Blanca Lake, Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Trip Report
June 27, 2004
More Pictures From This Hike!
John Munyan
126 Review(s) to Date
John is an avid hiker, spending a goodly portion of his time up in the hills, or sitting in front of a computer.
Either way, most of what finds his eye is green, or blue, - organic, or lcd. John likes this website, hopes you do too, and invites you to write a review of a couple hikes you've done!
Directions: From Seattle take Interstate 90 east to 405. Take 405 North. At exit 23, turn RIGHT onto Ramp toward WA-522 Monroe. Once in Monroe go East on Highway 2 until you get to Index (Index Café). Turn left off Highway 2 onto Index-Galena road. Go 14 miles to Forest Road 63. Turn left and follow the gravel road two miles to the trail head.
Trail notes: Blanca Lake is wastes little time getting down to business. The hike begins in somewhat dark overgrown type setting with quite a bit of deciduous trees. For the most part the trail is in pretty good shape with few downed trees across it. For the first 40 minute to an hour the Blanca Lake trail winds through the forest with no views to speak of save for the under story. Don't despair; there is plenty of old growth Cedars and Fir along the way to keep you occupied. The trail switchbacks for what to me seemed like a long time between what sounds like a large stream though it was never seen on the Southern side and a small ephemeral creek to the North. I wouldn't trust that finding water on your way to Blanca Lake would be easy. My advice - pack more water than you think you normally would.
Around the 40 minute mark you begin to get peek a boo views of the valley left behind, though you can't really see a very wide expanse. Finally, the trail reaches starts to level out after a couple steep spurs and the trees begin to thin out a bit. It is then you can see the true saddle separating you from Blanca Lake.
There is still a bit of snow at the saddle though it is quickly melting. Very near the Apex of the climb is signage indicating you are entering the Henry M Jackson National Forest. From here is just a quick few downhill minutes to virgin lake, which certainly didn't seem like it fit the name. Very foamy and otherwise 'No mas Gusta'.
Now the down hill begins as you descend the 600 feet to Blanca Lake. The trail is rough and the view down the valley initially imparts a false sense that you will be losing more elevation than indicated. Don't worry, the valley floor rapidly comes up as it nears Blanca Lake.
There isn't anything too spectacular about this part of the hike, the views are pretty limited. Shortly thereafter you reach the lake itself. The best view I could find was actually on the trail about 50 feet above the lake. As you get down close to the lake you lose the white milky glacial till effect and it just isn't quite that special. The water running out of the lake is still flowing with considerable volume and should not be crossed until the flow is lower. There is no bridge; this is the end of the line, and there is a USGS marker here too.
The return was mostly uneventful, but take your time as you are about to descend into the trees. Look left and you should on a clear day have an excellent view of Glacier Peak!
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Reviewed By: switch to geico now!! on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 @ 07:45:40 PM
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very pleasnt hike like a nice walk on the beach!! my personal fave.
Awesome Hike!!!
Reviewed By: Ashish on Sunday, April 19, 2009 @ 06:13:38 PM
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We loved the hike. Did the hike in october 2008. lots of fallen tails along the trail. took us 3.5hrs up and 2 hrs down. one of the best hikes we have done. the last part of the trail can be slippery.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashishaleti/2906034131/
Ashish
Hot. Freezing
Reviewed By: Keenan on Monday, September 8, 2008 @ 12:12:19 PM
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Hiked it on one of the hottest days of the summer... i suggest not doing that. Nice tree cover for 95% of the hike but not many views until the top...well, no views until you reach the pass. The lake is gorgeous. if you go up, camp up. day hike isnt worth it since it's so beautiful at the top. took a brief swim off the iceberg shore but too cold. still 30% frozen in early august?! not sure if it will melt all the way...
