Trip Reports

Road Report: Access to Blanca Lake, West Cady Ridge, and Benchmark mountain via the North Fork of the Skykomish is not happening and won't happen perhaps until 2010 if then. The river swelled into a raging torrent and cut a new channel just north of Trout River, about 6.4 miles from Highway 2. The Index-Galena road is gouged out and strewn with river rocks the size of basketballs. Water is still flowing heavily over the remaining pavement. See photos.

Fantastic fall day and a hike we've never done before. The first part is steep switchbacks through an unusually nice forest with huge healthy trees and lush moss. We found Chanterelles and many other species of mushrooms--not abundant enough to make this a real mushroom hike but enough to make it interesting and fun. At the top my daughter ran to the homely little pond and said ""this is it?"" No, we still had 30 minutes to go before finally the amazing turquoise of Blanca Lake came into view. The lake is big and beautiful, but it was freezing cold, and not even my daughter wanted to swim. We had to turn around right after lunch in order to make it back to the car before dark. This is supposed to be an 8 mile, 3500' hike, but feels longer. For instance it seems quite a bit harder than Mt Si. Still no complaints from anyone. This is one of the nicest hikes within 75 miles of Seattle. I recommend that if doing with kids allow 5-8 hours.

""Blanca Lake West"", Peak 5319', (439P), USGS Blanca Lake

""Blanca Lake East"", Peak 5845', (445P), USGS Blanca Lake



Needing an excuse to get back to my favorite lake, I found it in these two minor, but scenic summits. Rounding Blanca Lake, the first hump is bypassed on some rocks it appeared people have thrown in the water to keep their feet dry. I followed the trail around a lagoon with a campsite and fire ring, then up the next hump where I left the trail. After 15 minutes or so of a thick huckleberry brush bash, it was then pleasant meadows the rest of the way up to the two summits of Blanca Lake West.

Along the way I came across a mountain goat and kid. The kid saw me first. When the mother goat turned her head and saw me coming toward them they took off running. Perhaps if I had stopped moving I could've enjoyed them longer.

After reaching the 5319' summit, it appeared the 5280'+ summit was higher so I took the five minutes to hike on over there. Once there, 5280'+ still appeared higher than the 5319' summit, so I built a cairn here and buried a register inside. About two hours to the lake, another hour up to the summits. I returned over 5319' and descended to a nice view of Blanca Lake to eat a sandwich.

On the descent, trying to take a shortcut, I veered farther to the right and ended up in a near vertical gully. It took me directly to that campsite with a fire ring in the lagoon. So, for an alternate route up, from that same campsite follow a dry streambed to the near vertical gully. It's a challenge though, and I wouldn't recommend it.

At 1:30, I was back at Virgin Lake, and knowing I most likely bypassed Peak 5845' while doing Keyes Peak in '76, I then headed in its direction. What a surprise, there's now a fun trail to follow. That trail sure wasn't there 30 years ago, but back then I stayed on the west side of the ridge and the trail is on the east side so perhaps I missed it. It sure makes the way to Keyes Peak faster and easier. Parts of this trail I'm sure mountain goats would enjoy.

As an aside, on the return from Keyes Peak, the two guys I was with disliked the ridge route to Keyes so much, that they suggested descending all the way down to Blanca Lake on the way out. Unfortunately, I was outvoted, so that burned up some extra calories.

After a long hour, I was at 5845'. The summit area consists of four rocky pinnacles, two higher and two lower, all easy to get up. Just for something to do, I built a cairn on one of the two higher pinnacles. No register. The trail crosses back to the west side of the ridge right below the summit. On the return, a must do is rocky Point 5600'+. It had the best views of Blanca Lake of the day.

At 4 p.m., I was back at Virgin Lake and had a pleasant chat with Steve from REI who was putting up a tent in one of the pleasant meadows above the lake. Taking off at 4:45, it was a quick hour down the 27 switchbacks to the parking lot. Yep, I counted them.

I had not been to Blanca, although it had been on my ""to do"" list for some years. With hiking buddy Blue Towel along, this was to be the year.

The previous evening was cloudy, but the forecasters sounded upbeat, and in the early morning there were stars overhead so it was ""go."" East of Everett we drove into fog, but further east the sun broke through and the mountains were bright and clear above us. Beyond Mount Index road we turned north up the Skykomish, on the excellent (paved!) FS Road 63. Beyond San Juan Campground, FS 63 leaves the paved road, turns left, and becomes a gravel road. Two miles or so later we turned into the trailhead parking area, ours the only car there. ""Be sure to register,"" proclaimed the trailhead sign. But the registration box had been removed...

So it was up the trail through the forest, climbing steadily, with many switchbacks but with excellent footing, up some 2,700 feet, interrupted by only one significant blowdown, a double trunk, easily bypassed: over the lower, under the upper.

Distant views at first were sparse, but near the ridge top Glacier Peak appeared to the north and, more distantly, Mt. Daniel and Cathedral Rock to the SE through the trees.

At the ridge top, some fall colors appeared, and a few remaining blueberries could be sampled.

From the open ridge top, the trail dropped slightly, passing tiny Virgin Lake in the forest, then continuing steeply downhill another 600 feet. In a wetter season, it could have been very muddy, but was not a bad walk today and, as motivation to press on, an occasional spot of turquoise could be glimpsed through the trees.

Quite suddenly the trail emerged at the top of a rock field, with the south shore of Blanca Lake a stone's throw below. The milky turquoise color is extraordinary, and varies depending on the angle of the sun. I've seen similar in the Canadian Rockies, but not in the Cascades. Beyond the lake, Columbia Glacier descended from the peaks of Monte Cristo and Kyes.

The trail does continue on, and in another five minutes descends to the lake shore by the outlet stream. But we decided the views were better back at the top of the original rock field, and returned there for lunch and a long photo break. (We could have crossed the outlet stream on a piece of driftwood, and explored the west and north sides of the lake, but opted today just to relax and take in the views where we were.)

We had the lake all to ourselves, except for several pikas scampering around the rocks. Only on our return, well down the switchbacks, did we encounter two other hikers on a much later schedule than our own.

When we returned to the trailhead parking area, we discovered the registration sign and info board had been wrapped in heavy plastic. While today had been a beautiful Fall hiking day, apparently the FS folks think winter is on the way.

Trail is in very good condition, one down tree to crawl under, but thats it! Amazing all of a sudden type scenery going up the trail and once you get to the lake. Clearest lake I have ever seen in years of backpacking and warmer than normal glacier water (above 32 degrees), Warning: tempting to jump in on a warm day. Did not notice many sites to camp at but makes a GREAT day hike.

This hike turned out to be a little harder than I expected, but it's worth every bit of the effort. We got off to a rather late start on the hike so were hustling up as we did not bring a flashlight along. But we did make it to this beautiful lake with time to spare, thanks to the friendly fellow hikers we met along the way who were encouraging us on for the big treat at the end.. and those yummy blueberries at the top!!

Except for a couple of blow-downs midway to the top, the trail is clear and in great shape. Heather Meadows at the top is flush with blueberries.. and dew settling on the leaves makes it quite a sight. It's still a little bit slick and slippery climbing down to the lake from the heather meadows. I was pleasantly surprised to find it rather cool in the old growth forests and I sure didn’t miss the bugs.

The glacier-fed, turquoise blue lake comes at you rather suddenly as you turn a corner and emerge through the shrubbery after climbing down from heather meadows. Despite having seen pictures posted by previous hikers, I was still finding myself a bit amazed at how blue-green this lake was... didn’t expect to see the color so vibrant. Last I saw something similar was on that Northwestern glacier cruise in the Kenai Fjords area up in Alaska.

We squatted on some logjams near the lake runoff, enjoyed a well deserved late-lunch although I'd eaten enough tasty blueberries to give me all the anti-oxidants I need for the next one year.

We made it back to the trailhead with a little bit of daylight to spare. A great hike!!

A beautiful lake and tons of blueberries. A must do hike. Also a good workout climb.

Blanca Lake (A Washington Classic hike) 8/12/2006

In the Henry M. Jackson wilderness

Northeast of Index Washington



Trail conditions were very good. Two big logs are

down at about 2 miles and it's over the first and under

the second. Other than that it was smooth hiking .

My Mountaineers group of 3 women and 8 men assembled

at Index. We carpooled up the North Fork Skykomish

road and were on the trail at 9:30. Trail #1052 starts gently

but turns steep within 1/2 mile and stays that way up through

big timber to just before the ridge top. There are only one

or two peek a boo views till the top where the heather

meadows are. In this majestic old growth forest (Douglas

Fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar) most of the

flowers had long since finished blooming. Only pink

Coral Root, and white Indian Pipe (both saprophytes) still

had flowers. Entering the top meadows we had a view of

Glacier Peak (making it a one volcano day) and then the

tops of the Monte Cristo peaks, and then a portion of

the Columbia Glacier nestled in between the peaks.

We took a break here enjoying the views and the

beautiful Red Mountain Heather meadows.

Then we started our descent to as yet unseen Blanca

Lake. First past tiny Virgin Lake and then down a

rougher slicker trail (easier coming up than descending)

till we came out on the shoreline of Blanca. The lake

was not in view until just before arriving at the bottom and

then BANG the spectacular scene unfolded! A big bright

turquoise lake set beneath 3 towering peaks with the

white glacier just beyond the lake and pure blue sky

above. The mountains rise more than 3000 ft. above

the 4000 ft. elevation lake bed. Keyes, Monte Cristo,

and Columbia peaks. Cliffs surround part of the lake

shore and at the far end two waterfalls from the glacier

feed the lake. Blanca is almost a mile long and a half

mile wide. It was time for us to relax, explore, shoot film,

and enjoy a long lazy lunch with our outdoor ""Room

With A View"". Brian went one step (dip) further

and did a little swimming; it was colder than Puget

Sound. Brrr!

Very few bugs bothered us at lunch. Almost none.

Eventually tho, we had to leave. After climbing up to

the ridge line we savored our final mountain views

before plunging back into the big timber for our

descent to the trailhead.

Such a great day!

Senator Henry M. Jackson was an outdoorsman and

a hiker. He represented Washington in congress for over

40 years. He was one of the key figures in the passage of the

1964 Wilderness Act, and the key person in the creation of

North Cascades National Park in 1968. He helped expand

Olympic National Park and pushed for the creation of the

Alpine Lakes Wilderness in 1968. Jackson died suddenly

in 1983. Senator Jackson was a conservationist

and worked to preserve the wild areas that we enjoy

today in Washington. That's why his colleagues in Congress

named the wilderness around Monte Cristo (his favorite hiking

area) for him when it was established in 1984.



