{"id":9351,"date":"2018-05-20T08:10:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-20T14:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=9351"},"modified":"2020-09-21T13:05:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T19:05:56","slug":"black-hills-sd-expedition-no-78-the-experimental-forest-minnesota-ridge-3-9-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=9351","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 78 – The Experimental Forest & Minnesota Ridge (3-9-14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

After 3 weeks of very cold weather, suddenly the forecast was for 70\u00b0F!\u00a0 Lupe couldn’t have been happier.\u00a0 An expedition was in the works!\u00a0 Lupe ran over to Dog Heaven and got permission for her buddy, Sidney, to come along, too.\u00a0 Big Sid was equally thrilled with this turn of events.\u00a0 It had been nearly 3 months since the last time he’d joined Lupe on Expedition No. 72\u00a0back on her 3rd birthday in December.\u00a0 This would be his 7th Black Hills expedition with her.<\/p>\n

Before long, SPHP was parking the G6 along USFS Road No. 616 (9:36 AM, 48\u00b0F), a little N of its junction with Rochford Road.\u00a0 This was in the SE part of a roughly 5 square mile area shown on the old USFS map as the “Black Hills Experimental Forest”.\u00a0 What was experimental about it was never\u00a0clear.\u00a0 The whole area was ponderosa pine forest with a few aspens mixed in, indistinguishable\u00a0from the rest of the Black Hills.<\/p>\n

Snow was melting in the forest, as Lupe and Sidney set out on No. 616 going N.\u00a0 The road was still hard snow-packed and icy.\u00a0 Loop and Big Sid spent most of the time roaming the forest nearby having a blast, while SPHP trudged along the slick surface.\u00a0 After 0.25 mile, a junction with USFS Road No. 660 was reached.\u00a0 No 660 was clearly less traveled and looked more interesting, so Lupe and company took it.<\/p>\n

At first, No. 660 lost elevation gradually.\u00a0 It wound around near the S and then the W border of the Experimental Forest.\u00a0 By the time it turned N, the road was gaining elevation steadily.\u00a0 After a little while, Lupe was starting to get glimpses of views off to the SW.\u00a0 However, along a fairly level section of road, she and Sidney saw something of much greater interest.\u00a0 Off to the NE, something was moving in the trees!<\/p>\n

Giant deer!\u00a0 Lupe and Sidney were enthralled.\u00a0 SPHP counted 17 elk for certain, and there were probably more.\u00a0 It was the biggest herd of giant deers Lupe had ever seen.\u00a0 The elk ran off as soon as they realized they had company, quickly disappearing from view.\u00a0 So cool!<\/p>\n

Continuing N, the road started gaining elevation again.\u00a0 Lupe came to an opening in the forest with an unobstructed view to the SW.\u00a0 The views were getting better.\u00a0 Beyond the viewpoint, No. 660 angled NE re-entering the forest.\u00a0 Lupe passed by a couple of big puddles on the NW side of the road.\u00a0 The first one was an interesting yellow-orange color.<\/p>\n

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This first big meltwater puddle on the NW side of USFS Road No. 660 was an unusual yellow-orange color. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the time Lupe passed the second puddle, she was approaching a ridge to the N.\u00a0 No. 660 would soon turn E to rejoin No. 616 again, but the plan was to go NW toward Minnesota Ridge.\u00a0 Shortly after passing the second puddle, Lupe, Big Sid and SPHP all left the road heading NW.\u00a0 The dogs discovered a small meadow with the best view yet.<\/p>\n

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This small meadow was a little NW of where Lupe and Sidney left USFS Road No. 660. It had the best distant view yet. Photo looks WSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After enjoying the view from the meadow, Lupe and Big Sid continued NW, leaving\u00a0the Experimental Forest.\u00a0 The top of the ridge to the N was now only a little higher than where they were, so they climbed up on it.\u00a0 The ridgeline was rather rocky and narrower than SPHP expected.\u00a0 Lupe and Sidney followed it WSW a short distance before SPHP called a halt to check the map.<\/p>\n

During the break, both dogs were extraordinarily helpful at reducing SPHP’s chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie burden.<\/p>\n

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Lupe and Sidney at the break point on the ridge. Here they proved most helpful at reducing SPHP’s chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie burden. Photo looks WSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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So, SPHP, that pack looks kind of heavy. Are you quite certain there aren’t any more cookies in there I could help you with?<\/em> Looking back ENE along the ridgeline. Although this ridge was fairly high, the views were nothing to write home about.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The map had shown that the S end of Minnesota Ridge was still more than a mile W.\u00a0 When the cookie break was over, Lupe and Big Sid continued WSW along the rocky ridgeline.\u00a0 The high rocky part soon ended, and everyone started down a slope going SW.\u00a0 Lupe emerged from the forest at a big sunny open area where the forest appeared to have been clear cut.\u00a0 From here, a logging trail led down to USFS Road No. 204.<\/p>\n

