{"id":7204,"date":"2016-12-04T08:10:42","date_gmt":"2016-12-04T15:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=7204"},"modified":"2020-09-23T12:38:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-23T18:38:14","slug":"black-hills-expedition-no-182-mount-pisgah-wy-laird-peak-sd-11-13-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=7204","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills Expedition No. 182 &#8211; Mount Pisgah (WY) &#038; Laird Peak (SD) (11-13-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The sign said &#8220;Lunney&#8221;.\u00a0 This was it!\u00a0 Beyond a gravel parking area, SPHP opened a wire gate, then drove the G6\u00a0down a steep little slope, parking it next to an old building (8:49 AM, 48\u00b0F).\u00a0 SPHP closed the gate again.\u00a0 Lupe could come out now.\u00a0 She bounded out of the G6 expecting great things!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7172\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7172\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7172\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3355-e1554392240379.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7172\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe arrives at the Lunney place, ready to start on her next Black Hills, WY adventure. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7173\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7173\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7173\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"The G6 parked on land owned by rancher Lauris Tysdal. The Lunney place just off US Hwy 85 is seen just beyond the fence. Photo looks W.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3356.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7173\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The G6 parked on land owned by rancher Lauris Tysdal. The Lunney place just off US Hwy 85 is seen just beyond the fence. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lupe was in the Black Hills\u00a0of Wyoming, about 5 miles S of the junction of Highways 85 &amp; 585\u00a0at Four Corners.\u00a0 She had just seen Red Butte on the E side of Hwy 85 less than a half mile to the N.\u00a0 SPHP had been watching for the Lunney place, mentioned in a <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/climber\/ascent.aspx?aid=67193\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May, 2009 trip report<\/a><\/strong><\/span> by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/climber\/climber.aspx?cid=601\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Edward Earl<\/strong><\/span><\/a> on Peakbagger.com.<\/p>\n<p>The Lunney place was important as an access point to rancher Lauris Tysdal&#8217;s land and <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/peak.aspx?pid=27436\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mount Pisgah<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(6,380 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 Mount Pisgah was one of two peakbagging goals Lupe had in this vicinity.\u00a0 She already had Mr. Tysdal&#8217;s permission to cross his land to climb Mount Pisgah.\u00a0 Later in the day, Lupe and SPHP would be looking for the owner of the ranch where <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/peak.aspx?pid=27435\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sweetwater Mountain<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(6,440 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was,\u00a0hoping to get\u00a0permission to climb it, too.<\/p>\n<p>First things first, though.\u00a0 Before climbing Mount Pisgah, Lupe was going to go see Red Butte, a fin of red clay topped with a layer of limestone.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went N through a field just E of US Hwy 85.\u00a0 Red Butte was soon in view.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7174\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7174\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7174\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3357-e1554392333804.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe S of Red Butte. This fin of red clay capped by a layer of limestone is a somewhat unusual landmark in the Black Hills area. It is more typical of parts of Wyoming farther W. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7175\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7175\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7175\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Red Butte, WY from the S. The butte is just E of US Hwy 85, about 5 miles S of Four Corners. It is seen to be much longer than it appears here when viewed from the E or W. Photo looks N.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3358.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Butte, WY from the S. The butte is just E of US Hwy 85, about 5 miles S of Four Corners. It is seen to be much longer than it appears here when viewed from the E or W. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After a good look at Red Butte, Lupe and SPHP returned to the G6 where a dirt road on the Tysdal Ranch headed SE.\u00a0 This road would take Lupe all the way up to\u00a0the top of Mount Pisgah.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7176\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7176\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7176\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe about to start for Mount Pisgah. She would follow the dirt road seen here. It went SE beyond the building, then turned NE (L) before reaching the trees. Photo looks SE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3359.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe about to start for Mount Pisgah. She would follow the dirt road seen here. It went SE beyond the building, then turned NE (L) before reaching the trees. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The road took Lupe SE past an old, low building, then turned NE before reaching the trees.\u00a0 Lupe soon came to a fence across the road.\u00a0 The fence wasn&#8217;t mentioned\u00a0in Edward Earl&#8217;s report.\u00a0\u00a0The Carolina Dog slipped under the fence.\u00a0 She\u00a0stayed on the road, as it\u00a0entered the forest and wound its way up\u00a0a small canyon.<\/p>\n<p>Coming out into more open ground again, Lupe could see the same rock formations Red Butte was made of\u00a0evident along the NW side of the canyon.