{"id":5683,"date":"2018-03-09T08:10:40","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T15:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5683"},"modified":"2023-09-25T19:48:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T01:48:29","slug":"black-hills-sd-expedition-no-90-south-castle-rock-castle-rock-nipple-butte-flag-mountain-peak-6962-5-24-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5683","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 90 – South Castle Rock, Castle Rock, Nipple Butte, Flag Mountain & Peak 6962 (5-24-14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early May of 2014, SPHP discovered Peakbagger.com<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, “an online resource for summit-focused hikers, climbers, and mountain lovers”.\u00a0 User accounts are free, and it seemed like it\u00a0might be fun to record\u00a0a few statistics on Lupe’s expeditions and explorations there.\u00a0 So, on 5-12-14, SPHP created an account for Lupe.<\/p>\n

Using Peakbagger.com was fun!\u00a0 Almost instantly, Lupe and SPHP were hooked!\u00a0 Lupe started climbing as many mountains as possible on Peakbagger’s list of Black Hills 6500-foot Peaks<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 Some of them Lupe had been to before, of course, but the list contained many peaks she had never climbed.<\/p>\n

For Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 90, SPHP was excited to have 5 peaks along the E\u00a0escarpment of the limestone plateau high country of the western Black Hills lined up for Lupe to climb.\u00a0 All 5 peaks were on the Black Hills 6500-foot Peaks list.\u00a0 They were strung out along a N\/S line W of Reynolds Prairie.\u00a0 Lupe would start from the S end climbing South Castle Rock<\/a><\/span> (6,840 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> first.<\/p>\n

Almost 2 miles NW of Deerfield Reservoir on W Deerfield Road, is\u00a0a R turn on County Road No. 306 to Reynolds Prairie.\u00a0 No. 306 winds NE up a hill for more than a mile before turning N and leveling out.\u00a0\u00a0Right there, on\u00a0the W side of No. 306, is a L turn on a side road going up a little hill.\u00a0 The side road is USFS Road No. 189.1D.\u00a0 SPHP parked the\u00a0G6 at the top of the first short rise (9:57 AM, 67\u00b0F).<\/p>\n

Lupe was starting out her ambitious day of peakbagging about 0.75 mile SSE of South Castle Rock.\u00a0 She began following No. 189.1D N across a green field, but soon left the road\u00a0as it angled NW.\u00a0 Lupe continued N, gradually going uphill.\u00a0 The sun felt hot out in the open field.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP were both glad to reach the shade of the forest, although the climb became increasingly steep.<\/p>\n

Before long, Lupe reached the first significant limestone outcropping.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went out to the SE end of it, where there were great open views from the NE around to the S.<\/p>\n

\"Parts<\/a>
Parts of Deerfield Lake are in view from the first big limestone outcropping going up South Castle Rock from the S. The S end of Reynolds Prairie is seen on the L. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The E end of Castle Rock<\/a><\/span> (6,783 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> is the forested ridge with the many beetle-killed trees on the L. The N end of Reynolds Prairie is seen on the R. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"County<\/a>
County Road No. 306 winds across Reynolds Prairie. Part of Deerfield Lake is seen on the R. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the SE viewpoint, Lupe continued climbing N up South Castle Rock.\u00a0 She quickly reached a high point in the forest, but it was a false summit.\u00a0 The topo map showed that the true summit was just a little bit higher and farther N.\u00a0 There were many trees killed by pine bark beetles.\u00a0 The deadfall timber made progress getting to the true summit rather slow.<\/p>\n

The true summit proved to be located up on a\u00a0limestone cap surrounded by small cliffs in every direction.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP scouted around looking for a way up.\u00a0 The only easy way up was from the SW,\u00a0where Lupe and SPHP were able to make it up to the top.\u00a0 The summit area\u00a0was flat and forested.\u00a0 The highest point was located toward the N end.\u00a0 Lupe posed for\u00a0her South Castle Rock<\/a><\/span> (6,840 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> summit photo next to SPHP’s backpack.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe claims her first peakbagging success of the day at the summit of South Castle Rock! Photo looks WSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the all views blocked by pines, Lupe didn’t linger very long on South Castle Rock.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP climbed back down using the same SW route.\u00a0 Lupe then went around the W side of the summit escarpment heading N to her next peakbagging goal, Castle Rock<\/a><\/span> (6,783 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking back at the N end of the low limestone cliffs below the summit of South Castle Rock. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Castle Rock is slightly lower than South Castle Rock, and less than 0.25 mile farther N.\u00a0 It didn’t take Lupe long to reach the W end of the main Castle Rock ridge, which extends out to the ESE.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went all the way out to the E end looking for the highest point.\u00a0 Somewhere along the way, Lupe must have gone over the true summit, but exactly where was never clear.\u00a0 Near the E end, she posed for a couple of photos.<\/p>\n

