Drew the Enchantments lottery hike

[danderson]

So after years of applying for for a week long hike in the Enchantments I got drawn for the Core Zone, planning on starting at the Eight mile trail head and hiking through to Leavenworth, through the Snow lake Zone, anybody else had any experience in there, like best places to camp and must see spots.

[_TONY_]

I drew eightmile zone permit this year, but I'm going to pass on buying it. Can't see myself spending five days camping in that zone and trying to take day trips to the core zone.

Hopefully next year, I'll draw the core zone.

[pd]

@danderson, yes, I have done this hike.  Don't worry about "must see spots" as your typical hike through the Core Zone will show you plenty of beautiful sights.  If you want to do some rock climbing, however, more research is needed.  Just get off the main trails and hike though some of the less traveled paths (there are a lot).

You will see more Mountain Goats there than you have ever seen before.

One travel tip: Go light.  Aim for no more than 30-lbs. in your pack.  The climb up Asgaard Pass is a killer.

[danderson]

After last years hike on the south side of Mt Stewart we lived with the Mt goats for 3 days, they wandered in and out of camp all the time, never seen anything like it before, We plan on setting up camp in the upper core zone and climbing as many peaks as possible in 6 days, I want to get  my base weight down to 25 pounds for my pack that's my challenge

[Bean Counter]

bring your bug spray 

[steeleywhopper]

Special permits needed to walk in the woods?  what's this state coming to

[SkookumHntr]

How many bonus points did you need to draw it? 

[jackelope]

Special permits needed to walk in the woods?  what's this state coming to

Same here, this might be the saddest thing I 've seen since moving here.

It's not what it's coming to.  It's been that way for a long time. Keeps the damage down in a sensitive area. Overcrowding, people not camping where they're supposed to, etc.  That area would get destroyed.

[Knocker of rocks]

Special permits needed to walk in the woods?  what's this state coming to

Started in 1987, and only is in effect in the Enchantments, Wonderland Trail and several other spots, and only for camping.

[Naches Sportsman]

Special permits needed to walk in the woods?  what's this state coming to

The enchantments belong to the federal government.

As a new generation of wilderness managers take over the helm in different forests, look for more wilderness management plans to follow.  I wouldn't be suprised to see many more wildernesses to go permit only in a few years .

Destructive areas, especially in the alw, looks ugly and takes a toll on the ecosystem.

[danderson]

Its the most unbelievable preteen high lakes area in the State, and maybe the nation, you can day hike into the area but without a permit no overnight camping,  been looking forward to this hike for along time

[blindpig]

Take lots of pics and share.  I applied but didn't get drawn.  Jealous

[ridgefire]

What happens if you are caught without the permit?

[Curly]

Its the most unbelievable preteen high lakes area in the State, and maybe the nation, you can day hike into the area but without a permit no overnight camping,  been looking forward to this hike for along time

What is a preteen high lake? 

[Netminder01]

Probably one of my favorite hikes in this great state.

I drew this a few years ago with a friend and despite having food poisoning and puking every 20 yards on the way into our camping spot it was amazing! We hiked up Aasgard Pass and had an incredible trip.  If you ask me, the granite rock and plush greens with glacier fed water just make the colors unique pallet you don't find too often.

If you're handy with a camera I'd consider video taping your trip. It was my first video so it's ugly but I'm glad I did it.

Congrats on the draw - you'll have a blast!!

[splitshot]

used to hike it in the 70's and saw no one for days.  even then we had to carry a small camp stove(no fires).   too many people.  mike w

[rosscrazyelk]

I did it four years ago and absolutely loved it. I have not been drawn since.
You say you are going in through the snow lake side? Do you plan on going down Asguard?
If so I would Highly advise not going down Asguard. I would go up that way and down the snow lake trail.
Next time I draw this is my plan of action.
Day 1- Hike to colchuck and stay one night there.
Day 2- fuel up and hike Asguard and find a camp around Inspiration lake.
Day 3- mess around the upper enchantments.
day 4- work my way down to upper snow.
day 5- final trek back to the car.
Good luck take lots of pictures

[Bean Counter]

Its the most unbelievable preteen high lakes area in the State, and maybe the nation, you can day hike into the area but without a permit no overnight camping,  been looking forward to this hike for along time

What is a preteen high lake? 

pristine?

