{"id":5878,"date":"2016-06-15T08:10:04","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T14:10:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5878"},"modified":"2019-04-06T22:23:08","modified_gmt":"2019-04-07T04:23:08","slug":"peak-8840-eagle-rock-laramie-mountains-wyoming-5-29-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5878","title":{"rendered":"Peak 8840 & Eagle Rock, Laramie Mountains, Wyoming (5-29-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lupe had already had a great day in the Laramie Mountains of Wyoming!\u00a0 She’d gotten an early start and climbed The Summit<\/a><\/span> (8,880 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, Leg Benchmark<\/span><\/a> (9,055 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, and Pole Mountain<\/a><\/span> (9,040 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 SPHP had more peakbagging exploits in mind for her, but rain showers had delayed her start\u00a0for Peak 8840<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 It was OK.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP ate lunch\u00a0in the G6 while waiting for the rain to end.<\/p>\n

The sun\u00a0came out.\u00a0 It was time\u00a0to go (3:24 PM, 59\u00b0F)!\u00a0 The G6 was parked at the intersection of USFS Roads No. 703 & 714.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP got out, and crossed the terrible cattle guard where No. 703 continued N.\u00a0\u00a0The cattle guard\u00a0was in such bad shape, SPHP hadn’t even dared to take the G6 across it.<\/p>\n

Peak 8840 was an easy peakbagging goal.\u00a0 It was only a mile N of the G6.\u00a0 Lupe could follow No. 703 (Pilot Hill\u00a0Road)\u00a0almost all the way there.\u00a0 Peak 8840 wasn’t much of a peak,\u00a0just a high spot along a big ridge.\u00a0 Lupe was already up on the ridge,\u00a0so she would only gain\u00a0200 feet of elevation.\u00a0 Lupe was going to Peak 8840, anyway.\u00a0 Peakbagging doesn’t always have to be an ordeal!<\/p>\n

The road wound around a bit as it went over a sparsely forested rise.\u00a0 On the other side of the hill, No. 703 continued N.\u00a0 To the NNW,\u00a0Lupe saw a\u00a0big hill with several towers on top.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe came over a rise to see this big hill with towers on it up ahead. No. 703 (Pilot Hill Road) is seen continuing\u00a0toward the R (E) side of the hill. Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trudge N on dirt road No. 703 wasn’t too exciting.\u00a0 Although big clouds could still\u00a0be seen off in various directions, it was sunny and kind of hot out.\u00a0 The ridge Lupe was on was 0.25 mile wide, and even more in some places.\u00a0 No. 703 went around the E side of the hill with the towers on it, gaining elevation slowly along the way.<\/p>\n

The road leveled out when Lupe got NE of the towers on the hill.\u00a0 It was so sunny and warm, Lupe and SPHP took a break under a big pine tree a short distance W of the road.\u00a0 SPHP put on sunscreen, and then consulted the topo map.\u00a0 Peak 8840 had to be at the top of the long gentle slope now visible to the NE on the other side of No. 703.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP returned to No. 703 and kept going.\u00a0 Before long, the road started curving NW on its way to Pilot Hill, still 1.75 miles away.\u00a0 Pilot Hill<\/a><\/span> (8,859 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was actually a bit higher than Peak 8840.\u00a0 Lupe would have gone there, too, except Pilot Hill wasn’t in the Medicine Bow National Forest.\u00a0 SPHP wasn’t sure there was legal access, and didn’t\u00a0care to walk all the way over there to find out.<\/p>\n

Where No. 703 turned NW, Lupe and SPHP left the road.\u00a0 Despite being in the national forest, there was a barbed wire fence near the road.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP slipped under it.\u00a0 Lupe trotted up the long grassy slope toward the summit of Peak 8840.\u00a0 It was an easy, if unspectacular, hike.<\/p>\n

Nearing the summit, SPHP turned around to look at the view.\u00a0 Suddenly the need for speed was apparent!\u00a0 Although it was still warm and sunny out\u00a0on Peak 8840, a big cloud was approaching from the SW.\u00a0 Rain was pouring from it.\u00a0 The cloud was still miles away, but wouldn’t take too long to get here.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP started hurrying toward the highest point at the end of the long slope.<\/p>\n

