Trip Reports

Accidentally parked at Eight Mile trailhead (packed!!), found a clue, then parked at Colchuck/Stuart Lake TH. Lots of cars, and while certainly not alone on the trail, it wasn't too bad, certainly not like waiting in line to get up Tiger or Rattlesnake.

10:30am start, already chilly

1pm reached Colchuck Lake. A little mud in the last push up, none at the top. Cold, no bugs, sun breaks warmed us up a bit (sitting on reflective blanket helped too), already feels like fall, and oh so gorgeous!! Chipmunks only things circling us, and very bold, persistent ones at that. Little bit of snow up on Dragontail (see pic), didn't think to ask anyone coming down about snow conditions at Aasgard Pass.

Sad to cut trip short, left at 1:30 down by 3:15. Apparently missed heavy rains in the valley. Endless fruit/veggie stands on hwy 970 bw Hwy 2 and 90.

Well worth the drive time and that rather steep section in the middle.

Trail to Colchuck Lake is in good condition. Rocky in places, but no problems. Such a beautiful alpine lake. Sadly we met some fellows who had the gas siphoned out of their car in the parking lot.

We lucked out in this year's lottery and got an enchantments permit for 3 nights, so this was the classic enchantment hike.

Last weekend as a warm up we camped at Lake Caroline, off Eight mile creek trail, and the bugs were really bad, (it was impossible to eat a mouthful of food with out 3 new bugs landing in it) such that we seriously considered giving up our permit. Thankfully, trip reports before we left were reporting less bugs, and we saw very few bugs for our first 2 days at Snow Lake and Inspiration Lake. Without changing camp spot the bugs got worse on day 3(Sunday) but still way better than the previous week. I guess the lesson is that bug conditions change daily and don't give up a permit for them.

We had great weather. Day time temps at the trail heads must have been high 80's, with night time lows in the Enchantments around 40.

An early start on Friday ensured that the first few miles were done in shade, at bearable temps. We stopped the night on the lower Snow Lake. An early arrival left time for exploring the ridge between Lower Snow Lake and Nada lake.

Saturday we climbed up to Vivian and continued through the Lower basin. We had considered camping at Sprite, but with 2 tents already there we headed on to Inspiration, and took a nice site tucked between rocks near to where the path meets the lake. Goats seemed to come by every 30 minutes or so. In the afternoon we headed back to Prussock Pass and climbed up the ridge between the Pass and Prussock peak, for some great views of the lower Enchantments. The meadows leading up Prussock Pass were full of marmots, busy eating as fast as they could.

Sunday we day hiked into the upper basin, and climbed Little Annapurna which had spectacular views, across to the upper basin, to Ranier and beyond in the south, and in the north to Glacier peak and Baker. We stayed on the rock going up, and reached the top with out getting near the cliffs mentioned in the previous report. Coming down we plunge stepped down several snow fields, which led to a speedy descent. After lazing for a while by the tarns, we headed back to our tent at Inspiration. Later we went back around Perfection and kept along the eastern shore until the end of the lake. From here we looked down to Crystal lake. If you wanted solitude in the Enchantments, this hidden lake looks to have potential.

Final day we hiked out via Aasgard, which lived up to it's reputation of an ugly trail of gravel on granite. What we hadn't accounted for was the long boulder field crossing across the south end of Colchuck Lake, once you are down the worst of the descent. The cairns are no indication of an easy route, just a general direction to head in, and with a heavy pack climbing up and down the boulders was very tiring.

We reached the trail head 7 hours after leaving camp, pretty exhausted. Luckily we were able to hitch a shuttle to our car left at Snow Lake trail head, and not use our emergency shuttle of a bike, left hidden at Colchuck trail head.

All in all this was a great trip.

Last year I ran up Enchantment Peak with a friend. We didn’t have a permit so we camped at Bridge Creek Campground and when the sun rose we hit the Stuart Lake Trailhead, hiked to Colchuck Lake, ascended Aasgard Pass, took a high traverse to the Prussik Pass, and then touched the top of Enchantment. From there we unwound the path with the only notable exception being that we chased the trails back from Prussik Pass to the upper basin. In all it was a 18 hour day and we were bushed. So this year we vowed to do it differently.

This year I got a permit for camping in the Colchuck or Snow Creek basins ... not the Enchantment proper itself. I wanted to summit McClellan Peak and Little Annapurna, and my friend wanted to see how things looked from the top of Dragontail Peak (I’d earlier climbed the Serpentine Arête on Dragontail so I was game to summit but had already checked that mountain off my list); so we chose to camp at Colchuck Lake. The plan was shaping up to something like: get into Colchuck between 3 and 5 on Friday, hit all three summits on a long Saturday, and then come out Sunday whenever we felt like it. A good plan. Unfortunately, at the last minute, he was summoned to a 2 PM meeting on Friday with our VP and was unable to extract himself ... they were talking about his project. So, the plan changed.

The new plan would look like me heading in Friday whenever I wanted, he would head out Saturday and we’d meet up by the lake, and Sunday we’d tag the peaks and go home. We knew we could go a long day given last year and he was willing to pass on Dragontail if we had to cut something. Additionally, he’d injured his IT band a month back and it was still tightening up and giving him problems. Just getting through a long day would be a challenge. Fair enough ... not the plan we’d wanted but it would salvage the trip.

I’m more of an early bird than he is ... heck, I’m more of an early bird than most people are ... so on Friday I got up at the “normal” time of 4:15 AM. I tossed on my waiting clothes, fed the kitties, and headed out. Before driving straight to Leavenworth, I dropped by Microsoft and left him a radio (walkie talkie) so we could communicate when he got close to Colchuck Lake. From there, I zipped out to the Ranger Station at Leavenworth.

