Septermber 5th: Hike to Lake Blanche

On September 29, 2010, I hiked into Lake Blanche, Lake Lillian, and Lake Florence for the first time. Since it had been a couple years and it's a pretty nice spot, I decided to go see how it looked a couple years later. So last Wednesday (Sep 5) I hiked there again. The trail-head is on the south side of the road of Big Cottonwood Canyon right at the big "S" curve. That's the trail-head near "Hidden Falls" for those of you who have taken your children up there. It is one of the longer hikes so I don't take it too often. By the time you hike up and walk around all three lakes, it's about a 10 mile round trip. My gps measured it at 9.6 miles when I got back to my pickup.  The hike has a 2700 feet elevation change going from about 6200 feet to 8900 feet. Once again, I learned I really haven't done enough hiking this year to keep myself in "hiking condition".  And, it was a very warm day, even in the mountains.  I think it was around 80 degrees even at almost 9000 feet.  But with all that said - it was worth every second of it.  Utah mountains are truly beautiful.  I will still want to do this for a few more years!!

 

 

 

It was almost a month earlier than my hike two years ago but already some of the leaves on the trees are turning colors, probably because it has been a very dry year.  So that made for a pretty hike even though there were fewer mountain flowers.

Interesting rock off the side of the trail about 30 yards.  Looks like somebody tried to carve stairs into it.



A little higher up you get into the aspen and the trail is shaded so it makes it just a little cooler.  There was very little breeze until you got to the lakes.  Which took me about 2-1/2 hours.
 



First lake that you come to is Lake Blanche.  It is a beautiful setting with Sundial Peak behind it.  All the lakes were lower this year than they were two years ago which you can see if you look at the pictures from the October, 2010 blog.  This is looking southeast from the north side of the lake.

 

This is looking southwest from Lake Blanche and you can see Dromedary (camel) Peak in the background. Sundial and Dromedary are both over 11,000 feet (younger and more vigorous hikers would have also hiked to the top of those - I was perfectly content to look UP at the peaks, not DOWN from the peaks!

Lake Florence which is just west of Lake Blanche.  There was a little breeze so the lake was not as smooth as when I took pictures in 2010 so the reflections are not so spectacular.

 

Lake Florence with Lake Lillian behind (and slightly left) of it.

This is definitely God's country!

North end of Lake Blanche

Lake Lillian which is a little south and west of Lake Florence was almost nonexistent this year

 

I sat under this pine tree which was up on the (west)  hillside aways and ate my lunch (and sent most of you my SPoT signal to let you know where I was and that I was safe!) because you could see all three lakes from that vantage point.

 

 

 



Small stream flowing from lake Florence into Lake Lillian.  Lake Florence is about 50 feet below Lake Blanche and Lake Lillian is about 20 - 30 feet lower than Lake Florence.

 

 

 

 

 







So, it you want a guided tour some time.  I know the way.  Been there twice so I'm an old hand at this.  ;)