Enchantments one-Day Traverse

[anne37]

Oh, I bet. Have you seen Ira Spring's admonishment? Possibly the most judgmental piece of hiking writing I've ever come across, but good for a laugh:

"Myth has it that the Colchuck Lake approach to the Upper Enchantments, pioneered by climbers aiming at the peaks of the Dragontail group, is an easy shortcut and has solitude to boot. Don't believe it. Four things are terribly wrong with the entry via Aasgard Pass: It's not easy; actually it's a climber's route, usually requiring an ice ax, sometimes rope and crampons, and in early summer the ability to recognize avalanche instability. It's dangerous, not only from falling off cliffs or slippery boulders or snowfields or from being fallen upon by snow or rock, but also from summer storms that at these elevations can be distinctly hypothermic and from summer snowfalls the already difficult descent of boulder fields a very long nightmare...Why, then, is the route in this book? As a warning against myths. To save the innocent from being suckered in by "the easy way to the Enchantments." Also to quash the faddy notion that this is a classy and sassy way, the route of the big kids. For anyone it's a tasteless route. For hikers lacking climbing equipment and training, it's a route silly to the point of suicidal."

Clutch pearls!

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Ah, yes. I have a bunch of the old Manning/Spring guide books. Generally I think they're great but sometimes Harvey could get kinda grumpy and go off on a rant about something or another. You run across them here in there in the books. He was also fond of overstating how difficult/dangerous a trail is and would say "only mountaineers should continue beyond this point" or "this trail is only for the super doughty." In spite of his quirkiness I prefer the old (no longer in print) 100 hikes series to the new day hikes series for Washington. The Manning/Spring guides are the equivalent of Sullivan's for Oregon.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Ira Spring was the photographer, Harvey Manning is responsible for all the text. Apparently they never actually hiked together, they did their contributions separately.

[RobFromRedland]

After our trip, I can say with honesty - there is NO easy way into the enchantments - period. You have to pay what I call your "admission fee" to see it.

If I had it to do over again, I would go in via Colchuck again. Personally, I feel that is the easier way of the options. Asgaard is hard, but doable.

[retired jerry]

You ruin a great backpack by going over Aasgard! That's cheating!

Better to go up Nada, Snow. Gradual unfolding of wonderessness.

Camp at Snow Lake first night if you wish.

(I've only looked over Aasgard, never walked up or down, from Snow Lake to lower Enchantments is pretty difficult too, and a little difficult to find the trail)

(just arguing for the sake of arguing... )

[BGBG]

IMO unless you have a permit to camp in the core zone, there is not much to gain camping in Snow lake or at Nada lake, one can find similar lakes closer to home without having to drive for 7 hrs. But Colchuck is a different story, far more prettier than Snow lake and Nada lake.

[retired jerry]

10 miles and 5000 feet to Lower Enchantments. If that's too much then camping at Snow Lake is good, 7 miles and 4000 feet.

I think it's pretty nice at Snow Lake. Nice views of granite everywhere. Yeah, better in Enchantments.

[drm]

When I did it, we went up Aasgard and out Snow Lakes over 5 days and spent a night each at Colchuck and Snow besides the two nights in core. It is very individualistic as to preference. I don't mind rocky terrain so much so carrying the pack up Aasgard, especially starting fresh from Colchuck, was not a big deal. And spending a night at Snow made that long out-hike more reasonable, though it was still incredibly hot and dry for the last couple of hours. Colchuck and Snow Lakes can be really crowded as they combine some of the backpackers on their way as well as the dayhikers (whether hiking through or just up to the edge). There really is no perfect way to do it, but that's how the wilderness comes.

[retired jerry]

Probably easier on the knees to go up Aasgard than down

The trail down Snow Lake is more gradual although there are steep places

[anne37]

IMO unless you have a permit to camp in the core zone, there is not much to gain camping in Snow lake or at Nada lake, one can find similar lakes closer to home without having to drive for 7 hrs. But Colchuck is a different story, far more prettier than Snow lake and Nada lake.

Concur. I have seen some mind blowing lakes in the last couple years, and Snow and Nada are not among them. Colchuck is a great base camp, on the other hand.

FYI, if you go via Yakima and have no construction delays, the drive to Leavenworth is closer to five hours, then not long at all after that to the trailhead. maybe another half hour? I've never taken the Stevens and Snoq. pass routes because I live in terror of Seattlr rush hour, lol!