Once there I waited a long time while the people before me were given instructions, hints, tips, and all the other details you’d want to successfully camp in or near the Enchantments. At my turn I presented my letter informing me of my permit situation, collected my tickets, thanked the ranger, and left ... time to hit the trail! Before I did, I sent my partner a quick message noting that he needed to get a trailhead parking pass. I overheard the ranger say that the ticket at that trailhead was $75! I sent a quick email from my phone (love technology!) and headed out.

The drive to Bridge Creek Campgroup was shorter than I remembered (or just took less time) from previous trips that way. The road is in good condition and very few cars shared it with me. As I pulled into the parking lot, I knew why I felt alone on the road ... it seems like everyone was already there! The parking lot was jammed with cars and people. Packed! Someone must have just left as I got a spot one car down from the trailhead entry. A bit of time changing into my hiking gear, a final few minutes of ramming stuff into my pack, a little spritz of bug juice (there were many reports of bad bugs ... a report I found either incorrect or not true where I was), and I was off. It was about 9 AM.

I tried to consciously take an easy pace but the trail is in marvelous shape without significant mud, no blow downs, and in no time I was making my hurried way toward Colchuck Lake. On the trail I passed a half dozen people, most were off to the side enjoying the beautiful weather and views. I kept my head down, listened to the tick-tick-tick of my trekking poles, and got to the lake before 11. As I approached the lake area I noticed a little girl in her bathing suit with father in tow heading toward the lake. That was a new one for me. A few other “family noises” emanated from the north end of the lake so I continued down trail a bit. I wanted to find a spot reasonably close to the entry to avoid humping a heavy pack farther in than needed but also wanted to be near the water. In times past I’ve camped at a gorgeous spot nestled in the rock slide at the south end of the lake, but that was too far in.

As with most spots on Colchuck Lake, I found a nice home for the next couple of days: a site large enough for two tents, easy access to the water, and plenty of “lounging” space for reading my book (John Krakauer’s Into the Wild). I should note now that space for two tents was a must: my friend doesn’t sleep well outdoors and I’m a bit of a thrasher: on my back, flip to the side, onto the back, a 360 degree spin to my back again. I’ve had other partners who have wondered if a marmot hadn’t crawled into the bag with me and caused a fuss. I’m not sure what they’re talking about ... I sleep soundly and feel rested whenever I sleep out! Anyhow, part of my heavy pack was humping in my smallish 2-person tent. I thought about bringing my bivy and saving a ton of weight, but for a couple nights outdoors and a planned “leisure day”, I wanted to option to zip up, lay around, and keep the bugs out without stashing myself in a fancy body bag.

By the time I had my tent up, water pumped, and assorted gear strewn about (ice axe, crampons, stove, etc), it was nearly 11:30 and I took refuge on the “lounging rock” overlooking the lake for a little reading. By noon I was refreshed and, to be honest, getting a bit bored so I grabbed a bit of gear and some snacks and headed up Aasgard Pass.

By far my least favorite part of this trip isn’t Aasgard Pass ... no, I don’t think that’s pleasant but gaining 2200 feet in under a mile is brutal by any definition and Aasgard is no exception ... the worst part is the trip around Colchuck Lake. The portion of the trail through the trees is up and down, tracing across rock faces, over roots, and through mucky low lands with no chance to get a rhythm going; you then face a strenuous rock hop over the boulder field at the south end where you can’t really go wrong in picking a route, but there’s also no “path”; and finally through a twisting and turning alley of greenery, never allowing you to find and sustain a reasonable pace. In all, it took me about 45 minutes to get to a point where I was facing uphill and ready to sweat a bit. And while I carp about that part of the trail, it’s in reasonable shape: the first section keeps you slow but it’s well maintained, the rocks are mostly stable and a huge Mayan-sized temple of rocks at the far end guides you to the outlet from the rock-slope, and the threading trail is mostly dry and seems to have had a facelift since I’d last been there.

But now it was time to grind uphill.

I always break Aasgard Pass into three sections of roughly a third each: getting to the first rocky outcrop where there’s regularly a late-season snow patch; from that outcrop to the base of a wall-like cliff where you cross the stream coming off the pass; and from that crossing to the top. And I almost always need a rest at each of these places. In the first third I kept to the middle of the slope and ended up crossing the snow. No difficulty here but the fact that I saw very few tracks in the snow suggested I was taking the road less traveled. Without breaking I then found a thready, loose and crumbling route that favored the left hand side as you go up and I trudged along it. I kept to this very hard and found that I was trying to force a way on the left side above the “wall-like cliff”. I backtracked a bit, headed right, and was on the main trail and emerging onto the Pass under light clouds and a slight breeze.

As I congratulated myself on my first trip up Aasgard without a break, I staggered into the basin and finally stopped to water up at one of the many pools. A short rest and some nibblies later, I got back on my feet and marched along the trail that would dump me off at the feet of Little Annapurna (LA). While I had a lot of time, I felt like I needed to be en route, not just hanging out in the basin.

I was directed but not rushing as I moved the short way across the upper Enchantments. I still love the otherworldly look of the exposed granite, the mirrored pools and the complete lack of trees. Just a great area. To my added delight, there were a lot of goats around and in between taking pictures and watching the animals, I found another rock or two to lean back on for a short rest. As such, it was about 2:30 before I started heading up LA.

