Blanca Lake sits in a basin surrounded by the peaks of Monte Cristo, Kyes, and Columbia. The lake is fed by the Columbia Glacier to the northwest and is drained by Troublesome Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Skykomish River.[3] The glacier's cold, silt-filled melt water is what makes the lake a spectacular turquoise green color[4] making this a prime example of a rock flour lake.
Blanca Lake, Washington, USA
Blanca Lake is accessible only by foot, along the Blanca Lake Trail.[4][5] The trail begins at 1,900ft (579m). The trail climbs quickly from switchback to switchback, gaining 2,700ft (823m) elevation over 3mi (4.8km), finally arriving at the top of a ridge. From the ridge-top, the trail continues through sub-alpine meadows until you reach Virgin Lake at 4,600ft (1,402m). From Virgin Lake, the trail gets rocky, and steeply descends 600ft (183m) over 0.5mi (0.8km) to Blanca Lake. Due to its elevation, and the heavy snowpack of the Pacific Northwest, Blanca Lake is typically only easily accessible from June until the snows of October or November.
FS63 Road to the Trailhead was inaccessible due to washout in 2017. As of Nov 2019, FS63 is drivable. The parking lot is accessible.
Its beauty makes it a very popular destination for hikers, despite the difficult climb up the mountain trail.
Blanca Lake with Glacier Peak in the distance
To get to the trailhead, take US Forest Road 65/Beckler Road 13.7mi (22.0km) near Skykomish, WA to the intersection with US Forest Road 63. Northwest Forest Pass is still required to park and a US Forest Service Daily Fee of $5 per vehicle.
Mount Hood is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about 50 mi (80 km) east-southeast of Portland, on the border between Clackamas and Hood River counties. In addition to being Oregon's highest mountain, it is one of the loftiest mountains in the nation based on its prominence, and it offers the only year-round lift-served skiing in North America.
Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preserving 236,381 acres including all of Mount Rainier, a 14,410-foot (4,390 m) stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet (490–4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and 91,000 acres of old-growth forest. More than 25 glaciers descend the flanks of the volcano, which is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow.
Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately 55 mi (89 km) northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The eastern and western slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park with the headwaters of the Colorado River located in the park's northwestern region. The main features of the park include mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra.
Mount Adams, known by some Native American tribes as Pahto or Klickitat, is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range. Although Adams has not erupted in more than 1,000 years, it is not considered extinct. It is the second-highest mountain in Washington, after Mount Rainier.
The Skykomish River is a 29-mile (47 km) long river in the U.S. state of Washington which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence of the North Fork Skykomish River and South Fork Skykomish River approximately one mile west of Index, then flowing northwesterly towards Puget Sound. It is joined by the Sultan River and the Wallace River at Sultan. It then meets the Snoqualmie River to form the Snohomish River at Monroe. The Snohomish River continues along the river valley eventually dumping into Port Gardner Bay on Possession Sound.
Blanca Peak is the fourth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The ultra-prominent 14,351-foot (4,374 m) peak is the highest summit of the Sierra Blanca Massif, the Sangre de Cristo Range, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The fourteener is located 9.6 miles (15.5 km) north by east of the Town of Blanca, on the drainage divide separating Rio Grande National Forest and Alamosa County from the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant and Costilla County. The summit is the highest point of both counties and the entire drainage basin of the Rio Grande. Below the steep North Face of Blanca Peak two live Glaciers once developed, until extinction sometime after 1903. North & South Blanca Glaciers were located at 37° 35N.,longitude 105° 28W. Blanca Peak is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude.
The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness is a 103,297-acre (41,803 ha) designated wilderness area in the state of Washington, United States. The area lies adjacent to the southwest corner of the Glacier Peak Wilderness, northwest of Stevens Pass on U.S. Highway 2 and northeast of the town of Skykomish, Washington. Wild Sky Wilderness is located immediately southwest of the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. While the wilderness straddles the Cascade Mountain Range, most of it is in the westside ecotype. The wilderness lies in parts of Snoqualmie, Mount Baker, and Wenatchee national forests.
Columbia Glacier is a glacier located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. It descends from 5,600 ft (1,700 m) to 4,700 ft (1,400 m) above sea level. It is surrounded by Columbia Peak, Monte Cristo Peak, and Kyes Peak and is a source of water for Blanca Lake and Troublesome Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Skykomish River.
Baring Mountain, is a peak in the central part of the Cascade Range of Washington, United States. It lies about 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the Skykomish River and US Highway 2, at the western edge of the Cascades in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Mount Index and Barclay Lake at its base is accessible via Forest Road 6024 and a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) hike.
Little Bear Peak is a high mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,043-foot (4,280 m) fourteener is located on the Sierra Blanca Massif, 8.8 miles (14.2 km) north by east of the Town of Blanca, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide separating Rio Grande National Forest and Alamosa County from the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant and Costilla County. Little Bear lies 0.96 miles (1.54 km) southwest of Blanca Peak, the ultra prominent fourteener that is the highest point of the massif.
Carbon Glacier is located on the north slope of Mount Rainier in the U.S. state of Washington and is the source of the Carbon River. The snout at the glacier terminal moraine is at about 3,500 feet (1,100 m) above sea level, making it the lowest-elevation glacier in the contiguous United States. The glacier also has the greatest length, thickness and volume of any U.S. glacier outside of Alaska.