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7177\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7177\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7177\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"The same rock formations Red Butte was made of were also evident on the NW side of the canyon the road to Mount Pisgah passed through. Photo looks NW.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3360.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The same rock formations Red Butte was made of were also evident on the NW side of the canyon the road to Mount Pisgah passed through. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now and then, side roads left the road Lupe was following.\u00a0 She didn&#8217;t take any of the side roads, per Edward Earl&#8217;s advice.\u00a0 The main dirt road slowly turned ENE as it went up the canyon.\u00a0\u00a0For a while, the road looked like it was heading for a minor\u00a0pass to the E.\u00a0 Instead, it\u00a0made a sweeping curve to the S before reaching the pass.<\/p>\n<p>The road grew steeper, and wound around quite a bit, but was generally heading S.\u00a0 Suddenly, Lupe dashed ahead.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0She was\u00a0looking up into the forest to the SE.\u00a0 SPHP saw it, too.\u00a0\u00a0Not too far away, a\u00a0large coyote was watching Lupe!\u00a0 As soon as it made eye contact with SPHP, it fled E into the forest.\u00a0 Lupe was disappointed that the wild dog didn&#8217;t want to be friends, but it was probably for the best.<\/p>\n<p>Lupe reached an orange well pump mentioned by Edward Earl.\u00a0 By now, Lupe could see a tall tower up on the NW end of the huge Mount Pisgah summit plateau.\u00a0 Edward Earl&#8217;s trip report had mentioned that a tower shown on the topo map at the N end of Mount Pisgah was not there, but Lupe most definitely saw one.\u00a0 It was in plain sight.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7178\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7178\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7178\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe at the orange hydrant, mentioned (as an orange well pump) by Edward Earl's trip report. Photo looks SE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3361.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7178\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe at the orange hydrant, mentioned (as an orange well pump) by Edward Earl&#8217;s trip report. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By now, Lupe was fairly high up on the NW slope of Mount Pisgah.\u00a0 There were tree-broken views off to the N and W, but Lupe hadn&#8217;t come to any clear views.<\/p>\n<p>From the orange hydrant, the road leveled out.\u00a0 It turned sharply E, passing below\u00a0the\u00a0steep N\u00a0face of the mountain.\u00a0 Within a few minutes, Lupe came to a fetid\u00a0brown pond in a depression\u00a0S of the road.\u00a0 The pond was shrunken by drought.\u00a0 Hoof prints showed thirsty cattle had churned up the mud around the pond.\u00a0 Apparently, cattle aren&#8217;t overly concerned about water quality.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7179\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7179\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7179\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe at the fetid stock pond shrunken by drought. This pond is just S of the road, and N of the steep upper N face of Mount Pisgah. The brown water looked simply horrid. Photo looks ENE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3362.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7179\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe at the fetid stock pond shrunken by drought. This pond is just S of the road, and N of the steep upper N face of Mount Pisgah. The brown water looked simply horrid. Photo looks ENE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Beyond the nasty pond, the road swung toward the NNE before rounding the end of a narrow ridge\u00a0extending in that direction from the summit plateau.\u00a0 The road then turned S along the less steep E face of Mount Pisgah.\u00a0 The forest was left behind.\u00a0 Lupe was out in grasslands.\u00a0 Here, she had a clear view to the E\u00a0of the Black Hills\u00a0in South Dakota\u00a0across a\u00a0valley several miles wide.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7180\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7180\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7180\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"On the E slope of Mount Pisgah, Lupe had a sweeping view to the E of the Black Hills in South Dakota across a wide valley. Photo looks NE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3364.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7180\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the E slope of Mount Pisgah, Lupe had a sweeping view to the E of the Black Hills in South Dakota across a wide valley. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7181\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7181\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7181\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe on the road up Mount Pisgah. Here she is on the upper E slope of the mountain. The road eventually entered the forest again, before making a couple of switchbacks to emerge up on the summit plateau. Photo looks S.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3365.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7181\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe on the road up Mount Pisgah. Here she is on the upper E slope of the mountain. The road eventually entered the forest again, before making a couple of switchbacks to emerge up on the summit plateau. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another tower was visible\u00a0ahead on top of the mountain,\u00a0as Lupe followed the road S along the upper E slope.\u00a0 The road re-entered the forest, made a couple of switchbacks, and emerged\u00a0on open ground up on the E side of the\u00a0huge summit plateau.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the plateau was grassland, but the N end was pine forest.\u00a0 Pines also ringed the edges of the plateau, cutting off the views, which was a little disappointing.