I saw a few footprints in the snow field ascending LA but found it odd that what I thought was the obvious line of ascend, an unbroken easy slope of snow along far ridgeline, was clear of tracks. Instead, the route seemingly chosen was one of a threading through snow patches and rock bands. Always happy to march to the beat of my own drummer ... or maybe march to the trail of my own choosing ... I chose a rock band that would take me up and toward the ridge when I proceeded to kick-kick-kick my way to the high summit plateau. While I’m not sure why others didn’t choose this line (I assume it was because their feet were happier on solid rock than kicking steps), I was a bit surprised and “aware” that the terrain just after that ridge line falls off ... like right now! While you would be hard pressed to pitch yourself over the edge, it is a little disconcerting to be huffing and puffing up a slope and being able to catch the airy fall of hundreds of feet to sharp rock needles out of your peripheral. It was an invigorating tromp up.

At the top I was delighted to see a couple of stacked, stone platforms at the very summit. They looked almost artificial they were so perfect. As another couple had one of them, I marched atop the other, pulled on my jacket, and immediately took a bit of a rest. Which is to say I tried to sleep. 

After what was too short a time, I noticed it was 3:30 and time to head down. I snapped some pictures, ate a bit of whatever was in my pocket, and tossed my jacket into my pack. As I went to put on my “safari” hat, I noticed I couldn’t find it. I looked in the pack, on the ground, and came to the conclusion it wasn’t with me. I then recalled watching the goats and leaning back. At one point I couldn’t decide if I wanted the hat to rest my head on as I leaned back or to shade my eyes ... I guess I figured leaving it there was the right call. Rats. But, in a world in which you’ve left your trail in the form of footprints, retracing your route isn’t that tough. So off I ran.

On the way down I bumped into 3-4 people coming up. They thanked me for the steps and I commented that I thought LA was oddly popular. They responded that for a walk-up, the reward in terms of view-for-the-effort was high enough that it merited high traffic. Fair enough, it had called to me.

I threaded my path in what now seemed to be a drunken stagger across the basin and was reunited with my hat in mid-route. Securing it to my noggin, I marched straight off to the lip of the pass, noted it was about 5 PM, and started down. After passing the first third of the route (heading down), I favored the now-right hand side and found the going to be very easy. As a matter of fact, staying right until I was very far down seemed to keep me on as good a path as I’ve ever been on for that route and I avoided that snow patch altogether. It took about an hour and a half to get back to camp and while not really running speed, was plenty fast for me.

I was tired and my feet were sore and just wanted to lay down but I knew that was just fatigue. I forced myself to “do chores” (sort gear in my tent, get water, and cook a real dinner) before I called it quits. And I was much happier for it. And with that and a little clean up (even when I’m out I floss!), I settled in for a few chapter of Into the Wild and dozed off when it was dark.

Part of my plan for Saturday was to do a little exploring but when I arose, I was still fatigued from the previous day. I knew I had a big Sunday so instead of climbing something, I stayed close to camp, poked about the north end of Colchuck, and found all reports of “bugs” to be exceptionally exaggerated. It was a gorgeous day with balmy temps, and very few mosquitoes. Every 15-20 minutes I might swat one or two of the things but aside from that, I enjoyed an afternoon of reading and soaking my feet in the lake.

Around 3 my climbing partner, Scott, showed up. He had previously hurt himself and commented that he could still feel it but was hoping that with some rest and a lighter pack he’d do fine the next day. He setup his tent, we poked about the lake, he kicked my butt in cribbage, and we got dinner. After that it was a bit more reading for me and then off to sleep.

At 6 AM we rolled out of bed and started breakfast. Scott had agree to take care of that and so I had ... freeze dried spaghetti with meat sauce. Yay!? When I cocked and eyebrow at his choice of menu selections he muttered something about not really having a great Friday while I was playing in the hills and I left it at that. Surprisingly it wasn’t half bad and seemed to do the trick. While we didn’t exactly blast out of camp, we were rounding the lake around 7:30 and most other crews were still milling about their respective sites.

On our last trip to this area, we were just starting out and Scott had asked me if it was rude to try to pass people on the way up Aasgard. That’s not usually a problem for me and I only offered that it was considered bad form to “leap frog” people ... passing them only to stop a short while later and have them have to try passing you (and then repeating). At that time he didn’t have much of a problem and by the time I got to the top of the Pass he’d had a sandwich, was reading the map, and was working on a tan. Needless to say his legs didn’t seem to need the rests that mine usually do.

This time we broke out of the trees and were preparing for the trip up. I thought he was taking a bit more time than a guy should need and commented, “you know, Scott, we’re not camping here today”. He stopped, slowly raised his head slowly, and I could see it in his eyes: game on. “So we’re starting the trash talking are we? You can start up now and I’ll let you know what I think when I pass you,” was his response. Given our previous performances, I didn’t doubt it. And so I started up.

I stayed to the left (going up) and found the trail that I thought was pretty spiffy from my trip down the previous day. While it was hardly a paved wonder, it kept me moving up steadily and the fresh legs and regular training allowed me to keep churning out the steps. I spotted a goat at one point and followed him a bit but found that a goat’s trail is not really a good trail for me. While all roads lead up, in my fascination at getting close to that marvelous animal, I strayed to the right more than I should have and crossed the stream down before the final “third” of the slope. The hike from that point up was definitely “off trail” but never difficult and I topped out sometime around 9 AM. And, surprisingly, I had to wait for Scott for about 20 minutes.