\"Happy<\/a>
Happy Lupe on Castle Rock. Photo looks SW toward South Castle Rock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe looks a little less friendly here, but it was partly due to the sun making her squint. Lupe’s next two peakbagging goals are in view behind her. Nipple Butte<\/a><\/span> (6,800 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, capped with white limestone,\u00a0is closest with Flag Mountain<\/a><\/span> (6,937 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> beyond it. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe was off to a great start with 2 of her peakbagging goals already accomplished!\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP returned to the W end of the main\u00a0Castle Rock ridge.\u00a0 Nipple Butte<\/a><\/span> (6,800 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, over 0.5 mile N,\u00a0was Lupe’s next stop.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP started going N following a somewhat lower and much skinnier ridge.<\/p>\n

The N ridge wasn’t as heavily forested.\u00a0 The views were actually better here than they were from up on the higher E ridge.\u00a0 However, as Lupe proceeded N, it soon became apparent she wasn’t going to find any safe way down.\u00a0 She reached a crevasse in the limestone that prevented her from going any farther N.<\/p>\n

So Lupe and SPHP had to backtrack almost all the way to the S end of the N ridge again, before finding a steep route down off the E side.\u00a0 Lupe lost 150 feet of elevation before turning N again.\u00a0 While SPHP plodded along gradually regaining elevation, the American Dingo roamed the forest.\u00a0 She eventually reached the saddle to Nipple Butte and started up the S slope.\u00a0 The climb quickly became steep and very rocky.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking up the steep, rocky S slope of Nipple Butte. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe climbed up the broken limestone.\u00a0 She got very high, but near the top it became clear that there were deep fissures in the limestone.\u00a0 The fissures divided the summit area into several different rock\u00a0islands in the sky.\u00a0 The highest one was farther N.\u00a0 There was no way for Lupe to get over to it from here.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP went back down.\u00a0 Lupe circled around the W side of the mountain looking for another route up.\u00a0 She found a steep approach from the WNW.\u00a0 Lupe climbed until she reached a small grassy area between limestone outcroppings.\u00a0 Once again, she was almost at the top of Nipple Butte.\u00a0 The summit was now just to the S, above a 6 or 7 foot high wall of limestone.<\/p>\n

SPHP had to lift Lupe to help her get up on the limestone platform.\u00a0 She was nervous about it, but got up there OK.\u00a0 SPHP climbed up next.\u00a0 The limestone platform wasn’t very big.\u00a0 There were sheer drops all around.\u00a0 They weren’t tremendously high drops, but falling off wouldn’t have been healthy at all.\u00a0 A 2 or 3 foot high chunk of limestone rested on the platform.\u00a0 This was the true summit!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on Nipple Butte with the boulder that is the true summit seen right behind her. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Reynolds<\/a>
Reynolds Prairie from Nipple Butte. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nipple Butte was a real island in the sky!\u00a0 Being up there was a little like being on a cloud.\u00a0 No trees blocked the views.\u00a0 Lupe could see in every direction.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP relaxed for a while, just taking it all in.<\/p>\n

\"Flag<\/a>
Flag Mountain<\/a><\/span> (6,937 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (Center), another mile N, was Lupe’s next destination. USFS Road No. 189 is seen below. Photo looks N from Nipple Butte.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Castle<\/a>
Castle Rock. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The S end of Reynolds Prairie (L) from Nipple Butte. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it was time to leave, SPHP carefully crawled off the N edge of the summit area first.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t know how to get down!\u00a0 It looked scary to the 2 year old Carolina Dog.\u00a0 She didn’t really trust SPHP to help her either.\u00a0 She stood up on top trying to figure out what to do.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe looked happy enough, but she was more than a little worried about how she was going to get down off Nipple Butte.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SPHP finally managed to grab Lupe’s front legs and pull her near the edge.\u00a0 Lupe was alarmed, but SPHP got a secure hold on her and helped her safely off Nipple Butte.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog was greatly relieved!\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP made the steep descent down the WNW slope.<\/p>\n