\u00a0 Not just one, but three large towers were visible to the S, a little W of a\u00a0stand of pines where the true summit of Mount Pisgah was hidden from view.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7182\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7182\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7182\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe reaches the open ground on the huge Mount Pisgah summit plateau. The road continued S toward 3 large towers. The towers were W of a stand of pines where the true summit of Mount Pisgah was still hidden from view. Photo looks S.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe reaches the open ground on the huge Mount Pisgah summit plateau. The road continued S toward 3 large towers. The towers were W of a stand of pines where the true summit of Mount Pisgah was still hidden from view. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The road\u00a0led toward the\u00a0three large towers.\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0went that way, but\u00a0her top priority was to find\u00a0the true summit of Mount Pisgah.\u00a0 Edward Earl had reported that\u00a0the highest ground\u00a0was somewhere under a cluster of young evergreens, along with no fewer than 8 concrete slabs with anchor bolts.\u00a0 The concrete footings were\u00a0likely part of a structure that was started, but never completed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7183\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7183\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7183\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3368-e1554392551102.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7183\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Two of the three large towers W of the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>W of the towers, Lupe slipped under a barbed wire fence running E\/W that Edward Earl hadn&#8217;t mentioned.\u00a0 Not too far S of the fence,\u00a0she found the concrete slabs with anchor bolts.\u00a0 The ground in this area was all quite level.\u00a0 There was no clear, exact, high point, but Lupe had reached the true summit of Mount Pisgah.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7184\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7184\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7184\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe stands on one of the concrete slabs Edward Earl mentioned in the area of the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3369.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7184\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe stands on one of the concrete slabs Edward Earl mentioned in the area of the true summit of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The cluster of young evergreens, wasn&#8217;t as young as it had been when Edward Earl was here nearly 7.5 years ago.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7185\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7185\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7185\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe at the summit of Mount Pisgah. A couple of the concrete footings with anchor bolts are in view on the L. The young evergreens Edward Earl had seen nearly 7.5 years ago weren't so young anymore. Photo looks E.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3370.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7185\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe at the summit of Mount Pisgah. A couple of the concrete footings with anchor bolts are in view on the L. The young evergreens Edward Earl had seen nearly 7.5 years ago weren&#8217;t so young anymore. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The true summit of Mount Pisgah wasn&#8217;t too exciting, really.\u00a0 Although the highest ground was quite close to the E edge of the summit plateau, there were too many trees around to see much of anything.\u00a0\u00a0With Lupe&#8217;s peakbagging goal accomplished,\u00a0she left the\u00a0summit\u00a0to take\u00a0a closer look at the towers.<\/p>\n<p>To the SSE of the three towers\u00a0was a battered old blue and yellow school bus.\u00a0 Due to broken glass on the ground, SPHP wouldn&#8217;t let Lupe get too close to it.\u00a0 SPHP gathered up a number of Lupe treasures someone had carelessly discarded near the bus.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7186\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7186\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7186\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe near the battered blue and yellow bus. Broken glass nearby meant Lupe couldn't get too close to it. Why on earth it was here was unfathomable. Photo looks NE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3373.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7186\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe near the battered blue and yellow bus. Broken glass nearby meant Lupe couldn&#8217;t get too close to it. Why on earth it was here was unfathomable. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Edward Earl had only mentioned one tower W of the summit, but now there were three.\u00a0 The two farthest to the N had new-looking concrete slabs for support, and new outbuildings near them.\u00a0 The N towers must have been installed after Mr. Earl had been to Mount Pisgah.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7187\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7187\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7187\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3374-e1554392744508.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The three towers W of the summit. The towers on the L and R were new since Edward Earl was here in May, 2009. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It doesn&#8217;t take a Carolina Dog long to look at a few towers!\u00a0 Lupe was soon ready to move on.\u00a0 Of course, she still had one tower left to check out, the one at the NW end of the summit plateau that she had seen from down by the orange hydrant.<\/p>\n<p>Lupe and SPHP went N along the E edge of the summit plateau, hoping to catch an open view, but found none.\u00a0 Lupe then went NW to the road again on her way to the NW tower.\u00a0 A side road off the main dirt road went N into the forest.