Sisters Arch / Black Sister Loop - 8/15/24

The Sisters Arch

Black Sister

Our hike in a Nutshell

Starting up Galium Road

Speaking of steep stuff ... and, while we were at it ... we parked at the Lee Canyon Chain-Up Trailhead for one of my favorite hikes, North Black Loop. However, after the hike, it became the Arch Black Loop. Let me explain. We walked to the top end of the long trailhead and started up an obscure old road (Galium Road) with a long forgotten gate. The horses use this route to go up to Galium Spring. We followed the road until it fell into a washed out waterway that the spring spills down. The rains have washed this gulley into a 5' deep ravine so the trail balances on the sides of the embankment. Past the spring runoff, the gulley returns to normal. We continued past the spring only a little before the trail up to the ridge on the left appeared. This trail is not in good condition. You can also remain in the wash and meet the target ridge a little further up.

The wash near Galium Spring

Hiking the Elk Trail on the Ridge

Our first view of North Sister

Mummy Mountain from the steep Climb

South (L) and North (R) Sisters from the ridge Saddle

We assumed that the ridge is travelled by elk due to the clues they left behind. A trail leads along the ridge to dip into the wash fork and continues traveling up the next ridge to the right. This ridge also has the elk trail and rises above a deep gulley on the right. Elk do not travel in a straight line! However, the trail is fairly clear through the trees. Finally, the trees start to thin out and the trail leads up a final climb that ends on the ridge up to the right. It was our first view of North Sister. The ridge is open, has a trail and you also get views of South Sister to the left. The trail continues steeply up through the scree with trees around heading to the Sisters Ridge.

Climbing up the ridge Trail

Steep Trail

Our first view of Black Sister

The Sisters Arch and Black Sister from our Trail

Climbing the next steep Part

The ridge is beautiful in itself but the view to the right takes an even more beautiful turn as Black Sister comes into view. A little more climbing and you see the Sisters Arch. On this hike, we didn't do the short hike out to stand in the arch but we did take photos. The next section seems even steeper so the arch view was a welcome rest. Next, we started up the hill to the right of a tree lying on the ground. I was taking a few more photos and the others went on up the usual way on the ridge. As I came up behind them, I noticed a trail I had not seen before curving around to the right. Maybe it's new. I thought, "Could it be?" Is it a trail that traverses over to a saddle on the Sisters Ridge? Tentatively, I sneaked out the trail as the others climbed up to a high point of the Sisters Ridge. Torn between an exploration and rejoining the group, I promised that if I got all the way up to the Sisters Ridge on a saddle, I would take a left and return to the group on the high ridge to beckon them out to the saddle where the traverse trail ended. Surprisingly, Mike was ahead of me! I arrived at the saddle as Mike was hiking along the Sisters Ridge to meet me. The others followed. The "new" trail was a fantastic find. "Thank you" to whomever created it!

Deadfall on the steep Terrain

View into Lee Canyon from "new" traverse Trail

North Sister from Sisters Ridge

Black Sister from White Sister Break

Macks Peak from White Sister Break

It wasn't too far from White Sister that we started again along the Sisters Ridge. When we got to the small white hill, we sat for a break with the majesty of Black Sister well within view. In addition, we had a view of Charleston Peak, North Sister,  Lee Peak, Macks peak, Mummy Mountain, and the foothills of Lee Canyon. It's a nice place to spend a few minutes. Then, ready to go again, we headed to the left side of Black Sister to hike around to the place we usually climb up on the big dark rock. The others climbed up and I stayed below ... ahem ... to take photos. After several more minutes, we had regathered on the trailing ridge of the third side of the rock where several sculptures of dead trees reside. Our descent from this point was well practiced. Go almost to the end of the trailing ridge and turn left!

Enjoying the coolness on White Sister

View across to trailing ridge Descent

Climb up to top of Black Sister

Black Sister Stuff

Black Sister from trailing ridge Descent

Descend to a large tree laying on the ground, turn right along the tree and reach a trail. Follow this trail all the way down to the saddles below. Today, we headed down to the saddle on the right and took a small rest. Next, we dove down the shaded scree and found the horse trail up above the right side of the wash. When the horse trail petered out, we descended a short distance to the left to start down the wash. When the wash began to bend to the left, we exited onto another vague trail. This trail is a little hard to follow but if you know where the target saddle is, you find your way. In the end, there is a trail that leads all the way up to the Horse Trail saddle where you emerge from the forest to the scree.

Dead tree sculptures on trailing Ridge

Descent from Black Sister

Saddle below Black Sister and start of Horse Trail

Small break on the Black Sister saddle before traverse to Horse Trail Saddle

Vague horse Trail

This is another sight to behold. Next, we started down the scree trail that seems to be obliterated by the weather and ended up just heading down a straighter path. At the bottom, we turned to the left and followed along the foothills coming closer to Lee Canyon Road. We came to another old dirt road that led to the bottom end of the Chain-Up Trailhead and we were back at the cars. Really fun day with a great workout!

Stats: 3.4 miles; 1600' gain (with new traverse trail); 3.75 hours

Horse Trail Saddle above Chain-Up Trailhead

View back at scree descent from the Horse Trail Saddle Above

Hiking along the foothills back to Trailhead