Statistics: 8 miles, 3400 ft. gross elevation gain

4650 ft. high point

3 hours 10 min. up, 2 hours 35 min. down

20 miles visibility

60 degrees by lake shore

65 miles from my north Seattle home.



Robert Michelson

Excellent day in the high country.

Departed from the car at 615 am

Decent climber's trail that heads up the ridge from Virgin lake. The first deviation from the ridge line is a traverse to the RIGHT (east side) to skirt craggy rocky section of the ridge.

The second deviation from the ridge is to avoid the 5845' mini peak along the ridge. The climber's trail actually forks just before the push to this knob and there is a nice arrow made from logs/branches that points you the correct way- that is it points down off the ridge to the LEFT (west side) that allows for a traverse thru heather slopes and forest, that allows you to maintain elevation, and skip the summit of this knob (the summit cliffs out and should be avoided as it it is a energy and time sap- I'd know). Thsi traverse thru heather slopes is challenging when the brush is wet and slippery.

Once at the saddle past the 5845' knob along the ridge (just North), the trail is fairly straightforward- just hug the ridge line up, traversing and then when the open alpine boulder field appears, skirt the rocky craggy peaks on the west side of them, and then cross the ridge going on the east face of the ridge just below Monte cristo point at around 7000'. the ridge walk to the summit from there is cake.

Snow was present in patchy areas from 6700' or so on up. Water exists where the snow does.

On the summit at 1130 am, chilled for an hour basking in fantastic sunny skies, and views of the entire state. Yes.

Descended at 1230 pm, and reached the car by 345 pm.

Stats: ascent 5.25 hours, lunch 1 hour, descent 3.25 hours = Total 9.5 hours. Vertical 5400+ feet

Smoot's book says 12 miles roundtrip- I think it is more like 16 miles round trip because of all of the traversing and wandering that the trail provides.

An astonishing aquamarine basin cupped by slate and snow cliffs--no one will believe you didn't photoshop your pix. If your karma allows a clear day, the contrasting cyan sky will challenge your senses even more. The mad Bulgarian swam to mid lake, but only practiced proponents of the ""Mind Over Matter"" philosophy should consider this. An occasional leg dangle will be the chill limit for the rest of us. The lake drains to a waterfall, though no trail follows it's descent.

Do not be detained by murky Virgin Lake 2/3 of the way in--the pleasure of this trek is the jewel at the end.

Winged carnivores were voracious, though the lake itself was nearly buzz free.

Trail fully passable. There is a slow-you-down-but-nothing-worse large double blowdown (over then under) about 1 mile in, and a bypassable deadfall just as you reach the ridgeline. Fortunately, no significant deadfalls on the rather rough, steep-sidehill-hugging last mile down to Blanca. Several snowpatches on the trail on and just before the ridgeline, and a couple of small ones near Blanca Lake. Only one is so large you can't see the trail at the other end (located where you finish the last ascent before dropping to Virgin Lake on the ridgeline), and it is well tracked. Even if it were not, just keep plodding ahead in the direction of entry, and what to do presently becomes clear.

Blanca Lake was its usual beautiful green self, with streaks of snow persisting on its bounding steep slopes and cliffs. Clouds allowed only peeks at Columbia and Kyes Peaks far above, but the Columbia Glacier in-between was partly or mostly in the sun just about all of the time. Blanca is certainly one of the most scenic lakes in the state.

Blanca lake was a jewel this weekend! Good trail conditions with only two significant blow-downs early on the trail. Both are passible though with a little effort. Snow line starts at about 3800 feet elevation. Virgin lake (4500 ft elev)along the way is still locked in snow. Stay to the right of the Virgin lake shore to find the trail proper to Blanca lake. The outlet from Blanca lake is swollen with melt run-off from the lake. No dry route across exists yet. So, the only route available to cross the lake outlet is to wade across. Use the dry exposed logs at the log jamb to assist in crossing - the water is extremely cold and can only be endured for a very brief time with bare feet - yowza! Once across though, stay close to the left lake shore to access the Columbia glacier field and the many hanging water falls in the upper valley. The lake is just beginning to unlock with two open water areas - small opening at the south shore adjacent to the outlet and a larger opening at the north lake shore. We saw no one beyond the lake outlet. Clear skies and warm 70 deg. F weather for an outstanding day.

Headed up to the Kyes Peak summit on what looked to be the best day of the weekend. Perhaps a little early for this hike due to the heavy snow year, but everything worked out in what was another great day in the mountains full of challenges and success.

Snow covered most of the route, so not much trail condition to report on. There were three significant blow-downs starting about 1.5 miles in. Two are easy to bypass, but are beginning to cause erosion due to people hiking around in the soft, spring soil. The third blow-down has two 4' diameter trees down and would be tricky to pass w/ a full pack. Besides those blow-downs, trail is in great shape w/ minimal mud. Consistent snowpack appears approx. 3/4 mile before Virgin Lake, which is still frozen over w/ small sections of melting beginning to appear. Postholing was not a problem, but might get worse as more snow melts.

Once past Virgin Lake, some minor route finding was required along the ridge that slowed us down. Climbing up, as well as down-climbing some spots, took some climbing and class 4 scrambling skills. Ice axe definitely required. Views down below showed Blanca Lake 95% covered by ice w/ the beautiful emerald green just beginning to show. Once beyond the ridge and into the open snowfield, the summit push was surprisingly quick b/c the snow covered all the scree rock. A cloudy day, but we had great views of many peaks including the surrounding Monte Cristo peaks, a glimpse of the Mt. Baker summit, Sloan Peak, Glacier Peak, the bottom slopes of Mt. Rainier. Total time to summit: 7 hours.

After 45 minutes on top, we decided avoid the ridge return and take advantage of all the snow by descending all the way to Lake Blanca. We were able to glacade most of the way down using our ice axes, staying to the climber's right to avoid the cliffs along side Columbia Glacier. IMO, this can only be done b/c of all the snow and I'm not endorsing the route. A snowbridge provided the crossing of the Columbia Glacier drainage and we rounded the lake. We were forced to jump the logs at the Blanca Lake outlet (photo provided) before ascending to Virgin Lake and finally ascending to the trailhead. Time to descend: 4.25 hours for a total trip time of 12 hours.

In general and despite our success, I'd say it is still a little early for this hike, especially since you miss the beauty of Blanca Lake. We were the only party up there on Saturday, so that provided a more significant wilderness experience. With the snow, the ridge was more difficult while the final approach was easier, as well as the quicker descent. Route finding will only improve as more snow melts and more people make the climb, yet all that nasty scree rock will appear!!

Happy hiking!!!

Peace, motsies

Additional trip photos can be viewed here:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=mthtq0f.9cb6hhgf&x=0&y=mwf51p

From the Index junction, we traveled down the Index-Galena Rd for about 9 mi to find the road closed and we were not able to reach the trail head to Blanca lake. Lake Serene was the nice alternative.

We had intended to hike Cady ridge however, Father Nature had some issue with that. There is a fresh gigantic rock in the road past the Blanca Lake turnoff. It looks like you can just get by but we decided to visit Blanca Lake instead. Anyone got some dynamite? The trail to Blanca was steep but in good condition on the way up. The trail from Virgin to Blanca is steep, muddy and root encumbered. However, the effort was worth it. We had the lake to ourselves and someone kindly left us some M&Ms. There was snow on the peaks above the lake. Hopefully more to come.

We almost turned around at the rock slide... But we said five more miles and sure enough we found the turn off to Blanca Lake. Excellent for the dogs but not so good for unconditioned hikers. Don't get me wrong we are healthy and active but the relentless switchbacks and consistent uphill climb had us looking for the reason we we're here. We coached each other turn after turn after turn... after turn. You get the picture. My co-hiker said it reminded her of groundhog day. Every corner uncovered the same uphill mossy foilage we had seen to many times before. Finally we said five more minutes and we'll turn around. Perserverance was the word for the day. And we did... We thought. With no experience of the hike or what we would find when we finally reached the lake. We cheered when we arrived. It began to rain so we took a quick picture,loaded on the warm clothes and headed for home. Proud of our accomplishments we trudged the road down asking jokingly ""are we done yet"" laughing all the way down. Until just now when I read the trail reports and realized that we didn't actually make it to the lake. It was Virgin Lake we saw. :(. So, jokes on us. We are still (after all that work) 'Virgins to Blanca Lake'.

First time to Blanca Lake. What an awesome reward! The climb can be a little grueling at times. The 2750' climb from the trailhead to the alpine meadows is steady and unrelenting. The average grade must be at least 12%. The drive to Blanca is easy and only about the last 2 miles are gravel. WATCH-OUT - FS 63 at about 13 miles in from Hwy 2 there is a rock wall area. It is covered with wire nets, but there were several large (softball sized) rocks scattered on the road. The hike down to Blanca from Virgin Lake is a little rough at times, but not bad. There are a few muddy areas, but we came away relatively unscathed. One thing I wanted to do was to cross the log jam at the troublesome creek outlet to hike around towards the Columbia Glacier side. Unfortunately, I could not find an easy path across the logs without risking taking a plunge in the water. The water isn't that deep, but I just didn't feel like testing the waterproofing in my boots. Also, the others in my party were hiking in shoes. Looking back I wish I would have done this hike on Sunday as Saturday was cool and cloudy. The hike was beautiful in the fog and mist surrounding the trail, but we could not see Columbia Glacier, only about 100' up the opposite shore. Guess I will just have to come back again!

I hiked up to Virgin lake above Blanca lake on Sunday the 11th with Daisy the Wonder Dog, and decided to camp there for the night due to heavy fog in the valley below. On Monday, we pulled up camp and hiked down to Blanca, enjoying the turquoise color of the lake, and the majestic mountains ringing it. Monday was spent in quiet contemplation of nature in all its glory, with the weather cloudy but not foggy or rainy. Monday evening the skies cleared for some sunset action and then bright stars. Tuesday dawned fair and bright, so some more photography was in order, retaking all the shots I took in cloudy weather Monday. The hike out was pretty fast and easy, due in part to the overall good condition of the trail. It has its rough patches, but most of it is good walking. The only bugs were some gnats around Virgin lake. The blueberries were fantastic in the Virgin area, so I withstood the gnats for a few quarts of picking. One nice thing about this hike is the paved road to within a few short miles of the trailhead, a nice change from long, bumpy FS roads. The first picture is of the meadows around Virgin lake area in the fog, the second is of Blanca lake.