\u00a0 Near the N edge of the plateau, it turned W and took Lupe to the lone tower Edward Earl had somehow missed. it turned W and took Lupe to the lone tower Edward Earl had somehow missed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7188\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7188\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7188\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3376.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7188\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Mount Pisgah summit plateau. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7189\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7189\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7189\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3377-e1554392810806.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7189\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Looking S back at the 3 towers W of the summit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7190\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7190\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7190\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3378.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7190\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 3 towers W of the summit from near the start of the side road to the 4th tower at the NW end of the mountain. The intersection with the main dirt road is at the L edge of this photo near the trees. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7191\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7191\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7191\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3380-e1554392890410.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7191\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe nears the NW tower. It must have been here when Edward Earl was around; the outbuilding next to it looked quite old. How he missed it is unclear. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The NW tower had broken wires hanging off of it.\u00a0 Paint had peeled off much of the old shack next to it.\u00a0 However, a heater or air-conditioner on the NE side of the shack was running.\u00a0 How had Edward Earl missed this tower?\u00a0 It must have been here, as\u00a0old as\u00a0it appeared to be.\u00a0 Strange.<\/p>\n<p>SPHP went over to the N edge of the summit plateau, hoping for a view.\u00a0 Lupe didn&#8217;t come.\u00a0 She was standing frozen near the shack.\u00a0 She looked like she does whenever she steps on a cactus.\u00a0 SPHP went back to her.\u00a0 Lupe held up a little front paw, pleading to be carried.<\/p>\n<p>SPHP carried Lupe over to the edge of the plateau.\u00a0 Lupe rolled over on the ground, so SPHP could check her paws for cactus spines.\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 SPHP hadn&#8217;t seen any cactus anywhere on Mount Pisgah, either.\u00a0 Maybe\u00a0Lupe had stepped on something else sharp?\u00a0 Ever since her bad experience with cactus in the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=5247\"><strong>Wildcat Hills of Nebraska<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, Lupe\u00a0tends to assume cactus is everywhere any time her paws\u00a0hurt.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7192\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7192\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7192\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe at the NW end of the summit plateau before starting down the mountain. For a minute or two, she wanted to just sit here. Worried about cactus, she was hoping SPHP was going to carry her back to the G6. Photo looks SE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3381.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7192\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe at the NW end of the summit plateau before starting down the mountain. For a minute or two, she wanted to just sit here. Worried about cactus, she was hoping SPHP was going to carry her back to the G6. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Apparently, Lupe would have liked SPHP to carry her all the way back to the G6.\u00a0 She stopped several times on the way down the mountain.\u00a0 There really wasn&#8217;t anything wrong with her that SPHP could see.\u00a0 She always came running when SPHP got too far ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of taking the road back, Lupe and SPHP went down Mount Pisgah&#8217;s NW slope.\u00a0 A power line went down this way, too.\u00a0 Most of the time Lupe stayed within sight of it.<\/p>\n<p>Surprisingly, although Lupe hadn&#8217;t found any clear views from the edge of the summit plateau on top of the mountain, coming down the NW slope, she did!\u00a0 Red Butte and <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/peak.aspx?pid=27435\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sweetwater Mountain<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(6,440 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0Lupe&#8217;s next peakbagging objective, were both in view from several\u00a0spots on the way down.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7193\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7193\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7193\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Red Butte (L) and Sweetwater Mountain (the long forested ridge on the horizon) as seen from the NW slopes of Mount Pisgah. The canyon seen below Red Butte is the same one Lupe traveled through (from L to R) on the road leading to the top of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NW.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3382.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Butte (L) and Sweetwater Mountain (the long forested ridge on the horizon) as seen from the NW slopes of Mount Pisgah. The canyon seen below Red Butte is the same one Lupe traveled through (from L to R) on the road leading to the top of Mount Pisgah. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7194\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7194\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7194\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Looking down on Red Butte with a little help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks NW.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3383.