Lupe and Sidney reached No. 204 at its high point at a minor pass.\u00a0 They didn’t follow the road.\u00a0 Instead, they crossed it heading W into forest and started climbing\u00a0Minnesota Ridge.\u00a0 As they gained elevation, the amount of snow and deadfall timber around increased rapidly.\u00a0 Lupe expended a tremendous amount of energy leaping over deadfall and\u00a02 foot high snowdrifts.<\/p>\n

Eventually, a tall rock ledge appeared ahead.\u00a0 Lupe, Big Sid and SPHP climbed up on\u00a0it for a look around.\u00a0 The former views to the S and SW were blocked by trees, but now snowy Custer Peak<\/a><\/span> (6804 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> could be seen off to the NNW.\u00a0 After admiring the view, SPHP led Lupe and Sidney NW picking a way along the ledge.<\/p>\n

SPHP expected the ledge to\u00a0slowly sink back\u00a0into the easier surrounding terrain.\u00a0 Instead, the ledge became even higher.\u00a0 20 foot cliffs were on both sides.\u00a0 Deep fissures in the rocks, combined with snow and small trees growing up in the cracks made traversing the ledge slow and tricky.\u00a0 At a particularly wide crack in the rocks, Lupe and Sidney finally found a way down through a 40 foot long passage.<\/p>\n

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Looking back up the deep crack in the rocks that Lupe and Sidney used to get off the rock ledge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once\u00a0off the rock ledge, Lupe and Sidney resumed a steady climb going NW through the forest.\u00a0 Snow was everywhere now, perhaps 1.5 to 2 feet deep on average, with drifts up to 3 feet deep.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t complain, but SPHP began to worry she was going to wear herself out and get cold.\u00a0 Big Sid was well insulated, and being considerably larger, had far less trouble.<\/p>\n

SPHP wondered why Lupe hadn’t reached USFS Road No. 203 yet?\u00a0 If she went\u00a0too far N, she would miss\u00a0the road\u00a0entirely.\u00a0 Even though it meant losing elevation, it was time to change course and head SW to find the road.\u00a0\u00a0It proved to be farther away than SPHP expected, but Lupe did come to it.\u00a0 She turned N on No. 203, resuming her climb of Minnesota Ridge.<\/p>\n

A side road heading W with a sign saying Green Gulch Loop appeared.\u00a0 SPHP remembered this place.\u00a0 Lupe had passed by here on a prior expedition.\u00a0 At the time, Green Gulch Loop had looked like an interesting place to explore.\u00a0 SPHP expected it would take Lupe up and over the ridge to the W then down into Green Gulch.<\/p>\n

Not true, as it turned out.\u00a0 The road began promisingly enough going W while gaining elevation, but before long Green Gulch Loop made a big curve back to the S.\u00a0 Lupe and Sid started coming to a number of hillbilly cabins and old campers up on a relatively narrow ridge.\u00a0 Signs at each property said “Private Property”, “Beware of Dog” or “No Trespassing”.\u00a0 The fanciest home\u00a0featured a big tattered Confederate flag flying on a tall flagpole at an exposed part of the ridge.<\/p>\n

Lupe reached a place where it looked like the road ended.\u00a0 A house and garage were practically right on Green Gulch Loop.\u00a0 A sign said “Smile You’re On Camera”.\u00a0 Another sign mentioned a dog.\u00a0 SPHP hesitated, unsure if this was the end or not.\u00a0 Although there were plenty of tire tracks in the snow, none of them were fresh.\u00a0 No people or dogs were evident anywhere.\u00a0 Deep valleys were to the E and W.<\/p>\n

After a couple minutes, SPHP decided to see if Lupe and Big Sid could go around this property.\u00a0 Everyone left the road skirting around to the W, away from the house and garage.\u00a0 The maneuver succeeded.\u00a0 Surprisingly, Green Gulch Loop did continue S beyond the home.\u00a0 Lupe and Sid passed by a couple more decaying shacks along the way before they were completely beyond the strange hillbilly camp.<\/p>\n

