Opis:
In order to get a backcountry permit for the Enchantments, you actually have to win a lottery! However, we secured and unclaimed permit within 10 minutes of it going up for grabs in April. With the late date, we knew it would be a coin flip whether the trail was even accessible. We left home at 3 am to make it to TH by 515, where r here were about 20 cars in the lot. The first five miles of gradual switchbacks in the dark went quickly, and we turned off our headlights to find fresh light snow on the fall-colored trees, the collision of two seasons. We lightened our packs by setting up camp on the dried up banks of upper Snow Lake, and we’re back on trail by 10. The rest of the day was like something out of a movie, light snow , larches hanging on to the last of their golden needles, numerous blue lakes of all shapes and sizes. Just after Snow Lake, the trail became much more difficult, both to find and to navigate. Hands were required for climbing here and there, and I can’t recall a time I depended on the cairns so much. This was due to both the fresh inch or so of snow and the terrain.