Blanca Peak Trip Report 05/19/2011

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Blanca Peak - 14,350 feet
Date Posted	05/19/2011
Modified	07/15/2011
Date Climbed	07/13/2010
Author	macondo22

BLANCA PEAK standard route Chicago/Austrian Style!
Why does someone suddenly climb a 14er, Difficult Class II, untrained, and drive 40 hours round trip to get there? Why do you ask? Well being off for two months with pay;I had time and money.I love those mountain views and having elk hunted in 2004; I was hooked! I came across this site and looked at various peaks and it came to me Blanca Peak! My wife is named Blanca and I knew with careful steady steps I could climb this difficult class II. I studied the routes and read as much as I could. It's like elk hunting without loads of elk meat to carry a mile straight up out of a canyon! Well my report begins with Lake Como Rd. it was Hot as Hell on the Lake Como trail head! I drove that Jeep Commander in a mile or a mile and a half before the auto trans light came on--hott fluid! Stopped and rested/ate-hot out/sunny--it cooled a little so I geared up. I had alot of great food but not alot of food to camp in with-never again- I wasn't going to be in camp!-mistake on my part that I will fix next time. I got to a high ridge alond the trail to a chevy blazer with da wheels blocked nice "chevy tough". A guy drove past with a new range rover offering me and passers by a ride back down-tempting to just "say bagged it" and "ok" but I had a goal.-Hell! I mean Lake Como rd -just when you think you are there another turn and more ground to cover. I arrived set up my tent crashed.-I started around 9:30 a.m. the next morning. I had my maps,frame pack, h2o, food, sleeping bag, phone, extra clothes and a good solid poncho. I gave a couple directions as to the the 14ers route. They had no maps? I really studied the standard route and printed out each section. This website was very helpful for route selection. I later got very close to the summit; not bad considering my training was big macs and large cokes? A group passed me along the standard route. I switched my route and traversed along Elingwood's ridge and came across a smaill mine? I then proceded to traverse toward Blanca's face. I got a nice photo of a miners cave along ellingwwood ridge. I hope to follow up with my photos. A big front was rolling with a wall of clouds. Great pic! The the group in front of me came off the summit like ants. I went almost to the summit and the front consumed me - no problem I found a nice spot and kicked out my sleeping bag and covered my upper body with the poncho. The thunder was so loud! I was in the clouds and it started to hail! I waited till the storm passed; it was over in maybe a half hour. The sun came out and it cleared.. I desended and it was getting dark so I kicked out my sleeping bag and spent the night just above Crater Lake. I knew to bring my sleeping bag incase I don't return before dark. In the morning my frame pack had ice/frost like a popsicle. I proceded to Lake Como at daylight and crashed in my tent. I woke up at around 11 a.m. and wrapped my tent and went to the jeep. I thought it would be easy decending from Lake Como to the jeep but it took a while. I hope to post some pics and I also hope to attempt five or six more 14ers in the furture. I put those 8inch high Danner boots to the test but they have always been great. I recommend extra socks so your feet are clean and dry so you don't get blisters. I was blister free on this climb. I used some H2O pills for our elk hunt; and they would be great for any 14er hike. It is not about climb times and super light gear it's about you and nature your limitations/weather/good gear! That double fish/big mac/large fry/large coke hit the spot as I grove from to Colorado Springs. The next morning I drove to Chicago straight through. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

BLANCA PEAK standard route Chicago/Austrian Style!

Why does someone suddenly climb a 14er, Difficult Class II, untrained, and drive 40 hours round trip to get there? Why do you ask? Well being off for two months with pay;I had time and money.I love those mountain views and having elk hunted in 2004; I was hooked! I came across this site and looked at various peaks and it came to me Blanca Peak! My wife is named Blanca and I knew with careful steady steps I could climb this difficult class II. I studied the routes and read as much as I could. It's like elk hunting without loads of elk meat to carry a mile straight up out of a canyon! Well my report begins with Lake Como Rd. it was Hot as Hell on the Lake Como trail head! I drove that Jeep Commander in a mile or a mile and a half before the auto trans light came on--hott fluid! Stopped and rested/ate-hot out/sunny--it cooled a little so I geared up. I had alot of great food but not alot of food to camp in with-never again- I wasn't going to be in camp!-mistake on my part that I will fix next time. I got to a high ridge alond the trail to a chevy blazer with da wheels blocked nice "chevy tough". A guy drove past with a new range rover offering me and passers by a ride back down-tempting to just "say bagged it" and "ok" but I had a goal.-Hell! I mean Lake Como rd -just when you think you are there another turn and more ground to cover. I arrived set up my tent crashed.-I started around 9:30 a.m. the next morning. I had my maps,frame pack, h2o, food, sleeping bag, phone, extra clothes and a good solid poncho. I gave a couple directions as to the the 14ers route. They had no maps? I really studied the standard route and printed out each section. This website was very helpful for route selection. I later got very close to the summit; not bad considering my training was big macs and large cokes? A group passed me along the standard route. I switched my route and traversed along Elingwood's ridge and came across a smaill mine? I then proceded to traverse toward Blanca's face. I got a nice photo of a miners cave along ellingwwood ridge. I hope to follow up with my photos. A big front was rolling with a wall of clouds. Great pic! The the group in front of me came off the summit like ants. I went almost to the summit and the front consumed me - no problem I found a nice spot and kicked out my sleeping bag and covered my upper body with the poncho. The thunder was so loud! I was in the clouds and it started to hail! I waited till the storm passed; it was over in maybe a half hour. The sun came out and it cleared.. I desended and it was getting dark so I kicked out my sleeping bag and spent the night just above Crater Lake. I knew to bring my sleeping bag incase I don't return before dark. In the morning my frame pack had ice/frost like a popsicle. I proceded to Lake Como at daylight and crashed in my tent. I woke up at around 11 a.m. and wrapped my tent and went to the jeep. I thought it would be easy decending from Lake Como to the jeep but it took a while. I hope to post some pics and I also hope to attempt five or six more 14ers in the furture. I put those 8inch high Danner boots to the test but they have always been great. I recommend extra socks so your feet are clean and dry so you don't get blisters. I was blister free on this climb. I used some H2O pills for our elk hunt; and they would be great for any 14er hike. It is not about climb times and super light gear it's about you and nature your limitations/weather/good gear! That double fish/big mac/large fry/large coke hit the spot as I grove from to Colorado Springs. The next morning I drove to Chicago straight through.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

KeithK

Fantastic!!!
5/20/2011 2:00pm

I was anxiously awaiting the exciting conclusion of this since yesterday, and am not disappointed. And it's not even a true run-on sentence. Nice job.

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