The drive out to Leavenworth took much longer than I would have liked and considering the length of the hike I wish I had arrived at the trailhead earlier than 11:30. The Drive went from Seattle gloom and rain to clear blue skies mid 70s in the Wenatchee Forest. When in doubt of Seattle weather just head east for the sun and warm air.
Trailhead parking lot (elev 1300 ft) was nearly full and I suspect 80% of the vehicles were overnight backpackers who have been lucky enough to obtain the very elusive overnight permits that are regulated based on a lottery in to the enchantment lakes area.
As you "officially" enter the alpine lakes wilderness the trail looses some of the shade due to a scorched hillside from a fire years past. But what it does offer is extraordinary views along the snow creek canyon.
Start traversing up along the base of wedge mountain but keep your eyes and ears out for mountain goats. Many of these majestic creatures call wedge mountain home and after reading the WTA trip reports of a few weeks prior I was in high alert.
It wasn't long before I had my first spotting. If I hadnt been so hyper aware I may have missed him standing on his throne about 200 ft above me. Some of the trip reports had warned that these majestic and very large creatures were agressively charging hikers on the trail. I kept my eye on this guy as I creeped closer up the trail.
He never did get very close and after a few switchbacks I lost sight of him. But I still felt responsible to warn other fellow hikers, who seemed unaware of the potential dangers of these charging creatures.
Later up the trail a few miles another woman said she spotted a large Bull charging 2 campers trapped yelling from a tree.
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| short break to snack and enjoy the view |
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| fields of wild orchids scatter the trails |
About 3 miles in I hit some scattered patches of snow (elevation 3600 ft) but the trail was still relatively clear.
It wasnt until the bridge crossing (4200 ft) over snow creek that the real snow terrain began. The trail is easy to follow and heavy with boot tracks but in some spots the snow is so dirty and old that it is hard to tell and can get a bit disorientating and could use some better tree markers.
It
wasn't until I saw this sign "campfires prohibited beyond this point"
that I felt confident I was heading in the right direction.A good thing to remember when backpacking into the alpine lake regions is to get aquaintined with the rules and regulatons. This should be applied for any trip you are planning into any national parks and wilderness regions.
These "rules" are in place to keep safe the delicate ecosystems that can easily be damamged by humans carelessness. Most wilderness areas will have postings for backpackers: no fires above 5000 ft and within 1/2 mile of many pristine lake basins. When in doubt contact the local ranger station.
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| panoramic view of Wedge Mtn |
From the Snow creek crossing to Nada lake is very wet, muddy and snowy. Most of the trail is more like a creek with melting snow and hard snowpack.
As I was making the final approach towards Nada lake I felt the shift in the late afternoon sun. Its always the rush for a late start day to try and make it to your destination and safely back out before night fall. Some of the granite rock slide ridges were still heavy with snow pack and took careful maneuvering to keep safe footing.
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| Backpackers heading out from Snow Lake. |
Nada Lake was still mostly frozen over and despite the snow coverage was in the 60s. There was a large flat rock slab next to the lakes edge where some campers were sprawled out cooking an early dinner and enjoying the late afternoon sun. A part of me was experiencing a tinge of jelousy and wished I was setting up camp instead of scarfing down my food to hurry up and head back down the mtn before night fall.
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| View across Nada lake |
I reached the parking lot about 6:30 and headed as fast as I could into Leavenworth. Its starting to become my ritual to treat myself to local fare wherever I am. Either before or after a hike I like to familiarize myself with a local cafe, bar or restaurant. I found myself at the Leavenworth Sausage Garten by Cured. A Brat, potato salad and a pale ale. Extra Jalepanos please!!!
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