Colchuck Lake- The Enchantments
#15, 8.5 miles, 2,200 Ft elevation gain
The Enchantments truly live up to their name. Once you
enter into the lake basins you are immediately captivated by the
powerful beauty that surrounds you.
Today's
expedition I decided to enter from the west side. The enchantments
have
two entrances; snow creek trail (1300 ft), and the Lake Stuart/Colchuck
trail (3400 ft). From my previous trip back in May (hike #9) I had
entered from the snow lake trail. Today I knew it was planned for a
warm sunny day and wanted to get a taste of the stoney emerald lake of
Colchuck. Taking from my last experience it is fairly difficult to make
your way into the depths of these mtns in one day without that longing
feeling of just setting up camp and staying for a while. Its nice to be
able to take a day trip here but the pull of her depths is quite
strong.
Permits
are required for overnight camping in the enchantments and Lottery
ended months ago. Not to say I will not be contacting the Leavenworth
ranger station periodically throughout the season for cancellation
updates.
From either side entry it is a steady climb to the first of both lakes.
Both Nada and Colchuck sit at a little over 5000 ft. Both lakes are
almost 5 miles from trail head and perfect for the daring hiker who is
wiling to make the 10 mile (round trip) trek with 7 hrs to kill. The west entrance I
found an appealing side to embark from due to its higher elevation and
compelling scenery.
 |
| creek crossing just past the lake stuart/colchuck fork |
 |
| Avalanche Alley |
 |
| One of the many tangles of trees fallen victim to the heavy snow slides |
Moments
from the lake I ran into a couple who were stopped on the trail and
eager to warn me of the "scary" Mtn goats that were chasing them down
the trail. Whats funny about this encounter was that the same mama and
baby were also from the below pictures and the most doscile creatures I
have ever seen. This statement does not necessarily give a genreal
indicator of all mtn goats since they are actually know to be very
territorial and agressive. But on this day it just makes for an
interesting story.
The
moment you enter the basin to the Lake you are spellbound. It is truly
enchanting. As I walked around the edge of the lake taking it all in I
became lost in my own thoughts. Eventually I realized I
had
veered off path and found myself alone on another small little lake.
Quiet and set away from the heavy boot path followers I found a moment
of solitude. Quickly I realized the bugs were the reason this majestic location was so desolate.
From
the smaller lake I realized it was set apart from the larger Colchuck
lake by a small ledge. I noticed in the distance that the trail
continued to the Aasgard pass from here and was determined to attempt
the pass summit. As I reached the ledge and came around a sharp bend
obstructed by a large boulder I almost ran smack into a family of mtn
goats. Literally inches from the mama we stared straight into each
others eyes for a hot second before I was turning on my heels and rock
jumping as fast as I could. I thought for sure she was gonna charge me
for being so close to her baby.
Took
a quick peek over my shoulder to see if I was about to get butted in
the rear and realized mama was unimpressed with my super hero powers of
flight. I headed up a small overhang to tempt my chances of an elusive
up close photo. Feeling safe balancing on an overhanging tree I perched
n awe at the little family. Leaving them in peace I made my way back
around to the main viewing area to grab a quick bite and re-charge for
the trek down. I chatted with some other folks and boasted about my
close encounter while viewing the pics I had captured.
We
were all so enthralled by the images on my camera we were oblivious to
the fact that the family had strutted into camp feet from us. They made
a loop in front of about 20 people and stopped to pose for pictures.
It was truly a rare sight to see such wild and majestic creatures so
docile like this in the wild. It was there moment to shine in the
limelight as dozens of cameras clicked away like paparazzi.
