My first time in the Enchantments and my first multi night backpacking trip! Oh and I’m 20 weeks pregnant.
Our group of 6 headed out from the TH at 9am to our first destination of Lake Caroline. The first section is a calf burner but it does level out.
The ascent up to Caroline with packs is challenging but SO rewarding. The views were stunning and the foliage is just starting to change. Even though the fire swept through here the forest is healing and presents a new kind of beauty.
We made it to Lake Caroline after about 4.5 hours.
The large campsite which holds 5+ tents is half way around the lake nearest the toilet, there were maybe 2-3 other small 1-2 tent sites as well and the last one on top of the rocky bluff near the talus slope at the end.
This time of year we lucked out with no bugs. I’m talking not even 1 mosquito bite on my body good. No-see-em’s were out and some bees but it was not bad at all.
This time of year we lucked out with no bugs. I’m talking not even 1 mosquito bite on my body good. No-see-em’s were out and some bees but it was not bad at all.
There are lots of cute chipmunks and squirrels busy preparing for winter and we saw some deer near Lake Caroline but that was it for wildlife sightings.
For 2 nights we had the place to ourselves with only day hikers to Windy Pass coming through.
The weather was warm enough for some quick dips in the lake. It was very cold but therapeutic for the muscles. At night we had gorgeous views of the stars, Milky Way, Jupiter was out and we even saw the StarLink one night.
The second day we day hiked to Windy Pass which was fun without a pack. But make sure to pack water and snacks. We packed a JetBoil to make lunch at the very top. We could see the very tops of Rainier, Baker and Mt. Index, thankfully the smoke was not bad the day we went up.
On the third day, we hiked down to Eight-mile Lake. Most people stayed here as it’s easy to get to but camping at Lake Caroline was far superior. But it made for a quicker out route to the car on our last day.
Other things to note: the toilets at both areas were brand new. Maybe even this season? So thank you volunteers!!
Airplane noise - holy smokes I though I was sleeping under the SeaTac airport runway sometimes… so that was a bit annoying that a main flight path is just overhead.
Bring a fishing pole! Lots of fun to catch and release in both lakes. Rainbows and Cutthroats a plenty.
Bring a fishing pole! Lots of fun to catch and release in both lakes. Rainbows and Cutthroats a plenty.
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