Trip Report: Pre-Lodge Party Hike: Blanche Peak


Pre-Lodge Party Hike: Blanche Peak
By Stephen Dennis
HIKE 08/26/2017 MSD

The morning was cool and pleasant as the four of us (Julie Kilgore, James Kucera, Akiko Kamimura, and Stephen Dennis) began at steady pace from the Lake Blanche Trailhead. To the right, we saw a bull and cow moose between us and the water. Even with the crowd of people and cameras, the moose were calm enough to eat. Leaving them quietly to their courtship, the rest of the trail to Blanche Lake was uneventful. We took the steeper variation up and back. The C rock was painted, and there was another white arrow mark further up. Noted the old circle of rocks flush with the ground and a similar spiral of rocks further up. A band of gray clouds threatened to spoil our fun as we approached the peak, and we felt some drops with the wind picking up, but the band spared us by moving further South.

The peak is so far above most other things and the view in all directions was simply spectacular. What a beautiful day. The walks out always seems longer, but with a little Vitamin I, we finished the hike in 9 hours 20 minutes. Numbers: 10.1 miles. 5013 ft. of elevation gain (ups and downs). and 55% maximum slope. So, we made it out just in time to be lake for the social at the lodge.