We got permits for the Core Zone, so we spent the weekend in the Enchantments from Friday afternoon to Sunday night (one night at Colchuck, one night in Core). We didn't have the option to leave earlier Friday, or we would have done two nights in Core. On Friday, we arrived at the Snow Lakes trailhead at 5:15pm to drop off a car, then drove to the Colchuck trailhead and started the hike at 5:45pm. We didn't have a problem finding parking at either trailhead because a wave of people had already left for the day. We arrived at Colchuck Lake around 8pm, but kept going along the lake to look for a campsite. Most of them had filled up already, but we got lucky and there was one more campsite left near the base of Aasgard. To find campsites, we used the AllTrails app which marks where the campsites are, and throughout the trip we used the app to stay on route. By the time we set up camp, it was dark so we ate, stargazed, and went to sleep around midnight.
We woke up at 7:30am, cooked breakfast, and started up Aasgard Pass at 9:30am. It was fairly crowded on the way up as we were with the later wave of day hikers, and we made it to the top at 11:50am. We did get stopped by park rangers who asked to see our permits on one of the most treacherous sections, so keep your permit handy. We then went on the side hike to Little Annapurna, and despite it being only over a mile long and 1000 elevation gain, it was more difficult than we expected. It was hard to follow the trail even with cairns, and we constantly had to refer to the AllTrails route. I'm pretty sure we ended up doing a 4 mile round trip just given how many times we went off trail. By the time we got down, we had to rush to get to a campsite in time as the sun was setting, and we set up camp at a site overlooking Perfection Lake that was actually perfect. Had a great view of the sunset and sunrise in the morning, and it was high up enough that we had amazing views of the stars and Milky Way at night (if you camp further down you won't have the whole sky view at night). We wanted to see it all, so we saw the sunset, went to sleep, set an alarm at 1am to see the stars, then went back to sleep and woke up at 5am to see the sunrise. Made it way more tiring but so worth it!!
The next morning, we left at 9am and went through Lower Enchantments. We did not expect how breathtaking this part of the Enchantments were; this section is absolutely magical with its bright blue lakes, snow cap mountains, and greenery. We swam in Leprechaun Lake and relaxed there until early afternoon, when we started our descent out of Enchantments. From this point onwards, it became a lot less pleasant. Two people in our group had injured knees, so going up we were totally fine, but going down was extremely tough. On top of that, the hike down is not easy and we definitely underestimated it. It's fairly difficult for a section that looks on the map like a gradual descent, along with knee injuries, lack of sleep for two nights, and heavy packs. This was definitely the hardest part of the hike; it felt like it would never end, and was boring and not scenic at all. We ended up reaching the Snow Lakes trailhead at 8:15pm but we were so exhausted!!
Overall, what an amazing trip! A few summary takeaways from our experience for what we would do differently:
- I would avoid Snow Lakes section of the Enchantments. Whether you're camping or day hiking, I think the prettiest views are up to Leprechaun Lake, so I would go to Leprechaun Lake (or Lake Vivian if you want to hit all of the lakes), and then turn back. Going down Aasgard will be tough, but I don't think Snow Lakes is a much easier alternative
- The mosquitos are absolutely terrible, especially at dusk near the lakes. They bit us through our pants, shirts, and even our mosquito nets we wore over our heads. Bug spray didn't work at all. Also these bites aren't normal mosquito bites, but huge swollen welts all over your body that hurt and itch at the same time. Because of this, I would recommend going later in the season around September (late July is supposed to be the worst for mosquitos). If you still want to go during mosquito season, I would bring a mosquito net and a balaclava / scarf to wrap your face.
- Regarding when is the best time is to go, it depends what views you like. I love snow, so I would have preferred to go earlier in the season before all the snow melts (early July). If you love fall colors and larches, I would go in September. Late July has the best hiking conditions, but mosquitoes will eat you alive.
Comments
snowlake on The Enchantments, Little Annapurna
So awesome pictures!! Great to meet you on the top of Aasgard Pass. Agreed that turning back at either Leprechaun Lake or Vivian Lake will be be better choice and more fun. Snow Lake trailhead seems endless and there was not much to enjoy descending from Snow Lake.
Posted by:
snowlake on Jul 30, 2020 12:45 PM
jennyjin on The Enchantments, Little Annapurna
Thank you! Totally agree, but it was great to experience the thru-hike at least once. Maybe next time we'll turn back!
Posted by:
jennyjin on Jul 30, 2020 02:29 PM
Seattle-Amy on The Enchantments, Little Annapurna
I’ve done both the descent out of Snow Lakes and down Aasgard multiple times, and I have to say they both suck! Whenever I go down Aasgard I tell myself “never again”, but I also tell myself the same thing when I go out Snow. Headed there again this week to go out Snow :-)
Posted by:
Seattle-Amy on Aug 03, 2020 05:34 PM
jennyjin on The Enchantments, Little Annapurna
Good to know! I’ll have to try Aasgard then and see which one I think is better. Have fun next week!
Posted by:
jennyjin on Aug 03, 2020 07:37 PM