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7194\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Looking down on Red Butte with a little help from the telephoto lens. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The NW slope was steep until Lupe reached a road after losing 200 to 300 feet of elevation.\u00a0 Lupe took the road SW\u00a0a short\u00a0distance to\u00a0the edge of a small meadow where it looked like there might be a view.<\/p>\n<p>The meadow turned out to be part of\u00a0a much more extensive grassland.\u00a0 Lupe did have a great view to the SW.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7195\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7195\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7195\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe finds a much more extensive grassland than she'd been expecting. She had a great view from here. Photo looks SW.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3384.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7195\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe finds a much more extensive grassland than she&#8217;d been expecting. She had a great view from here. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lupe went through the grassland, and continued on down the NW slope of Mount Pisgah.\u00a0 Down here,\u00a0it\u00a0wasn&#8217;t so steep.\u00a0 Most of the time Lupe was in forest, but a forest full of small openings and glens.\u00a0 Lupe&#8217;s route down was an easy one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7196\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7196\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7196\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Crossing the big grassland, Lupe could see the entire length of the Sweetwater Mountain plateau off to the NW.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3385.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7196\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crossing the big grassland, Lupe could see the entire length of the Sweetwater Mountain plateau off to the NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7197\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7197\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7197\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe came to several dirt roads on the way down Mount Pisgah. She didn't follow any of them very far, but she did travel a short stretch of this road. Photo looks NNE.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3387.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7197\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe came to several dirt roads on the way down Mount Pisgah. She didn&#8217;t follow any of them very far, but she did travel a short stretch of this road. Photo looks NNE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The American Dingo eventually reached the road she had followed to the top of Mount Pisgah\u00a0down in the canyon.\u00a0 She followed it back to the Lunney place, which was only 10 or 15 minutes away (12:25 PM, 55\u00b0F).<\/p>\n<p>The G6 was already up on the gravel parking area on the Lunney place with Lupe in it, and SPHP was just closing the gate to Lauris Tysdal&#8217;s land, when a jeep drove up.\u00a0 Mr. Lunney was in it, somewhat surprised, no doubt, to find Lupe and SPHP on the property.<\/p>\n<p>SPHP explained how Lupe had come to be here.\u00a0 Mr. Lunney seemed satisfied with the explanation.\u00a0 He began to tell SPHP a little bit about the history of the Lunney place.\u00a0 His grandparents had bought the property, which includes over 8 acres of land with the house and outbuildings, back in the 1940&#8217;s.\u00a0 In recent years, it had belonged to his mother, but she passed away earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Lunney has another home, so this Lunney property is eventually going to be sold, although exactly when wasn&#8217;t clear.\u00a0 There was no big rush to sell it.\u00a0 Having been in the family so many decades, Mr. Lunney has a lot of fond memories of this place.<\/p>\n<p>Lupe still had another peakbagging objective today.\u00a0 After\u00a0SPHP&#8217;s\u00a0pleasant chat with Mr. Lunney, it was time to go look for the owner of the ranch that Sweetwater Mountain is on.\u00a0 The ranch wasn&#8217;t far away, but the owner didn&#8217;t seem to be home.\u00a0 Without permission from the owner, Lupe couldn&#8217;t climb Sweetwater Mountain.<\/p>\n<p>SPHP was writing a note to leave on the door of\u00a0the rancher&#8217;s\u00a0home, when the owner drove up on an ATV.\u00a0 SPHP had a conversation with him.\u00a0 The upshot of it all was that Lupe was refused permission to climb Sweetwater Mountain.\u00a0 However, when hunting season is over at the end of November, she is welcome to come back\u00a0to climb it in December.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that was that.\u00a0 No Sweetwater Mountain today.\u00a0 Lupe still had a few hours of daylight to do something with.\u00a0 In the end, it was decided she might just as well climb <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peakbagger.com\/peak.aspx?pid=6227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Laird Peak<\/a><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(6,906 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0N of O&#8217;Neil Pass in South Dakota.\u00a0 Laird Peak wasn&#8217;t a hard climb at all, and was on the way home.<\/p>\n<p>Lupe and SPHP left the G6 parked S of a corral about 0.33 mile N of Hwy 85 along USFS Road No. 106 (2:35 PM, 48\u00b0F).\u00a0 Lupe took a dirt road E up a shallow valley past Tom Spring.\u00a0 The road reached an intersection at the upper end of the valley.\u00a0 From there, Lupe bushwhacked E along the N side of a fence to a small forested rise.\u00a0 She found the Laird Peak survey benchmark on top of the rise.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7198\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7198\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7198\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"The Laird Peak survey benchmark was at the top of a small forested rise.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3392.