Blanca Lake Hike
Reviewed By: Paul on Monday, August 18, 2008 @ 07:10:50 AM
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The hike to Blanca Lake is harder than I thought it would be. I can handle steep switchbacks but I think what made it so hard was the higher altitude and thinner air. (Huff, puff, rest...) It's a great workout, indeed. The last 600 feet, from Virgin Lake down to Blanca Lake, is a hazardous hike. One misplaced foot and I fell off the narrow trail but luckily I didn't fall far at all. Please, heed my warnings! We went on August 17, 2008 and the trail needed a lot of work. The road to the trailhead has several washouts and downed trees blocking it. On the trail itself we had to overcome many blown down tres blocking the way, including massive Douglas Firs. Blanca Lake is beautiful! When we got there at 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon we were the only people there. I took a refreshing dip in the lake. It's about as cold as Puget Sound. I recommend this hike but be sure to bring plenty of water and quality hiking boots.
Blanca Lake Hike
Reviewed By: luc on Sunday, August 27, 2006 @ 03:14:13 PM
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Date: Saturday, August 26, 2006, hike start 7:15 a.m.
Time Trailhead to Lake: 2 hr 40 min
Time Return: 1 hr 40 min
It took us about 2:40 hours to get to Blanca Lake including a couple of stops. Return time was 1:40 running down most of the time. So I must come to the conclusion anyone claiming they can get to the lake under 2 hours must have been close to running uphil.
In case you need some guidance how far you still have to go, I counted 52 switchbacks to Virgin Lake when counting +1 at every turn. It's steep uphill constantly and it does get pretty tiring after 30-40 minutes (I'd rate myself above average hiker and I've done quite some trails). Most trails give you some breaks inbetween but this one not much.
However the lake was absolutely great and very vibrant green. I'd give this trail a very high rating but leave one star open for top trails:-).
I only encountered one bee on our way back and it was quite annoying swirling around for 5 minutes and then gave up.
Otherwise not many bugs but you should go early to avoid these.
We're the first at the lake but when we returned we encountered about 20 people.
Blanca Lake
Reviewed By: DJ Big J on Sunday, August 13, 2006 @ 02:25:13 PM
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Review: Stinging Knettles Benchmark:
Date: Sunday, August 13, 2006, hike start 9:15 a.m.
Temp: mid 50s at start, warmed up considerably by return.
Time Trailhead to Lake: 1 hr 47 min
Time Return: 1 hr 24 min
Water hauled: 2 liters
Consumed: 1 liter and change
Pack weight: 11.5 lbs
Switchbacks to high point: 25 give or take
Interesting features: Some cool fossilized plant remnants in the broken rock on trail, especially on the steep downhill between Virgin Lake and Blanca. Check out the glacial striations on the rocky ridges adjacent to trail near Blanca. 2 serious tree falls that have to be negotiated, and one 10 foot stretch of rock scramble.
General thoughts: I hike fast, so don't take time above as a probable time. An ideal day to reach the lake, with brilliant sunshine bringing out the jade-like tint of the lake. I am puzzled as to why John Munyan's review suggests that the lake is not a special sight to see. Judging from his photos, it appears he went on a partly cloudy day, probably early season. Light quality would be deficient in these conditions. Basically good description, though. I've been to many alpine lakes and this is one of the most beautiful I've seen. The downhill from Virgin to Blanca can be treacherous, take it slowly. It's actually about 450 feet of descent from Virgin to Blanca. The trailhead had about 15 cars when I returned in the early afternoon. Get there early. Little to no water on trail, but plenty of tree coverage. Hikeable with a good pair of trail runners. No poles necessary.
Blanca Lake Hike
Reviewed By: Jerry on Monday, August 2, 2004 @ 11:56:34 AM
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Review: The lake is really really beautiful, sweet, great! You won't believe your eyes, even if you browsed through the pictures, cause reality is even more beautifull.
If you have good weather, at the highest point of the hike, you will also see Glacier peak to the right. You will see it from the less glaciery side (we didn't recognize it at first, but only when we came down to see the big atlas). It looks kind of far, but not too far, behind the close wooded ridge on the right of the hill you just climbed.
Take care descending from the highest point to Blanca Lake - take your time and don't hurry down the steep path. The lake is close, but you want to see it whole, right?
Hiking to the lake takes about 3 hours, back journey about 2.
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