again.\u00a0 However, it wasn’t so tiny as it had been upstream.\u00a0 It still wasn’t all that large, but there was quite a bit of\u00a0black\u00a0mucky marshy ground around it.<\/p>\n Finding a way across the marshy creek took a little while, but Lupe and SPHP managed to get across out into the main part of the valley again.\u00a0 The road had disappeared.\u00a0 The valley was full of tall grass and scattered stands of trees.\u00a0 Even though this was all Black Hills National Forest land, Lupe came to several barbed wire fences.<\/p>\n At the lower end of the valley, Lupe found a faint road (a\u00a0remnant of USFS Road No. 297.3E?)\u00a0again.\u00a0 It soon led Lupe and SPHP to USFS Road No. 297, a major gravel road.\u00a0\u00a0Not too far away, a\u00a0pond on Negro Creek was on the other side of No. 297.\u00a0 Lupe’s next peakbagging goal, Medicine Mountain<\/a><\/span> (6,878 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> could be seen beyond the pond.<\/p>\n To get around some private property (the pond was part of it), Lupe and SPHP followed USFS Road No. 297 S less than 0.25 mile.\u00a0 Lupe then bounded over Negro Creek, and went W across a field to the edge of the forest.\u00a0 A rather striking hill with two big rock outcroppings at the top was back to the SE across No. 297.<\/p>\n Lupe and SPHP started climbing Medicine Mountain from the NNE.\u00a0 There was no road or trail.\u00a0 At first there was quite a bit of deadfall timber to contend with, and the going was slow.\u00a0\u00a0About\u00a01\/3 of the way\u00a0up, Lupe came to a meadow.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP headed W across the meadow, still gaining elevation.\u00a0 At the end of the meadow, Lupe turned S climbing again through the forest.<\/p>\n The mountain got steeper higher up, but fortunately there wasn’t as much deadfall.\u00a0 Medicine Mountain has two high points separated by a large saddle several hundred feet long.\u00a0 The N high point is\u00a0somewhat lower than the S one.\u00a0 Near the end of the climb, Lupe and SPHP arrived at the base of\u00a0cliffs at the N end of the N high point.<\/p>\n Lupe and SPHP couldn’t climb the cliffs.\u00a0 A short exploration to the E\u00a0revealed discouragingly steep terrain littered with deadfall timber.\u00a0 The W side of the mountain looked more\u00a0encouraging.\u00a0 The cliffs forced Lupe and SPHP to lose some elevation going around to the W, but then there was a place where it might be possible to climb up.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP managed to scramble up without much difficulty.<\/p>\n Even though the N high point wasn’t the true summit of Medicine Mountain, Lupe was already here.\u00a0 It made sense to explore the N high point first.\u00a0 The views from the cliffs\u00a0at the very N end were great.\u00a0 An unobstructed 180\u00b0 panorama was on display.\u00a0 It seemed like a\u00a0terrific place to take a break.\u00a0 SPHP filled Lupe’s bowl with Taste of the Wild, and then sat down to eat an apple while admiring the scene.<\/p>\n Lupe was too busy to eat her Taste of the Wild.\u00a0 A chipmunk scurrying around on the rocks had her bamboozled, but she remained very interested in its sudden appearances and disappearances.\u00a0 The entertainment went on for several minutes.\u00a0 SPHP wasn’t paying any attention when suddenly Lupe made a low “woof”.<\/p>\n Glancing over at Lupe, SPHP saw that she was standing stock still.\u00a0 She had forgotten all about the chipmunk.\u00a0 Now she was staring intently at some low juniper bushes close to SPHP.\u00a0 The fur on the back of her neck and all along her spine was standing on end.<\/p>\n Lupe didn’t move a muscle.\u00a0 For a couple of minutes she stood staring at the bushes.\u00a0 She made several deep, menacing “woofs”.\u00a0 What the heck was it?!\u00a0 SPHP hardly dared to move.\u00a0 Had Lupe caught wind of a mountain lion?\u00a0 Had it stalked Lupe and SPHP clear to the top of Medicine Mountain?\u00a0 The idea seemed preposterous, but something<\/em> sure had Lupe’s attention.<\/p>\n Suddenly the menacing creature broke from the juniper bushes\u00a0making\u00a0a mad dash.\u00a0 It disappeared in a flash.\u00a0 A white bunny rabbit?!\u00a0 That was the fur-raising threat?\u00a0\u00a0Well, no doubt it was for the best that there hadn’t been a mountain lion, but a white bunny rabbit seemed ridiculously disappointing.\u00a0 Couldn’t there at least have been a bobcat or something?<\/p>\n SPHP laughed at Lupe.\u00a0 Seriously, Lupe, a bunny rabbit?\u00a0 I’ve never seen you react that way before to such a harmless creature!\u00a0 What a big, brave American Dingo!\u00a0 You almost had me believing there was a mountain lion or some ferocious predator.<\/p>\n Oh, I see.\u00a0 This is Medicine Mountain and the white bunny was full of bad medicine, right?\u00a0 It really wasn’t what it seemed when it dashed away.\u00a0 Probably transformed by old Indian magic and evil spirits from its true form!\u00a0 SPHP laughed again.<\/p>\n Lupe paid no attention to SPHP’s teasing.\u00a0 She knew what she knew.\u00a0 Lupe gave up on disappearing rabbits and chipmunks.\u00a0 Now that the bunny was gone, she relaxed.\u00a0 Things were back to normal.<\/p>\n Lupe suddenly realized how hungry\u00a0she was.\u00a0 She devoured her Taste of the Wild.\u00a0 SPHP shared part of an energy bar with her.\u00a0 When Lupe was fueled up again, it was time to go explore the true summit at the S end of Medicine Mountain.