Grinding elevation gain of 2700 feet in the first 3 miles is rewarded by a stunning turquoise blue glacial lake, ripe salmon berries, and even fresh blueberries. The turnoff from the Index road to 63 is well marked and the trail shows signs of recent maintenance about a mile and a half up. Virgin Lake is the high point at 4600 feet and there are some nice campsites up there. Past that is one blowdown and a badly eroded switchback that could use the tender mercies of a WTA crew. Just before you get to Lake Blanca is a patch thick with salmon berries. Pam and I even left a few for the rest of you. The Lake Blanca shore is spacious and perfectly placed to appreciate Columbia glacier and the peaks that frame it - Keyes, Columbia, and Monte Cristo. Lots of frogs in both lakes. Lots of very aggressive flies. The little ones are particularly nasty they bite hard. 2.5 hours up and about the same coming down.

Blanca Lake trail is in fine shape to Virgin Lake (where there were a couple of mudholes on the trail), at which point we left the trail and headed up the climber's route on the south ridge of Kyes Peak. Previous trip reports are helpful regarding the south ridge route of Kyes Peak, but I will add a couple of things.

The climber's trail is tough to find at times, so routefinding and ridge navigation skills are essential. We missed the saddle to avoid climbing over the 5845' point, and thought we would just continue up and over the ""bump."" Unfortunately, we got cliffed out and had to descend some very steep vegetation to get to the traverse route. On the way back, we did do the traverse, and while it was better, sidehilling on wet heather and huckleberry is not the most fun.

Overall this is a very interesting and fairly demanding route. The distance travelled cross-country on a variety of surfaces (heather, rock, scree, talus, meadow, snow) makes this route both challenging and unique in my experience. Ice axes were not needed though helpful on the steep heather at times. Wildflowers were plentiful and very diverse, and we also saw a mountain goat at around 6500'.

According to the summit register we were the first party of 2005! Hard to believe, but it could be true based on the wet summer we've had.

With our detours and fairly slow pace we took 12 hours, 15 minutes from car to car.

The day after a holiday weekend seems to be a good choice for hiking. I arrived to an empty T/H at 11.30am, had the lake to myself, and met one person on their way up as I left. I believe that's good going for Blanca.

The trail's in good condition for the long slog up to the ridge, if a bit rooty. There's a big blow-down just under a mile in which can be skirted. It gets rockier and more uneven at the ridge, and the descent down the other side to the lake is as bad as has been previously described - rocky, rooty, scrubby, and on the steep side in places so hands occasionally help. There were just a couple of boggy patches on the final approach to the lake, with log or stone stepping stones to avoid the worst of it.

Enough has been said about the colour of the lake, so I won't add to it, except to say that yes, it is worth the trip. The colour even carries down the outflow creek. Photo is a juvenile dipper (I'm fairly sure) at the logjam.

There were patches of mosquitoes around here and there, especially around Virgin Lake, but not in miserable numbers that fill the air. I covered every bare inch of myself with repellent before I left the car park, and one still managed to bite me, so I wouldn't recommend going without.

More photos go up at www.livejournal.com/users/eelpi as usual.

Four cars were at the trail head on a partly-cloudy Thursday. The trailis in fine condition up to Virgin Lake and is muddy and slippery in spots down to Blanca.

The trail reaches Blanca at the south shore near the outlet. The lake basin is a delightful sight with the mineral green water surrounded by rocky cliffs. At the far end waterfalls flow from a small glacier. Nearby the outlet creek drifts through a wide maze of logs then gathers and roars down the valley.

Blanca offers a fun challenge to cross the outlet creek. Plan your route, then nimbly hop and balance your way across a 50-meter maze of logs. There are just enough logs to make it possible but not simple. The puzzle changes every year.

After crossing the outlet stream you can reach the north side of the lake although the path is rough. Follow the lake shore for roughly 250 meters until that becomes impossible. Ascend 50 meters up a tiny creek bed. Follow a faint, scrambling trail that eventually reaches the lakeshore again. Boulder-hop to the meadow on the north side. Rocks, heather and wild-flowers fill the spacious, nearly flat terrain. Water cascades down the surrounding cliffs. I met a couple that had spent the night ""under the big rock."" I didn't see any established campsites in this area but there is enough potential. From a base camp here you could explore the saddle glacier and surrounding peaks. But mine was a day hike so I turned around here and headed home.

There were mosquitoes but DEET kept them away. Water is hard to find on the main ascent.

Trail lot was nearly full when we arrived at 10:30ish - go early. On the return several cars had tickets, so bring your NW forest pass.

The trail is in great shape on the ascent to the ridge. One downed tree but it is easily stepped around. Some mosquitos, particularly near Virgin Lake. No snow, campsites are all melted out, and Virgin Lake is not too buggy right now.

The trail down to Blanca is steep, rough and rocky in places. Closer to the lake there are two very large mudholes - watch your step. The lake is ... I dont even think there is a color to describe it. It's amazing. You have to see it to believe it. Right now it's perfect with the blue sky and patchy snow on the far shores. Several large waterfalls running down from the snowfields.

Very limited camping options at Blanca. Tents were being setup right beside eachother and over the trail in places. You can cross the outlet by a tricky log-hop but I didn't see any campsites on the other side. Did not see any way to access the far lake shore without climbing gear, though I did see several people with helmets and axes heading over there. Best to go early, or camp at Virgin Lake, which was empty and has a box toilet.

More trip photos: http://www.pbase.com/billcat/

Blanca Lake (June 11/12)is a beautiful lake in a beautiful setting with a glacier feeding it, but there are a few reasons to go elsewhere. The camp sights located to the left of the lake outlet weren’t reachable due to no good log path to hop around past the white water exit from the lake. Camp sights are extremely few on the near side. We had a difficult time locating a place for 2 solo and a 2 man tent.

The day was quite rainy, but we decided to proceed anyway. The trail is rough by any standards. It’s full of mud, exposed roots, and goes through an exquisite old growth forest.

Within the first hour of our trek the rain began. It continued to rain through the day and night. We opened our eyes in the mourning to find SNOW and this is June 12! Accumulations weren’t’ much (1/4 inch at the lake and 2 ½ inches at the top of the ridge.) just enough to make everything beautiful. The rain stopped about 2/3 of the way to the car and the parking lot full of people heading up were sure to find a nice hike.

Trail conditions poor mostly due to exposed roots and mud, no bugs in the rain. Watch our for ground squirrels looking for a pack to chew through.

Nice warm-up hike! The snow remaining in the basin before Virgin Lake is shallow, soft, and going fast. Most of the trail was dry, with the exception of a few mud-holes on the final approach to Blanca Lake, and the snow already mentioned. Don't give up early, like too many parties we met did...the lake is worth the very steady climb! Though, I might like to call it Verdigris Lake... such an incredible color! Bugs were not offensive or aggresive, but they were their. On the way back, Dog decided Virgin Lake looked like good, solid ground and took an accidental plunge. Our champagne pooch became brindled with muck (not much of a swimmer.) Great day! About 10 parties on the trail, including the ones that didn't make it.

Blanca Lake/ Kyes Peak, South Ridge

Road is clear to trailhead, though there are some rough parts. I don't think a car with normal clearance would have any issues.

A couple of blow-downs on the trail, but they are fairly easy to negotiated. Trail is snow free to ~4500' and the basin just before Virgin Lake is still almost completely covered with snow. Just past Virgin Lake, the trail reappears. We didn't go all the way to Blanca Lake, but instead headed up to explore part of the South Ridge route of Kyes. The climber's path was almost entirely snow free until about 5300' at which point there appeared to be quite a bit of snow remaining. That was our turn around point. This part of the climber's path was fairly straight forward, though there were a few typically dirty crumbly sections which were less than ideal, especially when wet. It's a very cool ridge with nice rock features and an incredible view of Blanca Lake and the Monte Cristo range when you get the opportunity to actually get on the ridge crest.

Less than five parties total out on the trail when we left at 2:15.

Geez, Sadie - 6 hikes in 8 days! Now that's just a little much! But this is a trail I've wanted to do - not sure what the snow conditions would be. The road is open (FS #63) beyond Index (even though the sign says it's closed, it's open.) At about 1/4 of a mile from the trailhead, there is water over the road from a misguided creek. The ol' Highlander had no problem fording the stream and making it on up to the trailhead. A guy in a light pick-up ahead of his decided to park just before the new creek crossing and walk to the trailhead. Two guys in the Lexus behind us also opted to park and walk the rest of the way to the trailhead. Sadie wanted to save herself for the hike, so pushed me to keep driving. There were two cars in the parking lot - but I assumed they had probably stayed overnight, since it was still pretty early to be out. The trail is in great shape the first mile - it's so pretty. Deep forest with lots of old growth. At about 3400' the snow starts - but it's that cruddy stuff - just enough on the trail to be annoying, but not enough to put on snowshoes. Sadie and her two legged friends Bernadette and Rick and her 4-legged friend Evie had no problems navigating up the trail. The ""serious"" snow starts at about 4000' but is still 'bootable'. We passed the two guys in the Lexus and the one guy in the pick-up as we headed up to this meadow. The tracks were deceiving - some took off to the west and up to a nob that was definitely higher than the drop-down point for Blanca; some headed to the north, but seemed to go no where. There are no clear trail markers at this point (it seemed to be a meadow - but was deep in snow). We sat in the sun and ate our lunch and decided we would try to find the route. We did traverse back a little to the east and found the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness marker and the route to Virgin Lake (snow and ice covered). Once there, however, we did not see an easy way to access the Lake Blanca trail and settled for a hike up to another nob where we could look down on Lake Blanca (that beautiful aqua-green) at the base of Columbia Glacier. It was awesome! Pics show Bernadette with Glacier Peak behind, just above Virgin Lake and the trail with some snow on it. I would highly recommend snowshoes - because the snow is so very soft now - especially after noon. Also, an amazing find - - there were huckleberries already on the bushes! Some that we saw should be ripe in another month! The bears will love that. Now Sadie, take a nap - I've got work to do!