He eventually showed up and all he could say was that his leg was doing a bit of talking and he was hoping it would stretch out along the relatively flat upper basin. After a little rest we started out.

It became more and more obvious that he was lagging behind even at a walk pace and so before we hit the drop into the lower basin we agreed that our ways would part. We still had the two-way radios and he’d stick around the basin until I got off the peak but would then start descending as he figured that would take him a very long time to get to camp. He had the filter and while I would have liked it for insurance, I figured he’d want water, too, and I had enough. Not carrying that bit more weight was also a good deal. So around 10 AM I headed toward McClellan Peak (MP) and he settled in for a rest.

The trail along the upper basin crosses a few snow fingers and the ramp to the lower basin is still snow-clogged. Beyond that the trails are clear and in good shape. I moved quickly but was still surprised at how far it seemed to be to get to MP. At one point I passed a couple who, on hearing of my objective (and return through Colchuck Pass and on to the cars) simply said, “please pass us ... you have a long day ahead of you.” That didn’t do much for my anxiety so I goosed it a bit and by 11 was starting up from a spot between Perfection and Sprite Lakes.

The route description I was following said to drop to a plateau between Sprite and Leprechaun Lakes, then to head SE until just below and to the west of “The Prong” and then head south up the steep slope to a notch in the ridge. While I could see that would get you to your objective, I also thought you’d have to lose about 500’ from where I was, only to regain it in the ascent. While a later review of the map showed this to be an actual loss of about 200’, I still didn’t like the look of it and instead took a path that circled counterclockwise around a basin at the foot of McClellan range. The going wasn’t terribly hard but I was still doing a lot of work with my right leg on snow that was wet but also hard underneath. Additionally, the terrain under the snow was obviously a boulder field and I constantly had to watch out for punching through.

Before long, however, I had ascended to the snow field just below the cut onto the upper ridge so I took a breather, munched and drank a bit. With that, I headed into the cut below “The Prong” that lead to the summit ridge.

This feature looks steeper from the distance but up close it’s just a short, aerobic exercise along reasonably solid ground. I moved left onto rock above the Prong as soon as I could and was thankful that the shading ridge, while giving the snow a bit harder aspect, allowed transition to rock without the typical hazardous under-melt at the rock face. I eased onto the stone, avoided the loose gravel and sandy sections, and easily found a path high along the face to the ridge line. And when I popped through I was in for a surprise.

At the top the ridge makes a counterclockwise arc to the summit. It’s shaped like a backwards ‘c’ (when viewed from the top) and as you come out, immediately beyond you is an airy drop before the far ridge rises to the summit block! A bit unexpected and certainly a thrilling feature to note as you come (or at least I did) breathlessly over the edge. After getting over the mild surprise (and I shouldn’t have been ... close scrutiny of the map shows the ridge layout exactly but I’d assumed I was hitting the ridge top farther to the west), I turned right and the sandy ledges make for simple walking to the true ridgeline. The description I was following said to turn to the left so I was a touch confused but it wasn’t a big deal. It then said to favor the right and scramble class three slabs to the base of the summit block.

Again I found an easier route by simply dropping about 40’ below the gendarme feature on the summit ridge and walking sandy slopes to roughly the same place below the summit block. There is a bit of slab hopping to do but I was then just below the final feature and had ignored the description as I was choosing what I thought to be an easier route. At that point I found I couldn’t attain the true summit.

To the left (north) you come to the edge and have nothing below your boots but air and a solid block of rock above you. The ridge is classic Stuart Range granite with fantastic grip, but you have to do a move or two that would be tricky coming down and it no longer feels like class three rock. Further right I found what I thought to be the route description’s “hidden chimney” but it was blocked with “flutey” slabs of granite that I could lay back on (after tossing my pack) and move up but again, it just didn’t feel like something I wanted to descend.

Alone and without an easy way to the top I submitted to failing the final 20 feet and took my “summit pictures” from the high point I was at. I was a bit disappointed as I started down but thought I’d check just a bit farther to the right ... perhaps I could make a go at the summit block from the far side of the ridge. And on the other side of the “flutey” feature I’d mistaken for the hidden chimney ... was the true hidden chimney! A solid staircase compared to anything else I’d been looking at, and with a happy scamper I was up on top in MP’s airy aerie!

Pictures, food, and shooting a GPS point are now all part of my summit routine. I called Scott on the radio and he said he’d head back toward Aasgard Pass but wait until I was off the ridgeline before heading down. At this point I realized that I was running low on water ... the hydration bag that looked so full as I left Scott was pitifully empty. We talked about him leaving me a bit of water but I declined ... there were other people in the basin and I could bum a filter from one of them. I signed out, enjoyed a bit more solitude, and then headed down.

The way off was incredibly easy. From the very summit to the lakes below was negotiated safely in roughly 30 minutes. Rather than doing the high traverse I’d told myself I’d just drop straight down, descending the route as it was described in Summit Routes. As I dropped onto the shaded snowfield and gave Scott the OK to start down Aasgard Pass, I noticed that the cliffs I’d traversed below could be an easy route down. Rather than negotiate the traversing face as I’d come up, just stay on the ridgeline and take the easy ramps off at the far end. I was surprised I hadn’t seen this way up and, as I’d noted, I was quickly down and on trail without having to regain elevation.

At one point I’d mixed snow with my remaining water but it had a “slushy” consistency at this point ... I’d either added too much snow or had too little water to start with. At the trail I started the long, hot trip back to Aasgard Pass and suddenly the basin that had been filled with people I might borrow a filter from was a quiet, unpopulated landscape. Just before hitting the slope to the upper basin I did run into a small group heading to do Prussik Peak and they were happy to loan me a few minutes with their filter. One of their party mentioned that they felt the water was clean enough to chance, but in a place with the concentration of people and goats like the Enchantments, it’s not worth the risk if you have access to a filter.