Green Gulch Loop stayed up high\u00a0until\u00a0the narrow ridge\u00a0petered out.\u00a0 Near the end, Lupe and Big Sid lost considerable elevation before arriving at an intersection where several USFS roads headed off in different directions.\u00a0 Lupe had been here before on Expedition No. 51 nearly a year ago on 3-14-13.\u00a0 Since it was time to start thinking about working back toward the G6, Lupe and Sidney took USFS Road No. 204 going E.\u00a0 In about 0.75 mile, it would link up with No. 203.<\/p>\n

By now the ice on the road was getting soft and slushy.\u00a0 Wherever there wasn’t ice and slush, there was mud.\u00a0 Fortunately, ice still prevailed.\u00a0 Lupe and Sid were losing elevation, so it was a pleasant stroll.\u00a0 The road turned NE and the intersection with No. 203 came into view ahead.\u00a0 Surprisingly, another intersection was closer.\u00a0 A road led S into a shallow valley with nice open ground.\u00a0 A sign said this was Killoern Springs Road.\u00a0 This road wasn’t shown on the USFS map, but the shallow valley looked appealing.\u00a0 Lupe and Big Sid made the turn S.<\/p>\n

After only a short distance, Killoern Springs Road turned W and climbed up out of the shallow valley.\u00a0 However, SPHP recognized this place from Expedition No. 51, too.\u00a0 A pole fence running E\/W partially blocked the way farther S down the shallow valley, but an ATV trail could be seen continuing beyond the fence.\u00a0 That was the way to go!\u00a0 Lupe, Sidney and SPHP left Killoern Springs Road, went around the pole fence, and followed the ATV trail.<\/p>\n

Lupe and Sidney had a great time in the shallow valley.\u00a0 The ground was nearly level and open.\u00a0 Snow was still present, but far less than had been up on Minnesota Ridge.\u00a0 Both dogs ran around as they pleased.\u00a0 Lupe was excited by several large birds which flew down the valley not very far above her.\u00a0 A small stream appeared, a western tributary of Gimlet Creek.\u00a0 Several times the ATV trail forded the stream, but the creek was so small even SPHP could leap across it.<\/p>\n

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The ATV trail forded this western tributary of Gimlet Creek several times, but the stream was so small even SPHP could simply leap over it. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Due to the melting snow, the tiny stream had good flow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Loopster and Sidney had a great time in the shallow valley leading to Gimlet Creek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shallow valley had been slowly turning SE.\u00a0 After nearly a mile, it broadened out and turned directly E.\u00a0 Another 0.25 mile brought Lupe to a small pond she had seen before on Expedition No. 51.\u00a0 A nice bridge crossed the stream again at the dam.\u00a0 Everyone went over the bridge.\u00a0 Gimlet Creek could now be seen off to the E.\u00a0 It flowed down another valley from the N\u00a0on its way to\u00a0its confluence with\u00a0the tributary Lupe and Sid had been following.<\/p>\n

Lupe, Sidney and SPHP headed E\u00a0to Gimlet Creek, then turned N to explore part of this new valley, too.\u00a0 Several more creek crossings were required, but it was still fairly easy to find ways across.\u00a0 At the last crossing, a few boards helped SPHP get over the creek.\u00a0 After going 100 yards farther, SPHP suddenly realized Lupe and Sidney weren’t here!\u00a0 Where were they?\u00a0 Turning around, SPHP saw them back near the last creek crossing.\u00a0 Big Sid was watching Lupe.<\/p>\n

Lupe came running toward SPHP.\u00a0 She was carrying something in her mouth – a piece of deer leg!\u00a0 Lupe had occasionally found pieces of deer legs and carcasses in the forest on prior expeditions, but none like this one.\u00a0 This deer leg was red with blood!\u00a0 Fur, a little meat, and sinewy membranes still clung to the bone.<\/p>\n

Lupe considered this deer leg the find of a century!\u00a0 She couldn’t have been happier if she had come across an ancient Egyptian tomb full of golden treasures.\u00a0 To her the deer leg was a treasure!\u00a0 She growled menacing warnings at Sidney whenever he got close.\u00a0 Sidney had the good sense to stay away and show no interest.<\/p>\n

Lupe was crazy for the deer leg.\u00a0 She tore at it, cutting pieces of fur and sinew off using her molars like scissors.\u00a0 She\u00a0devoured what little meat and sinew there was, even though she wound up swallowing a lot of fur in the process.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t care.\u00a0 She acted like a ravenous wolf.\u00a0 It all came very naturally to her.\u00a0 She knew\u00a0exactly what to do!<\/p>\n

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It was the find of a century! Lupe was crazy for this deer leg she found in the Gimlet Creek valley. She growled warnings at Sidney whenever he got close.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe wasn’t about to abandon her deer leg, so SPHP watched while Loop did her best to consume every last morsel of meat or gristle she could tear off it.<\/p>\n

