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Enchantment Lakes
Oct 12, 2008
by
GaliWalker
—
last modified
Oct 19, 2008 06:45 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Enchantment Lakes
- Region: Central Cascades -- Leavenworth Area
- Agency: Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Ranger District
- Trails: Enchantment Lakes (#1553)
- Avg Rating: 4.40
- Be Aware Of
-
- Snow on trail
Colchuck Lake
Oct 12th, 2008: Enchantments
I have always maintained that the Enchantments region is the Rolls Royce of Washington hiking. This Sunday, the ‘Chants put on a show the likes of which I have never seen on previous visits.
The weather had been cold and heavy snow had recently fallen in the mountains, so I was a bit concerned on the state of conditions at 7000ft+. Thankfully the day was forecasted to be nice and sunny, so with that in my mind I set off from the trailhead in the early morning hours (5:45am), hiking by headlamp. About a half-hour into the hike a hissing sound rose up around me – it took me a moment to realize that light rain was pattering on the shrubbery surrounding me. So much for the forecast!
Thankfully the rain soon let up and it was back to happy thoughts as I reached Colchuck Lake about 2 hrs into the hike. A quick look at Aasgard Pass showed it snow-free, so my happy thoughts became just that little bit happier.
As usual, the route around the lake and to the base of the Aasgard Pass climb took seemingly forever. Unfortunately, as I reached the start of the climb I was treated to the icy sight of a completely frozen stream. Searching for an appropriate crossing point took a bit of doing, but I was soon safely across and on my way up. The climb went well until the second crossing of the stream about 2/3rds of the way up. After that various icy sections had to be navigated (a couple in really bad spots) so I took my time to ensure no mishaps.
10:00am and I was up top in overcast conditions. I could see a bit of blue appearing to the east, so I held fast to my happy thoughts. I made a beeline for Lake Freya, only to see it frozen over. This was a disappointment, until I took a closer look and started to see lots of photographic potential. It was heaven from that point onward, as lake after lake unfolded a strangely beautiful side that I had not seen before.
I took my time, especially in the Upper Enchantments. However, as the hours ticked away, I began to realize that I needed to make slightly quicker progress. In all it took me 4hrs to get to Lake Viviane, at the far end of the Enchantments region, my turn-around point. The way back to Aasgard Pass took a further 2hrs, but the sun was out and if I hadn’t been concerned about descending Aasgard Pass (as well as navigating Colchuck Lake’s shores) in darkness, I would have lingered even more.
The way down was uneventful, with only the final hour of hiking requiring a headlamp.
Additional photos: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/72157608000376135
Cumulative stats:
- Elevation gain: 6,400ft
- Distance: 18mi
- Hiking time: 14.25hrs
- Total trip time: 20hrs
I have always maintained that the Enchantments region is the Rolls Royce of Washington hiking. This Sunday, the ‘Chants put on a show the likes of which I have never seen on previous visits.
The weather had been cold and heavy snow had recently fallen in the mountains, so I was a bit concerned on the state of conditions at 7000ft+. Thankfully the day was forecasted to be nice and sunny, so with that in my mind I set off from the trailhead in the early morning hours (5:45am), hiking by headlamp. About a half-hour into the hike a hissing sound rose up around me – it took me a moment to realize that light rain was pattering on the shrubbery surrounding me. So much for the forecast!
Thankfully the rain soon let up and it was back to happy thoughts as I reached Colchuck Lake about 2 hrs into the hike. A quick look at Aasgard Pass showed it snow-free, so my happy thoughts became just that little bit happier.
As usual, the route around the lake and to the base of the Aasgard Pass climb took seemingly forever. Unfortunately, as I reached the start of the climb I was treated to the icy sight of a completely frozen stream. Searching for an appropriate crossing point took a bit of doing, but I was soon safely across and on my way up. The climb went well until the second crossing of the stream about 2/3rds of the way up. After that various icy sections had to be navigated (a couple in really bad spots) so I took my time to ensure no mishaps.
10:00am and I was up top in overcast conditions. I could see a bit of blue appearing to the east, so I held fast to my happy thoughts. I made a beeline for Lake Freya, only to see it frozen over. This was a disappointment, until I took a closer look and started to see lots of photographic potential. It was heaven from that point onward, as lake after lake unfolded a strangely beautiful side that I had not seen before.
I took my time, especially in the Upper Enchantments. However, as the hours ticked away, I began to realize that I needed to make slightly quicker progress. In all it took me 4hrs to get to Lake Viviane, at the far end of the Enchantments region, my turn-around point. The way back to Aasgard Pass took a further 2hrs, but the sun was out and if I hadn’t been concerned about descending Aasgard Pass (as well as navigating Colchuck Lake’s shores) in darkness, I would have lingered even more.
The way down was uneventful, with only the final hour of hiking requiring a headlamp.
Additional photos: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/72157608000376135
Cumulative stats:
- Elevation gain: 6,400ft
- Distance: 18mi
- Hiking time: 14.25hrs
- Total trip time: 20hrs
|
Reginleif (Isolation) Lake
|
Rune (Perfection) Lake
|
Larches in the Upper Enchantments
|
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