<\/p>\n The saddle to the S high point was easily crossed.\u00a0 A faint trail led up to the summit from the NW.\u00a0 The S end of the summit area was grassy and open.\u00a0 Once again, Medicine Mountain provided an unobstructed 180\u00b0 panorama, this time to the S.<\/p>\n Lupe and SPHP dawdled for more than half an hour on Medicine Mountain.\u00a0 When it was time to go, Lupe took the\u00a0faint trail NW down to the saddle area.\u00a0 From the saddle, Lupe and SPHP went W down the slope.\u00a0 It was slow going.\u00a0 Deadfall timber lay strewn in every direction.\u00a0 To avoid some of it, Lupe and SPHP turned SW, finally reaching some open ground.<\/p>\n Lupe lost elevation rapidly and came to a road.\u00a0 SPHP led her W across the road to a little hill\u00a0with a view toward Peak 6680.\u00a0 Peak 6680<\/a><\/strong><\/span> was supposed to have been Lupe’s 3rd peakbagging goal of the day.\u00a0 It was only a mile to the WNW, but there was a big valley between here and there.\u00a0 The fields down in the valley would have been easy to cross, but they were private property.<\/p>\n Gunfire started up off to the N.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t want to go anywhere.\u00a0 She wanted to stop and hide.\u00a0 SPHP did stop to pet and reassure her.\u00a0 The sun was starting to get kind of low.\u00a0 OK, Lupe, no more mountains.\u00a0 Let’s get away from the gunfire, instead.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went back to the road and followed it SW.\u00a0 The road reached a “T” intersection with another road.<\/p>\n SPHP didn’t know it at the time, but this was USFS Road No. 297.3M.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP followed\u00a0No. 297.3M going\u00a0SE, and then S about 0.75 mile down a long valley.\u00a0 The road then turned E and wound around the S end of\u00a0a low\u00a0ridge.<\/p>\n When Lupe reached the main gravel road, SPHP mistakenly assumed she was a little farther S than she really was.\u00a0 SPHP turned N thinking this was County Road No. 317, which Lupe could follow several miles to USFS Road No. 304, and then several more miles back to the G6.<\/p>\n In reality, No. 317 was a little bit farther S.\u00a0 Lupe was actually on No. 297.\u00a0 SPHP kept watching for a turn to the E that never came.\u00a0 It didn’t take too long to figure out what had happened.\u00a0 It was OK.\u00a0 Lupe could just keep going N on No. 297 until she got close to the pond on Negro Creek.\u00a0 Then she could go back up the valley of black cows to the saddle over to Tree Draw.<\/p>\n Along the way, Lupe came to a striking hill to the E of No. 297.\u00a0 It looked similar to the one she had seen just before starting her climb up Medicine Mountain.\u00a0 This one had three big rock outcroppings at the top.\u00a0 SPHP guessed that the two rock outcropping hill must not be much farther N.\u00a0 Pretty soon, Lupe saw the two rock outcropping hill, and then the pond on Negro Creek.<\/p>\n The sun was already down, and the light was fading by the time Lupe had traversed the valley of black cows to reach the saddle to Tree Draw.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went over the saddle and followed No. 304.1B back down to\u00a0Newton Creek Road\u00a0and the G6 (7:46 PM, 44\u00b0F).\u00a0 Stars were shining above.\u00a0 Lupe wanted to linger and sniff the air near the G6.\u00a0 Well, why not?\u00a0 It was a gorgeous evening.<\/p>\n Thirty minutes later, all twilight had faded from the night sky.\u00a0 Myriad stars glittered in the blackness above.\u00a0 Lupe was finally ready to go home.\u00a0\u00a0On the drive N along\u00a0Newton Creek Road\u00a0back to Deerfield Road, Lupe and SPHP both saw it!\u00a0 A big white animal dashed across the road heading E.\u00a0 It was gone in a flash.\u00a0 A huge white coyote, a ghost coyote!<\/p>\n Lupe’s hackles were up.\u00a0 The fur on the back of her neck and all along her spine\u00a0was standing on end.\u00a0 The rabbit up on the N high point of Medicine Mountain had been white, too.\u00a0 You, don’t think?<\/p>\n Nah, no way, couldn’t be!<\/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 Prior Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s Black Hills Expeditions Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SPHP wanted to park the G6 at the start of Tree Draw on the W side of Newton Creek Road (USFS Road No. 304), but there wasn’t any place to park there.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP had to abandon the G6 at a wide spot\u00a0along the road about 0.25 mile farther S (11:04 AM, 53\u00b0F).\u00a0 Lupe … Continue reading Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 95 – Peak 6720 & Medicine Mountain (9-13-14)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5123,"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":[105,9,106,104,600,599,304],"class_list":["post-5137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-hills","tag-american-dingo","tag-black-hills-expeditions","tag-carolina-dog","tag-lupe","tag-medicine-mountain","tag-peak-6720","tag-south-dakota"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/P1050485.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\/5137","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=5137"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28239,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions\/28239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>