The Enchantments Day 1

Hiking

Jun 18

Day 1 / 4

Stuart Lake Trailhead to Colchuck Lake

The Enchantments is a popular destination in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area near Leavenworth, Washington. “Enchantments“ is no exaggeration of a name for the beauty that lies within.

The Enchantments can be accessed through either the Stuart Lake trailhead or the Snow Lakes trailhead, and a loop can be made to experience it all in 23.6 miles, along very rugged terrain and some 4,000 ft to 6,000 ft elevation gain, depending on your starting point.

Getting an overnight permit requires trying your luck at a very competitive lottery, months in advance, or trying your luck at a walk-in permit the day of your hike.

With the recent closures and changes related to the Coronavirus, there are no walk-in permits for the foreseeable future this year. Instead the allotment of walk-in permit is released online on a weekly basis for the time being. I called up on friends, and 3 other experienced Mazamas mountaineers and climb leaders were up for the adventure.

I snatched our permits early Monday morning, and we set off the planning stages for our Thursday, June 18 start date. Essentially, we managed to turn the Covid lemon into lemonade.

We left Portland around 5 in the morning, coffee in hand, stopping only for views of our objective on the way.

By 10am we were in Leavenworth, Washington and met the other members of our party, grabbed more coffee and a quick bathroom break. Soon we were on our way to the Snow Lakes trailhead to leave one car behind, and shuttle to the Stuart Lake trailhead.

Before we could begin our hike, a small obstacle. Parking. The Stuart Lake Trailhead was already filled up with cars by 11am. As we packed our gear and Andrew waited with his car nearby, we waited for parking spaces.

With good fortunes, within minutes we met rangers exiting the trail, which meant their parking space would clear up.

By noon we started our hike and were well on our way to our first objective — the iconic Colchuck Lake at the base of Asgard Pass.

The gradual start in the canyon is mostly without the grand views that awaited us. Sounds of mountain stream nearby as we weaved in and out of the Mountaineer Creek up stream.

Shortly, we were in sight of Dragontail Peak, front and center of Colchuck Lake. We made use of this view for a brief, socially distanced break, catching our breath, and munching snacks.

Once we arrived at Colchuck Lake, we were once again in awe of the magnificent views. It never gets old! We took a moment for a session of photos before pressing on in search of a perfect campsite, and we managed to find it. We enjoyed a merry meal, slept in the quiet night under the milky way, and rested in advance of a long day to come.