THE ENCHANTMENTS | WINTER WONDERLAND
Another permit. Another snow storm.
Enchantment Core Permit time was soon arriving, with a forecast for snow. I was prepared for cold weather and a little bit of snow in the core…but not a full blown winter wonderland.
The ongoing plan was to start at Colchuck and spend 3-4 nights in the core. We were considering spending the first night at Colchuck before hitting Aasgard early the next morning. Then explore the core and hike out from Lake Viviane on the fifth day. Mother Nature had other plans. In the two days prior to our hike, snow blanketed the Enchantments and surrounding areas. Stevens Pass seemed to get hit the heaviest.
With reports of more than a foot of fresh snow in the core, we decided to hike into Colchuck and make our decision from there. The snow on the trail started immediately and steadily became deeper as we neared the lake. There were drifts of at least two feet in some areas, including the trails to the toilets. Overall, there was about 6-8” of fresh powder. No one was going up Aasgard. One group had been at Colchuck for five days and decided to bail without entering the core.
We made our way around the lake in search of a place to pitch our tents. Rebecca was borrowing my NEMO Hornet 2P and I had my Zpacks Duplex. Sites were limited and despite the snow, it was quite crowded. We finally found two spots just before the boulder field, alongside two other groups. We made camp, then went off to explore before making an early dinner. The yellow larches were hidden under the fresh snow, color barely peeking through the white coats. There were only a few that showed us their bright fall color.
As we neared the boulder field, we were able to gain a better view of Aasgard. Rather, the base of it, The top of the pass was under the cover of clouds. The boulders were slick from snow and ice. One of the groups we met on the way up mentioned that it was nearly impossible to see the cairns in front of them, deeming it unsafe to attempt the climb.
No core this year.
Maybe the weather would change, we thought. Not quick enough. The snow higher up was likely there to stay.
Next year. Hopefully earlier this time. We’ll save the yellow larches for a thru-hike or day trip up from Snow Lakes or Colchuck if we can get a permit from there.
