Colchuck Lake from Aasgard
Colchuck Lake from the top of Aasgard Pass. The yellow color in the foreground is compliments of the alpine larch (an evergreen that sheds its needles in winter).
Thursday 9.25.2008 my son and I started a day hike from the Colchuck Lake trailhead. Our destination was to the top of Aasgard Pass and back.
At the end of Lake Colchuck our plan changed. My son would hike fast and hike through the Enchantment Lakes to the Snow Lakes trailhead. I gave him my headlamp (as backup) with extra batteries, in case he needed to hike the last stretch in the dark. I had the vehicle keys and planned to hike back down Aasgard Pass; get the vehicle; and drive down to pick him up as he exited his solo through hike at the Snow Lakes trailhead.
3/4 of the way up Aasgard Pass, hiking on my own, I met Jack and Rachael. They were a friendly young couple, planning to hike all the way through from Colchuck TH to the Snow Lake TH (about 17 miles).
During our hike to the top of Aasgard, they invited me to join them on their through hike with their friends Mike and Aura. They had an extra head lamp and said they would give my son and I a shuttle back up to the Colchuck TH and our vehicle. It was an offer I couldn't resist.
So that is how it came to be. My son hiked solo from Aasgard Pass to the Snow Lake Trailhead, and I hiked along with four friendly young people on the same route but behind my son, who was hiking faster than the five of us.
It made for a long day of hiking but what great scenery and fun. I had backpacked up Aasgard twice and backpacked to Nada then day hiked up into the Enchantment Lakes once. All of those trips were decades ago (when I was young).
This was a first trailhead to trailhead through hike of the Enchantment Lakes for me and for my son. We both loved the experience. We got rain, sun, and snow - - and we were all constantly changing attire to fit the conditions of the moment. We saw mountain goat and pika. For us all it was a hike to remember.
Comments and faves
Walks On Rocks (45 months ago | reply)
ah the larch had turned yellow!
oldmantravels (45 months ago | reply)
WOR - - only in patches and it didn't always appear to be a function of altitude. Some of the larch near Inspiration Lake was "full green" yet other patches at lower altitudes were bright gold. This is absolutely the best time of the year to hike as far as I am concerned, and as soon as the rain moves through the Pacific Northwest over the next few days, I will be looking at maps and plotting another hike. OMT
Walks On Rocks (45 months ago | reply)
I suspect it is a function of how much sunlight they do or don't receive and its position on a particular landform (influencing how much frost it gets) - so slope steepness and aspect may play the part.
Just a casual suggestion, but you could go up and check on Hinman Glacier, Its melted a great deal and there's a couple new lakes and new topography that doesn't show up on the topo maps.
That is a great view you had up there, atop Asgard
oldmantravels (45 months ago | reply)
WOR - - thanks for the Hinman tip. I looked briefly at my topo map (N.G.) and have no idea how you get there. Looks like Opal Lake and the Necklace Valley is the nearest "trail" and it isn't that close. OMT
brewbooks (16 months ago | reply)
Nice view (you earned it!)
oldmantravels (16 months ago | reply)
J Brew - - This hike was a beauty. I remembered all too well backpacking up Aasgard and getting hit by a major hail and lightening storm while halfway up Aasgard and that was in JULY! You never what hiking weather you might get in the lovely Pacific Northwest. HA. OMT
onetexsun added this photo to her favorites. (4 months ago)