The Enchantments Hike 2010

The Enchantments are series of alpine lakes near Leavenworth, WA. The beauty of the area draws many hikers. I returned with my friend Rex for a third visit.
	Rex and the rest of the group started at the trailhead at 7AM on a Sunday morning.
	I started much later at 3:30PM, so I hiked into the darkness with a headlamp. The trail was easy to follow, and I had all I needed with me, so I wasn't worried. However, I was surprised to meet two other groups hiking down in the dark. As soon as I got to camp, I turned in.
	Next morning was cold. In fact, it was cold on this hike any time you were not in sunshine.
	We had camped by the Snow Lakes. The trail in goes across the dam that separates them.
	However, the Upper Snow Lake had been drawn down to support the steady water needs of the Leavenworth fish hatchery - maybe 50 feet! We hiked along the left side of the lake and up the distant valley.
	Me, part-way up. With a Snow Lake visible between the trees.
	Some of our guys, at the first of the Enchantments, Lake Viviane.
	We continued on up to Inspiration Lake and set up camp. The rocks shielded us from some of the wind.
	We had fishermen in our group, and the fishing was good, so we ate fantastic fresh fish that night. In fact we had fresh fish for the next 2 nights as well.
	Next day, our goal was the top of Little Annapurna - so named for its similarity to a peak in the Himalayas. (It's the rounded one with the snow on it.)
	The way up was not a difficult climb, except that you are at 8000 feet and the air is thin. Near the top, the slope becomes quite gentle.
	At the very top are some fantastic rock formations that appear like as if a giant had stacked some flat rocks in rows to use later for flagstones.
	How did they get put here?
	Mt. Rainier to the south.
	I continued on down the other side of Little Annapurna
	to a lesser peak. However, it also had very unusual stacks of rocks on it.
	My friends continued farther on to Dragontail Peak. Notice that double peak group right in the middle?
	They made it on top. Some of the rocks there would move, so they had to be careful.
	I decided to spend my time exploring the lakes starting from the most upper ones. Isolation Lake is the big one.
	I climbed down and found the trail. There are two entrances to the Enchantments. The back way from Colchuck Lake, you have to climb Aasgard Pass to this point. This is the way we came in on my last trip.
	As I started down, I encountered a mountain goat and her baby.
	Later I saw this little guy.
	Isolation Lake was sparkling in the sunshine.
	It flowed into Perfection Lake
	and a series of smaller, mostly unnamed lakes and ponds.
	Rock cairns indicate the trail. Since the trail is often across granite they are important markers. At this height, the terrain is stark. The vegetation is very short in the valley because there is very little weather protection.
	However, if you get down on your knees you can see some interesting things,
	and tiny flowers.
	The next lake is Inspiration Lake, where we had camped. At this level, the most glorious plant of all is the larch tree, a deciduous conifer. In the fall, it "blooms" a golden yellow,
	and then looses it's soft furry needles. A strong storm the previous week had carpeted the ground with gold.
	We met a hiker from San Diego who had come to photograph these trees.
	From here to just beyond the lower Enchantment Lakes, they frame everything. In the back is distinctive Prusik Peak.
	They contrast with the silver of weathered dead wood, and iridescent green of tree lichen.
	Some were still in color transition. Twisted dead snags made you realize just how hard it is to grow up here.
	After the night, we packed camp and moved to lower elevation to avoid a predicted snow storm. Without a mirror, I didn't realize the extent of my "bed-beard"!
	Perfection Lake was below us. The outlet is at the left, where there is a small island.
	From the outlet, looking over the island is the classic view of Little Annapurna.
	The waterfall of this outlet is one of my favorite places. (Little Annapurna is still in the background.) I could have stayed here a long time.
	The waterfall (which you can just see on the right) had fed into Sprite Lake.
	Its outlet goes down a level
	into another spectacular waterfall
	to another bowl of smaller successive
	crystal clear ponds.
	And after a final drop,
	it arrives at Leprechaun Lake which has lots of little inlets.
	It then drops to the last Enchantment lake:
	Lake Viviane. Prusik Peak is above, looking different from the side.
	The water of Viviane may be calm at its outlet,
	but it immediately drops violently away.
	The trail is steep too.
	First comes the Snow Lakes.
	Then the two parts of Nada Lake. The far part is blue from reflection off the sky.
	The near one is green from tree reflections.
	We camped the last night here at the far end,
	and our fishermen went back to relaxing.
	The final trail was again a mix of rocks,
	and dirt track.
	At the end, we re-grouped in Leavenworth for a celebratory lunch.
The Enchantments may be a challenge, but they are valuable jewel that is worth it!