Once completely down off Nipple Butte, Lupe headed N across USFS Road No. 189.\u00a0 She began climbing the S ridge going up Flag Mountain<\/a><\/span> (6,937 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 By now it was afternoon.\u00a0 Despite the shady protection of the forest, the heat forced frequent stops for water.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t reach the rough road to the top of Flag Mountain until she was already quite close to the summit.\u00a0 She followed the road the rest of the way\u00a0to the rock stairs up to the remnants of the old lookout tower.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe near the remnants of the old lookout tower on Flag Mountain. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Remnants<\/a>Not much could be seen to the W, but in every other direction Flag Mountain featured impressive views.\u00a0 Lupe felt more secure here than at Nipple Butte, too!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe's<\/a>
Lupe’s final peakbagging goal of the day was Peak 6962<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, the ridge on the L. White Tail Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,962 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> is the far ridge on the R. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe feeling safe and secure in the remnant of the old lookout tower on Flag Mountain. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Another<\/a>
Another look at Peak 6962 (L) and White Tail Peak (Center) from Flag Mountain. The gravel road is USFS Road No. 599. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The afternoon was wearing on, but Lupe had only one more peakbagging goal left.\u00a0 Peak 6962<\/a><\/strong><\/span> was more than 1.5 miles to the NNW.\u00a0 Staying on high ground, Lupe would have to go twice that far to get there.\u00a0 Instead of taking the road, Lupe and SPHP\u00a0left the remains of the Flag Mountain lookout tower going W along the ridge.<\/p>\n

The ridge didn’t stay level for very far.\u00a0 Lupe went down into the forest.\u00a0 She briefly came to the road near the N end of a sharp bend.\u00a0 Five ATV’s roared on by heading up.\u00a0 Lupe continued W beyond the road and back into the forest.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP tried to stay on high ground as much as possible,\u00a0as the terrain went up and down over a series of small rises and intervening saddles.\u00a0 Nipple Butte, now to the SE, came into view at one point.<\/p>\n

\"Nipple<\/a>
Nipple Butte (Center) viewed from the NW as Lupe was heading for Peak 6962.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe had to go almost a mile W before the terrain allowed her to start turning N.\u00a0 She eventually came quite close to USFS Road No. 189 again, but she stayed on a slightly higher\u00a0ridge to the E of it.\u00a0 When Lupe finally reached a point about a mile SW of Peak 6962, she was able to turn NE and follow another ridge toward the summit.<\/p>\n

There had been quite a lot of deadfall timber to contend with on the way from Flag Mountain, but this last stretch going NE to Peak 6962 was simply terrible.\u00a0 Dead trees had tumbled over everywhere, sometimes stacking several high.\u00a0 To make matters worse, an old barbed wire fence followed the same ridgeline Lupe was trying to follow.\u00a0\u00a0Along most of the route, the\u00a0fence\u00a0had collapsed under the weight of the many trees that had fallen across it.<\/p>\n

SPHP was constantly worried that Lupe would get ripped up by the dangerous barbed wire.\u00a0 The deadfall and\u00a0terrain forced Lupe and SPHP back and forth across the fence line many times.\u00a0 It was a struggle to make any progress through the seemingly\u00a0endless obstacles.\u00a0 Getting to Peak 6962 was taking a very long time.\u00a0 The area felt very isolated and remote.\u00a0 Protected by the shattered forest, Peak 6962 must not have many visitors these days!<\/p>\n

Lupe gradually got closer to Peak 6962.\u00a0 She started coming to a few places along the ridge where there were views of Flag Mountain off to the SE.\u00a0 She also started seeing an abundance of beautifully blooming crocuses.\u00a0 SPHP dubbed the area “Perfect Crocus Ridge”.<\/p>\n

