{"id":5205,"date":"2016-04-04T08:10:47","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T14:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5205"},"modified":"2020-09-22T14:24:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T20:24:34","slug":"black-hills-sd-expedition-no-164-clark-humbolt-copper-odakota-mountains-3-28-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5205","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 164 – Clark, Humbolt, Copper & Odakota Mountains (3-28-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lupe was on a mission!\u00a0 Another account holder at Peakbagger.com<\/a><\/strong><\/span> had contacted her\u00a0on 3-20-16 asking for beta on road conditions in the western Black Hills.\u00a0 How much snow was there?\u00a0 Were the roads open?\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP hadn’t been to the highest parts of the hills\u00a0for several months, and didn’t know for\u00a0certain\u00a0– but Lupe was going to find out.<\/p>\n

The other Peakbagger.com account holder\u00a0wasn’t\u00a0coming to\u00a0the\u00a0region until early April.\u00a0 Since snow was in the forecast, it hadn’t made sense to run out to the western hills right away.\u00a0 The last shot of new snow was over by the morning of 3-26-16.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP waited for 3-28-16, to give the snow a bit of time to melt.<\/p>\n

It was supposed to get to 60\u00b0F by afternoon, but it was still quite cool in the morning.\u00a0 That was alright.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP planned to visit a couple of lower peaks along the way.\u00a0 The high country could wait until afternoon.\u00a0 Let the snow keep melting until then!\u00a0 Lupe’s first peakbagging goal was Clark Mountain<\/span><\/a> (5,267 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, just W of Sheridan Lake.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP set off heading W up Clog Gulch on\u00a0Be Still\u00a0Road (USFS Road No. 738) from Hwy 385 (8:35 AM, 35\u00b0F).\u00a0 Be Still Road took Lupe around the N\u00a0end of Clark Mountain, gaining a bit of elevation while slowly turning SW.\u00a0 After 0.5 mile, a house came into view up ahead.\u00a0 Lupe was approaching private property.\u00a0 To stay on USFS land, Lupe and SPHP turned SE leaving the road behind.\u00a0 Lupe started climbing.<\/p>\n

The first part of the climb was steep and rocky.\u00a0 The rocks weren’t all that large, however, or difficult to navigate.\u00a0 There was snow on the ground most places, but less than an inch on average.\u00a0 After a pretty good climb, the ground became less steep as Lupe\u00a0approached a broad swath of open ground where the\u00a0pines had been cut down beneath\u00a0a power line.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t too much farther to the top of Clark Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe passed under the power line, and turned S.\u00a0 On the last part of the trek, Lupe was on a\u00a0gently rising ridge about 100 feet wide.\u00a0 A rock outcropping came into view ahead.\u00a0\u00a0It was the summit of Clark Mountain!\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0climbed up on top of the highest rocks to claim her first peakbagging success of the day.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe reaches the top of Clark Mountain! Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking S at the summit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were a couple of other rock outcroppings that looked almost as high a bit farther to the S.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went to check them out.\u00a0 They proved to be a little lower.\u00a0 Lupe had already been to the true summit.\u00a0 Lupe hopped up on one of these also-ran\u00a0rock outcroppings, anyway.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on the 2nd highest rock outcropping on Clark Mountain. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Rin<\/a>
Rin Tin Lupe!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make absolutely certain Lupe hadn’t been to a false summit, Lupe and SPHP continued exploring to the S.\u00a0 SPHP was also hoping to find a vantage point with a view to the E toward Sheridan Lake, less than a mile away.<\/p>\n

The forest\u00a0at the top of\u00a0Clark Mountain consists mostly of large pines, without too many young ones in between.\u00a0\u00a0By all appearances, the forest had been thinned quite a few years ago.\u00a0 Even so,\u00a0it was only possible to get glimpses of distant views in most directions.\u00a0 Only an insignificant\u00a0little piece of Sheridan Lake could be seen.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP didn’t have to go much farther S to be completely convinced Lupe had been to the top of the mountain.\u00a0 Lupe returned to the true summit for a final look around before departing.<\/p>\n

\"Although<\/a>
Although it was possible to get glimpses of distant views from Clark Mountain, that was about it. SPHP was disappointed that there weren’t any clear views toward Sheridan Lake to the E. The top of the mountain was a broad flat ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe sits just below the summit rocks. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After bidding the Clark Mountain summit a final farewell, Lupe went N\u00a0starting her descent.\u00a0\u00a0She could have gone\u00a0NW back down to Be Still Road, but instead Lupe explored the NE ridge.\u00a0 This route wasn’t as steep and rocky.\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0passed through a stretch of very densely packed young pines.\u00a0\u00a0Before long,\u00a0she came to an open area which looked like it had been heavily logged recently.<\/p>\n

