Blanca Peak Trip Report 09/07/2008

Peak(s):	Blanca Peak - 14,350 feet Ellingwood Point - 14,057 feet
Date Posted:	09/07/2008
Modified:	09/23/2008
Date Climbed:	08/30/2008
Author:	Andy_Lyon

Blanca - Ellingwood Ridge
I'd only add one thing about the infamous Como Lake road: it's not something I'd risk driving in wet weather. I made it about half way up in my standard four-wheel drive, navigating very carefully. However, given that so much of the road surface is rounded rock, I am really glad that the rain of my third day stayed up above where I had parked. I slid more than once on the dry rocks going up - I shudder to think what it would have been like in the rain. Hiked the last mile or so in the dark and found a good camp site above the lake - there are a lot of them so I could see it becoming very crowded there. Hit the trail just before first light and missed seeing the turn to Little Bear. There is a small cairn on the right side of the trail and it leads down to the creek a bit below timberline. I had planned to climb Ellingwood first but, as others have noted, wasn't sure of the turn. I believe it splits right at the base of what was the largest snowfield remaining between the two peaks. I saw one cairn leading toward Ellingwood but couldn't see the others. So I went up Blanca first and am glad I did. Saw three guys coming across the Little Bear-Blanca ridge who later caught up with me on Ellingwood (my hat's off to you guys). While the Blanca to Ellingwood ridge appears daunting, I decided to follow it and found it to be a great route. There is a well-marked trail just below the ridge (on the Como Lake side) and while I stayed a bit too high a couple times, I backtracked and easily found the cairns again. I got to the summit at least a half an hour ahead of a group who left the saddle the same time I did but took the low road. I did wear my helmet on the ridge because if there was anyone staying on top of the exact ridge line I would have been out of their line of sight most of the time. Descended toward the saddle but found cairns which eventually led down to joining the main trail in the vicinity of the snowfield mentioned above. I carried a heavy camera and didn't bring it out often but I'll see if anything I got might add to this and post later.

Blanca - Ellingwood Ridge

I'd only add one thing about the infamous Como Lake road: it's not something I'd risk driving in wet weather. I made it about half way up in my standard four-wheel drive, navigating very carefully. However, given that so much of the road surface is rounded rock, I am really glad that the rain of my third day stayed up above where I had parked. I slid more than once on the dry rocks going up - I shudder to think what it would have been like in the rain.

Hiked the last mile or so in the dark and found a good camp site above the lake - there are a lot of them so I could see it becoming very crowded there. Hit the trail just before first light and missed seeing the turn to Little Bear. There is a small cairn on the right side of the trail and it leads down to the creek a bit below timberline.

I had planned to climb Ellingwood first but, as others have noted, wasn't sure of the turn. I believe it splits right at the base of what was the largest snowfield remaining between the two peaks. I saw one cairn leading toward Ellingwood but couldn't see the others. So I went up Blanca first and am glad I did. Saw three guys coming across the Little Bear-Blanca ridge who later caught up with me on Ellingwood (my hat's off to you guys).

While the Blanca to Ellingwood ridge appears daunting, I decided to follow it and found it to be a great route. There is a well-marked trail just below the ridge (on the Como Lake side) and while I stayed a bit too high a couple times, I backtracked and easily found the cairns again. I got to the summit at least a half an hour ahead of a group who left the saddle the same time I did but took the low road. I did wear my helmet on the ridge because if there was anyone staying on top of the exact ridge line I would have been out of their line of sight most of the time.

Descended toward the saddle but found cairns which eventually led down to joining the main trail in the vicinity of the snowfield mentioned above.

I carried a heavy camera and didn't bring it out often but I'll see if anything I got might add to this and post later.

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