Blanca Lake

Planned on doing an epic drive-double header-drive with Blanca and Persis as the meat in my hiking sandwich. Chose Sunday to avoid Seattle traffic. And although I reached the Blanca TH at the scheduled time, the hike and drive out took slightly longer than anticipated. I considered staying overnight to do Persis, but instead skulked around its perimeter in gaping admiration of the whole Index-Persis complex and saved it for another day. Blanca is short but gnarly, both ways. And, as this was my first Sunday hike in a long time, I was a little shellshocked by all the people. Then I got stuck in a traffic jam between Goldbar and the turnoff for 522. I've gotta figure out a better way to do these hikes...

Summer of Funtensity: Wright Mountain via Snow and Gem Lakes

This trail gets a lot of upturned noses online, so I decided that the best way to see these lakes would be early on a weekday. I hit the trailhead around 7:30 or so, and sure enough there were absolutely no other hikers until we reached few young campers at Gem Lake. On the return trip, of course, there were upwards of ten parties making their way around Snow Lake. This hike is pretty awesome, and if you can dismiss the gorgeous blue waters of Snow Lake, then you can safely be said to have an embarrassment of riches at your fingertips. I was also surprised to work up quite a sweat ascending the rollers around Snow and up to Gem. The scramble up Wright was pretty straightforward and only took a half an hour or so, and it was relatively easy for someone like me who doesn't really love scrambling. The view stretched from Mount Baker to Glacier then to Overcoat and the other peaks visible from Tank Lakes. I mistook the top of Summit Chief for Stuart, but it was really cool to see the backside of Thompson and the Kendall catwalk where I'd recently been. Traffic outside Seattle was also not as bad I had experienced the last few times, even with the roadside grass fire in North Bend, making this trip more than worth it. Just over 11 miles, more than 3,000 ft of gain.

Lake Ingalls Day Hike

This is why I hike. I don't even know what else to say.