After that quick interlude, I puffed and stumbled into the upper basin and was starting to feel the fatigue of a day getting long and a lot of miles under my boots. I didn’t relish the miles I had yet to go under a heavy pack. I’d gotten off MP and back to the trail around 1 and it was 2:30 by the time I hit the top of the Pass and called Scott to mention I had nothing but downhill between me and camp. I was shocked to hear that he was “just about at the bottom”; his leg must be quite bothersome if I could return from MP in the same time it took him to negotiate the slope. On the way down I found that tired legs and Aasgard Pass don’t mix. At one point my heel hit the edge of a rock and while my foot came to rest solidly on a rock below it, the upper one canted over and like a karate chop from a TV episode of Batman (a short, sharp, seemingly banal action that was surprisingly effective) it hammered in to the top of my Achilles tendon. Yee-ouch! In a word: unpleasant.

Even with my new gimp I got down and around the lake in about an hour and half and found Scott to have been there about 20 minutes so far. He had water waiting for me ... sweet! ... and we took a 20 minute rest before packing up and heading down the long trail home.

In all I found both Little Annapurna and McClellan Peak to be enjoyable climbs of very different quality. Doing both in a day would be a long run ... doable and enjoyable if you find value in running from high point to high point, but probably better savored as individual climbs. The setting is one of the true wonders of Washington state and if you haven’t been to the Enchantments yet, getting out there for either of these summits would be a great excuse to make the acquaintance!

Spectacular hike to the summit of Little Annapurna via Aasgard Pass and Colchuck Lake. The trail to Colchuck Lake is in great shape with no real issues or problems worth mentioning. Aasgard Pass wasn't too bad as long as you stay to the left following the boot path and rock cairns. The route up Aasgard crosses over to the right at the base of a waterfall at just over 7000' and tops out up the middle of the pass at around 7500'. It took us about 5 hours to go from the trailhead to the top of Aasgard. From there it was a leisurely hike to the top of Little Annapurna in the Enchantments. Route up Little Annapurna was basically a ""walk-up"" with just a few snow patches to cross. The route we took went up the north side and was marked with rock cairns as well. Ice axe or crampons were not necessary due to the warmer temperatures. Outstanding views from the summit in all directions. The east side of Little Annapurna drops off quickly (not a good place if you have vertigo). It took us about 6 hours to hike out from the summit. Bumped into a WTA team on the hike out staging for an upcoming weekend of trail maintenance. Thanks for the effort and good job maintaining the trail to Colchuck. All in all an outstanding hike that is very doable in a day if given an early enough start and definitly worth the effort. We left the trailhead a little before 6 AM and returned at 8 PM. 5000' of elevation gain from the trailhead to the summit of Little Annapurna, 2000' of the gain being Aasgard Pass. Lots of mosquitoes at the base of Aasgard Pass right now.

We traversed through the Enchantments July 20 thru 24. We started at the Stuart Lake trail head and spent the first night at Colchuck. We found a nice site around the back of the small lake (unnamed?) adjacent to Lake Colchuck. The water was nice and lots of

people were swimming. Bugs were there but tolerable.

On the next day we rounded the upper end of the lake, through the boulder field, and ascended Asgard up into the upper Enchantments. This was pretty much an all day project and we were very tired when we found our site in the upper basin, just below Little Annapurna. We spent two wonderful nights here before descending down through Snow Lake. We saw more goats than people, and at times had nearly 20 around our campsite. We saw no other campers the first night. The second night another party (who had made their way up from Snow Lake) camped near by.

On the 23rd we descended through the lower enchantments which were beautiful. There were more campers and hikers here but still not crowded at all. There were a few snow fields to traverse, one that was pretty treacherous when we descended it early in the morning.

We found the descent down to Lake Vivienne challenging (far worse than anything on Aasgard) but it was pretty short. Snow Lake was pretty buggy so we continued to Nada and camped at the very bottom of the lake. Bugs were there, but not too bad. We descended out to the Snow Creak trail head in 2-1/2 hours. The Snow Lake trail is in good shape and the slides that were an issue when we were there in June have all been cleared.

Before we left on this trip I was a little worried about the snow cover but it was not a problem. The Lower lakes are melted out and the upper lakes are still melting out. We had to cross several snow fields and only one was a bit tricky. It was very early in the morning and therefore icy and treacherous to descend (an ice axe would have been nice). The entire route is well marked, although we lost the route once on Aasgard and once descending down to Lake Vivienne. Asgard is completely free of snow, but still steep and arduous.

We hiked from the Stuart Lake trailhead to Colchuck Lake on Friday, spent Saturday on Aasgurd Pass, and hiked back down from Colchuck on Sunday.

Here are brief reports on all 3 sections of trail we traversed this weekend...

Stuart Lake trailhead to the Stuart/Colchuck split is a wonderful flat hike through beautiful trees. A great hike for people in Leavenworth for a weekend, etc who want to see some waterfalls, creeks, etc. Kid friendly.