The road is drivable to the Blanca Lake Trailhead. We were the only car at the trailhead at this time. When we came back there were 4 more. We left the car about 9:30 for Toil Peak (5128') We were on snow from about 3500' wishing for the snowshoes we left behind. On gaining the saddle where one would go right to drop to Blanca Lake we continued up the ridge to the first high point which is Toil Peak. We had been doing a lot of slogging and post-holing so opted out of continuing to Double Toil about a mile further along the ridge. 3hours,15 min up and 3200' gain. 6 1/2 hours round trip. We had excellent views, and tropical temperatures for a long summit sit. We'll be back for Double Toil some time soon.

The snow on the trail started right away. By a mile up the trail it was 3-6 inches deep, and at 3 miles it was knee deep. My guess is it's deeper now because it was snowing pretty good on us, too. In a previous report there was mention of FR65 being closed from the Index side, but it was open. There were a couple of rockslides on the road but paths had been cleared for vehicles.

Erik and I had tried to hike to Blanca Lake a few months ago but the access road from Index was (and still is) closed. But when I found on Friday that there is another way to get to the trailhead via forest road 65 from Skykomish we quickly decided to give it a second chance.

The access on road 65 is easy. Just keep going east on Highway 2 for about 8 miles from Index, turn left on FR-65 and follow it for about 15 miles, turn right on FR-63 and drive another 2 miles to the trailhead (note: in the end of FR-63, just before the trailhead, the road is destroyed and you will have to park and walk about 2 minutes to the trailhead).

Now to the hiking talk. The trail is amazingly snow free (and in great shape) to 4200 feet and from there to the ridge top (at 4600) the snow is very compacted and with an easy boot track to tell the way. There are a few forks on this track. Go right on all of them to get to Blanca Lake and left to climb Toil Peak. A few minutes after taking right on one or two forks, while still walking in the ridge top, you will come across a Henry M Jackson Wilderness sign on a tree. From here you will see Virgin Lake about 100 feet below (a round and flat small area covered by snow). Just keep following the tracks, pass it on the right and quickly drop to Blanca Lake. From Virgin Lake to Blanca Lake the snow is also mostly gone and the big surprise comes when you get there – it’s almost melted, with only a thin layer of ice in some parts.

We used the logs to cross the lake and had a long lunch soaking up the incredible views of Kyes Peak, Monte Cristo Peak and the Columbia Glacier. Later in the season, when the snow covering the campsites in Blanca Lake melt we want to go back there on an overnight trip to climb Kyes Peak. It looks spectacular. But with only one day, we decided to turn back, climb Toil Peak and hike to the car.

The Toil Peak climb was a great idea. The trail is snow covered but easy to follow. It’s very steep but safe and the views are worth every one of the hard steps that you have to do to get there. It was 4pm when we left the top and started hiking to the car. Finishing the trail with plenty of day light and very happy with the long and wonderful day!

On Thursday, I had no choice but to get out and enjoy the incredible day! My intention was to get to the view point along Trail #1054 on the way up to Benchmark Peak, but I encountered some surprises...

When you turn off of Hwy 2 at Index, that road is closed 10 miles in. This means that the road is not plowed after this point. Several people have by-passed the movable barriers, so I decided to do the same even though I have a 2-wheel drive car. You need to travel approx. 5 miles on the unplowed road before you get to the 4-way intersection where you take a left on road #63. This road had not been traveled on yet, but my car seemed to manage, although some parts are sketchy...until I reached the blow-down across the road. Also, 100-yards past this, the road is completely washed out. It was hard to tell if this was the result of an incomplete installation of a new culvert, or if the stream just cleared away the dirt surrounding a recently installed culvert. At any rate, road #63 is impassable about 2 miles in, just before road #6300 forks off of road #63. However, the Blanca Lake trail-head is only ~1/3 of a mile from this point.

The trail is in great shape. Approximately 4 inches of snow at the bottom and 2+ feet at the ridge top. I only went as far as the highpoint before you drop down to Blanca Lake because I wanted to have daylight to drive out on the road before the daily melt froze.

The hike was beautiful! Snow all over the trees and good views at the ridge top. Even though the trail was completely covered, I had no problem following it up. I switched to snowshoes about halfway up as I started to posthole.

Great day for a hike! I would recommend a 4-wheel drive or at least bring chains for the ""closed"" access road. If you do want to get to trail #1054, it is about a 2.5 mile hike along the road beyond the blowdown and the washed out section.

Fleetfoot and I left Seattle around 9:40 for Blanca Lk.trailhead. About 1 or 2 miles before turning onto the gravel road we came across lots of rocks that had fallen onto the road so we stopped to remove them. We were car #7 in the lot with car #8 coming right behind us. The trail goes up at a moderate rate for about 26 or 27 switchbacks till you are looking down on Virgin Lake. The clouds were high with occasional sun poking thru. Lots of mushrooms are growing along the trail but we could not identify any of them. As you gain altitude the trees become larger-perhaps because the lower elevation ones were logged some time ago. Somewhere along switchback 20 (tree with yellow dot) the trail begins to show more rock and roots. Still, it is a good trail until you drop down past Virgin Lk. From here to Blanca Lk the trail gets pretty bad. Easy enough to do, but not at a fast pace. It was in this section that we found a plastic container for a dozen cupcakes and a pepsi litter bottle. We had an occasional glimpse of Columbia Peak, Monte Cristo and Keys Peak. Since it was not raining Fleetfoot could not reject the urge to find out how cold the water was. After a quick dip he confirmed that it was colder than the Tank Lakes were in Aug.. It would have been nice to take the side trip up Toil Peak but we were pushing our turn-around time as it was. Somewhere along the line we lost track of an hour because we were that late back to the car-arriving at 5 o’clock. One more plastic bottle was picked up on the way out. More litter on this trail than any I have seen in quite awhile. It was a great day for a hike and we got to go where we had not been before.

Blanca Lake in the fall has become an annual hike for me. The fall colors in the meadows above Virgin Lake are beyond description.

There is a very muddy stretch of trail just before you reach Blanca Lake. The outlet waterfall is so full of water right now that you cannot cross it to walk around the Lake toward Columbia Peak. I walked precariously across the log jam to get beyond the waterfall, but I wouldn't recommend doing so. I was fortunate to keep my feet dry.

One large blowdown at about two miles. Trail is in decent shape overall. I spoke to a couple of gentlemen, who arrived at the Lake as I was leaving, and I passed two other couples on their way up as I descended. Had Blanca to myself for an hour. Weekday hiking is great! I enjoy meeting a few people on the trail, but solitude and nature is a peaceful thing, and a great time for reflection.

With much fresh snow, Glacier Peak was absolutely fantastic to see today, as I walked along the ridge before Virgin Lake.

Lots of gnats throughout the hike, but they were pretty much keeping to themselves.

Great hike!

Road is paved to within two miles of trailhead. The gravel portion is in excellent shape and has recently been graded. The best condition I've ever seen it in. The trail itself is in wonderful condition. It climbs steeply up the ridge, but it is graded well, the switchbacks are well designed, and the tread is in great shape. Thank you WTA for the wonderful improvements on my favorite place. You can see many locations where hard work took place. At the ridge top, cloud cover obscured the usually stunning Glacier Peak. However, the clouds were playing around the Monte Cristo Peaks and were majestic as usual. Virgin Lake was surprisingly clean, clear and bug free. The trail down to Blanca Lake from virgin lake is rough. The trail is steep, rutty, muddy, and slick. Use care. But, it is truly worth it! The glacier stands at the head of the valley, and the aqua lake reflects the peaks surrounding it. We gazed in awe as usual. The water is quite high right now, and the log jam, while passable, is difficult. I slipped and fell in the shockingly cold lake. I'd like to say it was refreshing, but the temperature was more along the lines of painful. But, soggy foot and all it was well worth it. The trail has improved dramatically since the last time I hiked it (with the exception of the drop from Virgin Lake).

Trail is clear and easy all the way to the lake. Just 3 small snowfields that will melt out in the next week or so. One very easy blowdown to cross. Other than that, it's smooth sailing.

Why do we even have weathermen in Seattle? The forecast on Friday called for showers and clouds all weekend. Could it have been nicer? No bugs, not too hot, not too cool - perfect hiking weather.

The forest wildflowers are out, the ferns are starting to grow, the ponds and lakes have melted, and the frogs and newts were everywhere...

A really underappreciated hike - less than 1 hour from my house in Woodinville, and we only saw 3 other people the whole way...

Despite a less than ideal weather report, we headed to Blanca Lake and despite some drizzle on the highway it never actually rained. There are about 3 or 4 blowdowns to work around on the first 3 miles, plus a big tree that was uprooted right at a switchback turn (tore up the trail a little). About 1/4 to a 1/2 mile before the high point on the ridge (at the little lake) the snow became fairly continuous and some navigation skills were required to find the trail that descends to Blanca. That last mile (?) to the lake is always a gnarly trail on a good day but today there were at least a dozen steep patches of almost-hard snow to cross. A fall would have been ugly, so ice axes were a must for us. The lake itself is at least half frozen but you can still see the beautiful color around the edge. Again, ice axes necessary to get down to (or near) the lake. Lots of fog (with occasional partial glimpses) made it impossible to see the far side (Kyes). Very pretty though, a little exciting, AND NO RAIN!

These two high points lie to the west of Virgin Lake (along the trail to Blanca Lake). Our original intent was a bit more ambitious and respectable than the two high points and included an ascent of Kyes Peak via the south ridge. We had made good time up to Virgin Lake making it in just over an hour from the car, which put us there sometime just before 0900. Unfortunately, by the time we made the lake, dark skies were dominating and we had a little rain. Darn the luck. We debated on how to proceed. We had beta from some dependable sources that said the summit block would be difficult (if not needlessly dangerous) to scale if wet and slick, which it looked like it was going to be by the time we got there. As the summit area went in and out of the clouds, we tossed around options and came up with ideas such as Persis, Troublesome Mountain, Spark Plug, etc. After about 20 minutes (rain had now quit), I think we simply talked each other out of going for Kyes as investing 3 hours in that traverse and then not being able to safely climb the last few feet was pretty much not acceptable.

