Trip Report
Day Hike - Blanca Lake
A Fall hike into gorgeous Blanca Lake. Index-Galena Road is open again and the trail is in reasonable condition. A well-used and rooty trail with a jade-green lake at the end.
Jim Griffing
- Tue, Oct 8, 2024
- Blanca Lake
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The new Index-Galena Road is a joy. The short unpaved portion of Forest Road 63 has some potholes but should be doable by any car if care is taken. I attempted this drive in the spring and had to park 0.4 miles from the trailhead due to rocks over the road - this has been taken care of and you can now drive all the way to the trailhead.
The trail is heavily used and thus has a lot of roots and rocks. There were no blowdowns the day we hiked. As advertised, the trail is steep but not ridiculous. The worst part is on the way down to Blanca from the top of the ridge - there are some really big steps and some trail erosion, but we made it with little difficulty.
We had some clouds and drizzle on the way up, but the clouds parted enough to see the bottom of the Columbia Glacier across the lake. Fall colors made for a very pleasant lunch stop at the lake.
Round trip distance 7.9 miles with 3500' of gain. 5 hours and change including a leisurely lunch stop at the lake.