From the split to Colchuck Lake is a hard, but rewarding uphill climb. It seems longer than the 1.6 miles, but once you're up at Colchuck, it's very worth it. Considering the terrain, the trail up here is well maintained and very easy to follow. It is not for people who don't want to sweat, however! And there are only one or two good scenic mountain views on the way up. Once up to Colchuck, I highly recommend walking all of the way to both the South and North shores as both offer very different and beautiful views (and there are very nice views in between as well, including at the first toilet as you crest at the lake on the main trail). There are nice places to stick your feet in the lake at the North and South tips as well. The only spot we got ""lost"" along the trail was trying to hike between the lake and the eastern tarn as we headed for the south tip-- at the carin near the tarn, take a left, to go around the boulders. Don't go around the tarn to the right, despite some ""fake"" trails"" on that side.

Last, but not least, Aasgard Pass. This was the most intense experience of my life. If you are a ""weekend warrior"" or someone who is NOT a passionate rock climber or who loves flirting with danger, I don't recommend this route to the Enchantments. We were prepared for a hard uphill, but I didn't understand a few things that I wish I had known in advance:

1. The trail gets worse and worse the farther you go up.

2. There is a lot of very loose gravel/scree that you will be hiking on. And you are doing it on a very dangerous, steep 45 degree slope. One wrong step could easily have deadly consequences. According to another hiker we met on the trail, he felt the terrain was worse than previous times he had hiked this pass.

3. For our hiking skills (we do a lot of 8-10 mile day hikes, but have done few 15 mile or longer hikes, and only 1 other backpacking experience, all in the Olympics/Cascades), it took us 4 hours to hike up this 1 mile stretch and 3.5 hours to get back down. We were SO exhausted by the time we got to the top, and so worried about making it down safely, we never even saw the enchantment lakes-- just the first two tarns as we looked for shade in which to sit for lunch. And we saw 1 mountain goat.

We enjoy hiking, but the Aasgard experience was the only time I have felt a trail was truly unsafe for me. I would have felt even less safe if I had tried it with a full pack instead of my day pack. I look forward to visiting the Enchantments again, via the Snow lake route! but for my hiking skills, this was not a safe option and was a huge risk and unenjoyable part of our otherwise wonderful weekend.

We will certainly return to Colchuck too-- but enjoy it for the shear beauty of it, and not as a pass into the Enchantments.

I see Bilbo and I were there the same day.

Day Two, I decided that I did not want to run the Icicle Ridge from Fourth of July Creek back to the Leavenworth trailhead (boring descent staring down into someone's pool) and up and down Fourth of July would be ghastly hot so Colchuck won out.

It was a good choice and I was on the trail a bit after 8am. It was actually chilly as I started - nice after the heat of Icicle Gorge and road. The trail ambles along Mountaineer Creek and crosses it twice. I really don't know the stats for this hike but the lake is definitely up a ways. After the first crossing (there is a separate trail and ford for horses) you come to an intersection with the Stuart Lake trail. Sections are rocky and rooty and eroded (my old knees are more sensitive than Bilbo's I guess). There are local views (Cannon Mt??) and then at what I will call the false summit you get some really nice long views, probaby Jack Ridge, but the lake is still more switchbacks up the trail. You see some nice waterfalls and eventually (about 2.5 hours for me) you glimpse the incredible jade color through some trees. Since I lolled at the lake for 2.5 hours reading a book, the lake color definitely fades as the sun climbs overhead. Impressive views of Asgaard Pass, Dragontail and Colchuck along with Colchuck Balanced Rock (to the left and high above Asgaard Pass. While reading and eating a number of climbing parties passed on the way up. Plans of these climbers varied from Prusik Peak to 4 or 5 peaks.

I finally closed the book, both on my book and on the lake and headed on down. It was a terrific hike and the almost absence of bugs was a definite plus.

First photo, I hope, really captured the color - incredible.

The second photo is from left to right: Asgaard Pass, Dragontail and Colchuck Peak.

A friend from work, my wife and I made the pilgrimage to Colchuk Lake in the vicinity of the Icicle Creek Road near Leavenworth. My friend had never been there, and as usual the site is spectacular. We started late due to a relentless bedsheet-adhesion-syndrome. So, needless to say it was a bit hot getting up there. The good news is that the extremely cold water cured that ailment in a big hurry. It was beautiful day ending with a pleasant evening dinner in Leavenworth.

As far as the trail conditions: It is in impeccable shape throughout. All aspects are easily followed and access to the lake is good as usual. Inthe lower sections of the trail there is a substantial amount of bugs and biting flies, and in the evening, as we returned, the mosquitoes became brave and determined. Bring bug spray for the hike....extra strength if camping overnight. The road to the trailhead was in great shape. One note: the toilet at the trailhead did not have paper. If you don't already do so as a rule, bring some.

A friend and I landed upon two permits for the Enchantments this weekend, so took a chance and headed up there for three nights. The Leavenworth Ranger Station didn't have much information on the snow cover up in the upper lake basin, so we decided first to head to Stuart Lake and perhaps avoid some of the weekenders at Colchuck.

The trail to Stuart was in great shape with no blowdowns. The lake itself was lovely, but the bugs were out in full force. We set up camp and then headed up with day packs to Horseshoe basin. This ""trail"" was more like a climbers trail and was difficult to follow due to numerous blowdowns, water, and some snow at the top. We were able to make it up to the lovely Horseshoe, though, and it was well worth it.

Day two, we packed up camp and thought we'd check out Colchuck and Aasgard and decide whether or not to head up to the Enchantments. From the beta we heard along the trail, the Enchantments were accessible and passable all the way to Vivian. So, up we went!!!

Aasgard was a bear (as usual), but we made camp just above Isolation Lake. Asgard was completely snow-free. There were patches of snow throughout the upper and lower Enchantments, but they were easily negotiable. We had our ice aces and they were a bit handy going down the slope to Inspiration Lake, but not necessary if care was taken.