So, we backtracked a bit and to our surprise found a trail leading up along the ridge to Point 5128'. Plainly obvious and well beaten, folks must come this way to get pictures of Blanca Lake framed by Kyes and Columbia. The view alone was worth the visit. In hopes of making it to Troublesome we continued along the ridge over to Point 5427'. No trail between the two high points, but fairly easy travel along the way aside from some steep dirt slopes that actually made me work and sweat a bit. Six goats made the summit just before we did, but were out of site by the time we got there. A makeshift pile of rocks marked the high point, but I can't imagine that too many people come this way as there's really no reason to do so. Once on top of Point 5427' we could see the entire route over to Troublesome (all 2 hours of it) and decided lunch and a nap better suited us. Could we bail on any more summits in a day? I think not.

After a relaxing summit stay we retraced out route back to the main trail and hurried our way back down to the cars making sometime between 1430 and 1500. After the brief spit of rain at Virgin Lake earlier in the morning, it didn't rain again the rest of the day. Doh!

This was the first hike this season without a baby or a heavy pack on my back (except the in the Issaquah Alps), and it felt good to move light and fast...well, a slow fast. I hit the trail at 9:10 am, a little later than hoped. It was a hot day, even in the shade of the giant trees along the Blanca Lake Trail. The trail is in excellent condition through beautiful forest. It's obviously been warm and dry this summer, as attested to by all the drought-stricken, withered huckleberry bushes along the trail.

Just past Virgin Lake I left the trail and headed up the south ridge. An intermittent climber's path follows the ridge, disappearing now and then among the numerous game trails. At the saddle below Point 5845, I dropped to the west and traversed to the saddle on the opposite side at 5400'. I stayed close to the cliffs, but in the heather and trees and ended up right at the saddle on the opposite side. The side-hilling was fairly steep and would be a pain under wet conditions. Wet heather usually means a lot of time on my butt.

Once at 6000' I traversed to a bench at 6300' on the west ridge of Point 7025. It looked like a reasonable route on the topo but was too sketchy for me once I got there. It was 1:40 pm and I thought seriously about having lunch and heading down. Instead, I decided I'd better checkout the view from the ridge. From there, I decided I'd better see what was on the otherside of Point 7025. From there I thought I'd better take a closer look at the summit block. And once there I found myself scrambling up the last part of ridge to the summit. The clock read 2:37 pm. I enjoyed lunch while checking out the plume of smoke rising 30 degrees to the north and the hazy view. I left the summit at 3:00 pm.

The hot sun took its toll on the way down. The traverse under Point 5845 was very hot and, thankfully, short. I was dragging on the last climb from the talus basin back up to the ridge. At the top, I layed down in the shade guzzled some water, ate some candy and enjoyed the peaceful setting. I was glad, though, to have avoided climbing over Point 5845. The remainder of the trip back to the car was uneventful and arrived there at 6:40 pm. I saw the only two other people of the day just before the car on the way down.

All the way down I was thinking how good a swim would feel, so I drove straight to the river, found a nice pool, stripped and dove into the cold river water. The water flowed over me, washing away all the pine needles sticking to my sweaty body and refreshing my entire being. It was a great end to a great climb.

Stats: 5500' elevation gain; 9.5 miles; 1.5 hours to Virgin Lake; 5.5 hours to summit; 3.7 hours return.

Excellent day hike. The trail is in good shape. Lots of flies going up, but they did not bite. Once the trail crosses the high point and descends to Blanca Lake, the vegetation becomes lush (deer fern, false hellebore, goatsbeard, salmonberry, saxifrage, strawberries (?), etc. etc.). The turquoise-opaque lake is surreal, and the view of the Columbia Glacier at the north end of the lake, flanked on either side by rocky-snowy mountains, is magnificent, like a grand post card come to life. Lots of hikers on the trail for a Wednesday, but not so many as to be a problem.

Kyes Peak in Monte Cristo area seemed like a long one day climb that would be a good barometer of my fitness level. Also, I wanted to do something closer to home.

It was a beautiful day but another hot one, too hot for me! The 4 mile Blanca Lake trail is in perfect condition with no problems all the way to the lake. I started at 8 am and arrived at Blanca at 9:30. The rugged Monte Cristo Peaks and the turquoise glacial water of Blanca were spectacular in the morning light. After crossing the outlet stream I treversed around the west side of the lake; there is a boot path that can be followed here.

Afterwards, I ascended to the Columbia Glacier. The south facing glacier is very dirty at its terminus. I walked along the edge of the glacier to avoid crevasses and reached the glacier flats at 5400 feet. From here a break in the cliff line affords a route up to the ridge crest on Kyes Peak. Some steep snow, scree, gravel, and sketchy rock/snow crossings brought me up to the ridge at about 6600.

From here I ascended up the small glacier on Kyes' east flank and scrambled up to the summit. I reached the summit at 12:30 and then began my descent choosing the south ridge route as opposed to the Columbia Glacier. The final rock scramble to the 7227 ft summit seemed more intense than imagined, but that's the way a lota stuff goes. The views were well worth the effort.

The south ridge seemed straight forward. There is a climbers path that can be picked up through most of the ridge. Point 5845 can be avoided by traversing on the west side to avoid needless elevation gain. Filthy Virgin lake was acutally a pleasant site to see on the way down! The final 3 miles of trail to the car were painful on the legs; I was already exhausted. The sun and arduous climb had gotten to me.

I arrived at the car at 5 pm exhausted (9 hour total trip). A good one day trip in a beautiful area of the casades.

Great hike. Now one of my all-time favorite day hikes. Great ridge and meadows with a nice view of Glacier Peak, and then the stunning turquoise Blanca with Monte Cristo towering over. Even the trip there is fun, with the North Fork Skykomish road now my all-time favorite DRIVE to a hike. Smooth, paved, two-lane road with nobody on it winding through a nice river valley. Like a car commmercial. zoom zoom.

The trail is completely snow free and amazingly enough mostly bug free! (some flies buzzing around me, and a bee followed me for about 1/2 a mile on the way down, but no bites or stings) The trail is in good shape too, although it gets a little rough from Virgin Lake down to Blanca.

Also, bring lots of water. It's a decent climb, and the only water before Blanca Lake is stagnant little Virgin ""Lake"", which I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, despite its deceptively pure-sounding moniker. OK, maybe I would, but I wouldn't drink it.

Still some snow near the 4600 foot saddle. Ice axe recommended for safety, but I got by wielding a stake like I learned on Buffy the Vampire Slayer...maintains at least the illusion of safety anyway. Trail is in excellent condition until the snow at about 4400 feet. I stopped at the saddle.

Trail is in great shape up to the ridge, a couple of little blowdowns to step over. On the ridge is snow, but boot track is easy to follow. Just stay up on the ridge and traverse basin to the right of the ""summit"" and you will find wilderness sign across flat saddle. Trail down to the lake is sketchy, watch your step. The lake itself is freaking gorgeous, with twin waterfalls off of the Columbia glacier. By the way the turnoff to the trailhead is not signed. After leaving the river past San Juan campground and heading up, you come across an intersection in a few miles, with the cross street having stop signs. This is just before the concrete bridge over the river. Go up almost exactly two miles and you will see the sign.

Great hike, definitely good exercise! Nobody else on trail all day. First 2 miles on dry trail in woods and encountered 2 blow-downs - but easily navigated. Next mile started snow patches. Ridge and last mile, total snow - several feet. Very few boot tracks to follow on ridge and down to Virgin Lake, however my slip/sliding tracks should now help others. Virgin Lake still completely frozen, but had some water on top of ice in areas. Trail from Virgin down to Blanca very steep and difficult/snow. Blanca still frozen except for the outlet area. Only real bug problem was in parking lot when I returned - mosquitos everywhere!

Nice weather to get out to the mountains. Trail is in good shape. Hit solid snow 1/2 mile to 1 mile before Virgin Lake, but it was consolidated and easy to hike on. Virgin is totally ice covered still and we didn't see any obvious snow-free campsites. Sadly, since our companion had to be back early, we did not make it to Blanca Lake. From what we could see, it still looked frozen. Next time we will make it! Only a few bugs so far.

Trail goes from a mild graid to a series of switchbacks and then follows a ridge, the snow starts here in big patches and becomes a full blanket towards the top. You then enter the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness and lose some elevation to a small pond. Go right around the pond and into the trees. This is where the trail becomes less apparent. There were no apparent tracks to the lake, but my memory from last season gave me a general idea of where I was going. Go down and to the right, though it might seem strange. You lose quite a bit of elevation and it is very steep, but after a while you can see the rock cirque through the trees. THe lake is still blanketed in ice and snow as well as the glacier. It is truely a spectacular sight, and chance you will be alone. Enjoy!

We were surprised to see such an empty trailhead on Mem. Day w/e. The trail was in (overall) great condition. Some tidying up was needed at the bottom as there were maybe 2 winter-blow-downs on the trail, but nothing serious at all. The weather was perfect (60 and mostly cloudy) and we hit snow at probably about 3500', maybe a little above. We hiked to the ridge and both lakes seemed pretty socked in with snow so that was as far as we made it. We were standing on a few feet of crusty snow at the ridge as well, but didn't have any problems w/ our regular hiking boots. All in all a nice day and only saw 2 other groups on the trail. Can't ask for more on a nice holiday weekend.

We didn't expect the weather to be so good on Friday, so we had picked one of the ""good hike in any condition"" routes. The road to the trailhead was open to within 100' of the trail. The actual parking lot had 10"" of very crusty snow when we arrived. We started out on bare trail which changed to spotty snow fairly soon and we put on our snowshoes at about 3500'. There was about 12-16"" of new snow to slow us down above 4,000'. The snow on the ground was safe, but the enormous bombs dropping off the trees were something to be concerned about. Keep your hood on! When we reached the ridge top by Virgin Lake, the blue sky and superb views in all directions made the idea of walking down to the lake seem silly. Instead, we followed the ridge crest south and climbed to 5127' Toil Pk. The hike book calls it Toil Pk. the maps do not mention a name. Anyway, it is easy to get to the top and has a steller view of all the Monte Cristo Peaks, Glacier Peak, etc.,etc...

I was amazed arriving at the Blanca Lk. TH Saturday 10am to find not a single car in the lot! How could people let this sunny late winter day pass them by? Oh well, more solitude for myself (as I was solo this trip).

