Our group slept overnight at the trailhead and started our hike at 5:45 in the morning. The trail is nice and gentle past Lake Ann and all the way to Lewis Lake. The giant boulder field descending down on the way to Lewis Lake is fairly straightforward to navigate with the cairns; I somehow strayed off path though and attempted to glissade down a patch of snow with red algae, definitely not a good decision :(
From Lewis to Wing, things start to get pretty steep. It truly doesn't get really bad though until you have to climb the gully to get up to the Black Peak ridgeline. The path is relatively straightforward but the rock is just awful. Super chossy garbage and gravel everywhere. I do not own poles but this section has convinced me to change that. If you thought going up was bad, going down is a nightmare. Every rock is just waiting to put you on the ground; save your energy for the descent.
From the ridgeline up to the summit, it's a pleasant class 3 scramble with some fun moves. When approaching the summit block, keep going right to find the easiest path; the Mountain Matt video on YouTube illustrates this well and came in handy. If you're not diligent with finding the easiest path forward, you can definitely add some class 4 fun even before reaching the true summit.
Getting to the true summit requires some serious comfort with exposure. One move requires you to stand on a ledge wide enough for only one foot with an enormous, fatality inducing fall to the right. None of the moves are technically that difficult, but faith in strong hands is a must. We moved on hands and knees in some sections to reduce our fear. The rope people talk about being near the summit is still there for those who bring equipment.
The views from the summit are my favorite I've ever seen in my limited hiking experience. Most stunning is the ultra close view of Goode Mountain which can be seen from the ridgeline too. Both Lewis and Wing come into view and their contrasting colors are simply delightful. Mountains upon mountains fill your every sight. Bugs were surprisingly worst at the summit though; I believe they were some sort of flying ants.
This has been a dream hike for me for a while, and although it was deeply rewarding, it is equally brutal to do in a day. We passed a group that camped at Wing Lake for an attempt which is probably smart for those with less stamina. In total, we went past 3 separate parties trying for Black Peak. Animals seen include tons of pikas and a spruce grouse.
Total stats: 13 miles, 5.2k feet of elevation gain, 9 hours of moving time
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