The summit proved to be right where it looked like it would be.\u00a0 Several big dead pine trees were standing there.\u00a0 NE beyond the summit, the ground sloped down only slightly toward a long snow drift a couple of feet deep.\u00a0 Beyond the snow drift was the living forest that lined the N edge of the mountain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe at the summit of Peak<\/span> 8840<\/span><\/a><\/strong>. Photo looks SW toward the approaching storm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"On<\/a>
On the summit of Peak 8840. The summit didn’t offer any dramatic views.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SPHP wasn’t entirely convinced right away that Lupe had made it to the true summit of Peak 8840.\u00a0 Clearly there wasn’t any higher ground to the S, W or N, but a ridge extended out to the E from the summit.\u00a0 It wasn’t possible to\u00a0see far\u00a0enough to rule out\u00a0higher points along the E ridge.<\/p>\n

Despite the approaching storm, Lupe and SPHP made a hasty exploration of the E ridge.\u00a0 There weren’t any higher points on it than the summit Lupe had already been to.\u00a0 However, there were some much better viewpoints.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went all the way to the E end of the ridge.\u00a0 Near the end, on the S side, Lupe came to a well-constructed cairn of\u00a0reddish\/pinkish rocks.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on the cairn of reddish\/pinkish rocks near the end of the E ridge of Peak 8840. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Looking SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe posed\u00a0for a couple of photos on the reddish\/pinkish rock cairn with nice views to the S in the background.\u00a0 Then\u00a0Lupe checked out the views from the N side of the E ridge.<\/p>\n

\"There<\/a>
There was some pretty remote, dry looking territory N of the E ridge of Peak 8840. Photo taken with the telephoto lens looking N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Pilot<\/a>
Pilot Hill<\/a><\/span> (8,859 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> from the E ridge of Peak 8840. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the exploration of the E ridge complete, Lupe and SPHP hastened back to the summit of Peak 8840.\u00a0 There wasn’t much time to lose.\u00a0 The storm was getting closer.\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0returned to Pilot Hill Road\u00a0and made for the G6.<\/p>\n

For the last 10 or 15 minutes, Lupe and SPHP got sprinkled on.\u00a0 Thunder could be heard in the distance, although Lupe saw no lightning.\u00a0 Less than a minute after reaching the G6 (4:57 PM, 50\u00b0F), the rain hit.\u00a0 It wasn’t a cloudburst, but it rained\u00a0steadily for 15 minutes.\u00a0 Lupe was safe and dry in the G6.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe looking kind of smug about her just in the nick of time escape from the rain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The rain eased up, but didn’t stop entirely.\u00a0 SPHP started the G6 and drove E on USFS Road No. 714.\u00a0 The day was now wearing on, but Lupe had one more peakbagging goal left ahead of her – Eagle Rock<\/a><\/span> (8,320 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The first views of Eagle Rock weren’t very encouraging.\u00a0 It looked very rocky, and\u00a0perhaps impossible for Lupe to climb.\u00a0 SPHP stopped the G6 0.5 mile WSW of Eagle Rock to wait for the rain to clear.\u00a0 SPHP hoped Lupe would see a rainbow.\u00a0 A double rainbow started to form, but faded before it really became distinct.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP explored\u00a0a group of\u00a0big rocks\u00a0in a\u00a0grassy field\u00a0SW of\u00a0the road while raindrops\u00a0continued to splash down sporadically.\u00a0 Lupe was perfectly happy sniffing around.\u00a0 SPHP continued to contemplate Eagle Rock.<\/p>\n

\"Eagle<\/a>
Eagle Rock from the WSW near USFS Road No. 714.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even after the rain completely ended, there continued to be big clouds around.\u00a0 Now they were off to the N.\u00a0 Thunder could occasionally be heard.\u00a0 Slowly the situation calmed down.\u00a0 SPHP found a place to park the G6 at a small pullout along No. 714.1F less than 100 feet N of its intersection with No. 714 (6:40 PM, 44\u00b0F).<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP left the G6 and followed No. 714.1F going N toward the W side of Eagle Rock.\u00a0 No. 714.1F went through a strange area where there was a maze of little roads.\u00a0 This looked like an abandoned campground, or at least a dispersed camping area with a number of sites.\u00a0 Big mud puddles covered the road in some places.\u00a0 Some of the puddles\u00a0were fed by small streams\u00a0trickling out of a marshy aspen forest.<\/p>\n