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A savage American Dingo devours a deer in the Gimlet Creek valley!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, after 20 or 30 minutes, hardly anything was left of the deer leg other than fur and bone.\u00a0 SPHP persuaded Lupe that it was time to press on.\u00a0 She agreed with great reluctance.\u00a0 Several times she ran back for her precious deer leg, picking it up and carrying it a bit farther.\u00a0 At last, she finally dropped the deer leg for good.<\/p>\n

The valley split into two valleys just ahead to the N.\u00a0 Gimlet Creek flowed down from the valley that went straight N.\u00a0 The other valley was dry and came down from the NE.\u00a0 It was time to try to find USFS Road No. 660 in the Experimental Forest again, which couldn’t be much farther away to the E.\u00a0 Lupe, Sidney and SPHP left Gimlet Creek going up the dry\u00a0NE valley.<\/p>\n

Lupe hadn’t gone very far when suddenly there was gunfire!\u00a0 One shot, then another.\u00a0 It was coming from the direction Lupe was headed.\u00a0 The ferocious, deer-devouring Dingo vanished in an instant.\u00a0 Lupe begged for SPHP’s help.\u00a0 Hide me!\u00a0 Hide me!\u00a0 Hold me!\u00a0 Protect me!<\/em>\u00a0 Sidney was completely unfazed.\u00a0 He paid no more attention to the gunfire than he had to the rotten deer leg.<\/p>\n

Several more gunshots rang out.\u00a0 Lupe was desperate to get away.\u00a0 Sadly, the Carolina Dog wasn’t far from where she and Sidney had earlier seen the herd of 17 elk.\u00a0 SPHP was afraid the beautiful elk were being slaughtered.\u00a0 It was a most depressing thought.<\/p>\n

Sidney and SPHP turned SE to flee up and out of the valley, while Lupe kept begging SPHP to stop and protect her.\u00a0 The valley\u00a0wasn’t all that deep, but an anxious Dingo constantly leaping in the way didn’t make for a quick escape.\u00a0 SPHP gave in and carried the concerned Carolina Dog partway up the hillside.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the terrain started leveling out, Big Sid found USFS road No. 660 again.\u00a0 By now a total of 5 or 6 gunshots had been heard.\u00a0 SPHP put Lupe down again.\u00a0 Everyone took off down No. 660 racing away to the S.\u00a0 To Lupe’s enormous relief, no more gunfire was heard.\u00a0 The rest of the way back to USFS Road No. 616 and the G6 was uneventful (5:06 PM, 50\u00b0F).<\/p>\n

Lupe’s day\u00a0with\u00a0Big Sid\u00a0in the Experimental Forest and on Minnesota Ridge was over, but\u00a0her Expedition No. 78 adventures were not!\u00a0 A little after midnight, SPHP woke to the sound of a Carolina Dog puking up her spaghetti dinner.\u00a0 Oh, joy!\u00a0 SPHP got up, cleaned up the mess, and snuggled in again with the queasy companion.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later, Lupe gave a repeat performance.\u00a0 This time she threw up fur and grimy deer leg sinews.\u00a0 Another cleanup ensued.\u00a0 Lupe felt much better and slept soundly after that.\u00a0 Expedition No. 78 officially ended in the morning when clean sheets and bedding were restored to the bed after a thorough cleaning in the washer and dryer.<\/p>\n

Could there be any doubt, though, that given the chance to do it all over again Lupe would relish devouring the next deer leg she finds in the forest?\u00a0 Of all the treasures Lupe has found on her many adventures, that spoiled rotten deer leg was the most wonderful, glittering prize of all!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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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>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After 3 weeks of very cold weather, suddenly the forecast was for 70\u00b0F!\u00a0 Lupe couldn’t have been happier.\u00a0 An expedition was in the works!\u00a0 Lupe ran over to Dog Heaven and got permission for her buddy, Sidney, to come along, too.\u00a0 Big Sid was equally thrilled with this turn of events.\u00a0 It had been nearly … Continue reading Black Hills, SD Expedition No. 78 – The Experimental Forest & Minnesota Ridge (3-9-14)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9335,"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":[105,822,9,106,807,826,104,808,802,304],"class_list":["post-9351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-hills","tag-american-dingo","tag-big-sid","tag-black-hills-expeditions","tag-carolina-dog","tag-experimental-forest","tag-gimlet-creek","tag-lupe","tag-minnesota-ridge","tag-sidney","tag-south-dakota"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/SDC11353.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\/9351","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=9351"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28227,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9351\/revisions\/28227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}