Blanca Lake

11.5 miles roundtrip

At a glance: Not for the weak of heart or body. This hike is for fit, adventurous hikers only due to it's length and steepness. 

What's included: Pick-up from hotel/home/airbnb and transport to trailhead, trailhead permit and passes, lunch, snacks, equipment, and drop-off back to home base. $199/person.

Visit one of the most striking lakes in the Henry M. Jackson wilderness. The vibrant blue of the glacier-fed lake provides the perfect rest stop for those who have braved the thirty-odd, steep switchbacks that lead to the lake.

The trail starts in cool second growth forest, but the trees are quite sizable. In the fall, the squirrels roughhouse in the trees high above your head. Occasionally they drop gigantic pinecones from high above, and while the resulting crash is startling, it is fun to watch.

The trail begins with a moderate two mile walk down the forest service road. Washouts in 2016 closed the road, making this hike an extra four miles longer than it used to be. But it's worth the extra effort. The trail is in excellent shape, and gets right down to business, starting off venturing through a close forest with very little understory, but lots of moss. As you climb, you move swiftly from one steep but well-designed switchback to another, and yet another, gaining a little under 3,000 feet in a little under 3 miles.

While this can be draining, rewards await you at the top. Huckleberry bushes line the trail, and tired hikers can stop and munch on the sweet treats their their heart's content. After three miles, the trail reaches a ridgeline with a set of switchbacks heading up a rocky face. If you look to the east, some stellar views of the mountains can be seen, and on a clear day Glacier Peak graces hikers with an up-close and personal view.

Once you've conquered the ridgeline, most of your climbing is over. The trail continues much more gently through sub-alpine flower meadows that glow with lupine when in season. Eventually, the trail drops to pretty but stagnant Virgin Lake. There is no inlet or outlet, so the water is entirely snowmelt and rainwater, and by late fall the water is more like a bog. Often, this is a breeding ground for frogs and salamanders, so keep your eyes peeled for plenty of amphibian friends.

If you can tear your eyes away from the trail, the view will take your breath away. Across the valley is the foot of Columbia Peak, and as you round the last point, beautiful Blanca Lake opens up in all her glory. The lake is framed to the north by the peaks of Monte Cristo, Columbia, and Keyes.

Above the lake, the Columbia Glacier drains via a twin waterfall into the vibrantly blue colored water. It's the glacial till in the water that lends the lake its otherworldly color. At at the end of the trail lies a small beach full of driftwood, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the beauty that surrounds you.