\"Eagle<\/a>
Eagle Rock from the SSW near USFS Road No. 714.1F.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on No. 714.1F on her way to Eagle Rock. Big mud puddles covered the road in several places. Some of the puddles were fed by tiny streams trickling out of the marshy aspen woods.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before long, No. 714.1F climbed out of the aspen forest and into the pines.\u00a0 When SPHP figured Lupe had gone far enough N, it was time to turn E to start the climb up the short, but steep slope to Eagle Rock.\u00a0 Soon Lupe was quite high up on the mountain.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe nears the top of Eagle Rock<\/a><\/span> (8,320 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It had been apparent from a distance that the top of Eagle Rock consisted of a line of very rocky and distinct high points, each crowned by stacks of large, rounded boulders.\u00a0 Even from near the top, though, it wasn’t entirely clear which of these high points was the true summit.\u00a0 SPHP could rule out the high points toward the S, but depending on where one was, either the middle or N high points looked like the summit.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe below the very highest rocks of the middle high point of Eagle Rock. SPHP believes this may well be the true summit, but isn’t entirely certain. There were high points farther N that also seemed like possible candidates, too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe visited the middle high point first.\u00a0 Slowly and carefully, Lupe and SPHP also worked around to competing high points farther N.\u00a0 The SE face of Eagle Rock was virtually a cliff, but it was possible to maneuver around on the ridgeline or just to the W of it.\u00a0 In truth, Lupe never got right up on top of the very highest rocks, but she\u00a0got within 5 or 10 feet each time – close enough for Dingo work!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe near the high point farthest N. The actual top is 5 to 10 feet higher and close to where SPHP took this photo from.\u00a0Lupe had already been there, too. Photo looks SW along the very rocky Eagle Rock summit ridge. What may be the true summit, the middle high point, is seen just to the L of Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"After<\/a>
After visiting the N high point, Lupe returned to the middle high point to see how high up she could get. Here she is sitting right next to the very highest rock. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe sits between the highest rocks of the middle high point. The rock on the left may be the true summit of Eagle Rock. Just a foot or two behind Lupe is a cliff, but American Dingoes have much better sense than to go over cliffs. Photo looks ESE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe still near the middle high point of Eagle Rock. One of the N high points she visited is seen beyond her some distance away. From some angles, the N high point looked to be the true summit of Eagle Rock. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scrambling around among the boulders on Eagle Rock was a lot of fun.\u00a0 It was certainly a much more interesting summit than Peak 8840 had been.\u00a0 SPHP was pleased with how very close Lupe was able to get to the absolute tops of the very highest rocks.\u00a0 Even though she technically fell a little bit short, Lupe was definitely claiming Eagle Rock as a peakbagging success!<\/p>\n

\"After<\/a>
After climbing Eagle Rock, Lupe returned to the G6 (8:02 PM, 5-29-16). She spent the night car camped along No. 714.1F near the mountain. The next morning, Lupe saw this view of Eagle Rock from the SE. From this angle, it looks like the true summit is at the N high point on the R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s 2016 Laramie Mountains, WY Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lupe had already had a great day in the Laramie Mountains of Wyoming!\u00a0 She’d gotten an early start and climbed The Summit (8,880 ft.), Leg Benchmark (9,055 ft.), and Pole Mountain (9,040 ft.).\u00a0 SPHP had more peakbagging exploits in mind for her, but rain showers had delayed her start\u00a0for Peak 8840.\u00a0 It was OK.\u00a0 Lupe … Continue reading Peak 8840 & Eagle Rock, Laramie Mountains, Wyoming (5-29-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5871,"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":[648],"tags":[105,106,26,654,655,104,653,11,275],"class_list":["post-5878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-laramie-mountains-wyoming","tag-american-dingo","tag-carolina-dog","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-eagle-rock","tag-laramie-mountains","tag-lupe","tag-peak-8840","tag-peakbagging","tag-wyoming"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/IMG_1089.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\/5878","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=5878"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21606,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5878\/revisions\/21606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}