Root Family

Root Family

Aug 24, 2010

Lake Blanche and Sundial Peak

April and I have been trying to get some good hiking in this summer and I'm behind on some of the trip reports. We did this hike in early July.

Lake Blanche is up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It's an absolutely beautiful hike, tough because it's so up hill (gain 2700 feet over 3 miles), but super rewarding because the lake and Sundial Peak greet you at the end and the whole scenery along the way is beautiful too, with trees all along the trail and the creek beside it most of the way too.

The last time I hiked Lake Blanche it was mid-June and there was lots of snow at the top so I was a bit weary even in early July because of the long winter we had this year. Plus I had cut my knee open at the top last time, hiked down bleeding, and ended up getting stitches the next day--be careful of that rock field just before the lake!

Anyway, we started after 5 and made excellent time to the top. Here are some pictures of the route on the way.
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Then this is what you see as you are just about to drop down to the lake, that's Sundial Peak in the background. I was surprised to see no snow at all in or around the lake. I love the red rocks right around the lake and the big gray peak behind it and how suddenly the trees have become pine instead of aspen and cottonwoods.
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This is the little waterway to some smaller lakes just below Lake Blanche.
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It was a perfect early evening hike.

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