Finally, Lupe reached the area where the summit of Peak 6962 was supposed to be.\u00a0 The topo map showed a couple of areas within 6960 foot contours.\u00a0 Lupe arrived at the S one first.\u00a0 The topo map was right.\u00a0 The top of Peak 6962 was quite flat.\u00a0 Both of the 6960 foot contours were contained within a 6940 foot contour covering a much larger area.\u00a0 Lupe found\u00a0no obvious summit.<\/p>\n

There were no views either.\u00a0 Forest was all around.\u00a0 Even near the steep E edge of the mountain,\u00a0the were enough trees still standing to\u00a0quite effectively hide the view.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP trudged on to the N, to check out the terrain over there.\u00a0 SPHP was hoping to find a view of White Tail Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,962 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> to the N.\u00a0 There really wasn’t one.\u00a0 If anything, the forest was even thicker here.\u00a0 The terrain here didn’t seem any higher than back to the S, either.<\/p>\n

Lupe was tired from leaping over all the countless dead trees on the ground.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog wanted to stop for a rest.\u00a0 SPHP was tired, too.\u00a0 SPHP sat on the ground.\u00a0 Lupe had some water and curled up.\u00a0 SPHP considered what to do next.\u00a0 From Flag Mountain, SPHP had seen some big cliffs at the very end of a long ridge protruding S from the E edge of Peak 6962.\u00a0 SPHP was certain those cliffs would provide some great views, but going there would add another 0.5 mile one way.<\/p>\n

SPHP decided against it.\u00a0 It was just too much work going through all the deadfall.\u00a0 Maybe another time, if there ever was another time.<\/p>\n

After 10 minutes, Lupe was ready to go again.\u00a0 The highest spot on the mountain had seemed to be within the area contained within the S 6960 foot contour.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went back there for Lupe’s Peak 6962 summit photos.\u00a0 The forest badly damaged by pine bark beetles wasn’t very pretty, but there was a beautiful green carpet of kinnikinnick.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe smiling on the lovely green carpet of kinnikinnick at the summit of Peak 6962. Note the semi-transparent white object to her R. Photo looks ENE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"This<\/a>
This photo documents the existence of a genuine fire-breathing American Dingo on Peak 6962! Note the smoke coming out of her nose!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was time to leave Peak 6962.\u00a0 The shortest route back to a road was to head SW back along Perfect Crocus Ridge.\u00a0 To avoid\u00a0the worst\u00a0of the deadfall timber, Lupe and SPHP tried staying below the ridgeline by going through a lower\u00a0field to the SE.\u00a0 For a little while, this worked well.\u00a0 Lupe could run around without having to constantly be leaping over dead trees.\u00a0 After a while, though, the terrain forced Lupe up and\u00a0over to the NW side of the ridge.<\/p>\n

\"Flag<\/a>
Flag Mountain from Perfect Crocus Ridge. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Staying off the top of the ridge helped more than SPHP initially realized.\u00a0 Lupe came to a clearing in the forest.\u00a0 Down a grassy slope to the SW was a good gravel road.\u00a0 Lupe was already almost back to USFS Road No. 189!\u00a0 SPHP stopped to look at the maps.\u00a0 After marching along all day through the forest, SPHP was tired of dealing with all the deadfall.\u00a0 Lupe was going to stick to the roads on the way back to the G6!<\/p>\n

The quickest way back was to just follow No. 189 SE to Reynolds Prairie.\u00a0 Too easy and\u00a0dull!\u00a0 A more interesting route was to take No. 189 only 0.5 mile S\u00a0to USFS Road No. 239.\u00a0 No. 239 went S through Horsethief Creek valley for 3 miles to W Deerfield Road down in the valley of the North Fork of Castle Creek.<\/p>\n

Since it was already getting late in the day and SPHP was already fairly tired, naturally SPHP chose a third route, the longest possible one.\u00a0 Lupe would go W on No. 189 for nearly 2 miles\u00a0to USFS Road No. 129 before taking it S through Hughes Draw down\u00a0to the North Fork of Castle Creek.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP headed on down to No. 189 and turned NW.<\/p>\n

Gradually, it began to dawn on SPHP that\u00a0going NW\u00a0was a big mistake.\u00a0 The sun was getting low, Lupe was heading away<\/em><\/strong> from the G6,\u00a0and this route added at least another 5 miles to the trek back.\u00a0 No matter how interesting this route might be, it was going to get dark.\u00a0 It was really too late in the day for such silliness!\u00a0 SPHP was regretting the decision to go NW when a road going S into a shallow valley appeared a short distance ahead.<\/p>\n

