Backpacking and Photographing the Enchantments.
The Enchantments
One of North America’s most beautiful Alpine Wildness areas. This 21 mile hike requires a permit for good reason. Over the course of 6 days I was able photograph some amazing lakes and mountains, and got lucky with some amazing light.
Inspired by photography and the process.
The Enchantments are known for their amazing granite peaks, alpine lakes, and golden larches in the Fall. Being a Californian, I had never heard of the Enchantments but I did remember seeing photos from the area before. After doing some research on the area I was in awe of the scenery from photos on the Internet. I knew I wanted to backpack through the area one day. However the first step would be obtaining a permit which allows you to camp overnight in the area.
The permitting system is run by recreation.gov and in order to get a permit you must enter the yearly lottery. The lottery is open from the last 2 weeks in February and closes on March 1st, the lottery results are usually posted around mid March. Unfortunately by the time I learned about the yearly lottery, the time to enter had already passed and I would have to wait another year for a chance to get a permit.
Glacial formed and decorated with larches, the Enchantments is a bucket list hike for any outdoor adventurer.
The Enchantments are divided into 5 areas.
Before entering the lottery, you must first decide which zone in the Enchantments you want to win your permit for. The permit in which you win only allows you to camp in the zone indicated by your permit. However if you have “Core Zone” permit you are permitted to camp in any of the five zones. The most visited area in the Enchantments is the “Core Zone”. This is most likely the area you will see photos of if you do a quick google search. It is easily the most picturesque and surrounded by an abundance of alpine lakes. If I was going to visit the Enchantments, this is the area I would want to go to. The five zones of the Enchantments are:
Core Enchantments
Colchuck Lake
Stuart Lake
Snow Lakes
Eightmile/Caroline
Viewpoint from the Upper Core, you can see Prussik Peak and Perfection Lake.
Winning the Lottery isn’t so easy.
As February 2021 quickly came my first year to enter the lottery for a “Core” permit was now a go and picking my entrance date was very easy. When entering the lottery you are allowed to pick 3 dates when you want to start your hike. The best time in my opinion to see the Enchantments would be in late September or early October as the larches turn a golden color and light up the hills in the sunlight.
However trying to enter the lottery for entry dates during the peak of fall when the larches turn isn’t so easy. Winning a “Core” permit only yields a 1% chance. There are around 300-600 people per day that are trying to win a permit for one of their three selected dates for the season. Winning a “Core” permit is very rare.
With my dates now selected, I was trying to stay positive and imagining seeing a congratulations notification. But after my year trying for the lottery I was not granted a permit.
This was my first year entering the lottery and I knew I couldn’t let one loss deter me. I kept the mindset where if you never enter, you’ll never win; You have to give yourself the chance to win. Fast forward to the next year, it was time to select my permit’s entrance dates for the 2022 season. Again I targeted dates for late September and early October. Luck was on my side this time as I was actually part of the 1% that won a “Core Permit”. I had to read the congratulations email a few times as I could not believe that I was so fortunate to win a permit on only my second lottery year.
The Core Zone is covered in golden larches and when the low angle of the sun lights them up, they glow against the granite hills.
Preparing mentally and do your research.
Now that I had the golden ticket to the Enchantments, all I could do was read about the hike more and watch YouTube videos from the area and learn more about the area. One piece of information that stuck out to me was climbing Aasgard’s Pass, one of the two ways into the Core Enchantments. Aasgard’s Pass sits at 7,841 feet, it is the saddle to the left of Dragon Tail peak and is one of the hardest part of the hike for good reason. The climb is roughly over 2000 feet elevation gain in less than 3/4 of a mile. Climbing up Aasgard’s with a 35lb pack would not be easy and keeping the mentality of going safe and slow, you’ll eventually reach the top.
Climbing up Aasgard’s Pass isn’t the only way to hike into the Core Enchantments. Hiking up from Snow Lakes is another avenue into the Core. You will be starting at a much lower elevation and be hiking more miles before you get into the core so it is a pick your poison; Do you want more elevation and longer milage or do you want a more direct but steeper and shorter path to the Core. I went with the quicker and steeper route as this is the more route people recommend.