Lupe went down into the open area following a logging trail E.\u00a0 The logging trail\u00a0entered a valley just S of the NE ridge, and followed the valley as it curved NE again.\u00a0 After an easy downhill stroll, the logging trail ended right back at the G6, just S of Be Still Road (9:59 AM, 53\u00b0F).\u00a0 Before heading on to Humbolt Mountain<\/span><\/a> (5,722 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, SPHP gathered up a small collection of Lupe Treasures for recycling.<\/p>\n

Humbolt Mountain is 3.5 miles SW of Clark Mountain near Hill City.\u00a0 SPHP drove up Penalua Gulch Road looking for an access point.\u00a0 The short road went through private property, and dead-ended at private driveways.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP had better luck on China Gulch Road (USFS Road No. 249), a bit farther W.\u00a0 It provided an access point on USFS land\u00a0less than a mile N of Hwy 16\/385 (10:24 AM, 53\u00b0F).\u00a0 Humbolt Mountain was just 0.25 mile to the SE.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP headed ENE up a faint road until\u00a0Lupe wasn’t far from the N end of the mountain.\u00a0\u00a0The intrepid Carolina Dog\u00a0then turned SSE and began her climb in earnest.\u00a0 The terrain got steeper and rockier as she went.\u00a0 SPHP switchbacked a little bit\u00a0looking for\u00a0the easiest\u00a0way up.\u00a0 Lupe arrived up on the summit ridge somewhat S of its N end.\u00a0 She then turned S to follow the ridge to the true summit near the S end of the mountain.<\/p>\n

Humbolt Mountain’s summit ridge was much narrower and rockier than Clark Mountain’s had been.\u00a0 Lupe went up and\u00a0down, frequently\u00a0having to skirt around the\u00a0W side of a series of large rock outcroppings.\u00a0 She had to lose a bit of elevation at a shallow saddle before the final climb up to the true summit.\u00a0 Humbolt Mountain was forested, but Lupe and SPHP were pleased to find\u00a0a few\u00a0decent viewpoints.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe was nearing the summit of Humbolt Mountain when this nice view of Harney Peak<\/a><\/span> (7,242 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (Center) appeared. Summit Peak (5,655 ft.) is the much lower forested ridge in front of Harney. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Harney<\/a>
Harney Peak from Humbolt Mountain using the telephoto lens. Summit Peak is in the foreground. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe reaches the summit of Humbolt Mountain. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking SE at Storm Hill (5,656 ft.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The rocky ridge was\u00a0quite narrow, and there\u00a0were several pine trees with annoyingly\u00a0low branches up at the very summit.\u00a0 After taking a look around, Lupe and SPHP continued S just a short distance where the ridge was a bit lower, but also wider and more open.\u00a0 It was time for a little break.\u00a0 Lupe had some Taste of the Wild.\u00a0 SPHP consumed an orange.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on the ridge just S of the summit. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The view of Harney Peak from the rest break spot. Beautiful! Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a leisurely, but not overlong rest break, Lupe returned to the summit of Humbolt Mountain.\u00a0 Although the view toward Harney Peak was the most impressive, Storm Hill could also be seen close by to the SE.\u00a0 A little to the N of the summit was a look at Five Points<\/a><\/span> (6,221 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> to the N.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Back at the summit. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Storm<\/a>
Storm Hill. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"One<\/a>
One spot near the summit of Humbolt Mountain yielded this view of Five Points<\/a><\/span> (6,221 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (R). The mountain Lupe and SPHP call False North Point is on the L. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe returned to the G6 via the same route she had taken up the mountain (12:18 PM, 57\u00b0F).\u00a0 The day had warmed up considerably.\u00a0 Even out in the high country of the western Black Hills, whatever snow there was had to be melting fast.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on her way back to the G6. Here she is still up on the summit ridge well to the N of the summit. These slanting rock formations were typical toward the N end of Humbolt Mountain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was time for Lupe to go conduct her western hills reconnaissance!\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP drove to Hill City, and turned NW on Deerfield Road.\u00a0 At East Slate Road, SPHP turned S.\u00a0 For the first few miles, there was hardly any snow at all.\u00a0 Lupe enjoyed the drive.\u00a0 There were lots of cows and a few horses\u00a0to bark at\u00a0along the way.<\/p>\n