Pressing upward on the switchbacks from TH to about 2500 ft. was bare trail, just a snow patch here or there (south facing slope I imagine). A few blow-downs, but nothing major. Then it got gradually more snow/ice on trail - Leki's came in handy for sure footing. Looks like somebody was up there in the past week, followed footprints, then postholes to near top of switchbacks. Then the postholes stopped, I figure that is where 'the somebody' turned around. Here is where the snowshoes were put on. I did not really follow the normal trail route, but headed up the ridge to saddle (keeping off slide prone areas and windblown cornices!) Steep in places, and snowshoes were a must after ~ 3500 ft. From the Henery M. Jackson Wilderness sign at saddle, I treked across untracked winter fluffy stuff to Toil Pk. for a view. This was a bit of a climb, even with the snowshoe crampons (MSR's) it was steep and slow going. But eventually, I was on the Toil Pk ledge with excellent view of Kyes Pk, Monte Cristo, Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lk (frozen over and white, not aqua blue/green like usual). Glacier Pk. was visible on NE horizon. After lunch (and hot drinks!) and lots of sun soaking, headed back down - err.. I mean slid down. Arrived at TH lot around 4:30 - still no cars. What a pleasant experience!

For anyone looking for a great snowshoe trip, this is a great place and no bugs like summer. Just stay clear of clumps of snow falling from treelimbs and trace the ridgeline for an easy route back.

No snow & good dry trail to 3000' (about 1 mile). The rest of the distance to Virgin Lake was on a hard-packed trail in 1-2 feet of snow. Easy hiking without snowshoes. We didn't go the final 1/2 mile to Blanca Lake & it hasn't been travelled much - snowshoes would have been desired if we had descended to the lake.

man, it was warm. still wearing shorts.

35 switchbacks but some darn big douglas firs. there's some hard, slick snow once you get to the top of the ridge, then complete snow coverage to little virgin lake (almost completely frozen, bring ice skates!). the trail down to blanca is free of snow but muddy. blanca lake itself has some ice out in the middle that makes for some nice reflections of the mountains above. one misquito at blanca lake. overall, not too difficult for St. Andrew's Day! who says November is between seasons?

2 hours 10 minutes to blanca at a steady clip. 1.5 hours to the trailhead from seattle.

PS, was going to try West Cady Ridge trail, but it is closed for bridge maintenance.

Another gorgeous fall day. This trail starts off in an old clearcut and within 1/4 mile enters old growth forest. The forest is predominantly mountain hemlock and silver fir but the stars of the show are several dozen very large and old douglas fir trees that dot the landscape. The trail then switchbacks up in Mt Si-ish monotony until the forest thins near the pass and nice views out to Glacier peak are enjoyed. Up until now the trail is in very good condition. The decent 600ft down to Blanca Lake is steeper and a bit more crude. Blanca Lake is a beautiful site. It has a powder blue color and is framed by Columbia and Monte Cristo peaks in the background. I scrambled on a rude steep path on the west side of the lake to get a different perspective of things. There are some scenic camp sites in this area. Saw 5 other very pleasant people all day. RT 9 mi and total of 3300ft elevation including the 600 ft out. No snow. Scant bugs. Occ fall color but most past prime now.

Started out around 9:00am and trudged out way to the top. Enjoyed the vast open meadows and wildflowers. Great view of Kyes peak and others close by. Mumbled something about Virgin lake actually being called a lake (more a like a pond) then made our way down the last bit of ""600ft"" of trail. It was a tough one, especially with 25+plus pounds on our backs but well worth it.

We were rewarded with a glimpse of Blanca lake then immediatey we saw a camper right on shore so decided to head around lake over the log jam. Found a fine site about half way around the West shore and set up camp.

Was a beautiful starlit night but as it got darker and time pressed on, clouds began to roll in. Woke up to the sounds of rain hiting the tent fly (thank god I sealed the seams last year) and it continued on until we reached the parking lot after hiking down. Took around 4hrs to get to lake and over than 2hrs to get down. Going up can be grueling! Overall, it was well worth it and we will go back again sometime soon.

PS- caught one pan-friable rainbow but released it so some other lucky fisherman could claim it!

PPS- whoever said this hike is 8 miles is on crack! one book says 8-11 and some say 8..? which one is it?? seemed closer to 10 round trip from parking lot to lake!

Started out from Seattle around 8:00 AM - got up to the trailhead around 10:00. Wonderful views around 2500 ft up - and snow patches here and there.

Made it to Blanca Lake (the last 600 ft down takes longer than you think!) right before 1:00. The lake is simply a gorgeous shade of green - and views of Columbia Glacier are awesome. Next time, we've got to try climbing Kyes peak.

Made it back to the car by 4:00 - the trip is definitely worth it. Trail is in really good condition.

I had a little over 24 hours to do an overnighter, and I wanted a good workout, and I wanted to be at high altitude away from all city lights so that I could see the remnants of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Blanca Lake perfectly fit all my agendas. I headed up the trail at 2 pm on Monday the 12th. It was hot and the trail is steep and relentless. It actually gets steeper the higher you get. Up and up, switchback after switchback, I trudged along toting my backpack. After 5 hours to go three miles and 2,700 vertical ft, slow even by Slug standards, I finally dragged into Virgin Lake at the top of the ridge and called it good. I had the whole area all to myself as the only other people were camped at Blanca (I don't count hundreds of biting flies as company). I set up my mosquito netting, no tent or tarp required, ate dinner and retired around 9:30 with my alarm watch set at 2 am. From 2 until about 4:30, I saw some awesome meteors, many sporting glowing vapor trails that persisted for several seconds. I stayed up to watch the sunrise which is a rare occurance for a late-sleeper like me. When I woke up again, I had to head out with only a short chance to enjoy the locale as I had to be in Mt. Vernon by 3 pm. The hike out only took 2 1/2 hours. There was no snow to hike on, but there were a few banks available for refrigeration purposes. This is the second time I've been on this hike and I still have never actually been to Blanca Lake. (The last time was in Nov '00 and there was too much snow to continue past Virgin). I counted four different types of biting flies, and at least two species of mosquito, all of which considered me a fine delicacy. The physical barrier of the netting worked much better than DEET.

Beth and I met at the Monroe Starbucks for a weekday girls’ hike. Debbie was going to join us, but unfortunately wasn’t feeling well and decided to sit this one out. We selected Blanca Lake as our destination of choice, given the recent heat. This morning, however, it was cool and cloudy with drizzle, with the promise of clearing in the later morning hours.

The trail is in excellent shape, but has three logs across it within the first two miles. Intermittent snow patches began just below the ridge top (4600 feet), and trail high point. We searched around on this small plateau for the trail that drops to Virgin Lake, and saw the Wilderness Boundary sign across the open snow-covered meadow. We walked straight to the sign, and lo and behold the trail appeared! We were able to stay on bare trail all the way to Virgin Lake, which was still mostly frozen and surrounded by snow with some bare patches.

We continued on to Blanca Lake after reorienting the map to try to locate the “path” to the lake. It didn’t take long to locate a path that appeared to head down to the lake on the far side of the Virgin Lake meadow. It is a steep and rugged path, but there was no blowdown and it was free of snow to the lake. The lake is gorgeous, green and still has some ice floating in it. There are some snow patches between the trail and the lake, and the sides of the lake are steep and offer few places for camping.

We watched the clouds engulf Glacier Peak, and gradually descend on the Monte Cristo range while we enjoyed lunch by the lake. The mosquitoes weren’t bad, but the deer flies were obnoxious! We finished our lunches, took a few pictures and headed back up the trail. Once we reached the high point on the ridge, we stopped for a few minutes to admire the view to the southeast and name what peaks we could identify.

The trail travels through some spectacular old-growth fir and cedar, gentle giants up to five feet in diameter. We also enjoyed identifying plants and flowers along the way: queen’s cup, vanilla leaf, bunchberry, wild strawberry, twinflower, twisted stalk, sitka valerian, mountain ash, wood violet, western coralroot, and some late blooming salmonberry and trillium.

On our descent, we met up with a group from the Seattle Country Day Camp, following the “pied piper” up the trail to camp by Blanca Lake. Their leader apparently stopped at the Sultan Bakery and purchased a pie to serve as a treat after dinner for the gang as a reward/celebration of their hard work. The pie was tied to the top of his pack like the proverbial carrot on a string, and to get the troops moving, he would announce “the pie is leaving”. We wished them well, and also mentioned that Virgin Lake would probably be a better camping destination.

It is a great trail, but some route finding across snow patches is still required, although it is not difficult.

The trail to Blanca Lake is in good shape going up to the ridge near Virgin Lake. I took three friends along who had not been on this hike. We first encountered some snow about 1/2 mile before the ridge top. At the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness boundry line we plunged stepped down the hill to frozen Virgin Lake. A short distance past the little lake the trail is bare again for the hike down to Blanca Lake. There is still snow aound the lake, but some bare spot too. A few people had backpack in and set up camp. About half the lake still has ice floating in it and the water is ice cold.

We found a spot near the outlet for lunch and watched some climbers heading up the Columbia Glacier. Fortunately the bugs were hardly noticeable, which made for a great hike. After some photo taking, we started back for the trail head. As we were going down from the snowy ridge, lots of people were still coming up. We even met one couple with the guy carrying a golf club. I told him the greens were still buried in snow!

The trail to Blanca Lake is en excellent shape. Snow starts at around 4000 feet, but the footprints are easy to follow to Virgin Lake. which is still ice and snow covered, and makes you think of March, not July. But, there is actually very little snow after Virgin Lake down to Blanca. There are a few bugs but nothing to worry about. Blanca is still 90% covered with snow and ice, but that has to go in a week or two. What a great conditioning hike!

North Fork Sky River Road open. Road #63 goes, but has branches hanging low and a couple branches down that we drove over. Nothing that the Blue Blunder Bus couldn't handle - also, a small low-clearance car was at the trailhead when we arrived.

Snow patches on or next to Blanca Lake trail nearly from the beginning, but mostly dirt to 2800 feet. Lots of blown-down branches - my pal and I cleared what we could by hand - the rest will need implements of destruction.

Snow started in earnest at 3,000 feet. We then traveled cross-country, kicking steps on up to Toil Peak (Point 5128). Used trekking poles but not snowshoes, and got out the ice axes for the last part - kinda steepish. Enjoyed Summit Rolos with big views of snow-covered Blanca Lake, Columbia Glacier, and the Monte Cristo peaks.

I love this hike for the mix of ancient forest with big trees, moderate snow-climb with nicely defined ridge, and beautiful summit vista.

