This I decided to go up two days early and rent the Black Mountain Lookout.
This lookout has only been a rental for two months. I wanted two days but every other tuesday is maintenance day. Turned out okay. Black Mountain is only about 7000' so its not the greatest view, but hey, any view from a lookout is a good view. Up to my visit the weather hasn't been the greatest. Reports in the log say its been cold and windy. Well for me its hot and sunny. AND they put in screens in the lookout. It turned into a hothouse. Of course with all the bugs that are strangely attracted to lookouts you can't open the doors or windows. Glad I only had the one day.
Okay, a common trip from the main camp is going up to Taylor Lake. Taylor is located just under Kettle Rock (former lookout) at about 8000'. From the lake you can see lots of snow up there. Since I have the only Jeep I volunteer to go up and see how the road is. Lots of snow but only one patch I had to drive through. I'm wishing I'd brought the kayak and stuff but I really didn't expect to get in.
Thursday I go off to explore some creek some of the guys wanted to fish. Ford one creek, deeper than normal but okay. The road going down into the creek is in bad shape. I'm thinking I wouldn't want to drive a truck down this road when I get to bottom and see three vehicles. I called this hillbilly camp because they had hound dogs running around and severe lack of teeth. I ask one of the guys "road go on through?". Sure, no problem. How bout fishing? Nothing here, just some crawdads. So I continue on. This creek crossing goes upstream a bit and is quite a bit deeper. Water is coming in the floor boards. A couple more inches and I would have started floating but the Jeep makes it through.
This is where I started hating maps. Road goes left and right. Map only shows left. I go left. Map doesn't show this as a 4x4 road but it is. Couple hundred yards of serious rock crawling then the road disappears into a thicket. Can't be more than half a dozen people drive this road all year. I can barely pick out the trail before it opens up into a nice valley and the road looks well used again. Map is showing two routes through the valley. Theres only one on the ground. Not a problem till it goes through a meadow. I'm thinking oh no, I'll get stuck in the mud plus the trail has once again almost disappeared. Not wanting to turn around I ease out and am pleasantly surprised to find the road is solid.
Friday I'm ready to head back up to Taylor Lake with all my gear. GPS, kayak, dogs ashes. I put the kayak in the lake and of course the wind starts whipping across the lake. I make it across, dump the ashes and look for the geocache thats supposed to be over there. Can't get closer than 81". Then I back up a bit and there it is, 81' up the mountain. I decided dying alone on the lake isn't a good idea and I leave that for another day and head back to the Jeep.
Did I mention I'd left my map with some other guys? I can't get lost going to Taylors, done it too many times. But on the way back to Antelope I decide to try another road. Looks perfect, paralleling Indian creek and leading back to camp. Its a nice wide smooth dirt road for five miles. Till it suddenly terminates. I'd have known that if I had a map.
I took 80 to 89 on the way up. So much snow and runoff that just past Sierraville 89 was down to one lane due to flooding. You know those runaway truck ramps? The ones that say "deep gravel, cars keep out"? On the way home I see a little car buried up to the frame in one. Some people can't read.
