Wing Lake,Lewis Lake #731,Lake Ann,Black Pk
Aug 09, 2005
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Lake Ann (Rainy Pass)
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Agency: Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest, Mount Baker Ranger District
- Trails: Maple Pass (#740), Lake Ann (#740A)
- Avg Rating: 4.31
- Be Aware Of
- Bugs
Doctor Messing and I visited Wing Lake and the col south of Black peak on a 3 day adventure.
Long drive to Rainy pass as usual, mitigated by scenery and anticipation. Nice warmup hike to Heather pass with plenty of marmots at the open basin before turning the corner to Lake Ann and up to Heather pass.
From Heather pass we prefer to take the ""snotty"" trail fragments that descend to Lewis lake(where ever possible), rather make a beeline across the long boulder field. Look for the boot paths down to the right in the trees instead of going into the boulders. Even so, there are still two significant boulder field crossings, and one dirty steep gully to traverse.
We crossed the outlet of Lewis and picked up the trail into the camps at this green silty lake below the Lewis glacier and Corteo pk.
Our research shows that it is now better to take the bootpath around the right side of Lewis lake(close on the north side) than to slog through the rockfields on the south side. Of course this is mostly because there is little or no snow to scoot around on. In spring or, even a typical July with more snow than we have now, it is much faster to just go in a straight line on the snow from Heather pass to Lewis lake. But not now with so little snow around. The route goes to Wing Lake from Lewis Lake , mostly following the edge of the giant moraines. Behold the glory of this fractured land.
Wing lake is snow free with the usual aprons of perma snow around the edges.
The route to the south col from Wing lake is fairly obvious. There is more than one way to proceed from the lake, but you will want to move to the right, onto the flanks of Black itself as you approach the south col. Once at or below the col, it may be better (again) to approach from the right, instead of trying to go straight up from below the col. The last stretch to the col is on ever steepening bare dirt and rock sprinkled with gravel . Not good. It is far easier when there is snow here than to hike up than the bare dirt and crap that is there now ( I have climbed Black this way twice with snow to this col).
Once near the col in the hellish bare dirt, there is a knob at the col, and it looks 1ike you can go left or right, or climb a class 3 chute up the middle. Our research showed the middle chute to be full of loose class 3 holds, and danger. The left option is also bad. You pretty much have to scramble up the bare dirt to the right to get to the col.
Once at the col south of Black, you will be stupefied with incredible wiews from Logan to the N/E to Goode, Dome, Glacier, Silver Star, etc etc.
The way to Black from here is on an obvious bootpath to the north, then gullys up and up.
Dr. Messing and I decided the south col was enough for us this time.
The way down from the col on the steep dirt was not fun. There are so few holds, and so much steep bare dirt/rock with gravel on it. Beware.
Re: bugs. They were bad, but not insane. Just be ready.
We may return earlier next year when snow and ice axes make Black peak a nice stair climb, thats the way Dr messing and I like it.
An osprey was sighted at wing lake, some ducks at Lewis. A few deer tracks, but it seems to me the big mammals dont get up to Wing Lk. too often. I guess they dont care about the great views.
Pics are of Wing And Lewis, and me and Goode, from the col south of Black.
I would like to thank Dr Messing for contributing his expertise to this mission.
|
|
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