A marker at the start of the road said this was No. 129.1B.\u00a0 A quick check of the maps showed it was a shortcut down to No. 129 and No. 129.1A on the way to the North Fork\u00a0of Castle Creek.\u00a0 Good!\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP immediately turned S on No.\u00a0129.1B.<\/p>\n

The little valley No. 129.1B went down was very inviting.\u00a0 Beyond a grove of aspen trees, Lupe and SPHP heard frogs croaking.\u00a0 Lupe ran ahead to investigate.\u00a0 She found a pond where she got a huge drink. \u00a0SPHP had completely\u00a0run out of water more than a mile back.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The frog pond near USFS Road No. 129.1B where Lupe got a huge drink of water. The frogs did not resume croaking until Lupe left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SPHP made good progress hiking down No. 129.1B.\u00a0 There was open ground on both sides of the road.\u00a0 Lupe had a blast racing back and forth across the valley.\u00a0 She hadn’t had an opportunity to run like this all day.\u00a0 She was having a great time.\u00a0 Despite all the hours that had gone by, Lupe was still full of energy.<\/p>\n

No. 129.1B reached an intersection with No. 129.\u00a0 Two springs (Lyons Spring on the USFS\u00a0map)\u00a0combined to form a small creek, presumably Lyons Creek.\u00a0 Instead of following No. 129 SE, Lupe went W\u00a0a short distance to take No. 129.1A going S.<\/p>\n

No. 129.1A\u00a0was a decent road, but did not lose elevation as quickly as Lyons Creek did.\u00a0 At first, Lupe was able to easily run down to the creek to get drinks of water.\u00a0 Pretty soon, however,\u00a0the road was well above creek level.\u00a0 Lupe frequently saw deer down in the meadows by the creek below.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe rests on the green grass above Lyons Creek. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"USFS<\/a>
USFS Road No. 129.1A. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe finally reached W Deerfield Road down by the North Fork of Castle Creek.\u00a0 Lupe couldn’t resist getting in this much larger\u00a0creek for another big drink.<\/p>\n

\"Getting<\/a>
Getting a drink from the North Fork of Castle Creek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe was still at least 3 miles\u00a0NW of\u00a0the junction with County Road No. 306 to Reynolds Prairie.\u00a0 The G6 was another 1.25 miles beyond that.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP followed W Deerfield Road SE.\u00a0 Cows were in the fields nearby.\u00a0 Lupe was very interested.\u00a0 Although the temptation was huge, she was a very good American Dingo and didn’t bark.<\/p>\n

At 9:01 PM (55\u00b0F), Lupe finally reached the G6 again.\u00a0 Light was still fading from the sky.\u00a0 Lupe had been gone over 11 hours, but she did reach all 5 of her peakbagging goals!\u00a0 Although she had just completed her 90th Black Hills, SD Expedition, Lupe’s peakbagging days were just beginning.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on W Deerfield Road in the valley of the North Fork of Castle Creek. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Some<\/a>
Some of the very tempting cows Lupe didn’t bark at.<\/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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 133 – South Castle Rock, Castle Rock, Nipple Butte, Flag Mountain & Peak 6962 (6-13-15)<\/strong><\/a><\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

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

In early May of 2014, SPHP discovered Peakbagger.com, “an online resource for summit-focused hikers, climbers, and mountain lovers”.\u00a0 User accounts are free, and it seemed like it\u00a0might be fun to record\u00a0a few statistics on Lupe’s expeditions and explorations there.\u00a0 So, on 5-12-14, SPHP created an account for Lupe. Using Peakbagger.com was fun!\u00a0 Almost instantly, Lupe … Continue reading Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 90 – South Castle Rock, Castle Rock, Nipple Butte, Flag Mountain & Peak 6962 (5-24-14)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5671,"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":[105,9,106,176,177,104,179,178,180,304],"class_list":["post-5683","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-castle-rock","tag-flag-mountain","tag-lupe","tag-nipple-butte","tag-peak-6962","tag-south-castle-rock","tag-south-dakota"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/SDC11521.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\/5683","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=5683"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49431,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5683\/revisions\/49431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}