The Enchantments Day 2
Day 2 / 4
Colchuck Lake to Enchantments Basin and Little Anapurna
Our party woke up with the sunrise. Warm rays of sun fingers, inspiring us to move. After a brief breakfast, we dismantled our campsite and made our way around Colchuck Lake towards Asgard Pass.
This section at the South side of Colchuck Lake, just below Asgard Pass involves navigating a section of big boulders. A slow traverse for about 30 mimutes. Once we were done, we were free to continue up towards the Core of the Enchantments.
Asgard Pass defies the definition of a “hike“. I would call it a cross blend between a climb approach and scramble. It’s steep. This pass covers 2,000ft elevation gain in just 3/4 of a mile, and photos cannot seem to ever do justice to the challenge of going up.
There is no set “path” for the most part, other than staying the left side of the pass on the way up. Snowy conditions can make the route easier as you follow footsteps of the hikers ahead, but it can also hide waterfalls and objective hazards. There have been fatalities in this section of the trail, so it’s a pass to be respected.
For us, the current conditions were mostly solid rocks, big steps, and a few short snow traverses. Micro spikes were not required, and trekking poles were incredibly helpful!
Larry and Andrew led most of the way up, which worked wonders for me — they seemed to find the best path instinctively.
We stopped for a quick break a third of the way up, just below what I like to call the “tree oasis“ section.
We continued on up, and each time we looked back, views of Colchuck Lake greeted us and recharged our spirits. Before long, we were approaching the top of Asgard Pass.
Once we topped out Asgard Pass, we rewarded ourselves with a very generous hour-long break as were greeted by mountain goats, other fellow Mazamas by chance encounter, and beautiful views of Colchuck Lake and the Core zone of the Enchantments. The top of this pass leads to the upper Core zone and gives just a taste of what the Enchantments have to offer.
After we were fully rested, and before we became too comfortable, we picked up our heavy packs and continued into the Core of the Enchantments. Our plan was to find a campsite somewhere in the middle section of the core — not too far, not too near from the top. If our legs would allow, we would also make an attempt to hiking up Little Anapurna after setting up camp.
After the pass, we were heading downhill. After passing Isolation Lake, we began scouting campsites. Karen found a perfect notch with beautiful views, close access to water, and most importantly, the bathroom. We made camp near the Enchantments Basin section, at the foot of Little Anapurna.
After yet another break and a quick alpine ciesta, we decided to make our way towards the top of Little Anapurna. We carried only the bare essentials — a bottle of water, some snacks, and for me, my camera gear. We were “carried up“ by the lack of our heavy backpacks.
Trekking up on perfect snow steps is akin to a meditative exercise. Within just an hour, we arrived at the true summit of Little Anapurna with sweeping views and good spirits.
After enjoying our views and celebrating what Little Anapurna had to offer, we made our way down. Plunge stepping through the soft snow made for a swift hike back to our campsite. On our way down, we had prime views of Prusik Peak, as well as our campsite. Dots of red and orange amongst the rocks were really our tents, seemingly hanging in a precarious location sided by massive cliffs. This was mostly an optical illusion. Our campsite was in a safe flat location, but perceptive view was humorous nonetheless.
Once we were back into our campsites, we were greeted by yet more mountain goats. Entirely families of mountain goats. As it so happens, mountain goats crave salt in their diet, and one way that they can ingest the salt is via the gracious pee of nearby hikers. Yes, pee. The desire for the tasty pee prompts mountain goats to patiently await around campsites, waiting for just the right moment when a hiker can’t hold it in any longer. This is a fair trade, as we get to enjoy the precious company of mountain goats as they eagerly await our valuable pee.
For this reason, it is highly suggested that hikers should pee on rocks, away from the campsite, lest they get too near us.
We enjoyed dinner, refilled our water contaimers, and shared good vibes. As the sun came down into Blue Hour, I made way to a nearby viewpoint and managed to make two photos before clouds rolled in. Rain was imminent, and with that, heavy wind gusts through the night. What little sleep we got with the noisy winds would have to suffice, for the next morning would soon be upon us.
Distance: 5.5 miles
Duration: 10 hours 4 minutes
Elevation Gain — Loss: ▲ 3,768 ft — 1,420 ft ▼