Hiking the Enchantments

The Enchantments live up to the hype and dazzle hikers willing to overcome the elevation gain needed to visit this high alpine paradise.

APPLY AND REPEAT

Permits & Sheer Luck

If you thought Aasgard Pass would pose your greatest challenge, you will be sorely mistaken as you begin the grueling process of obtaining a permit. Unless lady luck is your constant companion, getting permits for an overnight in the Core Enchantments will require long-term diligence and fortitude. Each year the online lottery (through recreation.gov) opens on February 15th and closes on the 29th. On March 7th permit winners are randomly selected. If you have a similar experience to us, you will become very familiar with the phrase “the lottery drawing recently took place and, unfortunately, your application wasn’t successful.” But fear not, the email will also inform you that unclaimed permits will be returned to the reservation system at 7:00am PT on April 1st.

As you sit at your computer the morning of April 1st excited and hopeful, you will quickly realize that this post-lottery scramble requires fierce preparation and fast fingers. The permits typically disappear within the first few minutes after release (sometimes in under a minute).

Here are a few strategies that will give you a slight edge: log into your recreation.gov account in advance, familiarize yourself with how to search and acquire permits, and have predetermined dates and alternative dates at the ready. If all else fails, there’s a daily walk-up lottery at the Wenatchee River Ranger District Office in Leavenworth, but this approach involves a flexible schedule and luck as well.

It took Nick and I roughly 5 lottery applications and 4 unclaimed permit releases to acquire permits. April 1st of this year I obtained 2 unclaimed permits, but was mere seconds away from another failed attempt. After clicking “book now” I remember staring at my computer as the system decided whether to process my request or tell me that the dates were no longer available. And sadly yes, the latter has happened more times than I care to count.

Permits obtained? Now what?

With permits in hand, we started researching the trip in earnest. Firstly, I would strongly recommend approaching the thru hike from Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lake Trailhead. It reduces the total elevation gain by 2,600 feet and the 1,900 feet climb up Aasguard Pass allows you to conquer a large portion of your total trail elevation gain in less than a mile.

The trailheads are roughly 8 miles apart on dusty pothole-filled forest roads so its advisable to have a vehicle at each trailhead (which is what we did) or you can also pre-book a shuttle. Secondly, parking spots can be very scarce. It is best to get to the trailhead just before day break. Lastly, if you are spending multiple days on the trail don’t forget to display your parking permits (issued with your hiking permits) along with a Northwest Forest Pass on the dash of your vehicle.

DAY 1

Stuart TH to Colchuck Lake

Wanting an early start we hit the trail about an hour before sunrise with headlamps lighting our way. We had day hiked this section of trail the year prior and knew that we could easily navigate it in the predawn light. This part of the journey is fairly uneventful. As you traverse through this wooded section of the hike, you will encounter a single fork in the trail (veer left) and a prominent rock pile that the trail skirts around on the right after a bridge crossing. After 4.5 miles and 2280 feet elevation gain we reached Colchuck Lake.

From here we followed one of the many side paths to the waters edge and took a short breakfast break. On the first day of any overnight backpacking trip we typically treat ourselves to “real food” before switching over to more conventional trail fare. With gleeful anticipation we pulled out the pastries we acquired the day before from Tumwater Bakery and enjoyed them with steaming cups of tea. The view here was spectacular. Drangontail and Colchuck peaks reflected into the aquamarine water of the lake in the early morning light. After lingering as long as we dared, we set out to tackle Aasgard Pass.

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Aasguard Pass to Inspiration Lake

Aasguard Pass is a BEAST. We gained 2200 feet in just 3/4 of a mile. Picking our way up the mountain we followed the many cairns marking the trail. At this point we were unbelievably grateful for our early morning start. We cannot imagine climbing this scree filled section with the sun beating down overhead. We were lucky enough to spend about 80% of the ascent in the shade. Be prepared for several false summits as you make the climb and make sure to keep to the left once you reach the grove of trees roughly halfway up. The stunning views and the occasional pika were the only things that took our minds off the grueling climb.  

Once you reach the summit, the Core Enchantments sprawl out before you. The beauty is enough to make you forget your recent climb. A stark landscape comprised of pristine alpine lakes surrounded by striking peaks and granite greet wary hikers. It was here near the top, that Nick and I settled ourselves along the banks of an upper basin lake and took a well deserved break.

As it turned out, our break could not have been timed more perfectly. Just as we started back down the path we noticed a female mountain goat and her kid ambling towards us. We quickly settled ourselves on a nearby boulder and watched them graze for a while.

After a few photo filled minutes the goats tired of our little stretch of trail and wondered off toward the shores of a distance lake. With the goats receding into the distance and Dragontail Peak looming on our right, we continued along the shores of Tranquil and Isolation Lakes.

Continuing our downhill trek, the landscape quickly changed to a lusher alpine meadow as we passed by Little Annapurna. Here a broad plateau of creek-connected lakes make up the Brasingamen Lakelets and Prusik Peak makes it’s first appearance. The trail continues to follow the waters edge until a bend in the creek diverts the stream away from the main path.

At this point the trail loses a fair amount of elevation as you approach the Middle Enchantments. Steep granite walls rise up around the azure waters of Inspiration Lake and larch trees stand sentinel as you make the climb down to the water’s edge.

It was at the far end of this stunning lake that we finally made camp. And it was here that we discovered that even the outdoor camp privies in the Enchantments have a view.