There were no bugs yet up in the upper basin and the goats were plentiful. We had a heard spend breakfast with us each day (don't worry, we didn't feed them).

All in all, another exquisite trip up to the Enchantments.

I led five other first-timers on a M's hike to Colchuck Lake on Sunday, having been assured that it was a straightforward out-and-back. A couple of us damn near melted -- everyone went through at least 3 liters of water and Gatorade -- but we made it to the lake in good spirits and had a long lunch soaking our toes.

For a trail that sees that many boots, I thought it was in great shape. No sign of snow and the bugs weren't too bad. I was very impressed with the lake and surrounding peaks. Asgaard Pass looks intimidating enough that I will probably take the Snow Lake approach when I eventually get to do the Enchantments.

Forgettable snacks at the Heidel-Burger on the way out of Leavenworth, which was packed with tourists!

Hiked up the Stuart and Colchuck trails to ski the Colchuck Glacier. The trail is snow free all the way to the lake. The main Stuart trail is in very good condition. The Colchuck Lake trail was blocked by a single large blowdown about 1/2 mile up the the crossing of Mountaineer Creek and is in poor condition in the steeper areas due to heavy use and erosion. Lots of steep steps and loose rubble. There are still a few snow patches at the lake, but most campsites appeared to be dry. Lots of snow on the morrainal slopes below Colchuck and Dragontail Peaks. The bugs were only intense at the trailhead and for the first 1/2 mile.

Wanted to escape the likely rain on the west side of the Cascades, so decided to head east to Leavenworth. Clouds followed me across Hwy 2, and there was brief rain as I was heading up Icicle Creek Rd. Had wanted to do Colchuck Lake for a while. Since It's a 100 mile drive for me, I decided to get my money's worth and do Stuart Lake too. Decided to go first to Stuart Lake, thinking maybe by getting an early start I could beat the crowds...) and then go to Colchuck. Trail was snowfree to within ~1/2 of the lake, then some small patches of snow, none more than 75 paces long and no chance of losing the trail. Couple of spots were there were some bugs too, but not so bad. Had I the sense to put on bug spray, I wouldn't have the 3 mosquito bites I have now. :-S Though overcast, it was still warm and pleasant at the lake.

The trail to Colchuck Lake was entire clear of snow. As I approached Colchuck, I could see and feel rain clouds coming up the valley. Was drizzling when I got to the lake. Didn't spend much time at Colchuck because I didn't want to get caught in worse rain! Rain stopped almost as soon as I started back down, and after it stopped, I never saw a drop again.

Came back over Hwy 2 to discover sunshine and blue skies on the west side!

Myself and two others had been thinking of doing Rainier this weekend but decided to head to Eastern WA for better weather and higher snow levels. We all worked late on Friday and got out of town really late. We got to the trailhead at about 10:30pm and were on the trail at 11:30pm! We had a great hike up the 5 or so miles to Colchuck Lake in exactly 3 hours. We set up camp and headed to bed just before 4am. It was actually an awesome way to hike by going in the middle of the night. It was cool but not cold and we had the whole trail to ourselves. We woke up at 8am and made Eggs and Bacon and hit the climbers path up to Colchuck Col at about 9am. The climb was quite easy due to the steps already kicked in by other climbers. We found the summit at about noon and were back down by 1:30pm. We glissaded nearly from the summit back down to the lake. That was a blast and I caught one with my video camera as i was sliding! Anyways. Snow only in the shadows at the lake but still good snow cover up the slopes of Colchuck. Hve a great summer and lets all hope for more of that good weather. No bugs and trail in great condition. Two small blowdowns in a 5 foot stretch but thats it. Easy to pass. One slightly difficult creek crossing.RT 16mi/ 20 hours including 2 hours of sleep from 4am to 6am.

Having already cancelled once on our quest for Colchuck due to weather/avy concerns, it remained high on our list. This was the weekend. We now also were entertaining including Dragontail in our adventure.

My good climbing buddy Dale and I met up with some friends at the Colchuck TH at 9:00 Saturday morning and began our trek up to the lake under sunny skies. There were numerous small trees down along the trail that needed to be climbed over or crawled under. Also, we were amazed at the volume of water crashing down the rivers and creeks!



The trail was mostly bare all the way to the lake, with probably 50% snow cover around the lake. Dale and I shot ahead to claim the only melted out campsite at the end of the lake below the moraine (there were numerous melted out sites at the beginning of the lake).

Clouds were in and out all afternoon - mostly in. We enjoyed a fun evening and spoke excitedly of the next morning's climb. Uh oh, was that a drop? Yes, I believe so. Yep, another one. It began to sprinkle and we all retired to our tents. It rained on and off most of the night.

We poked our heads out of the tent at 5:00 am and were discouraged to find the summit of Dragontail completely hidden in clouds. Even the top of Aasgard Pass was obscured. The clouds were dark.

We knew the forecast was for showers thru 11:00 am.

We fired up the stoves and drank coffee while watching one party ascend up to the moraine, and another begin their ascent to Aasgard Pass. The sky just looked like it was waiting to dump heavily. The clouds were dropping lower.

As we stood around restless, Dale and I noticed the sky beginning to lighten up. We decided to go up and ""poke around a bit"". Our friends didn't want to join us, but announced they were going to go do some investigating on their own.



