It was a little too wet
to climb in icicle or at snow creek wall on sunday, so we decided to take the weather on and check out colchuck lake. The trail is in pretty good shape. The deep snow starts in earnest at about 5500 feet. The lake is still pretty frozen. Dragontail looks as big as ever. Unfortunately, dragontail and colchuck peak were pretty much shrouded in clouds.

Decided to play a little
Russian Roulette with the weather and try a day trip up Dragontail Peak, even though reports of 2-plus feet of new snow above 7000 feet were making the rounds. Left the Stuart Lake trailhead at 6:30 am, with just barely enough light not to need headlamps. Although there was a strong dusting of fresh snow in the woods, the trail itself was mostly bare up to the turnoff to Colchuck Lake. The Mountaineer Creek crossing is now on a log jam perhaps 75 yards downstream of the old crossing point. It is very well marked and actually a bit easier than the old log. Above Mountaineer Creek the trail was mostly snow covered, though not yet deep enough to make difficulties. At Colchuck Lake there was 10 to 12 inches of fresh snow on the flat. Getting through the big boulder field at the south end of the lake was very slow going, with as much as 24 inches of totally unconsolidated snow hiding and ""lubricating"" the footing. The path up to Asgard Pass was generally traceable by the as-yet unburied cairns. Footing was poor, with little load bearing ability in the deepening snow, and increasing amounts of ice on the rock under the snow. The last 250 verticle feet to the pass was very nasty, with strong wind (30-50 mph) blowing ice pellets in our faces, heavy sheathings of ice on all surfaces, visibility dereasing towards whiteout, and frostbite considerations becoming a concern. We admitted the obvious lack of summit potential and bailed out. Going down wasn't all that easy due to the poor footing, but at least the wind was at our backs. Really a very nice day, except for the last 300 feet, and a nice workout. The fresh snow, golden larches, crystal lake, and looming north face of Dragontail made a truly spectacular and beautiful setting.

This past weekend I
wandered into the Enchantments to run up Prusik Peak and bag a few other walk-ups. Weather kept me from half my goal .... On Friday we headed in past Colchuck Lake and into the Enchantments via Asgaard Pass. At the top we were greeted by driving snow but the cold air was a refreshment considering I was one winded pig. Never been up that route with a 50+ pound pack. Once in the interior we decided to camp in the lower lakes area to position us for a quick assault on Prusik should the weather open up. That night the clouds parted and it got downright cold. By early morning we had frost on the ground and tents and ice forming on the stagnant ponds. By 9-ish the frost had melted and we were heading toward the west ridge under heavy skies. One team was in front of us and we were slow on the route regardless. The only tricky parts are a short friction slab that can be overcome in two small steps and then a chimney that's difficult to protect. At the base of the chimney a rogue climber streaked by and chatted with my friends up top. Seems he started at Colchuck Lake parking lot, ran up and solo-ed the Serpentine Arete on Dragontail, then headed over to solo the west ridge of Prusik and then was off to finish the Enchantment circuit! Busy day for him! Once at the summit I hauled up my partner and we started rapping off. Back at our gear we were greeted by hail and, once back at the camp, it rained the remainder of our stay. That said, we headed out early the next morning and were at Gustav's in time to see the Seahawks shellac the Colts. While I'm sure my partner's question was rhetorical, I thought it summed up the long and grinding (if not beautiful, save for the rain) way out: ""Is it a bad thing to be bleeding through the boot'"" If you get a chance to hike the Enchantments, by all means do it, but leave some time to enjoy it!

We did Aasgard as part of
a dayhike beginning at the Lake Stuart trialhead. Aasgard is completly clear of snow and the lakes at the upper end of The Enchantments are thawed with only a few ""icebergs"" remaining in them. We turned aroung at the ridge seperating the upper lakes from the lower lakes at 3PM and made it back to the trailhead at 8:30. When ascending Aasgard it's easy to lose sight of the cairns. Take a bearing on the patch of trees in the middle of the pass and stay to the left side of that patch on ascent. Otherwise you'll find yourself, as I did, in the cliffs to the right of the little green gem. Lots of slick rock and mossy alternaives here. Good place to buff your epidermal layer or worse. The only thing I would have done differently would be to have started earlier. The first two miles to the Colchuck trailhead could have been done with a headlamp if necessary. Shortly after the Colchuck trail begins there is a detour across a logjam and through a boulder field. Nice dayhike with about 6250' total gain. Back in Leavenworth you'll add a little Ibuprofen to that sauerkraut and life will be good!