Wonderful photo-post! You make me want to go back there in the fall... or any time, really.

I've been pondering your question, "do you have a favorite hike you've been on perhaps more than once?" I immediately thought "why, yes, of course, I often return to a place many times before I get a photo I like," but not so fast - that principle applies more to driving than hiking. Sure, when I'm on a trip I'll sometimes go up and down a trail two or three times within a few days, but not long trails. I haven't done a hike as significant as Lake Blanche more than a couple of times.

The trail I most want to return to is the hike in to Mount Assiniboine, in the Canadian Rockies. Possibly the most beautiful part of the country, but it's a full day's hike, mostly uphill through grizzly-infested forests to get there, and your stay is limited by the amount of food you're willing to pack in (unless you care to pay for a helicopter ride).