After a few miles,\u00a0patches of\u00a0snow appeared on the road.\u00a0\u00a0The snow\u00a0was only a few inches deep most places, and pretty slushy.\u00a0 The G6 made it all the way to Six Mile Road (USFS Road No. 301) without any problem.\u00a0 Six Mile Road was in good enough condition so SPHP could easily have driven further, but SPHP parked\u00a0the G6\u00a0at the start of USFS Road No. 301.1A (1:09 PM, 54\u00b0F).\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP would continue on paw and foot from here.<\/p>\n

\"Dingo<\/a>
Dingo on a mission! Lupe reconnoitering road conditions on Six Mile Road E of Copper Mountain. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although there was some snow on Six Mile Road, it was melting fast.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP followed the road as it wound its way up closer to Copper Mountain.\u00a0 The cliffs at the SE end of Copper Mountain<\/span><\/a> (6,920 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> have some great views.\u00a0 Before pressing on to her ultimate objective, Lupe was going to climb Copper Mountain first.<\/p>\n

Lupe\u00a0didn’t leave\u00a0Six Mile Road\u00a0until she was SW of Copper Mountain.\u00a0 She then climbed N to the top of the\u00a0W ridge before proceeding E.\u00a0 There was some deadfall timber and thick stands of young pines along the way, but the climb wasn’t long or difficult.\u00a0\u00a0Lupe reached the flat, rocky summit.\u00a0 Most of the summit is forested, but there are cliffs\u00a0very close by with magnificent views to the S and E.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP had a look around.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A pretty grand view from Copper Mountain! Harney Peak (L) is seen on the far horizon above Lupe. Much closer Medicine Mountain<\/a><\/span> (6,878 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> is on the R. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Northeast<\/a>
Northeast Cicero Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,240 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> was in view far to the SSE from Copper Mountain. It looked pretty snowy in this shot taken with the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking N from the E edge of Copper Mountain. Gillette Prairie is the open grassland seen below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at the SE end of Copper Mountain. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe could see Odakota Mountain<\/a><\/span> (7,200 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> about 1.5 miles away to the SW.\u00a0 Odakota Mountain is the 2nd highest in the Black Hills and all of South Dakota.\u00a0 It is not nearly as well known as Harney Peak.\u00a0 However, Odakota Mountain was Lupe’s ultimate objective for Expedition No. 164.\u00a0 It was the mountain that the other Peakbagger.com account holder had contacted Lupe about!<\/p>\n

\"Odakota<\/a>
Odakota Mountain<\/a><\/span> (7,200 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (Center) as seen from Copper Mountain. Lupe was going to Odakota Mountain next! Six Mile Road is in view below. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe and SPHP went back to Six Mile Road, and resumed following it W.\u00a0 There wasn’t any significant snow on the road until the final turn up to a saddle 0.5 mile NNW of Odakota Mountain.\u00a0 This point was about 2 miles closer along the road to Odakota Mountain than where the G6 was parked.\u00a0 The G6 could have\u00a0made it\u00a0this far, but no farther.<\/p>\n

USFS Road No. 693 left Six Mile Road going S from the snowy saddle.\u00a0\u00a0No. 693 is a minor gravel road that\u00a0ultimately gets to within about 0.30 mile of Odakota’s summit.\u00a0 It was snow-covered, narrow, and had some partially cleared deadfall timber.\u00a0 A 4WD high-clearance vehicle might have been fine on No. 693, but not the G6.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP now knew the truth about the road conditions in the vicinity of Odakota Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at the start of USFS Road No. 693 near its junction with Six Mile Road. A car could get this far, but 4WD would be needed to go any farther. This was actually good news. The summit of Odakota Mountain was an easy 0.5 mile hike away.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Surprisingly, there was only\u00a01-2″ of snow on the ground on average.\u00a0 Lots of places had no snow, and some areas had 4-6 inches.\u00a0 What snow there was, looked new.\u00a0 Apparently there hadn’t been any snow pack at all until the last couple of small storms.\u00a0 It was possible to drive as far as No. 693 or very close to it.\u00a0 That left a hike of about 0.5 mile\u00a0one way to the summit of\u00a0Odakota Mountain.<\/p>\n

Happily, if conditions didn’t change, the other\u00a0Peakbagger.com account holder wouldn’t have any\u00a0problem\u00a0getting to the top\u00a0of\u00a0Odakota Mountain!<\/p>\n