We even lucked out with the weather - made it back to the cars before the rain started. Nice summit - way to go, team! -Dox

The trail to Virgin Lake is in great shape. A plethora of trails diverge at Virgin - main trail heads straight down to lake and then follows the lake edge. Beyond there the trail is narrow, muddy and steep (downhill) and hence sometimes slick. Views of Blanca from the southern view points are fantastic. Crossed the log jam (for a log jam novice as myself, the jam was a lot easier to cross than it initially looks) and walked along lake edge a while (fun) and then followed steep, up-and-down, muddy, blow-downs, and bush-whacking trail (not fun) to near lake end before turning around. Only a handful of people on the trail (8 cars at trailhead on my way out), with at least one party taking the Kyes express right after Virgin. Insects all along the trail, but they were shy and kept a polite distance even without any repellant.

The Monteverdi Muck Divers got their start with two new members, and got out of Kirkland at 7:30 am. After a wrong turn or two (or three) we found that you are supposed to take the exit towards Index, but don't cross the bridge! Keep going straight, and you'll get there.

The trail is in very good shape, but the first three miles or so are steadily uphill (not particularly strenuous, but enough to make you sweat plenty). At about 3.25 miles, the bog that is named ""Virgin Lake"" isn't much, keep moving and head onto the dicier section of trail that drops you down to Blanca Lake. The lake is just beautiful, with a milky greenish color that is pretty surreal. Please don't stop at the crowded campground area; rather head over the log jam (just keep your balance and you'll be fine) and head over to the other side to continue the trail. The relative solitude and views on the other side are well worth the trip.

We headed to the glacier-filled basin at the headwaters of the lake and enjoyed the sun. This probably added about 1 mile each way of hiking, but was well worth it. I scampered up to the falls above and they were beautful. Bugs were around, but not too bad. Great day hike or backpack, especially if you want to climb one of the peaks surrounding the lake (these peaks are for moderately skilled climbers at a minimum).

Trailhead to pass about 2 hours. Trail's in good shape. Trail and surrounding ridges are completely snow-free. Lots of biting black flies at Virgin Lake. Take netting or deet or plan to never stop moving.

Took climber’s track from Virgin Lake and started up ridge, moving northward toward Kyes Peak. The entire ridge is cliffy on both sides, so sometimes you’re on the ridge, sometimes traversing on either side. Some of the ridge route is open and easy, but the majority of it is quite steep and requires slow and careful traverses and some athletic muscle-ups with considerable use of hands. Fun, challenging, some great views, but slow going. Some flags mark the more obscure sections. After about three hours, we reached a high point on the ridge. At that point, the ridge descended toward Kyes, but the trail seemed to peter out and it looked way too cliffy to proceed, so we decided we’d gone far enough and we ate lunch and took a nap before heading back down the ridge.

Sometimes the description in the Beckey guide understates the difficulty of the route. This is one of those classics where it greatly understates it. How Beckey figures four hours from the trail to the summit on this ridge we'll never know. We’ll be back to Kyes, but take our word for it, we'll be taking the slightly longer but ultimately far less complex route by continuing down to Blanca Lake, around the lake, up onto Columbia Glacier, and up Kyes from there. Don’t take the ridge route unless you have lots of time, a good sense of humor, and maybe some rappel gear.

Score: Kyes 1 Us 0.

Well it was a beautiful day for this hike. Not a cloud in the sky and hardly any bugs to speak of. The trail is very well maintained up to the ridge and you only reach snow once you are up towards the top of the ridge and even then, it is patchy and easy to manage. Little virgin lake is still frozen over for the most part and the trail on the way down is covered by snow (which makes for some good sliding on the way down to it). Once you reach Virgin lake, the trail is totally clear of snow all the way down to Blanca Lake and makes for a nice decent. Views all around were awesome and was well worth all the switchbacks.

The trail is clear to just below the 4600' level above Virgin Lake. Nice views of Glacier Peak here and there. The meadow just outside the Henry Jackson Wilderness is still snow-covered, and so is Virgin Lake. Blanca Lake is completely melted out and beautiful. There are some steep snow patches just before you get down to Blanca. Troublesome Creek is high, but can be forded at the broad outlet where old logs have collected. Most of the hikers didn't bother - there was quite a collection at the south end.

The route around the lake still has plenty of snow and is overgrown, but is quite worth it. To get past the lake you must cross a snowbank on a boulder slope, where a slip would land you in the lake.

There is very little snow between Blanca and the Columbia Glacier, as it is a south-facing slope in full sun. The snowmelt from Columbia Peak forms quite a few little waterfalls. You can hear pikas here.

I heard a loon at Blanca and came across a large frog enjoying the warmer shallows. I heard grouse several times in the woods.

Queenscup and Canadian dogwood are fading lower down, but just starting to bloom higher up. Near Blanca is a large patch of marsh marigolds surrounding a sucking mud pit on the route (it's more a route than a trail after Virgin Lake).

There are some grand old trees higher up on this hike, outside the H.J. Wilderness. Perhaps they would be included in the new Skykomish Wilderness that has been proposed.

There's still quite a bit of snow on the trail, starting at ~3300 ft elevation. There were footprints that I followed for a while, but they stopped at the bottom of the steep thin ridge leading up to Virgin Lake, so I had to break trail from then on. The afternoon snow was getting pretty soft, making the going kind of slow. I made it as far as Virgin Lake, snapped some pics, and decided I'd had enough postholing for one day. Nice views of the Monte Cristo peaks, Glacier, and Daniel and Hinman to the south. Met just one other person the entire time, almost a bit too much solitude!

If you're planning to hike this trail right now, be prepared to find your own way down the steep back of the ridge past Virgin Lake down to Blanca Lake, as there won't be footprints to guide you.

The snow-free portion of the trail is in good shape.

As of this date, there are ""road closed"" barricades on the 'index road' at ~10 miles. You can just drive around those though. There's a little bit of snow on the road at about 14 miles, most cars can drive to the intersection of road #63. (past a bunch of rockfall) #63 is covered with about 1-2 feet of snow. Somebody has driven it & created icy tire ruts. It'd be a slippery drive up (and down from) there - I walked it. The trailhead is 2 miles up #63. The first mile of the trail is pretty much snow free, the next mile is icy crusty stuff. After this, you'll prefer some snowshoes. The trail is pretty easy to follow, but even if you can't find it, just follow the ridge up. I didn't go down to blanca lake itself (which would be a big elev. drop down some steep snow & ice), rather I took a right turn at Virgin Lake and headed up the ridge. There aren't a lot of clear views as the trees are so big, but there is one good clear spot just before you hit a steep rock wall.

Nice day hike. almost 4 miles one-way. Snow down to the 3200' level but was melting fast. 6 inches at the lake. beautiful lake - turqoise greenish colored water from the glacier.

The trail is wide open with no obstacles. Gnats at the saddle above Virgin Lake, but otherwise few bugs. Yellowjackets were stinging at the last hard-right switchback heading down to the Blanca Lake.

""Relentless"" was the word used to describe this switchback-laden hike in a guidebook, and I must agree. You definitely earn the views you get when finally reaching Blanca Lake and environs. I arrived on a sunny Tues. at 8am at the trailhead on FS Rd. 63 off of the Index-Galena Rd, about 17 mi from the turnoff off Hwy 2 at the Index Cafe. The climb is moderately steep the whole way but not terribly so. The tread seemed great on the way up but coming down the steepness and many roots made me wonder how I missed them heading up! After 2 hrs & nearly 3 miles you reach the high point of the hike, just before dipping down a saddle to tiny Virgin Lk. From there you drop steeply another near-mile on lousy tread, dodging a few blow-downs, to drop 600ft to Blanca Lk. The greenish tint from glacial runoff is quite stunning, as are the surrounding peaks of Columbia,Monte Cristo and Kyes. The Columbia glacier hangs above the far end of the lake, with a double waterfall cascading below it a few hundred feet above the lake's shore-- the scene brings to mind a fantasy landscape. By walking across a jumble of logs across the Lake's outlet stream, you can access the western shoreline to follow a faint tread along and up and over a bluff to the far end of the lake. Just before I reached the far shore, a semi-small rockfall came spilling down from a steep hillside above, it didn't seem like much until some suitcase size rocks came whizzing by not more than 25' in front of me-yikes! Needless to say I didn't linger and scooted across the boulder field that was the recipient of more rock. I really wanted to climb up the boulder-laced hillside to check out the waterfall, but time was getting short and I reluctantly headed back- the scramble up would have taken at least another hour or so. After cursing and climbing back up the 600' to the saddle near Virgin Lk., I plodded along and down the endless switchbacks to the trailhead. Saw two backpackers at lake & 2 folks and a dog coming up trail at 4:45p. Total time: 8am-6pm, with numerous photo ops & meal breaks, mileage 8+ RT, elev gain 2700' in, 600' out. Bring lots of liquids, no water until you reach the lake. Wildlife: whistling marmots among far lake shore rocks, saw a 6in trout. Flora: blueberries are ripe!

I hadn't been to the Blanca Lake trail in nearly 4 years. It used to be one of my perennial hikes so I took a much needed day away from my blinking boxes to see how the trail was doing. The trail is in good shape with a few easily negotiated blow-down. There's been some trail maintenance and reconstruction since I was there last including some very nice tread work at the high point of the trail before diving down toward Blanca Lake. The route down to the lake has seen some improvements, but is still a steep route-filled route.

Despite the well publicized burn-ban, there were two smoldering and one actively attended fires at the lake (all within 200 feet of the Lake). Three groups of campers and lots of fishing poles.

I followed around the lake on the boot-beat path that leads toward the upper basin and Columbia Glacier. There is still some snow on the lake-shore at the far west -end that must be crossed. I have a favorite napping spot next to a snow-melt fed stream on the far end of the lake. I watched small trout dart through the stream and did my best to think about nothing . This came easily to me. I tried to take a nap, but was constantly disrupted by a loud whistling sound. There is some brown, fury animal that lives up there, I think its a koala bear or a sloth or something, that has a whistle stuck in its throat. I think the FS should send in a helicopter with a veterinarian to de-whistle him so I can take a nap next time I go up there.

Every time I go to Blanca, I push my way a little further up the Columbia Glacier. This time I made it about ½ up before turning back. Getting across the glacier's outlet stream was an easy crossing on snow. The glacier is covered with some impressive sized rocks that have fallen from the cliff bans above.

As I returned to the lake most the campers had left and all the fires were out, but there were plenty of artifacts left behind. I got me two fire grates, binocular lens-cover sand some way-cool shades.