I left camp at 7:00 with Dale shortly behind me, and arrived at Colchuck Col at 8:45! Vissibility was limited. In fact, it was less than 40 feet for most of the Colchuck Glacier. Clouds completely hid Dragontail, while I could see a short way up the rib of Colchuck.

Soon Dale arrived.

As we began our ascent up the rib, the party ahead of descended down. They warned us of extremely soft snow ahead. The summit had been mostly socked in, but the clouds did part to reveal views a couple of times.

We thanked them for the excellent steps they put in and continued up. We arrived at the summit 45 minutes from the col.

We couldn't see a thing! We waited and waited for just a glimpse of neighboring peaks, but it didn't seem like it was to be. Just as we began to pack up, it happened! The clouds parted and Mount Rainier appeared with blue sky above! Below, a sea of clouds covered everything between us and Rainier. At one point we got a glimpse of Argonaut, but it was pretty short lived.

At least we got some views!



We made it back down to the col in about 20 minutes, then glissaded the entire way back down to the lake - 2,400', in just 10 minutes, for a total descent time of just 30 minutes!

We packed up camp and met up with our friends down the trail. Then it was off to Gustav's for food, drink and laughter. A good time

Departed from the Colchuck Lake trailhead at noon Saturday, with an objective to summit Colchuck by noon the next day. Plenty o' time.

The trail is initially easy going. The only problems encountered was the downfall that starts just before the first creek crossing/horse ford and continues intermittently up to the lake. Most are small trees. We cleared a few off, but the others will need to be cut out or moved by a team. Rough estimate of about 20 small diameter logs.

Camped on snow at the lake, with a gorgeous view of Dragontail. Left in the morning with crampons and ice axes. Didn't use the crampons. Kicked steps up, up, up the glacier. From the col, the scramble was part snow and part rock, class 2 and a enjoyable change of pace from steps up the snow. Lunch on the summit was cool and cloudy. 2400' glissade back to the lake was heaven. Lovely views down to the lake, beautiful granite wall, and oh so fast(but not too fast).

By the walk out, the snow had melted to the point of patchy up to the lake, with no snow from the main creek crossing on back. The snowshoes had been packed up with everything else, but were not needed either in or out.

beautiful hike, beautiful mountain.

Started the hike about 10am with a friend of mine. Was fairly warm in the sun but as you adventured into the denser forest trail that leads up to Colchuck it was a bit colder. It was odd though, because the trail would have spots of snow and then nothing bare as a bone. The snow started getting soft and deep enough that the pace was starting to get annoying. Around the main bridge that crosses the large creek the first time before it heads up the first set of switch backs. This is where we decided to turn around.

Give the trail about 2 more weeks of nicer weather maybe 3 and it will be a great trip to take to go see the glacier this year!

Even though the forecast was for nice weather in the Seattle area, I figured it might not be that nice on the West side of the Cascades, so I headed over Stevens Pass to see if I had made the right decision in canceling my trip I had planned to the Enchantments Sunday. I left early and managed to hit the Stuart Lake trailhead by 8:00 AM. It was cold. I could see snow not that much higher on the mountains. The ground was frozen.

I had originally planned to go up to Colchuck Lake and look over at Asgaard Pass. I could see Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Peak before I got to the junction where the trail turns off to Colchuck. They were plastered with snow. It looked like rime ice on the snags. I could also see Asgaard pass and it also had a lot of snow. It was almost completely white. There was a slight dusting of snow at the junction, and I decided to go to Stuart Lake instead. I figured there might not be much sun on the north facing side of the ridge where Colchuck Lake and Asgaard Pass are located.

Not long after passing the junction to Colchuck, I rounded a bend in the trail and Mt. Stuart was absolutely radiant in the early morning sun. As I continued, the sunlight began to work its way down into the valley and cause the hoarfrost to sparkle on the twigs and leaves, like diamonds in the sun. More views of Dragontail peak backlighted in the sun, with a halo of glowing clouds silhouetting the ridgeline. It reminded me of the pictures of the Himalayas.

I continued on to the lake, and fortunately, the side the trail comes in on was in the sun. Mt. Stuart was radiant across the lake, brilliant white with new snow. Larches in the distance were beginning to shed their coat of snow and frost and glow in the sun. I took a lot of pictures and ate some lunch, sitting on a rock in the sun. There was about an inch of new snow at the lake. It was melting fast on the sunny side of the lake, but not in the shade. Steam rose from the water and wafted across the lake.

I started back down the trail about 11:30. All the hoarfrost had melted in the meadows, but now the meadows were in full sun. It was stunning.

The colors were good, but not as good as the west side mountains where there is more rain, and thus more vegetation. But the fresh snow made up for it. But when I headed back over the pass, the clouds increased, and finally at Stevens Pass, it was drizzling and sleet.

Round trip 10 miles. 1500 feet elevation gain. About 2 hours in, including pictures. 1-1/2 hours out.

Was lucky enough to score a permit for the Enchantments on Thursday morning and headed up to the Enchantments via Aasgard Pass. Weather on Thursday was pleasant with filtered sunshine and temps in the upper 50's. Larch at Colchuck were getting started with some near peak. Headed up Aasgard and made it into the upper enchantments by late afternoon. Found a nice protected camp near Isolation Lake. Thursday night we were buffeted with moderate winds and snow. Woke up Friday morning to a temp of 24F and blowing snow. Not sure how much snow actually fell on Friday as it was drifting all day, but I assume no more than a few inches. Skies gradually cleared throughout the day with temps right around freezing. Larch in lower basin are approaching peak and should peak within the next week or so. Make sure to bring warm clothes and good shelter this time of yr.