High Sierra Topix

So lazy I couldn't even finish writing the stupid title.

I was solo this past Saturday, so I just picked the closest SPS peak to my house that was on a road closed during winter (gotta save Tahoe peaks for winter). Black Hawk Mountain it was!

I was on call for work on Sunday, but I had Saturday free. Woke up at 4AM, threw my running gear in the truck, and was at Kennedy Meadows by 7:30. I didn't do a whole lot of research beforehand, just figured "go south on trail til you can cross the creek, cross, then go south until you run out of up". That and some peakbagger reports would do, the whole Emigrant Wilderness is like class 2 granite.

8.5 hours, car to car, on horse poop trails & pleasant granite slabs. The trail was somewhat runnable, made good time. Cross country slabs made for a lot of easy travel. Still not fast like a trail though. Not a bad time for a hiker, but pretty crappy for a supposed runner (I am not a good runner).

Here's some pics:

I called my mom from the summit while hiding behind a rock from raging wind. Found Powen Ru's recently placed summit register inside a tomato sauce jar.


I came across a party of 4 people fishing at the big Lewis Lake. And I found a pair of sandals at the lake outlet (free swag!). They were decrepit as hell, and I threw them away (not so swaggy).

That's a long dayhike to that summit that covers quite a range in different scenery. Nice photos from a viewpoint that is certainly off the beaten track. I like the summit view to the south. I didn't realize the view was so good from there (have been to Iceland-Sardella-Lewis' but not Black Hawk Mtn summit) but it makes sense when figuring the topographic situation. You can really pick up a lot of the major summits of Yosemite from there, plus a few to the south of that. For example, just to the left of Lyell you'll see a fairly sharp peak to the left of a higher one with a bulkier profile. That is Banner and Ritter. Of the spots en route, my favorite (aesthetically) is Middle Lewis (the largest Lewis, which you have a nice photo of), which I think is the most scenic of the lakes in that highland area (edging out Iceland). Fish aren't so big in there, though (small to medium brookies).

giantbrookie wrote: ↑Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:55 amjust to the left of Lyell you'll see a fairly sharp peak to the left of a higher one with a bulkier profile. That is Banner and Ritter.

Yeah, it looked like Banner-Ritter to me, but it also looked lower than Lyell, which I knew not to be the case.

I also figured I'd see the Sawtooth Ridge, but it seems blocked by Tower & Forsyth.

That whole ridge from Granite Dome to Mosquito pass has great views and is a fun walk, with some nice wildflowers in season.

Lazy, but works for me.