Trail and lake are free of snow and ice. There were eight downed trees on the trail. Two of them on the steep, boot-trodden path towards Blanca Lake. This might be a problem for hikers with heavy backpacks.Three parties camped at the lakeshore and had open fires when we arrived at mid morning! The clouds lifted at noon, and Columbia Peak, Monte Cristo Peak,Kyes Peak and Gobelin Mountain made their grandiose appearance. Blanca Lake with its milky-jade color looked gorgeous.Even at noon it was cool at the lake. It felt all day like fall.We counted 12 different kinds of flowers, but all in all they were rather sparsely represented.

A beautiful warm sunny day at the trailhead for Blanca Lake. Well marked Trail climbs to 4800 ft elevation through sub-alpine meadows. Wildflowers just beginning to bloom. The first lake you arrive at is virgin at the 3 mile mark. The next 1/2 mile is a goat trail down to blanca lake- boots recommended. The view is awsome. Some snow patches around lake. Trail is in excellent condition. Spend some time at the lake. Recommended as a moderately difficult trek.

There's still a fair amount of snow up on the ridge, but the boot-beaten trails make it fairly easy to find your way (you still need to pay attention in a few places). This particular day was sunny and the snow was easy to hike on -- not too icy and not too mushy. It was melting fast with rivers of water moving under the snow. Both Virgin Lake and Blanca Lake are still 90% frozen. The trail from Virgin to Blanca is very rough -- lots of trees down on the trail, and rocks and roots to navigate -- the affectionate term we use is ""goat path"". At Blanca, there are several melted-out places with a view of the lake which are good for a lunch break. Mosquitoes and flies are ramping up, but weren't too bad yet.

As the reports have stated for the last couple of weeks, snow begins on this trail at approximately 3,300'. We carried full packs with the idea of bivying as near the summit of Kyes Peak as possible, knowing from a previous trip that the summit did not provide an area to camp. What a day! The snow actually helped us on the traverse of the South Ridge. However it made things more than a little challenging just past the gulch before the final ascent up to the ridge notch of Kyes. We arrived in camp on the false summit at 4:30 - 8 hrs. from the trailhead and more than a little exhausted. The weather was still perfect as we stretched out on our bivy sacks waiting for the stove to heat. After dinner we grabbed our camera gear and headed for the summit (a 10 minute walk). Glacier Peak was just catching the evening light before the sun slipped behind an approaching blanket of clouds. We exhausted a few rolls (hey, it's a business expense!). In early morning the clouds moved in on us, creating visibility of about 50' and less at times. Navigation was fun, since we did not plan to follow our exact route down. With map and compass, we succeeded in finding a new and improved route to the ridge where the rain awaited us. The lower we descended, the heavier the rain became. The truck was a welcome sight!

The parking lot had 3 other cars when we arrived at about 11:45am. The trail ran up and up via swithcbacks over decent tread. It was dry as a bone until 3250' and then buried under at least 3 feet of snow from there. This is still thick forest and only halfway to the ridge. We had no hope of navigating over snow and neither did anyone else - we watched group after group turn back after some futile efforts at route finding.

The snow started about half way up. It was about a foot deep at Virgin LK. Bring gators and poles if your going past the crest down to the lake.

Three of us decided to hike to this popular lake on Sunday. We expected crowds, so our mindset was OK when we saw them. About 2 dozen cars in the parking lot. The hike was lovely through the unlogged forest, and the trail was buff. The lake was a worthy destination and we enjoyed the dippers and pipits that we saw. Because we have never hiked off Hwy 2 on a nice weekend day, we were totally unprepared for what we expected to be less than a 2 hr drive to turn into a 4 hour drive to get home to Issaquah. The traffic backup appeared to be due to one traffic light in Sultan.

The Blanca Lake trail is finally totally snow free (except for a single 10 ft long patch). The first 2.5 miles of trail climbs about 2600 ft and is in excellent condition. There are two large trees down about a quarter mile before Virgin Lake, but they present little or no problem to hikers. Both Virgin Lake and Blanca Lake are ice free, with two fisherman and Blanca Lake reporting some success catching Rainbow Trout. The section of trail near Virgin Lake is in good condition. The last section of trail from Virgin Lake down to Blanca Lake is a little rough, with some mud, but is basically in okay condition. As 9/14 was a hot day, there were a few deer flies. When stopped, DEET was necessary to keep them from biting.

The top ten reasons Blanca Lake is now on my top ten favorite hikes list. 10. Only 60 miles and 100 minutes from N. Seattle. 9. Chance to visit Monroe, now officially renamed ""Stripmall City, WA"". 8. Also. they built a high school on the same hill as the prison. 7. Most of trail so well manicured, I thought it was recently built. 6. I think our timber-felling, mine-promoting, dams-a-staying Senator sent his gardeners up on the last maintenance party. 5. Amaze friends with stories of patchy snow at 4000', solid snow at 4600'. 4. Brain damaged during wild, reckless youth; can't remember trails hiked before June. 3. Seriously, did little wood nymphs sweep up all the twigs and rocks just before I got there' 2. Bugs only mildly annoying, not an actual threat to sanity. 1. Sunny summer day, only one other person on the trail!

Lower trail in great shape. Snow starts about 1/2 mile before Virgin Lake with 2-6 feet of snow at Virgin Lake. Trail from Virgin to Blanca is flagged with pink flagging. Two nasty blowdowns on the trail,one of which could be easily fixed in 15 minutes with a handsaw. Blanca is snowbound and 90% snow covered but melting fast. The logjam looks difficult at best to cross.

With my sister from Texas we arrived at the trail head at about 6:30AM and the trail up to mile 3 is EXCEPTIONAL (Thank you WTA) At Virgin Lake the snow over 2 feet deep obscures the trail, No Tracks. We sat on a snow bank and had a snack and looked around thru the light mist prior to heading back. A few bugs so we dabbed on some repellent. Even though we did not go past Virgin Lake the hike was certainly worth while.

We arrived at the trailhead at 11 AM. The first 45 minutes are hot and steep but very pretty. The trail is in excellent shape, thanks to WTA. At 3100 feet, we lost the trail in the snow. We bush-wacked for about a half mile (pretty stupid of us) and found the trail. We were on snow the rest of the way up to Virgin Lake (the first little lake) which is still completely buried in snow. The views are spectacular. Very fun, pretty stenuous, too early for backpacking. Back to the car by 4 pm and off to Zekes, which is for sale. Can't Zekes be preserved as a historic monument'

Blanca Lk. trail is snow free almost to the two mile mark. There are two blow-downs that are easy to get around. After two mile mark trail becomes solid snow to the lake,snow depth 3-6 ft.as you gain elevation. Lake is still snow covered. Campfires are permitted at Blanca Lk. While dogs are not required to be leashed it is recommended due to the trails popularity and wildlife that inhabit the area, that they be leashed.

The trail is in very
good condition all the way to Blanca Lake. There are three windfalls on the way to Virgin Lake. The only troublesome one has been flagged for removal. There is a lot of trail work ongoing between Virgin and Blanca Lakes. There is a short muddy spot 0.2 miles before Blanca Lake. The brush is tight but not bothersome approaching the lake. Autumn colors are showing. A black squirrel was observed gathering nesting material. Blanca and Virgin Lakes are in the Henry Jackson Wilderness. Since this is out of my district, I don't know the fire regulations offhand, but the guide books indicate that campfires are prohibited. Despite the prohibition on fires, there was a large fire pit found at Blanca Lake. It took about an hour to dismantle the pyre-sized ring as well as fish out the rusty cans from Dinty Moore and other redneck delicacies. Adelaide had us Roos fans eating ""Crow"" last Friday night (Saturday afternoon AEST). Good thing hangovers aren't forever.

As always, the initial
climb through the switch backs were killer. No big obstacles other than an unfit body which tired out really soon. Once past Virgin lake, the trail becomes a bit more difficult. Many rocks and a few blown down trees to climb over. Your first view of the lake is breath taking. Follow the trail to the lake shore and don't get confused with a little washout near the creek leading away from the lake. It looks just like a trail but it's not. Take plenty of water. The temperature was quite hot on the day we hiked forcing us to consume plenty of fluids. Enjoy your hike. The pay off is worth it. :-)

ree up
to the high point at 4600'. After a good look around, we found the continuation of the trail past Virgin Lake right at the Wilderness Boundary sign. Virgin Lake was very slushy. We didn't take the time to look for the trail heading up to Toil Peak, but will try on our next visit. The trail down to Blanca is a bit rough, but easily passable. Blanca is spectacular! Unfortunately, mist and clouds obscured the views of the surrounding peaks.

Nice foggy cool hike
this Sunday. Hit lots of snow above 4000 feet. Blanca and Virgin Lakes still snowed in so skinny dipping is still out. Trail seems to be in good shape. No bugs yet.

There are several
large blow downs along the trail. It is possible to walk over or around them, although at some cost to the surrounding areas. We ran into snow about 3 miles from the trailhead and were not able to find the trail down to the lake. We had lunch at a view point on the ridge above the lake and then returned.

Encountered only one
car at the trailhead on a beautiful sunny Sunday (We must have been dreaming). The trail is in good shape halfway to the ridge but then encountered many blowdowns. They are easily navigated. Snow is heavy 2/3 of the way up the ridge. The views north to Glacier Peak were stunning. The peaks surrounding Blanca Lake(Kaydet, Monte Christo, etc.) are equally breath-taking. A good steep trail w/ some great old trees and terrific weather.

I stumbled upon this trail
by driving out of Index and taking a Forest SErvice Road until a low-fallen tree blocked the road (I was in a small motor home, cars can fit beneath the tree). I continued up the road on foot until I came to the trail head where I was stopped by Forest Service Law Enforcement who told me I needed a $3 trail head pass. He found I was not in the 1 car at the trail-head and released me to the trail. The trail is in good shape, with steep switch-backs. About 1.5 miles up the trail, there is nothing but snow - about 1 - 2 foot deep. I met only one other hiker - a guy with a gun in a holster. The forest is second-growth, lots of birds - no other visible animals. I didn't want to continue through the snow since I was alone with my dog, but will return soon to see Blanca Lake. The quiet of the wonderful steep mountain peaks surrounding this area was marred by gunfire lasting about 1/2 hour. It scared my dog, and I can imagine it scared other animals. It is early spring in the mountains,a good time for contemplation, rest and celebration of life.