Gnome Tarn

Once settled we packed up our dinner and headed out to find Gnome tarn. If you follow the trail toward Prusik Pass with discerning eye you can find a faint path on your right that leads directly to this photogenic tarn. If you find yourself on the main trail heading up hill you’ve gone too far. Unfortunately for us, we did not find the path until later that evening on our way out. The way there involved gps and a very circuitous route. The tarn itself is pretty spectacular and requires very little time to explore. Definitely a great little add on hike.

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DAY 2

Little Annapurna

If you decide to spend an extra night or 2 in the Core Enchantment Zone (which we highly recommend) there are several day hikes to choose from. We had a difficult time choosing between Dragontail, Little Annapurna, Prusik Pass, Enchantment Peak, and Crystal Lake. In the end we spent the morning hiking from Inspiration Lake to Little Annapurna. And we were glad we did. The views from the summit at 8440ft were absolutely breathtaking. From this vantage point you get a truer sense of the beauty and vastness of the Core Enchantments. There are a few routes to this vantage point. Our approach involved a mixture of gps assistance, rock cairns, and less defined trails.

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By midday we had made our way back to camp and with some reluctance we packed up our tent to seek out a new campsite for the night. At first we were hesitate to give up such an amazing spot at the edge of Lake Inspiration, but we knew that we would be grateful for the additional miles hiked as we made our way out of the Core the following morning.

Inspiration to Leprechaun Lake

As we skirted around Lake Perfection and make our way to Leprechaun Lake we knew we had made the right decision. Perfection Lake is absolutely stunning. With crystal clear blue waters lined with meadows and larches and an island to boot, the lake leaves very little to be desired. At this point we were kicking ourselves for not extending our trip by an additional night or two.

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With one last look back at Little Annapurna we followed the creek down the trail past Spirit Lake and into the Lower Enchantments. As the creek tumbled over the granite and into Leprechaun Lake we spotted a potential campsite for our last night. We picked our way around the left side of the lake and found a campsite near the very end of the peninsula that very nearly bisects the lake. It was here that we encountered an overeager chipmunk that proceeded to sprint around our camp as we unpacked. Our site was nestled right along the lakes edge with views of McClellan Peak on one side and Prusik Peak on the other. After settling in we took a refreshing swim in the lake and enjoyed the scenery from the large slabs of granite near the waters edge.

We were honestly dumbfounded that we were the only campers enjoying the lake. Personally we felt that Leprechaun Lake is one of the best kept secrets in the Enchantments. And if towering dramatic peaks and pristine waters are not enticing enough, the lake is also heavily dotted with larch trees. Come larch season (typically late September/October) the lake would be a blaze with yellow larches. The lake would offer the most stunning photo opportunities come fall.

That night the winds picked up and like dodos we had decided to forgo our rain-cover so we could better enjoy the nights sky. Needless to say, our tent was tossed around a fair bit that night and we regretted underestimating the unpredictability of the weather patterns in the Enchantments. The next morning the winds intensified and we battled large gusts while trying to pack up our gear.

DAY 3

Lake Viviane to Snow Lakes

Wind blow and a little dusty, we found our way off of the peninsula and back onto the main trail. Once on the main path we started losing elevation quick as we passed Lake Viviane, which was also beautiful and sat in a dramatic bowl of granite. We would have loved to explore the lake, but unfortunately we needed to make good time on the hike out. Reluctantly we left Lake Viviane after the briefest of pauses and headed down the rebar steps towards Snow Lakes.

The elevation loss from Viviane to Snow Lakes is knee jarring. Be prepared to drop 1400ft over 1.5 miles. It’s a dusty descent with a mix of rock scrambles and exposed roots. Also passing slower hikers on the way down can be a bit challenging given the large stretches on exposed granite with few footholds.

Once we reached Snow Lakes the trail flatted out and we were able to make better time, that is, until we discovered where all the goats had been hiding. Up until this point, we had experienced only one goat encounter on our first day while entering the Core. After that the trail had been unusually devote of these cute mountain dwellers. At this point we had all but given up hope of seeing more of them. Turns out they had been abandoning their mountaineering ways and were roaming the lower elevations well past Snow and Nada Lakes. What would have normal been a long uneventful stretch of trail from Snow Lakes to Snow Trailhead was now peppered with goat encountered.

Nada Lake to Snow Lakes TH

After skirting around Snow Lake and crossing the dam, we continued down the trail to Nada lake (the last lake of the trip).

At the far end of the lake we decided to take a much needed lunch break and rest. With this being a day of animal encounters, we also spied two otters playfully swimming near our lakeside lunch spot. It was an entertaining respite and we were happy for the adorable diversion. Once we felt recharged, we resigned ourselves to tacking the remaining 5.5 miles to the Snow Lakes parking lot.

The first part of the hike descended through an enjoyable wooded section that unfortunately transitioned into a low shrub-lined dirt trail. The remainder of the trail was dusty, exposed, and a long downhill trek to the car. Luckily for us there was a family of mountain goats weaving in and out of the trail for a decent stretch. Even then, the last few miles felt long. Once we finally reached the car we drove to Stuart Lake Trailhead to retrieve our other vehicle.

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With both vehicles at the ready, we set off to find some post-backpack trip food in Leavenworth. Nick had his heart set on Muchen Haus sausages and pretzels while I set my sights on a delectable salmon rice bowl from Yodelin. We both reconvened at the park where we plopped down on a grassy hillside to enjoyed our lunch and recount our recent adventure.