[JimmyHoffa]

Under 13K feet?

[danderson]

  Rosscrazyelk, I am going in the way you described, starting at the Colchuck trail head up Asguard Pass, from there we plan on spending 6 days in the Core Zone exploring/ checking out all the lakes and climbable peaks, a friend of mine recommended we day hike from one of the upper lakes that way we can travel light, hoping to climb Little Annapurna and Dragontail peaks, with a July 9th start date, I have a solar charger so should get some great footage.

[mfswallace]

What happens if you are caught without the permit?

And who's gonna catch you? Is someone really employed to hike around all summer?

[timberghost72]

What happens if you are caught without the permit?

And who's gonna catch you? Is someone really employed to hike around all summer?

Yes, there are rangers and volunteers who hike around those areas quite a bit.

[timberghost72]

I drew eightmile zone permit this year, but I'm going to pass on buying it. Can't see myself spending five days camping in that zone and trying to take day trips to the core zone.

Hopefully next year, I'll draw the core zone.

So if you don't purchase your permit does it go back into the lottery or can you give it to someone to use? Or can you only give it away after you purchase it?

[JimmyHoffa]

What happens if you are caught without the permit?

And who's gonna catch you? Is someone really employed to hike around all summer?

I know that in Olympic they have rangers that do just that kind of stuff.  They come by your tent daily and inspect permits,  food storage, measure fire rings and distance from the river.  They do other things like look for unsafe trails or dangerous animals. 

[ShadowHunter]

From the late 60's until they instituted the permit system, we did the Enchantments and Rat Lakes chain twice a season for a week each trip.  You "may" want to rethink the "camping" in the Upper Enchantments.  The wind can and often does HOWL there.  The lower Enchantments are much more hospitable and it's a very short hike back to the uppers for day hike exploring. 

[Bill W]

One can always hike around before the permits become effective.  It used to be June 15th was the start of the permit season and one could hike around before that without a permit.  Be advised that Aasgard Pass can be a little slippery if it's got snow/ice on it.  I slipped up there and had a fast ride down to the bottom.

[Bean Counter]

You also don't need a permit if you camp outside of the zone. You'll need flashlights on either end and count on a 20 hour day, but we were passed by a few on that very mission.

[swanny]

After spending 4 days up there last year, I would personally say skip hiking down and out via Snow Lake. That was the longest, most boring day of hiking I have ever had. I'd gladly walk down Aasgard and out Colchuck, much more scenic of a trip IMO and you aren't going to miss a thing. Snow Lake is lower, in the trees and lacks any sort of view. The fishing might be okay, but by the time you leave the upper Enchantments you wont be as awed IMO.

Little Annapurna was a great climb and there are plenty of other areas that one could explore up there. If I ever get a permit again for a few days, I know right where I will be going for at least a day hike if not to set up camp for a day or two.

And yea, plenty of goats around.

[ShadowHunter]

I agree that the Snow Lakes trail is long and boring.  That's why we always went in via Colchuck/Aasgard and then out via Toketie Lake or Coney Lake/Cannon Mt.

[danderson]

  I have 6 days so plan on setting up base camp in the upper Enchantments somewhere, probably above Aasgard pass, and day hiking out of the area, will climb as many peaks as possible, from the folks I spoke to that have spent much time up there the camp sites are well established and opportunity's to explore are everywhere, I was planning on exiting through the Snow lake Zone but might just reconsider another option.  I have experienced the Mt goats up high many times in the past before its like they want to climb in to your tent.

