Black Mountain is a 9,500-foot peak in the northern Big Horn Mountains. The approximate 3-mile hike to the top gains about 1,500 feet in elevation and summits at one of two remaining fire lookouts in the Big Horns.
The trail starts out as a four-wheel-drive road before narrowing to a path wide enough to accommodate ATVs narrower than a certain width, which probably explains the trail of cigarette butts we followed up the mountain.
The path is mostly wooded until the very top, where some easy granite scrambling is required. As you ascend, the fire lookout ranges into view above you a few times.
The most remarkable thing about this hike was the passing scent of blueberries in several spots along the trail. Although the blueberries were long gone, their bushes provided a fleeting reminder of what once was.
The fire lookout provides views south all the way to
Cloud Peak and the seemingly "rolling" hills that define the northern Big Horns, but we were unable to enjoy much time at the summit, as a cloud of flying ants exited their nest and harassed us until we relented and rushed back down to tree level to escape their nuisance.
Ironically, while the only wildlife I saw in
three days backpacking the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area was mule deer, we saw two cow moose near the highway on the way to the trailhead and saw a black bear in the same meadow on the way home, but it was too far away for the photo to run out.
Also on the way home, we stopped to see
Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. Medicine wheels are sacred places for many American Indians, many of whom have made pilgrimages to the wheels for thousands of years and continue to do so today. Entrance to the site is free, although able-bodied visitors must make the three-mile (round trip) trek at nearly 10,000 feet elevation to see the wheel.
Overall, it's interesting to walk around and see the offerings people have left, but unless your religion dictates, there's really no need for multiple visits.
A word of warning to anyone planning to hike Black Mountain in the near future: because of ongoing work to straighten U.S. 14 through the Big Horns, any obvious signs for Forest Road 16 have been obstructed or removed because of construction. On our way to the trailhead, we actually passed the turnoff (even though we were aware of its general location and were looking for it) and had to retrace our steps using GPS navigation to locate the correct exit.