Dragon Tail peak is massive and to the left of the peak you can see Aasgard’s Pass, over 2000 feet elevation in 3/4 of a mile.
Go go away wildfires.
As beautiful as the Enchantments are, and as much metal and physical training you do to prepare yourself for the hike; You also have to avoid mother nature. Washington is known for it’s wildfires and the smoke plays a factor in whether the backpacking trip will even be possible. The heath risks from breathing in the smoke could possibly be dangerous and the smokey air reduces visibility and can give off a grey/dreary atmosphere.
The entire summer of 2022 seemed like a very mild year for wildfires; But things can change over the weekend. Two weeks before my permit’s entry date some wildfires near the area started and I was seriously worried that the one time won a Core permit, a wildfire could possibly prevent me from going.
Air moisture and wind direction would play a huge factor in whether I would cancel or begin my hike. Luckily the week before, a small amount of rain was forecasted and air moisture increased. Air quality was improved and a perfect hiking window opened up just in time for my permit’s entry date.
The quintessential photograph of the Core Enchantments. Prussik Peak reflects at Gnome Tarn.
The Actual Hike
The 21 mile Enchantments thru hike can be completed in a day and there are self issued day hike permits at the trailheads. However like myself many people want to take their time to soak in the outdoor experience and spend as much time at the alpine lakes as possible, which is why obtaining a backpacking camping permit is so difficult.
As I wrote above there are multiple access points to get to the Core Enchantments. Starting from Snow Lakes Trailhead and finishing at Colchuck Lake or start at Colchuck Lake and terminate your hike at Snow Lakes trailhead, either way you go up or down Aasgard’s Pass. I would recommend starting at Colchuck side because going down Aasgard can be very dangerous, it is very steep.
The first day was an easy 4.5 miles to camp at Colchuck Lake and seeing Dragon Tail peak was very surprising. Photos I had seen on the internet do not illustrate how massive it is, it is an experience you can only see with your own eyes. Oh and don’t forget as massive as Dragon Tail looks, Aasgard’s Pass looks impossible to summit as viewed from the lake front.
The next morning I awoke for sunrise and was treated with a gorgeous colorful sky and managed to grab a few photos along the lake. After packing up camp the day’s hike was going to be about 3.5 miles but it would be the hardest day. After the easy hike around the lake to the base of Aasgard’s Pass I stood there and looked up the pass and knew it would be a challenge. It took me about 2.5 hours to hike up the 2000 feet and only move for 3/4 of a mile. But eventually the mission was done and after another hour of hiking made camped in the Upper Enchantments Core just above Perfection Lake.
The next 2 days were spent around the Lower Core Enchantments around Leprechaun Lake which was only a 2 mile hike from my last campsite. I managed to get some photos I had been dreaming of the in past 2 years. Prussik Peak is just so photogenic and I was lucky to be able to photograph the mountain under some amazing displays of light. The Lower Core was much more amazing that I had anticipated. Everywhere I looked I could not believe I was in the Enchantments surrounded by massive granite cliffs and golden larches. To this day I still say this place is impossible to show the scale and scenery with photos.
After hiking around the Core Enchantments for the past 3 days it was time to pack up camp and head down to Nada Lake past Snow Lakes. Although not as impressive as the Core Enchantments, hiking down another 4.5 miles to set up camp was a good stopping point before I hiked out back to the trailhead.
The final stretch of the hike was a quick 5.5 miles back to Snow Lakes trailhead as there wasn’t much to stop and see. However overall there is a good reason why the Core Enchantments backpacking permit is so difficult to get. I will admit I was very lucky to win a permit on my second attempt. I am very appreciative of the time I was able to spend in the backcountry and was very fortunate that many of the events and leading up to the hike were in my favor. I as much as I would love to return one day I doubt I will ever get the chance again in a hundred years.