Of course, being this close to the top of the 2nd highest mountain in South Dakota meant Lupe and SPHP were going to go see it.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP\u00a0went S on\u00a0USFS Road No. 693.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on USFS Road No. 693. A narrow path existed between the mostly cleared away deadfall timber. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The last 0.30 mile was just a bushwhack toward the summit of Odakota Mountain.\u00a0 The smallish summit ridge is oriented E\/W.\u00a0 The top is level, but a complete tangle of deadfall timber.\u00a0 SPHP wondered if the limestone cairn Lupe had seen\u00a0on prior visits\u00a0near the E end of the ridge would still be there?\u00a0 It was!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at the Odakota Mountain summit cairn. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking W along Odakota’s summit ridge. What a mess of deadfall timber!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even though a lot of dead trees have fallen over on Odakota Mountain, there are still enough trees standing to mar the views.\u00a0\u00a0Currently, the only good viewpoint is at the\u00a0far SE end of the mountain. \u00a0Lupe and SPHP had been there once before, but it was quite a trek through the dead forest.\u00a0 Lupe wasn’t going back there today.\u00a0 Her reconnaissance mission was already successfully accomplished!<\/p>\n

SPHP had other things in mind for Lupe.\u00a0 First among them was another rest break.\u00a0 Lupe ate the rest of her Taste of the Wild.\u00a0 SPHP finished the last orange.\u00a0 There were still a few hours of daylight left.\u00a0 Lupe could go exploring a couple of places she hadn’t been to before!<\/p>\n

The first place Lupe went exploring after leaving Odakota Mountain was the gravel quarry N of Six Mile Road.\u00a0 The gravel quarry wasn’t the real goal, though.\u00a0\u00a0SPHP wanted to see what the views were like from the high cliffs a short distance NE of the quarry.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe discovers a pristine white snow field at the gravel quarry N of Six Mile Road and Odakota Mountain. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Gillette<\/a>
Gillette Prairie (R) from the high cliffs NE of the gravel quarry. Part of Reynolds Prairie is seen farther away on the L. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The E end of Odakota Mountain from the cliffs NE of the gravel quarry. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second place Lupe went exploring was along a ridge going S from Six Mile Road and Copper Mountain toward Medicine Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe went clear to the very S end of the high ground along the ridgeline, but the views never really opened up completely.<\/p>\n

\"Bear<\/a>
Bear Mountain<\/a><\/span> (7,166 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> is the high ridge in the distance. Photo looks S from the ridge extending S from Six Mile Road and Copper Mountain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Medicine<\/a>
Medicine Mountain. Photo looks SE using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Copper<\/a>
Copper Mountain and Six Mile Road. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Loopster here with your American Dingo eyewitness peakbagging report! Odakota Mountain, Copper Mountain and the surrounding area are a go!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe and SPHP arrived back at the G6 at 6:12 PM (47\u00b0F).\u00a0 Well, that was it.\u00a0 Lupe’s peakbagging reconnaissance\u00a0mission was over!\u00a0 She\u00a0gave SPHP orders to\u00a0submit her report to the interested party when she got home, but not until she\u00a0was first served\u00a0a proper Alpo dinner.<\/p>\n

Cows, horses and deer provided entertainment on the way home.\u00a0 The fun never ends on the rambunctious Carolina Dog’s Black Hills Expeditions!<\/p>\n

\"Copper<\/a>
Copper Mountain from the NE on the way home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Green<\/a>
Green Mountain<\/a><\/span> (7164 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> from the E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Part<\/a>
Part of the entertainment committee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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<\/a><\/strong><\/span> or Master Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lupe was on a mission!\u00a0 Another account holder at Peakbagger.com had contacted her\u00a0on 3-20-16 asking for beta on road conditions in the western Black Hills.\u00a0 How much snow was there?\u00a0 Were the roads open?\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP hadn’t been to the highest parts of the hills\u00a0for several months, and didn’t know for\u00a0certain\u00a0– but Lupe was … Continue reading Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 164 – Clark, Humbolt, Copper & Odakota Mountains (3-28-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5180,"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":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[105,9,106,601,170,602,104,171,304],"class_list":["post-5205","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-clark-mountain","tag-copper-mountain","tag-humbolt-mountain","tag-lupe","tag-odakota-mountain","tag-south-dakota"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_0556.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\/5205","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=5205"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28286,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5205\/revisions\/28286"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}