No-one is ever in upper guk except the occasional croc hunter.
Hit this guy - if he isn't up, hit the place holders.
Hit the scryer
Hit the squire
Hit the giant spider
Hit the warden
Just keep working this circle and you won't have to wait for pops and don't get bored. You'll pick up some not-bad gear for twinking or selling in EC and eventually the boy will drop the mask.