Black Peak — Sunday, Sep. 5, 2021

Amazing views! This is probably the hardest day hike I have done, but well worth it. Here are the approximate timings based on photos I took:

8:45am start from TH
9:30am junction with Lewis Lake Trail
10:30am Lewis Lake
11:30am Wing Lake, took a 20 minute break here
12:15pm start climbing up saddle
12:45pm top of ridge
1:30pm Black Peak
3:15pm top of ridge
5:30pm past Lewis Lake
7:00pm back at TH

I maintained a good pace while on trail, but there are plenty of places where I had to go slow:

• Boulder field before Lewis Lake. You can skip the majority of the boulders if you follow a cairn marked trail which I found on my way back. Going to Lewis Lake you will need to stay on the right side close to the edge, it starts by taking a sharp right and going down steep. This is not part of the official trail.
• The climb up the saddle wasn't as bad as I though, until the very end when it gets really steep. The last few feet up the saddle are the sketchiest part of the hike. Staying as far to the right as possible seemed to work best.
• The climb from the ridge to Black Peak didn't pose major challenges. I stopped 50ft short of the peak because I was solo and didn't have climbing gear. GPS said I was at the peak elevation.
• Climbing down from Black Peak to the ridge took me longer than going up. Pretty steep so I chose to take it slow and take in the views.
• The first few steps down from the ridge into the saddle are terrifying. Attached a photo showing the slope angle and dirt/rocks.