Graham Mountain is the seventh highest of the Catskill High Peaks and the highest privately owned mountain in the range. It is located in the town of Hardenburgh, New York, United States.
Buckner Mountain is a tall peak in the North Cascades of Washington state and in the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park. At 9,114 feet (2,778 m) in elevation it is the highest in Skagit County and one of about ten of Washington's non-volcanic peaks above 9,000 feet high. It is ranked as the 14th highest peak in the state, and the third highest peak in North Cascades National Park.
The Tye River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains and flows west, joining the Foss River to form the South Fork Skykomish River. Its waters eventually empty into Puget Sound near Everett via the Skykomish River and Snohomish River. U.S. Route 2 follows the river's entire length. A BNSF Railway line follows most of the river except near the pass where the tracks use the Cascade Tunnel. Powerlines run by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) follow the Tye River west of Tunnel Creek.
Hidden Lake Peaks is series of peaks with a maximum elevation of 7,088 feet that are located in the North Cascades, in Skagit County of Washington state. The peaks extend three miles southwest from the nearest higher peak called The Triad. Situated on the western boundary of North Cascades National Park, Hidden Lake Peaks are positioned west of the crest of the Cascade Range, approximately ten miles east of the town of Marblemount. The popular subsidiary peak, Hidden Lake Lookout (6890 ft), lies a half mile to the southwest of the highest summit. The mountain's name is taken from its proximity to Hidden Lake which lies in a cirque below the east aspect of these two main peaks. Precipitation runoff from Hidden Lake Peaks drains into Cascade River which is a tributary of the Skagit River.
The Triad is a mountain with three peaks located in the North Cascades, in Skagit County of Washington state. Situated in North Cascades National Park, The Triad is positioned west of the crest of the Cascade Range, approximately 12 miles east of the town of Marblemount. The middle peak (highest) has an elevation of 7,520+ ft, the west peak 7,440+ ft, and the east peak 7,520+ ft. The popular hiking objective, Hidden Lake Peak Lookout, lies three miles to the southwest, and the nearest higher peak, Eldorado Peak, two miles to the northeast, is a popular mountaineering objective. Precipitation runoff from The Triad drains into tributaries of the Cascade River which in turn is a tributary of the Skagit River. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1949 by Dick Eilertsen, Dick Lowery, Dick Scales, and Don Wilde. This climbing party which had three identical first names, named it the Three Dicks. However, in the interest of good taste, the more suitable and similar name was adopted since "triad" means a group or set of three connected people or things.
Surprise Mountain is a 6,330-foot (1,930-metre) mountain summit located above the southern end of Glacier Lake, in eastern King County of Washington state. It's part of the Wenatchee Mountains, which are a subset of the Cascade Range, and is situated in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Surprise Creek and Deception Creek, both tributaries of the Skykomish River. The nearest higher neighbor is Thunder Mountain, 0.88 mi (1.42 km) to the northeast, and Terrace Mountain is set 3 mi (4.8 km) to the southwest. The Pacific Crest Trail skirts this peak as it passes through Surprise Gap.
Spark Plug Mountain is a 6,320-foot (1,930-metre) mountain summit located above the western shore of Glacier Lake, in eastern King County of Washington state. It's part of the Wenatchee Mountains, which are a subset of the Cascade Range, and is situated in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest higher neighbor is Surprise Mountain, 1.0 mi (1.6 km) to the southeast, and Thunder Mountain is set above the eastern shore of Glacier Lake. The Pacific Crest Trail skirts this lake as it passes between Spark Plug and Thunder. Spark Plug Lake, elevation 5,587-ft, lies immediately below the north aspect of the mountain, and Little Spark Plug is the 6,016-ft peak on the north side of this lake. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Surprise Creek and Deception Creek, both tributaries of the Skykomish River.
Skykomish Peak is a 6,368-foot (1,941-metre) mountain summit located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the North Cascades of Washington state. The mountain is situated on the crest of the Cascade Range, on the shared border of Snohomish County with Chelan County, and also straddling the boundary between Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Skykomish Peak is located 15 mi (24 km) to the north of Stevens Pass, and the Pacific Crest Trail traverses the east slope of this peak. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains west into the Skykomish River, or east into Cady Creek which is a tributary of Little Wenatchee River. This mountain's name derives from its position at the head of the North Fork Skykomish River, and "Skykomish" comes from the Northern Lushootseed word /sq'íxʷəbš/, meaning "upriver people".
Coldwater Peak is a 5,722 ft (1,740 m) mountain summit located in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, in Skamania County of southwest Washington state. It is situated in the Cascade Range, 2 mi (3.2 km) northwest of Spirit Lake, and 2 mi (3.2 km) east of Coldwater Lake. Its nearest higher neighbor is Mount Margaret, 2.4 mi (3.9 km) to the northeast, and Mount St. Helens rises 7 mi (11 km) to the south. Precipitation runoff from Coldwater Peak drains into Coldwater Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Toutle River. The mountain takes its name from this creek, and was officially adopted in 1983 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. A trail provides access to the summit, the site of the former Coldwater Lookout from 1935 to 1968, and now is a site for research instruments.
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