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7198\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Laird Peak survey benchmark was at the top of a small forested rise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7199\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7199\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7199\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe on Laird Peak. The survey benchmark is seen below her tummy. Photo looks N.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3393.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7199\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe on Laird Peak. The survey benchmark is seen below her tummy. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7200\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7200\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Sweet Lupe on Laird Peak.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3394.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7200\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sweet Lupe on Laird Peak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7201\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7201\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7201\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Even though at 6,906 feet, Laird Peak is quite high for the Black Hills, it was another mountain with no views due to so many trees. The summit area is of modest size. A significant part of it is seen here. The post marking the survey benchmark location is seen on the R. Photo looks N.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3395.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7201\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Even though at 6,906 feet, Laird Peak is quite high for the Black Hills, it was another mountain with no views due to so many trees. The summit area is of modest size. A significant part of it is seen here. The post marking the survey benchmark location is seen on the R. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Climbing Laird Peak had been quick and easy.\u00a0 Lupe had no more peakbagging to do.\u00a0 It was only around 3:00 PM, but the November\u00a0sun was already quite low.\u00a0 It would be dark in another 2 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Since it\u00a0would only take half an hour to get back to the G6, Lupe had some free time to roam and sniff.\u00a0 She had no\u00a0real purpose other than to enjoy life as a free-roaming Dingo in the\u00a0woods.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP wandered through the forest.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog made a big loop to the N, before returning to Laird Peak&#8217;s summit.\u00a0 She then made a big loop to the S, getting fairly close to US Hwy 85.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7202\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7202\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7202\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396-1024x768.jpg?resize=660%2C495\" alt=\"Lupe nearly back to the Laird Peak summit at the end of her exploratory loop to the N. Photo looks S.\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg?w=1651&amp;ssl=1 1651w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3396.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7202\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupe nearly back to the Laird Peak summit at the end of her exploratory loop to the N. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sharply slanting pine-filtered\u00a0rays of sunlight announced the imminent arrival of sunset.\u00a0 Time to start back to the G6.\u00a0 Lupe&#8217;s Black Hills Expedition No. 182\u00a0was drawing to a close.\u00a0 Happily, she&#8217;d made it to Mount Pisgah in Wyoming, one of her two main peakbagging objectives,\u00a0and Laird Peak in South Dakota, but Sweetwater Mountain had eluded her.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully,\u00a0sweet Lupe\u00a0will see the world from the top of Sweetwater Mountain sometime in December, but life&#8217;s uncertain, and that&#8217;s another adventure for another day.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7203\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7203\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-7203\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440-768x1024.jpg?resize=660%2C880\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440.jpg?w=1650&amp;ssl=1 1650w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3397-e1554392988440.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7203\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roaming free S of Laird Peak near day&#8217;s end. Photo looks NNE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=7383\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Next Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=7048\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Prior Black Hills Expedition<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?page_id=3964\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Black Hills Expeditions Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?page_id=18\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to<span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?page_id=18\"><strong>new Lupe adventures<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sign said &#8220;Lunney&#8221;.\u00a0 This was it!\u00a0 Beyond a gravel parking area, SPHP opened a wire gate, then drove the G6\u00a0down a steep little slope, parking it next to an old building (8:49 AM, 48\u00b0F).\u00a0 SPHP closed the gate again.\u00a0 Lupe could come out now.\u00a0 She bounded out of the G6 expecting great things! Lupe &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=7204\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Black Hills Expedition No. 182 &#8211; Mount Pisgah (WY) &#038; Laird Peak (SD) (11-13-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7182,"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":[105,9,106,626,104,717,304,275],"class_list":["post-7204","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-laird-peak","tag-lupe","tag-mount-pisgah","tag-south-dakota","tag-wyoming"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_3366.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\/7204","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=7204"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22536,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7204\/revisions\/22536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}