The directions on the WTA website are current. I would disregard past trip report information about the roads being inaccessible. We arrived on a Saturday at 10 a.m. to a completely filled parking lot. There was plenty of room to park on the side of the road, so no problem. Bring plenty of water, as there is no drinkable water easily accessible from the trail. The lake water is too cloudy to really drink. If you have trouble with tap water, then you will not want to drink the lake water. I'm sure there might be areas to scout for water off of the trail, but unless you are survivor man/woman, you might have some serious issues if you don't bring enough water. A large water bladder is recommended. I used a 2.5 liter bladder and still ran out about a third of the way back down. I wouldn't bring a dog on this hike unless you bring plenty of water for it. I saw some dogs on the trail but the dogs looked seriously parched.

The trail is a steep climb over a mountain and then another steep climb down to the lake. Contrary to the description, this hike is not too bad. It kind of reminded me of Mount Si. If you've done Mt. Si (to the top that is), you can definitely do this one. It's steep, no question, but it's only 3.5 miles to the lake. I even saw a "bigger" couple dressed in business casual attire at the lake, which was interesting. I can't imagine they had an easy time of it, but they made it to the lake nonetheless. Yay. I wouldn't recommend bringing first-time hikers on this one. It might be their last. But it's definitely the place to take out-of-towners who brag about how much more beautiful their state is compared to Washington. This lake settles the dispute for good. The pictures are amazing, but can’t replace seeing it in person. That said, whatever you do, do not forget your camera.

At the lake, there is plenty of room to camp if you can lug all that gear up. This is perfect for a one-night stay. You really wouldn't want to stay longer than that, since the lake can get very crowded (think Lake Washington on a hot day crowded) and there isn't too much to explore beyond the lake itself. I don't recommend camping here unless you live more than 3-4 hours away from the trailhead. If you live 1-3 hours away, I recommend packing a lunch and finding a more remote area around the lake to hang out for a few hours before making the trek back. I like to call this "day hiking with benefits"--all of the benefits of backpacking with a nice hot shower and comfy bed at the end of the day :)

There were really no bugs to speak of whilst we were there. The weather was very warm (80-ish), but it was a good idea to pack a jacket since it began to rain right after we left the lake.

When it says "grueling switchbacks" in the description, it was not joking. Three friends and myself packed in gear and food for two nights and three days.
The weather was beautiful and the lake was amazing.

Although the hike was extremely steep, the hike was well worth it. I would not recommend this for novice backpackers.

Looking back i think it was August 2008 along the Little Wenatchee trail where encountered a trail crew. This was the first trail crew i ever witnessed. It also happened to be a WTA trail crew. I was on a day hike to Meander Meadow, i started early in the morning as result the brush was heavy and wet with dew. I got soaked. It was on the return i bumped into the trail crew. When i saw how much brush was gone i was blown away.
Fast forward to Labor Day weekend. There was a WTA BCRT at Blanca Lake, which i volunteered. It is the 4th BCRT on this trail i have volunteered. The third was two weeks before. I've worked on other trails....i've lost count.
During the last two work BCRT's we re-routed the trail away from a muddy swamp. Where a low spot could not be avoided we built a stone turn pike, on the second BCRT some mineral soil was found and we capped the turn pike. In a spot where a non moveable boulder was encountered, it was simply incorporated into stone stairs with other moveable boulders. Yet another boulder stair case was built at the location what was better described as a clay slip-n-slide.
I've heard people say were crazy for backpacking into a remote location with heavy hand tools to volunteer heavy labor. I'll counter that with it would be insane to backpack into a remote location and not want to make a difference. Besides, there is plenty of time to goof off and lounge around enjoying natures eye candy.
I hope we made the same impression on day hikers and backpackers as they passed by witnessing us muscle rocks into place that i got from that trail crew on the Little Wenatchee.
Thank you WTA for giving me opportunity's to volunteer. It's been fun. I find it especially rewarding to see how much that section of trail from Virgin Lake to Blanca has improved. A few years ago i would not call that a trail...it was more like an eroded goat path.

The NYC (north west youth corp) has made a big contribution too. Thank you NYC!

This hike is a workout, but well worth it! 3 miles of climbing up and up and up and up, with the trail getting rougher as you get toward the top, but not bad. As you hike along the top of the ridge there are 2 areas where a bit of scrambling over rocks is neccesary, but it's a good excuse to pause and enjoy the views of Baker and the various peaks. Now you start descending toward the lakes! As you come to Virgin lake, which is a bit of a scuzzy looking but cute lake, you're thinking the worst is over since the rest is downhill. Wrong. Probably the most technical part of the whole hike is the descent to Blanca Lake which, even with some incredible improvements by NYC, is relatively treachorous and hiking poles are a HUGE help. Sadly I fear it may get trashed by the rain over the winter again but hopefully not!
Blanca lake does a great job of hiding until you are almost AT the shore and wow, it takes your breath away. Something about the lake is absolutely magical - you feel like you're in another world and never want to leave. To do it again I definitely would have spent the night. The hike out is easier but still somewhat grueling due to the steepness. Overall well worth it, but not an easy hike.