Heads up, Hikers: Stuart Lake Trailhead to Colchuck Lake is NO JOKE. Once you pass the Colchuck/Stuart Lake fork, the trail is steep and rocky. Steep as in it becomes like a granite StairMaster, step after step. Please, please be prepared and carry the 10 essentials. On Monday, 7/1/24, we encountered many day hikers who did not have sufficient water (we passed out water tablets). Folks stopped us to ask for bandaids for "shoes that hurt" and for mosquito repellant. We saw hikers in Crocs and groups with cute little kids (4-6 yo), some hikers blasted music from speakers, which I consider to be rude when seeking solace in nature. Basically, the hike to Colchuck felt like a circus.
We had lottery-won two nights at Stuart Lake and started our day visit to Colchuck from inside the lower Enchantments by hiking back down (2.2 miles from Stuart Lake) to the turnoff. We give the wooden box toilet at the turnoff 4 stars because the lid stays up and there is a scrub brush and disinfectant spray bottle handy!
Once you veer left and leave the Stuart Lake Trail you must scramble over boulders and climb 1,100 in 1.5 miles. The climb proceeds as a mix of steep rocky steps and tight switchbacks with careful footing over tangles of tree roots. The ground was dry but there had been a downpour on Sunday and the air was very buggy.
As everyone knows the payoff is worth the pain--Colchuck Lake is stunning! And yet, it was difficult to enjoy due to the massive swarms of mosquitos (so grateful for my mosquito head netting!) and people nonsense. Lots of small pieces of garbage, corners from packaged snacks, etc... Hikers were feeding chipmunks and Clark's Nutcrackers out of their hands. One guy got bitten by a chipmunk; I overheard his son say, "Dad, that what's you get for feeding it!" The trail etiquette was disappointing to witness and it was a huge relief to return to the serenity of Stuart Lake.
I hope we can all do our part to stay safe and work together to preserve the natural beauty of this ecological and geological gem for, not just ourselves today, but also for generations to come. I am grateful for the US Forest Service's strict adherence to the permitting system and for all of the responsible, respectful hikers on the trail.
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