Blanca is in pretty good shape. Lake Como road is dry. Some snowfields to cross on the way to the base of the NW ridge near Crater lake, but no snowshoes should be required. We managed to not post-hole the entire way back, but they stayed pretty firm for us. As they heat up more, they will probably get softer. For the ridge approach, the trail is mostly clear, but hard to find at points. Microspikes or crampons may be desired for crossing a few lingering snowfields, but they are melting quickly. We did it without, but for comfort, they may have been desired. Bottom line: Blanca is on the verge of being open for summer hiking, but if you are comfortable with some snowfields and/or route-finding to avoid them, you'll be fine. If you are looking to get Ellingwood too, more equipment may be required. It was looking very snowy still, so we didn't even bother trying (Pic 1).
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