The Enchantments — Sunday, Sep. 29, 2019

UPDATE: There has been some good discussion in the comments on more recent conditions and info on what to expect. Thanks to all who have shared.

What a trek. Still recovering. The most difficult and strenuous outdoor challenge I've faced yet in my short career. Please be sure to click "Yes, this helped" if this information was helpful to you!
I was with the group of 5 that tackled this Sunday. Probably the only group to complete the thru hike that day. There was a group or two that did it Saturday when less snowfall had accumulated.

Most larches had turned but lots were still green. Still time left! Although the snow really covered them up for us :( The rest of you may be lucky if the snow melts off the larches but stays on the ground. You'd get the winter wonderland we missed out on ;P 

Enchantments thru hike. Lake Stuart TH to Snow Lake TH. This recent Sunday the 30th. Time: 20 hours 43 minutes. 0515 to 0158. Total distance: 20+ miles. 

Conditions: Snow. Lots of it. Snow begins about halfway up to Colchuck Lake and gets deeper and deeper. Was about 8 inches at the bottom of Aasgard Pass. 2-3ft in the Core Enchantments. Sometimes less/more depending on where the wind and terrain dictated it to be deposited. At times we were breaking trail through fresh powder up to our chests (which was actually pretty cool lol). Such an epic and legendary trip. Avalanche conditions could be present on Aasgard, but I dont have much snow experience/knowledge to make that determination. All I know is that some 'break-lines' were beginning to form as we headed up Aasgard. The snow might have settled since the weekend. When passing under and left of the cliff bands on Aasgard pass, try to do so quickly as ice/snowmelt has been reported to be falling off. Be absolutely careful when passing over sloped terrain. There are a couple of sketchy spots on the trail where sloped rock faces that lead into the lakes below were snow/ice covered. Take caution everywhere really. Lots of opportunity for a leg to slip between two boulders. I personally slipped and rammed a knee into a rock pretty good. Luckily was able to put about half my weight on it and it had near fully recovered 3 hours later.

Definitely dangerous trail conditions. DO NOT COME UNPREPARED. Honestly, the thru hike is NOT RECOMMENDED unless you are absolutely confident of your gear and abilities. If you have permits or your plans are just to visit parts of the enchantments and test out your gear/winter camping skills, then that is much more feasible than a thru-hike. Many in our group didn't have much snow experience, but we pressed on and learned a lot while staying (mostly) safe. Our group got lucky the weather was not dumping snow and gusting wind at us though. We could have been forced to spend an unplanned night out with limited gear. Be prepared for full winter travel/conditions. Microspikes recommended, but one of our party members did fine without them. Snow shoes may have been helpful in some spots, but there's probably not enough accumulation to warrant them yet (I've never used snowshoes before). Bring more gloves than you think you need. A good idea is to pack a pair of nitrile gloves for use below the gloves. These act as a waterproof layer for your skin. Most of our 5 party group had 2 pairs, a fleece pair, and a larger winter glove, and it wasn't enough as one or both would wet out and freeze. Bring extra socks. Bring more layers then you need. Handwarmers are a FANTASTIC idea. More energy blocks/gels/ would have been preferred by our group. Our group stopped in some shelter near the top of Aasgard to warm up and recoup. Aasgard took a lot out of us and put three of our five into their personal walls. Mine was not realizing my left foot was numb. Had to take it out and put it on my friends stomach. Took ten minutes to regain feeling. Toes and fingers still numb on Tuesday two days later. Luckily visibility stayed around 1/8 to 1/4 mile so we could see Cairns and those massive sticks. Those helped so freakin much. Im going to handwrite a thank you note to whoever set those up. Still, keep your wits about you and pay attention. We got turned around coming into the core enchantments and ended up looking back down Aasgard pass. Boy were we confused lol!! It got dark when trying to navigate to the snow creek drainage crossing from lake Viviane. Not a good time for it to turn dark, although terrain navigation slowly got easier after crossing snow creek. Our group used GAIA GPS to ensure we stayed on trail. Definitely good to utilize a mapping app. Headlamps are a MUST. Bring an extra or spare batteries, make sure all group members have one. I may type out a recommended gear list later today (10/1) as requested by a commentor.
A quick yet important comment, be sure your WHOLE party is aware of what gear is needed and what they should be bringing and expecting. Don't just expect someone else to have explained it to them. Be overprepared and you are much more likely to have a safe and enjoyable trip. (Although our trip really sucked and I'd still consider it really fun xD)

Here's that personal gear list for those who want to read through it:
I volunteer for SAR so some of these items I just keep on me at all times. Backpack description: deuter ACT trail 30L.

-(forgot to add Gaiters to original post ! Very important!!)
-emergency food(full meal-bar, meat bar, energy gels/blocks)
-sun protection will be important with all the snow (especially sunglasses/chapstick, but sunscreen too)!!