This was my first backpacking experience in the Enchantments as this was the first year I "won the lottery!". At first I was disappointed that I didn't get a permit for the other famous areas, but I was completely satisfied and delighted!
We easily found parking when we arrived at 9am on a Tuesday. We drove over from Seattle and Tacoma and found traffic to be very pleasant. A great start for our backpacking trip.
The trail to Eightmile Lake is beautiful with so much plant life from new young evergreens, cottonwoods, alders, mountain ash, bitter cherry, and many wildflowers still blooming. Many of the remaining upright dead trees from the wildfire were like sculptures. There was an abundance of birds as well! A grouse family gave us nice opportunities to watch them feed and use the downed trees as walkways. We found the upgrade very doable especially with the peek-a-boo views of Colchuck and the surrounding mountains. We appreciated many opportunities for a shade break under full blue skies. Also, make sure to smell the bark of the ponderosa pine trees! There were a few downed trees to navigate as you approach Eightmile Lake.
We found a great campsite looking up the lake and saw only two other campers. We were so grateful to not have the crowds and trash that the other Zones are experiencing right now. We found the first privy disgusting and opted to dig catholes. There was fecal material on the "seat" and as the previous writer shared the box is pretty full. Unfortunately there was much evidence of folks not packing out their wastepaper or digging the appropriate depth in the privy area.
On our second day, we day hiked up to Lake Caroline and found the trail challenging with all the brush to hike through and narrow sections with brush. Mindful foot placements and trekking poles were helpful. This trail would be a challenge with a full, weighted backpack on.It was a beautiful blue sky day and warming up so we took many shade breaks and a nice dip in Lake Caroline. We were the only ones at the lake and we enjoyed the abundance of huckleberries!
Back at camp, we enjoyed a delightful dip in Eightmile Lake. A larger group of backpackers had come in and were camped at the larger campsite up along the lake shore trail.
We had beautiful sunsets both nights and great star gazing!! We saw several meteors as well! I also brought my fly rod and caught a 6 inch cutthroat trout! It was great to fish again.
It was hard to leave on our third day but we enjoyed a slow start and an easy walk out. We saw a few day hikers coming in and one backpacking group. The parking lot was much busier than our start with many cars traveling up to the Stuart Lake trailhead.
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