Mt. Blanca - 14,345'

Mt. Blanca has been a sacred place since the first Native Americans arrived in the area thousands of years ago. It is still the setting for many strange tales in the San Luis Valley. The photo above was taken on the side of the West Spanish Peak, southeast of Mt. Blanca. From left to right is Little Bear, Blanca Peak, California Peak, Mt. Lindsey, and Huerfano Peak, all among the 100 highest of Colorado. As beautiful as they are, none of them are walk ups. The primary climbing trail goes up the southwest side of the mountain to Lake Como and beyond on a 4x4 road that is rated one of the worst in America. That usually takes enough out of you that you'll call it a day when you reach the vicinity of Lake Como. The next day can get you to the top of Blanca and Ellingwood and back down the mountain. Or you can climb Little Bear and maybe do the traverse over to Blanca, but this requires significant technical expertise. Whatever you choose to do, this is a place where Mother Earth is very exposed, very beautiful and very hard-faced.

The primary trail that leads to Mt. Lindsey comes from the north side of Blanca. For photos of the north side please check out Sierra Blanca, Sierra Blanca 2 and Mt. Lindsey Climb.