[Bean Counter]

Don't get too comfortable around them. I believe they gored a man in the leg on Hurricane Ridge a few years ago and he died. Quick Clot/tampons/torniquet might not be a stupid thing to carry.

When we would leave camp in the upper enchantment area to go pee, the goats would literally surround you and start to move in in your urine. The salt is like candy to them. When we went the USFS asked you to go on a big rock so it spreads out quick and the goats don't golp a pile of peepe'd mud and die from the alcohol/perscriptions/etc in your system, as has been previously identified via autopsy 

[Skyvalhunter]

Done the one day hike thru a few times. Its nice up there but a bit too crowded for me. Good luck and have fun.

[danderson]

  Here's one from last year while hiking the Pacific crest trail, I had many encounters with goats never seen any aggressive behavior, but I know it can happen, The ones that do approach hikers are in the minority most stay in there comfort range or just take off when you seen, the urine topic is well documented, have to be mindful of were you go.

[boneaddict]

Neat trip.   Looking forward to hearing about it. 

[danderson]

Just got back from 6 days of hiking into the enchantments, the hike was more like a combination of hiking /rock climbing scrambling across granite walls of stone, a lot more rock walls were you had to have 4 points of contact than I had thought, we went in from the Snow creek trail out of Leavenworth hiked approx 9 miles in past Nada lake to Snow lake, made camp there and the next day hiked into the upper lakes past lake Vivian, and made camp on a point of land on Leprechaun lake, this was the most fantastic spot I have ever made camp, Mt. goats were in and around camp at all times day and night, we didn't have any  major issues with the goats even the 2 big billys that came in just wandered around camp checking us out and eventually wandered off, the next day we set off for the upper enchantment zone made it past Sprite lake and Perfection lake and made our base camp in the outlet to  Perfection lake, although we renamed it windy gap, winds were in the 50 plus mph at night, the next day we hiked up into the upper lake area that was more like mars, very surreal, Mt Goats in tow as we hiked along they were following us, made our way up to the top of Aasgard Pass at 7800 ft. watched as climbers scaled the back side of Mt Stuart, we climbed to the top of Little Annapurna at a little over 8000 ft and made our way back to Leprechaun with the goats in tow, the next day we climbed up Prusik pass and made our way to the base of Prusik Peak, stood in the middle of 19 Mt. goats here, for more than an hour as they fed and bedded as if I was invisible to them, all females with kids, great hike over all with magnificent views lots of Mt goats a little challenging at times but very doable.

[Little Dave]

Cool stuff Dave.

[Duckhunter14]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. 

Clint

[quadrafire]

That is some amazing country there. Thanks for sharing and making me envious.
That is a cute little goat for sure

[Netminder01]

One of my favorite areas - thanks for sharing those pics. Those goats can be mischievous...   

[quadrafire]

How were the bugs?

[_TONY_]

Nice! We were up there on the 25th of last month... We were supposed to stay a couple days but we ended up doing the whole hike in one day... Mosquitos and black flies were intense.

[danderson]

  The Bugs really were not bad, we entered just as the weather started to change a cold front moved in with strong winds that kept bugs down, I did have the record for most horse fly kills with 12, there pretty slow, I was amazed at the number of through hikers late in the day at the top of Aasgard pass, one gal got hit in the head by a rock and lost a fair amount of blood, we decided to bag the decent of the pass as going down hill was a bit more than my group could handle, I will be going back there next year with a little luck in the permit system to complete the climb of some of the other peaks, and to climb the pass. 

[coachcw]

Good stuff!

[bowhunterforever]

Awesome country and pics

[Bean Counter]

We only spent 3 days, up there, and I wish we would have spent 5-6. Glad you had a good time. 

[CementFinisher]

awesome thanks for sharing

[Harbor_hunter]

Wow that is super cool, thanks for sharing the story and great photos!