Enchanted

One of the classic hikes in the North Cascades is the Enchantment Traverse.  Starting near Leavenworth, WA, this hike rises from 1300 feet to 7800 feet and then back down all over 18 miles.  Supposedly one of the prettiest hikes in the state, it is also one of the most heavily regulated regions in the North Cascades.  Hikers hoping to get overnight permits enter a lottery sometime in January.  Not being well-organized enough to enter the lottery, Kyle and I opted for the Enchantment Traverse in a Day.

I have to be honest here.  The North Cascades are not really my cup of tea when it comes to mountains.  Maybe I’ve spent too much time thrashing through the brush, or hiking up absurdly steep hillsides for cruddy outcrops, but I just don’t think these are the best mountains ever.  I kind of think they are the worst.  They’re dark and rugged and frightening.  So starting up the trail to the Enchantment range I wasn’t really expecting much.  

I stand corrected.

 

The Enchantments are absolutely stunning.  I can’t really describe how awesome they are.  Once you haul yourself up to about 5000 feet (that’s a 3700 ft elevation gain from the car) you have entered Valhalla. You’re surrounded by stunning spires of the Mt. Stuart batholith (not granite, actually, but tonalite, which is basically granite without so much potassium).  You can watch mountain goats frolic in the high meadows and lakes. These aren’t the killer mountain goats of the other parts of the cascades, where they stalk you and gore you (to them you are a salt-making machine and should you fail to produce, they have no further use for you).  Here in the Enchantments, they merely look at you with their adorable little faces and big black eyes, saying; “sister, please take a leak. I could use a little salt.”

Another 2800 feet and you’ve reached Aasgard pass. Now here’s a tip. Should you get yourself one of these killer permits into the Enchantments, SKIP AASGARD PASS.  Don’t go up it. Don’t go down it.  It’s a crappy little trail that goes straight down over 2000 feet to a forgettable lake full of people.  Which brings me to the one downside of the Enchantments- we hiked on a Wednesday and saw over 115 people. ON A WEDNESDAY.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t go, I’m saying don’t expect a wilderness experience.  My last gripe is that the “trail” once you get above 5400 feet isn’t an official trail, it’s an unmaintained trail.  What this has resulted in is a series of “social trails” that give the high altitude region the look of a trampled fairground after ½ price Saturday.  The USFS would do well to get serious about preserving their delicate alpine situation up there and making an official trail.

So we went down Aasgard pass, got a ride from a friendly retired dentist and his wife back to our car, and collapsed after a delicious beans and rice dinner over the campstove.  Perfect day.